It’s been a while, but we’re finally returning to the days of blasphemous Windows customization. Stardock just revived ObjectDock, a popular tool that replaces the Windows taskbar with a macOS-like dock. You can now use ObjectDock in Windows 11 or 64-bit Windows 10 installations. So, go crazy.

ObjectDock initially launched in 2003 and has supported nearly every version of the Windows operating system. It’s one of several products in Stardock’s stable, but it was practically abandoned after a 2.20 update in 2015. The newest iteration of ObjectDock, version 3.0, has been seriously overhauled for Windows 11 compatibility, though it retains most of the design elements and features that users treasured in the past.

At its core, ObjectDock simply replaces your taskbar with a macOS-like dock. But nobody’s stopping you from going to the extreme. ObjectDock is highly customizable—you can move it to the side of your screen, use it alongside your taskbar, create custom dock tabs with collections of similar apps, set up a unique dock on your second monitor, and more.

You can also create custom skins for ObjectDock, or simply choose from the collection of preset skins. Some users may be tempted to install community-made skins, but I’d wait a few weeks, as old skins from the 2.20 release may need to be updated for Windows 11.

As for new functionality—well, there isn’t any. Stardock made ObjectDock compatible with modern machines, touched up the app’s animations, did some under-the-hood tweaking, and called it a day. In fact, Stardock had to prune some unspecified features from this release due to depreciated functionality in Windows 11.

The only notable change, aside from Windows 11 support, is that ObjectDock is now included with the Object Desktop suite. Those with an annual subscription to Object Desktop can install ObjectDock at no additional charge.

On its own, ObjectDock costs $9.99 for new users or $3.99 for those upgrading from a previous release. The ObjectDock license is perpetual, meaning that it’s a one-time charge. If you want a full suite of Windows customization tools, you can opt for Object Desktop, which costs $49 annually (with $10 off your first year). Stardock isn’t offering a free version of ObjectDock 3.0, though you can install a free trial.

Source: Stardock

The post ObjectDock Returns from the Dead to Give Windows 11 a macOS Dock first appeared on Tech news.

Passkeys are alternatives to passwords and make signing in to your favorite websites and apps faster. We’ll show you how to generate, use, view, and delete passkeys on your Windows 11 PC.

What Is a Passkey?

A passkey is a replacement for your website or app account password. When you create a passkey with your favorite site or app, you can use your device’s authentication method to log in to that site or app.

For example, with Windows 11, you can use the Windows Hello functionality to sign in to various services. This means you can use your PIN, facial recognition, or fingerprint scanning to log in to multiple services and apps.

Passkeys have multiple advantages over passwords. The main one is that, unlike passwords, it is borderline impossible to steal passkeys. Another advantage is that passkeys are almost completely impervious to phishing. It is relatively easy to trick a human into entering a password on a fake website, but passkeys aren’t so easily fooled.

What Platforms Support Passkeys?

Many popular sites and apps support passkeys, as this is a quick and convenient way to log in. Some services that support this feature are:

• Adobe
• Amazon
• Apple
• Google
• LinkedIn
• Microsoft
• WhatsApp
• X (formerly Twitter)

You can find a list of passkey-supported platforms on the Passkeys site.

How to Create and Save a Passkey to Your Windows 11 PC

To generate and save a passkey, you’ll first visit your favorite website or app’s account settings. From there, you’ll create the key and then save it to your PC. In this guide, we’ll demonstrate how to do that with a Google account.

Begin by launching Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Brave web browser on your PC. Head to Google’s My Account site and sign in to your account.

After logging in, from the left sidebar, select “Security.” On the right pane, scroll down to the “How You Sign In to Google” section and choose “Passkeys and Security Keys.”

Google will likely prompt you to enter your account password. Do so and continue.

When the following page opens, at the top, click “Create a Passkey.”

You’ll see a “Windows Security” prompt. Authenticate yourself using your PIN, facial recognition, or fingerprint scanning.

You’ll see a “Passkey Saved” message confirming a passkey for your Google account was created and saved to your PC. Close the window by selecting “OK.”

And that’s it. You’ve successfully created a replacement for your Google account password.

How to Use a Passkey to Sign In to a Site or App

To use a passkey to sign in to a site or app, access that item’s login page and choose passkey instead of password. Here’s how to do that for a Google account.

Launch Google.com and click “Sign In” in the top-right corner.

Enter your Google account username and click “Next.”

On the password page, click “Try Another Way” to see alternate options.

Select “Use Your Passkey” to utilize the saved passkey to log in to your account.

Select “Continue” and Google will trigger the “Windows Security” prompt.

In the “Windows Security” prompt, select the PIN, facial recognition, or fingerprint scanning authentication method.

After you’ve authenticated yourself, you’ll be signed in to your account.

How to View and Delete Passkeys on Windows 11

If you want to see what passkeys you’ve saved, or you want to delete a specific passkey, use the Settings app.

Open Settings using Windows+i. In the left sidebar, click “Accounts.” On the right pane, choose “Passkey Settings.”

On the “Passkeys” page, you’ll find a list of saved passkeys. To retrieve a specific passkey, use the search box at the top.

To remove a specific passkey, click the three dots next to that item and choose “Delete Passkey.”

In the open prompt, confirm your action by selecting “Delete.”

Windows 11 has removed the chosen passkey from the database. You can’t log in to that site or app using your PC’s authentication method any more (but you can always re-create any required passkeys).

And that’s how you make signing in to sites and apps faster and more convenient on your Windows 11 PC. Remember to set up two-factor authentication on all of your important accounts, too!

The post How to Create, Use, and Manage Passkeys on Windows 11 first appeared on Tech news.

I’ve spent most of my career working remotely from a laptop. Now, I do my work from a foldable Android phone, and it’s become difficult even to consider switching to any other platform. Only Android offers a convergent device that can match this level of convenience.

​A Foldable Phone Can Be Three Devices in One

The first Android devices were smartphones. Eventually, the tablet boom hit, and Android tablets joined the mix. Nowadays, mobile computing power has reached a point where both smartphones and tablets can replace our PCs, but their form factors offer two particular sets of challenges.

A smartphone is too cramped for most computing. You can technically fill out a spreadsheet on one, but you can only see a few fields at a time. You can edit images, but they’re shrunk down too small to make out most details. There’s a lot of “technically you can do it”, but it’s not an enjoyable expirience.

Tablets solve these problems by coming with bigger screens. The thing is, tablets are only slightly more portable than laptops. You still need to pack them into a separate bag. Foldable, book-style smartphones solve this by being small enough to carry around with you like regular smartphones, yet they unfold into small tablets when you need more screen space.

What about those times when you need a keyboard and mouse? This is how I ended up with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 as my daily driver. With Samsung DeX, my foldable becomes my PC whenever I connect to a lapdock. A single device with the right accessories serves as my phone, my tablet, and my PC.

Android’s Adaptive Software Makes This Possible

Android apps do a remarkably good job at suiting all of these form factors. Sure, most apps are designed for a small screen. That just means a foldable is great for having two apps open at once. On your desktop, smaller apps float around as windows. It all works better than you expect.

There are enough important apps that scale to fit larger sizes. Google Chrome, Samsung Internet, and Vivaldi all morph into desktop browsers when open on a larger screen. Google and Samsung’s file managers gain sidebars when used on something larger than a phone. Office suites like Google Docs, Microsoft 365, and Collabora Office (a mobile adaptation of LibreOffice) all make it easy to do traditional office work. Adobe’s mobile PDF readers and image editors are arguably still easier to use on larger displays, even though they’re made for phones.

Android’s hardware and software ecosystem offer enough diversity that you can use Android in whichever way you like. And now it has all converged to a point where you can combine everything into a single device that handles all of your personal computing.

​The Competition Has Nothing to Compare

No other software platform offers this range of options, whether we’re talking about Apple’s ecosystem, Microsoft’s, or Linux.

iPhone, iPad, and Macbooks

iPhones can only be phones. After all, Apple wants you to buy iPads. If you connect an iPhone to an external display, it simply mirrors what’s on your screen. There is no desktop interface. There are no app windows.

iPhone apps and iPad apps are separate things. Apple has even split the operating systems into iOS and iPadOS. Unlike Android apps, they aren’t able to scale from one size to another. iPhones have one aspect ratio, and iPads have another. Apps only need to support these two sizes, not the increments in between.

You can run iPhone and iPad apps on a MacBook, and you can use an iPad as a second screen, but you’re still using macOS. It’s also certainly possible to use an iPad like a laptop, but that’s not as portable as a phone, either. At most, Apple offers 2-in-1 devices, but 3-in-1 is not possible.

Windows

Microsoft’s ecosystem is more diverse. Currently, most 2-in-1 laptop models run Windows. While the programs that run on your laptop can also run on a touchscreen tablet, it’s clear most Windows software was designed with a keyboard and mouse in mind.

Windows is not a mobile operating system. Windows Mobile is no longer a thing, and when Microsoft wants to sell you a phone, that phone runs Android. Windows does appear on more mobile platforms, such as Steam Deck-style gaming systems like the Legion Go. There’s good integration with Android devices, but Windows itself isn’t all that adaptive. No matter where you use Windows, it has quirks that reveal the extent to which it was designed for a conventional PC.

Linux

As an open-source operating system, Linux appears wherever people want it to. The challenge is getting hardware that’s open enough for Linux to run properly.

Linux already has adaptive software. An app made for the GNOME desktop environment scales from smartphone size to desktop size. You can see this in action by increasing or decreasing the size of a window on your screen. You can also experience this by buying a Librem 5 or a Pine Phone. These devices run proper desktop Linux with apps that scale to fit their small screens. When you connect these phones to a dock with an external display and a keyboard, they become functional PCs.

Unfortunately, they’re only somewhat functional. With such low-powered hardware, they’re not really all that pleasant to use. A web browser trying to load modern websites can bring either device screeching to a halt. Plus, it’s still only a 2-in-1 experience. A Librem 5 or Pine Phone can’t double as a tablet like an Android foldable.

If you’re technical enough, you could get Linux installed on a more powerful phone originally intended for Android. Still, this experience comes with bugs, and it’s not for the everyday user or even most Linux users. You’re better off sticking with 2-in-1 laptops that fold into tablets, which Linux can handle quite well. Except that means you’re still left having to get something else to serve as your phone.

​Things You Still Can’t Do From Android

A 3-in-1 Android device isn’t without its limitations. Android is still a mobile first operating system. Mobile apps have come an extremely long way, but there remain situations where they are not as powerful as their desktop alternatives. The mobile version of Office 365 doesn’t contain the same features as the desktop version. Specialized industries often require specific desktop programs like AutoCAD or old decrepit programs that only run on outdated versions of Windows.

With all that Android is able to do, there are still some quirks found in Android’s desktop mode. You often can’t have multiple windows of the same app open at the same time, for example. And since Android hardware is passively cooled, when you do put the device under a heavy enough load, things can start to bog down. This may happen during the second or third hour of your Zoom call.

Android desktops also only work with a single monitor, so a multi-monitor setup is off the table. Though, you can somewhat get around this by using an ultrawide display.

I’m Now Locked Into Android

If you try a convergent workflow, and it works for you like it does for me, congratulations, you’re now stuck, too! It doesn’t matter how good the latest iPhone is. Once you’ve consolidated around a single device that does it all, switching to anything else means having to go out and buy a separate tablet and laptop again.

For the time being, that also means being locked into Samsung or (if you’re outside of the US) Huawei. These two companies both offer foldable phones that come with desktop modes. In the US, the only other company offering a desktop mode is Motorola, but they do not yet offer a book-style foldable. The OnePlus Open will duplicate its display when connected to an external monitor, but it doesn’t have a separate desktop mode.

However, with Google enabling support for external monitors on newer Pixels, there is hope the options may soon expand.

It’s hard to grasp just how much you can get done from a foldable’s inner screen until you get your hands on one and start using it. It’s not for everyone, sure, but this is one of the strongest advantages Android has over everything else. When you consider all the devices you can replace by buying a foldable, especially a lightly used or refurbished one, these expensive handhelds start to look like a very good deal.

The post How Foldables and Desktop Mode Locked Me Into Android first appeared on Tech news.

Trying to access a folder but keep getting a “Location is not available” error? Your folder may have been moved or deleted, or there’s another issue preventing you from opening your folder. We’ll show you a variety of ways to get around this problem on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.

The Folder Might Have Been Deleted or Moved

It’s possible the folder you’re trying to access has been deleted or moved. In this case, you can’t access it, and Windows will display an error message.

If you’re trying to use a shortcut to a folder, navigate to the actual folder path and see if the folder exists. If you don’t find the folder at its original location, look around and see if you can find it. The Windows search function will be very helpful here, especially if you don’t know where the folder was originally located.

You should also check the Recycle Bin to if it is there.

Check the External Drive’s Connection

If your folder is on an external drive, ensure the drive is correctly connected to your PC. Windows won’t be able to read data from an incorrectly or loosely connected drive, and it like won’t show up at all. Make sure to try the USB ports on the back of your desktop PC, rather than the ports on the front of the case or on a USB hub.

Try disconnecting and re-connecting the drive to your PC. Then, check if your USB drive (and folder) has reappeared.

Ensure You’re Connected to the Network

If your folder is on a network, ensure your PC is connected to that network. This applies whether the network is a local one or the internet.

If your folder is on the internet, make sure your PC has a stable internet connection. You can verify that by opening a web browser and loading a site. If the site fails to load, try troubleshooting your PC’s internet problems. Some basic fixes you can apply are restarting your router, checking your Ethernet cable (if you’re on a wired network), and speaking to your internet service provider (ISP).

If the folder is on a Network-Attached Storage (NAS) drive or a similar device, disconnect and re-connect that device to the network. This helps fix minor network issues with the device. You could try accessing that device from another machine to see if it works. If it’s another kind of storage device, check out the manual for that device to see how to troubleshoot connectivity issues with it.

Restart Windows Explorer

Sometimes, Windows Explorer acts up and doesn’t let you perform your file-related tasks. In this case, restarting Windows Explorer will typically fix minor issues.

To restart Windows Explorer, right-click the Start Menu icon and select “Task Manager.”

In the “Processes” tab, right-click “Windows Explorer” and select “Restart.”

Windows Explorer will close and relaunch. If it faces issues re-opening, force-launch it. To do that in Windows 11’s Task Manager, click “Run New Task.” In Windows 10’s Task Manager, select File > Run New Task. Then, type explorer.exe in the open field and press Enter.

Check if the Drive’s Letter Has Changed

If you’re trying to access a folder via a shortcut, and the drive where the actual folder exists has its drive letter changed, you’ll experience issues accessing the folder.

Check the original path of your folder and ensure it still exists there. If you’ve connected a new drive to your PC and this drive uses the same letter as the drive you connected earlier, Windows will try to find the folder on this drive, but the folder won’t be found. This will lead to an error.

Always go to the actual folder path and see if the folder is present there, and if that doesn’t work, you can try searching for it using Windows search.

If you manage to locate the folder manually, you can just create a new shortcut or modify the existing one.

Run a Virus Scan

A virus or malware can prevent you from accessing your folders. In this case, run a full virus scan using the built-in Microsoft Defender Antivirus or the antivirus of your choice. This will remove any threats that might be causing the problem.

To do that, open the Start Menu, search for Windows Security, and launch the app.

In Windows Security, select “Virus & Threat Protection” and then “Scan Options.” Enable the “Full Scan” option and choose “Scan Now.”

Wait while the antivirus finds and removes threats from your PC.

Use System Restore

If you’re trying to access a system folder, it’s possible a change you made to your system has moved that item. In this case, use System Restore to roll back your system changes.

To do that, open the Start Menu, search for Recovery, and select it. Then, click “Open System Restore.”

Select “Next,” choose the most recent restore point, and click “Next.”

Select “Finish” to start restoring your PC.

After restoring the PC, you should have access to your folder.

If you still can’t locate your folder, it may have been permanently deleted. You could try running recovery software to get it back, but that is unlikely to work on modern SSDs. The best way to prevent data loss is to make regular backups of your important files and folders.

The post How to Fix a “Location Is Not Available” Error on Windows 11 or 10 first appeared on Tech news.

Lenovo is introducing a new selection ThinkPad L and X-series professional laptops. All six of the new laptops feature Intel Core Ultra processors and start at prices below $1,400. Notably, this also marks the launch of Lenovo’s ThinkPad L16, the first 16-inch laptop in the L series.

There are four new laptops in the ThinkPad L series—the ThinkPad L16 Gen 1, ThinkPad L14 Gen 5, ThinkPad L13 Gen 5, and the ThinkPad L13 2-in-1 Gen 5. All four of these laptops are powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor. Intel Core Ultra is a relatively minor improvement over Intel’s previous CPU design, though it provides a boost in AI processing and reduces the battery impact of AI tasks. Of course, Lenovo also offers AMD Ryzen PRO 7030 versions of the 16 and 14-inch laptop models.

Spec-wise, the new ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 and L14 Gen 5 are basically identical. Both laptops can be configured with up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and a maximum 2TB PCIe storage. They also have an upgraded in-keyboard fingerprint sensor, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity (Intel configs only), and optional 4G LTE. As for the port selection, it’s as good as ever. You get a single TB4 port, a USB-C port, three USB-A ports, and an HDMI 2.1 jack.

Lenovo also managed to make the ThinkPad L16 and L14 more repairable. Both devices achieved a 9 out of 10 repairability score from iFixit and do not use soldered-on RAM or storage modules. Repairability was a highlight of the recently announced ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 and T16 Gen 3, and we’re glad to see that Lenovo is extending this consumer-friendly design to other products.

However, the L14 Gen 5 may provide a better overall experience, as its display contains a brightness-enhancing 3M Optical Film that effectively reduces power consumption by up to 16%.

The new ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 is more modest than its siblings. It contains up to 32GB LPDDR5 RAM and can be configured with 1TB of PCIe storage. Connectivity is locked at Wi-Fi 6E, which is perfectly acceptable, and 4G LTE is once again an optional upgrade. Thankfully, this 13-inch model matches the port selection of its larger siblings and has an in-body fingerprint sensor. Lenovo lists the same specs for its ThinkPad L13 2-in-1 Gen 5 laptop.

Those who need more power from a 13-inch laptop should opt for the new ThinkPad X13 Gen 5. It uses Intel Core Ultra processors with Intel vPro and can be configured with integrated Arc graphics. Plus, you get a maximum 64GB LPDDR5 RAM, 2TB of PCIe storage, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and optional LTE or 5G. The only drawback is the port selection, which is trimmed down to a single TB4 port, a pair of USB-A ports, and an HDMI 2.1 jack.

There’s also the ThinkPad X13 2-in-1 Gen 5. It matches the ThinkPad X13’s specs but uses Intel Xe graphics, rather than Intel Arc. It also comes with a stylus, unlike the new L-series 2-in-1.

Lenovo will begin shipping its new laptops in Q2 of 2024 (sometime between April and June). Intel versions of the ThinkPad L16 and L14 start at $1,179, while AMD versions start at just $999. The ThinkPad L13 and 2-in-1 L13 will cost $1,199 and $1,319, respectively. Customers who purchase the X13 laptop will pay the most money—the ThinkPad X13 and its 2-in-1 counterpart start at $1,239 and $1,399.

Source: Lenovo

The post Lenovo Gets Down to Business with New L-Series Laptops first appeared on Tech news.

Samsung DeX is a desktop interface found on many Samsung phones and tablets. Since its debut on the Galaxy S8, DeX has matured into a viable PC replacement. I’ve already replaced my desktop PC with DeX, and I’m here to tell you why it’s good enough to replace yours. Here’s a taste of what it can do.

1 Resize Apps to Any Size You Want

The ability to move and resize windows is a fundamental part of a desktop environment. This includes Samsung DeX.

Yes, you’re still running Android apps, but these apps do a great job of scaling to whichever size you want them to be. Apps that have both phone and tablet variations dynamically change from one style to the other once a window reaches a certain size. While you may encounter the occasional app that crashes, for the most part, it all just works.

2 Tile Windows, Pin Apps, and Make Windows Transparent

DeX comes with a few relatively advanced window management features. The basics are covered, like the ability to minimize and maximize windows, but there is also window tiling. You can drag a window to the side to occupy the left or right half of your screen (you can also maximize by dragging a window to the top).

Samsung even takes things further by allowing you to pin a window on top of other windows and also make the window transparent. This way, you can work on a spreadsheet in the background while a transparent calculator app hovers on top.

3 Run as Many Apps as You Want

From the beginning, Android has been able to run multiple apps at one time. You could switch between these apps even if you couldn’t initially see them both on-screen since that type of multitasking wasn’t introduced until years later. The downside? Android would automatically close certain apps in the background to prevent your phone from getting bogged down.

By default, DeX will still close background apps after you’ve opened a large number. With how powerful flagship phones have become, this number is probably higher than you expect. Yet if you go to the Galaxy Store and download Samsung’s Good Lock app, you can disable this entirely. With the flip of a toggle, you can keep as many apps open as you wish. I have this toggle enabled, and I have yet to experience any slowdown on my Galaxy Z Fold 5.

4 Search Apps, Files, and the Web

Like your phone, DeX defaults to an app drawer full of apps, but you don’t have to open this drawer to launch anything. Besides the app drawer icon, there is a search icon that’s actually pretty powerful. Typing an inquiry into the search field that pops up allows you to search for apps, files, and perform web searches. It’s as capable as the search bar that appears at the top of your phone.

5 Sort Apps into Groups

The ability to sort apps into groups has long been a part of many Android launchers. DeX brings this functionality to the desktop. You can drop your video streaming apps into a video folder or compile all of your work apps into the same place.

You can also drag these folders onto the desktop. I personally purge icons from my desktop as quickly as I can, but folders present another way to keep things tidy.

6 Hide and Customize the Taskbar

We all expect slightly different things from our computers. While many people want all their functionality to be visible at one time, others find this distracting. Samsung DeX gives you the ability to make the taskbar a bit more suitable to your taste.

Everything is enabled initially, but you can remove icons from the taskbar that you have no intention of using. This includes the search icon and the screenshot button. You can also hide the taskbar so that you only see it when you drag your mouse to the bottom of the screen.

7 Limit Charging to Preserve Battery

If you use your Samsung DeX device as your primary computer, like I do, this can put a strain on your smartphone’s battery. Leaving the phone plugged in all the time could mean leaving your battery sitting at a hundred percent for most of the day. Combine this with the reality that desktop mode is a relatively demanding task, and rather than improving the health of your phone’s battery, you may actually be shortening it.

Samsung provides the option to limit your battery charge to 85%. This is a good setting to enable even if you don’t use desktop mode. Lithium batteries don’t like to sit at high states of charge for long, and 85% is around the same number electric cars are recommended to be charged to as well.

8 Manage Removable Drives

A computer serves the role of being the hub where you manage other devices. That makes it important for your PC to be able to manage flash drives, external hard drives, and other USB devices. Samsung DeX has this ability.

Technically, this is something that any Android phone can do, assuming you have a USB-C dock. Granted, not everything you plug in will work. Some flash drives or hard drives need to be reformatted before Android recognizes them. Printers lack the necessary drivers, but it’s easy to print wirelessly on Android.

9 Browse Data With a Complete File Manager

A PC needs to provide you with full access to all of your files. This includes creating folders, selecting multiple files at once, copying, pasting, dragging, dropping—the works. Samsung’s default file manager handles this in spades. When you stretch the window wider, it looks like a traditional file manager, as you would find on Windows, macOS, or Linux. Plus, there are plenty of powerful third-party alternatives if you need them.

10 Use Any Desktop Resolution

This wasn’t the case initially, but Samsung DeX now supports just about any desktop resolution. You do need to download the Good Lock app if you want to go all the way up to 4k, but that app is a free and simple download.

Unfortunately, you do not have the option to connect your Samsung device to more than one monitor at a time, though you can mitigate this somewhat by running DeX on an ultrawide display instead.

It’s hard to overstate the convenience of having your phone also be your primary PC. I’m writing the first draft of this article using voice input while walking around my back porch in the afternoon sun. I can then sit down in my home office, dock my phone to my monitor, and work with a full desktop workspace. There are no syncing files. No fussing with a data connection. No copying and pasting text from one spot to another.

I can take photos directly from my phone without having to transfer them, and they are immediately available for editing. Since my phone is also a book-style foldable, I can continue most tasks even when I’m far away from my office.

If you can get most of your work done from a Chromebook or you know that there’s an Android app available to do whatever it is you need, then Samsung DeX is now more than capable enough to serve as your personal computer when the smartphone form factor just isn’t enough.

The post 10 Reasons Why Samsung DeX Can Replace Your Desktop PC first appeared on Tech news.

Qualcomm’s chips power many popular mobile devices, including the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, the Meta Quest VR headsets, and ARM-based Windows PCs. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is the company’s top mobile chip, and now Qualcomm has revealed a new variant that could bring premium features to slightly-cheaper phones.

Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform, “delivering the most sought-after 8 series capabilities to more Android flagship smartphones, for extraordinary, premium experiences.” It’s now the first step down the chipset ladder from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is used in the Galaxy S24 series, OnePlus 12, ASUS ROG Phone 8, and other 2024 flagship Android phones. Qualcomm expects the new chip will be used in phones in the $500-800 price range.

Qualcomm already makes other chips intended for upper-midrange and budget flagship phones, like the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, but this new option is a bit closer to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 has a slightly worse CPU (one fewer Performance core and a lower clock speed) and a Snapdragon X70 modem instead of an X75 (with a maximum downlink of 5 Gbps instead of 10 Gbps). The camera capabilities are also slightly trimmed down, with a maximum video capture of 4K instead of 8K and more limited Night Vision capabilities. You still get a fast CPU and GPU, Wi-Fi 7, extensive 5G capabilities, and most of the other features you would expect in a premium 2024 smartphone.

Qualcomm’s main selling point here is that the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 can use many of the same on-device generative AI models as the more expensive Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. There are over 30 large language models (LLMs) currently supported, including Google’s new Gemini Nano.

There’s one big question still unanswered: which phones will use the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, and will they be noticeably less expensive than flagship phones using the full-powered Snapdragon 8 Gen 3? Our best guess is that it might show up in a possible Galaxy S24 FE later this year—the last model was released in October 2023, so a newer model could arrive in six or seven months. In a call with How-To Geek, Qualcomm confirmed that there will be at least one device coming to the United States using the new chip, but the company didn’t provide further details.

Source: Qualcomm

The post Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Chip Might Bring Flagship Features to Cheaper Phones first appeared on Tech news.

Mobile phones grow more powerful every year. A premium phone is far more powerful than a midrange PC and even has stronger graphics processing than an ultrabook with Intel-integrated graphics. Yet despite all that power, have you ever noticed how your phone lacks a fan? Why is that?

Moving Parts Need More Space and Can Break

Phone makers have spent years making their devices as thin as possible, and these handsets would not be just a few millimeters thick if they had to account for fans. Fans are bulky, and they need space to move. They also break pretty quickly if put under abuse.

What qualifies as abuse? Well, pretty much anything you do with a phone. Tossing it on the couch. Strapping it to your wrist as you go for a jog. Knocking it out of bed and onto the floor, case or no case. Everything else in your phone may survive just fine, but your fan would start rattling. It may still do its job, just noisily. Or it may become bad at its job, leading everything else to gradually overheat and fail.

Fans Don’t Like Small Dark Spaces

Devices that depend on fans for cooling generally don’t like to be kept in tight, cramped quarters. Rest your laptop on a pillow while doing intense work and see how quickly things start to bog down.

Now imagine carrying a smaller version of your laptop in your pocket. If it didn’t get hot enough to immediately attract your attention, it would probably just shut down at some point. Battery life will surely take a hit. A purse is better, but probably not by much. After all, a laptop gets along well-enough with a messenger bag only because it’s either off or very nearly so.

​Mobile CPUs Use Less Power and Create Less Heat

When trying to determine how energy efficient your CPU is, there’s one key term you’re looking for: Thermal Design Power. TDP is usually listed in watts and shows the maximum amount of heat the CPU is designed to generate when running under a full load. This doesn’t tell you how much energy your device is pulling every hour, but it does give you the upper limit of what to expect.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is the top of its class, a mobile chip designed for high-end smartphones with the ability to play the most demanding games. It has a TDP of 12.5w. That’s higher than the 5w of early Snapdragon CPUs, but it’s comparable to an under-powered Intel CPU.

An NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card has a TDP of 450w, and that’s just one component of a PC. That level of energy usage isn’t feasible for a mobile device that needs to run off a battery, and it also produces more heat than passive cooling can handle. That’s part of the reason desktops and laptops need fans, while your phone doesn’t. This is also part of the reason that phones, despite how far they’ve come, aren’t yet able to match the graphics capability of a dedicated gaming PC.

How do phone CPUs manage to be both powerful and efficient? If you want to get into the tehnical weeds, check out this report from Cadence PCB Designs. Methods include temperature aware scheduling (slowing down hot processors in favor of cool ones), traffic throttling (directing network traffic through the chip in a way that avoids hotspots), and clock gating (stopping processor logic for a few microseconds at a time). But that’s just scratching the surface.

​Mobile Apps Generate Less Heat, to Reduce Need for Cooling

Software may seem not to occupy physical space, but it does, in the form of energy. Demanding software has higher energy requirements. So does poorly-written code. If an app pings the network incessantly, constantly requiring background processes to wake up from sleep, then it’s causing your device to use more energy.

I don’t think it’s offending anyone to say that not all mobile apps are brilliantly written pieces of code. Yet when you’re making a mobile app, an impact on battery life is a factor you’re encouraged to care about. If running an app causes a phone to need to charge more often, you’ll hear about it from your users. Energy usage translates to heat. By keeping apps energy efficient, developers reduce the need for active cooling.

​Smartphones Use Passive Cooling

Fans are a form of active cooling. Smartphones rely on passive cooling, the exchange of heat using only the conductivity difference between materials without any help from mechanical components. In simpler terms, things can cool off without anything needing to move. Running the AC to cool down your home is active cooling. Leaving a window open is passive cooling. Phones generally use metal plates between electrical components and the design of their outer bodies to dissipate heat.

Passive cooling works very well for everyday operation, but unlike active cooling, it can’t ramp up how much heat it’s able to remove (again, like opening a window). That’s why some phones get particularly toasty when performing intensive tasks, like gaming. Your CPU’s generating more heat, and the phone lacks the ability to compensate. This is when thermal throttling kicks in, reducing performance to buy components time to cool off.

​More Alternatives to Fans Are In Development

Some niche phones have contained fans. The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 actually packed two of them, but that was never expected to go mainstream. Smartphone makers are looking into other options for cooling a smartphone during intensive loads. One option is vapor chamber cooling, which uses evaporation and condensation of a liquid to cool down electrical components. The Samsung Galaxy S23 series utilized vapor chamber cooling systems, for example. If you want to go further back in time, the Galaxy Note 9 had a water carbon cooling system.

Samsung is hardly alone. Here is a video from Xiaomi explaining its Loop LiquidCool technology.

Though, instead of putting a fan inside your phone, there’s the option to strap it to the back instead. That’s an approach ASUS took with the AeroActive Cooler 6. It’s an accessory for the ROG Phone 6, a phone that uses sheets of graphite internally because of how well the material works as a heat conductor. Yes, there’s also an AeroActive Cooler 7, so it wasn’t a one-off.

Fans are both a blessing and a curse. They make machines bulkier, noisier, and more fragile. They also enable a device to be more powerful. Smartphones could be more powerful if they had fans, but they would also lose many of the aspects that make phones great. Instead, phones have encouraged innovation in how to get better performance while doing without.

The post Phones Are As Powerful As PCs, So Why Don’t They Need Fans? first appeared on Tech news.

Google I/O started off primarily as a developer conference, but over the years it has become Google’s main yearly event for announcements around Android, Chrome, AI, and everything else. The company has now confirmed a date for Google I/O 2024, which is likely when we’ll see more of Android 15 and Google’s future AI ambitions.

Google has announced that its I/O 2024 event will be taking place on May 14th. The date was revealed, in usual fashion by the company, after a brief puzzle to try and hype up people about it. The main keynote will be kicking off at 10AM PT (1PM ET), where we’ll see all of Google’s main announcements for the day, followed by a few developer-only keynotes and sessions. There are occasionally interesting announcements during those sessions, but most of them only matter for people building apps and other software in Google’s ecosystem.

Google I/O 2024 will only last one day for those tuning in online, but in-person attendees will see two days of live programming. The specifics of how it will be all laid out, including sessions and schedules beyond the main keynote, will be known closer to the event.

We will almost certainly learn more about Android 15 at Google I/O 2024, including a rundown of any new features the OS might pack, and general availability for the beta on both Pixel phones and non-Pixel phones. We also expect to see a series of updates across a few Google services. There will also definitely be a lot of talk about generative AI technology, because that’s what the current tech hype cycle is all about.

Google also does the occasional hardware announcement during the event, and if previous events serve as reference, we could see the launch of the Pixel 8a here. However, the company usually saves most Pixel and Nest hardware announcements for its fall events.

Make sure to set the May 14th event in your calendar if you want to watch the livestreams, which should go live on the Google YouTube channel, if previous years are anything to go by. We’ll also cover all the important news right here at How-To Geek.

Source: 9to5Google

The post Google I/O 2024 is Happening on May 14th first appeared on Tech news.

Is the Ethernet connection not working on your Windows PC? If so, your problem could be anything from your Internet Service to your PC’s ethernet card. Below are some potential solutions you can try to resolve this issue.

Run the Network and Internet Troubleshooter

Begin troubleshooting by running the built-in Network and Internet troubleshooter, which can help pinpoint and resolve potential issues with your Ethernet connection.

To run it, right-click the Start button and select “Settings.” Then, navigate to the “System” tab on the left and open the “Troubleshoot” settings from the right pane. From there, navigate to “Other Troubleshooters.”

Next, click the “Run” button next to Network and Internet. Follow the on-screen instructions in the Get Help app to identify and fix the problem.

Preliminary Checks

If the troubleshooter doesn’t identify any problems, you should perform some basic checks manually. First, verify that airplane mode is disabled—click on the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar and check that Flight (otherwise called Airplane) Mode isn’t enabled. If it’s already off, restart your computer to fix any temporary operating system issues affecting the Ethernet connection.

Next, ensure your Ethernet cable is correctly plugged in. Also, confirm that the cable is connected to the correct port on your router. You can also try unplugging and re-plugging the Ethernet cable at both ends (router and PC) to see if it makes a difference. Also, if you have a VPN connection enabled on your device, turn it off.

If these basic troubleshooting steps do not resolve the issue, you can apply the remaining solutions listed below.

Check if the Internet Is Working

Connect your device to the internet using Wi-Fi to see if it’s functioning correctly. Even using another device, like a cellphone, on the same network is usually enough to determine where the problem is. If you encounter issues connecting to Wi-Fi, it indicates an issue with your internet connection. So, ensure that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) isn’t experiencing any outages and that your router is powered on. If neither of those are your issue, there are a variety of internet troubleshooting steps you should try.

If you can successfully connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, your internet connection is active, and the problem likely lies with your device’s Ethernet connection.

Test the Ethernet Connection on Another Device

To ensure that the problem doesn’t stem from your faulty router hardware, a damaged Ethernet cable, or misconfigured router settings, test your Ethernet connection on another device (if available). Connect your Ethernet cable to a different device and check if the connection works properly.

If the connection works on the other device, it suggests that the problem may be with your device settings. In this case, you can proceed directly to the device-specific fixes outlined in the last three headings. However, if the connection does not work on the other device, ensure the problem isn’t with the Ethernet cable, port, or router.

Ensure the Ethernet Cable or Port Isn’t Faulty

Start troubleshooting the Ethernet connection issue by carefully inspecting the Ethernet cable. Examine the cable thoroughly from end to end to ensure it’s not damaged. Besides obvious breaks in the wire, you should keep an eye out for very sharp bends, subtle slices, or tears in the exterior sheathing—any of those could result in a nonfunctional Ethernet cable. Also, check both ends of the cable to ensure the connectors are in good condition and that their internal wires are properly seated and not falling out.

If the Ethernet cable and its connectors are in good condition, check the ports where the cable is plugged into your router or PC for any obvious signs of damage. Connect the cable to a different port on your PC (if one is available) to confirm whether the PC port is working properly. Then, try plugging the cable to a different port on your router. If changing the ports does not resolve the issue, try the next fix.

Rule Out Issues With Your Router

Take a few simple steps to ensure that a problem with your router isn’t causing issues with your Ethernet connection. First, reboot your router to clear its memory, terminate all tasks, and reload the router’s operating system (or firmware). To do this, disconnect the router from the power source, wait for 10 to 30 seconds, then plug it back in and turn it on.

If you’re up to it, you can log into your router’s admin interface and confirm that your device isn’t blacklisted. If all else fails, you can completely reset your router settings to ensure that misconfigured settings aren’t causing the problem.

Ensure the Ethernet Connection Is Enabled

If the Ethernet connection works properly on other devices but not on a specific device, ensure the connection isn’t disabled on that device. Right-click on the Start button and select “Device Manager.” Then, expand the “Network Adapters” category. Locate your Ethernet network adapter and check if you see a small arrow pointing downward beside its name.

If you see this arrow, it means the Ethernet connection is disabled. To enable it, right-click on the network adapter and choose “Enable Device.”

Update or Reinstall Ethernet Adapter Drivers

Outdated drivers can also cause problems with the Ethernet connection. To ensure this isn’t the case, you should update the Ethernet adapter drivers. Download the latest drivers from the website of your device manufacturer—if you have a prebuilt, you’re looking for the same brand as your PC. If you built your own PC, you should check your motherboard manufacturer’s website. If the driver comes in an executable format, just run it to install it. Otherwise, you must manually update the driver from Device Manager.

To do this, right-click the Start button and select “Device Manager.” Expand the “Network Adapters” category, right-click the Ethernet adapter driver, and select “Update Driver.”

Select “Browse My Computer for Drivers,” then select the downloaded driver file from the Downloads folder and let Windows update it.

If updating the driver doesn’t resolve the issue, uninstall the driver from Device Manager. Right-click on the driver and select “Uninstall Device.”

Then, follow the previous instructions to reinstall it manually.

Disable Proxy Server Over LAN

Using a proxy server over a LAN might be the cause of the issue at hand. If you’re using a proxy server, you should turn it off. Type “Internet Options” in the Windows Search bar and open it.

Then, move to the “Connections” tab and click the “LAN Settings” button. If the box beside”Use a Proxy Server for Your LAN” is checked, uncheck it to turn off the proxy server. Click “Apply” and hit “OK.”

The solutions outlined above should help you resolve the issue with your Ethernet connection and restore internet connectivity. However, if none of the suggested fixes work, your final option should be to report the problem to your internet service provider (ISP) and request their assistance in diagnosing and resolving it.

The post How to Fix a Broken Ethernet Connection on Windows 11 first appeared on Tech news.