Inhoudsopgave van June 2022 - Tech Advisor

Microsoft is beefing up its PC in the cloud, Windows 365, with some additional capabilities that recognize how workers will be moving back and forth from the office as they transition back to work, including an offline mode. Microsoft launched Windows 365 in July 2021, offering businesses the option to use a PC in the cloud, rather than a physical device at their desk. Among the differences between Windows 365 and Windows 11 includes the option for a business to ‘upgrade’ their Cloud PC by spending more to add additional virtual hardware. (Windows 365 is Microsoft’s PC in the cloud; Microsoft 365 is the replacement for Office 365.) “We see a future where Windows increasingly will take advantage of the capabilities of the hardware, the device it runs on, and…

It’s finally happening. After years of teases, promises and hype, a third heavy-hitting player enters the graphics card game, aiming to shake up the Nvidia/AMD duopoly. Intel’s hotly anticipated Arc GPUs is here, though not in the way you might expect. Rather than debuting in desktop form, Arc’s grand reveal comes via laptops, which can drive home some of the advantages Intel can provide in tuned systems revolving around its Core CPUs and Arc GPUs. MEET INTEL ARC LAPTOPS Intel has taken the wraps off its Arc A-series mobile GPUs, launching only the most humble variants – the affordable Arc 3 series. The A350M and A370M will appear in laptops, with prices starting at $899 (£tbc). More powerful Arc 5 and Arc 7 notebooks are scheduled to hit the streets…

Microsoft has begun overlapping preview builds of Windows 11 in its Insider Dev and Beta Channels, essentially signalling to users that it’s begun finalizing the features that will appear in the next release of Windows 11. The tech giant releases beta builds of Windows 11 in three separate channels: Dev, Beta and Release Preview. The Dev Channel is a laboratory for Microsoft concepts that may never ship, and Microsoft said in February that the Beta Channel and the Dev Channel are on “parallel tracks”. “The Beta Channel will be previewing experiences that are closer to what we will ship to our general customers,” wrote Amanda Langowski, who oversees the Windows Insider programme. Microsoft has since announced Windows 11 Build 22581, and the company is releasing it on both the Dev…

While gaming laptops are nothing new, there’s a theme among the top performers: they’re still all bulky and heavy. Asus is one of few companies trying to change that, with experimental devices like 2021’s ROG Flow X13 and now, the tablet-form ROG Flow Z13. The idea is appealing – it’s a 2-in-1 not dissimilar in design to Microsoft’s Surface Pro line, but with a dedicated GPU and other top-end specs that put it in line with full-on gaming laptops. There’s also compatibility with the company’s XG Mobile eGPU to spice things up, which has the potential to turn the Flow Z13 into a desktop gaming powerhouse – but it all comes at a very high premium compared to competing gaming laptops. Has Asus done enough to tempt users from traditional…

Forget the name: the Xiaomi 12 Pro is really the direct successor to last year’s Xiaomi Mi 11. A re-shuffle in Xiaomi’s flagship line-up has introduced the smaller Xiaomi 12, now giving the Chinese company a pair of high-end phones in different sizes to directly rival Samsung’s Galaxy S22 and S22+ – with a 12 Ultra rumoured to arrive later this year to take on Samsung’s own Ultra handset. Being pitted directly against the S22+ (not to mention the likes of the Oppo Find X5 Pro and OnePlus 10 Pro, see page 74) gives the Xiaomi 12 Pro a lot to live up to. For the most part the hardware here is clearly up to the task, matching its rivals in most of the places it counts, though the battery…

As a parent, one of the biggest struggles of modern times is managing what your child can do on their phone (or tablet) and restricting the amount of screen time they can have each day. It seems like an impossible task, and it’s certainly far from easy. Even if you manage to block one device, they’ll probably find another or turn on the TV and watch Netflix. There is no magic bullet and you’ll still have to do some supervision (as well as hiding the TV remote) to ensure your child isn’t seeing stuff they shouldn’t. Plus, you should sit down with them and talk about the dangers of unrestricted use and explain why you’re about to install an app that will let them control how much their use their…

If you’ve ever been scared to look away for a second at your notes while in a Teams meeting, worry no longer. Microsoft is making AI-driven eye contact and a number of other productivity features part of the Windows platform, the company said in a press briefing accompanying its recent Future of Hybrid Work presentation. The new features represent some nifty uses of artificial intelligence, on a PC platform that has struggled somewhat to integrate them. On smartphones, AI is generally used to enhance photo-taking and minimize background noise. Microsoft is adapting these features to Windows 11 PCs, bringing improved background blur alongside a feature called voice clarity. Two other new features use machine learning more directly: an AI-driven Eye Contact feature, and an automatic framing of speakers as they…

It’s the start of a new era of competition. As we’ve already seen, Intel has revealed its debut Arc GPUs, heralding its long-teased entry into discrete consumer graphics cards. Watch out, Nvidia and AMD. Chipzilla’s here, fuelled by its new Xe HPG (High-performance gaming) GPU architecture. Intel took an unusual (but strategically smart) approach to Arc’s debut, rolling out Arc 3 graphics for modestly priced portable laptops. It lets the company leverage its substantial strengths in notebooks and software support rather than going blow-for-blow in gaming frame rates on the desktop, where Nvidia and AMD stand firm. We’ve already looked at the Arc 3 laptop GPU reveal and Intel’s killer features (page 12). There’s some pretty compelling stuff, including key ‘Deep Link’ features that add eye-opening capabilities when you pair…

You would think that Windows 11 PCs are all encrypted. Security is such a big focus for Microsoft’s latest operating system that automatically keeping stored data scrambled unless the computer is unlocked seems sensible. In fact, the mechanisms to do exactly that are already in place. Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro both support automatic device encryption, with the Home version a more streamlined experience. You just have to sign into the machine with a Microsoft account, which nearly all people do during set-up. What trips up the process (and makes Windows 11 encryption so complicated) is your hardware. If a PC doesn’t meet the required standards, device encryption doesn’t automatically kick on, even if your laptop or desktop system is brand new. That doesn’t mean your computer can’t…

Samsung’s Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G shouldn’t be considered by those looking for a general-purpose PC. But for someone who lives at a coffee shop, tapping out email, sneaking in a Netflix video, and shuttling back and forth? Keep reading. This device is a tablet in laptop’s clothing, with a 5G connection and fabulous battery life that many of its competitors lack. Performance lags in places, though you’ll probably forget all about that while viewing the gorgeous OLED screen. Keep in mind that this particular device is nearly a generation old. It’s still worth considering, as really only the 11th-gen processor lags behind the state-of-the-art 12th-gen Core hardware found within the Galaxy Book2 laptops Samsung recently announced. Still, view this device with a predator’s eye (aka watch for retailers who…

The conveniences of modern life also come with downsides. One drawback that can have an outsized impact on a person is digital stalking – the use of your digital footprint to keep tabs on you online and in the real world. But you can take steps to minimize that risk. You don’t need to go to extreme lengths to maintain your privacy, either. Basic precautions will set you up well for the future, like turning off public sharing for social-media posts. But you can go even further to increase your security measures to prevent cyberstalking – and most people concerned about digital stalkers will want to do so. Vulnerabilities can overlap. For example, social media can reveal facts that can make stalking you digitally and physically easier. And having the…

Pixel phones are filled with efficiency-enhancing features, and one area that’s all too easy to overlook is the way the devices can improve the act of actually talking on your mobile phone. Talking on your phone, you say? What is this, 1987? Believe me, I get it. We’re all perpetually busy creatures these days, and the timeless art of speaking to another human on your mobile device can seem both archaic and annoying. But hear me out. Here in the real world, placing or accepting (or maybe even just avoiding) a good old-fashioned phone call is occasionally inescapable. That’s especially true in the world of business, but it’s also apparent in our everyday lives. Whatever the case may be, your trusty Pixel can make the process of dealing with a…

If you’re a Surface tablet owner or someone who prefers inking over a keyboard, you may be searching for an app that prioritizes the pen. For that, there’s a new Microsoft app: Journal (available from fave.co/3E6LqiY). Journal matters for two reasons. One, Microsoft is trying to offer everything pen and paper does, plus more. And second, Microsoft tends to migrate features – or gestures in this case – it develops inside individual apps to the greater Windows and app environment. It’s possible that Journal represents some future version of Windows. Technically, Microsoft Journal is part of the Microsoft Garage, an app incubator that sometimes (but not always) produces a full-fledged application. Journal’s noteworthy because Microsoft designed it as an ink-first application. In reality, that means eliminating certain conventions: erasing e-ink…

Last year, we wrote that Windows 11 was, in a word, unnecessary. Have six months changed our opinion? No, though there are signs that Microsoft is fixing some of Windows 11’s most obvious flaws. Because virtually all of Microsoft’s development work now takes place on Windows 11, by necessity most of my work is done on its latest operating system. I’ve left most of my family’s PCs running Windows 10, however, in part because they’re simply used to the familiar Windows 10 environment. I still think that’s the right decision for most people. What follows isn’t a re-review of Windows 11. But it’s a good opportunity to think about whether the original review was influenced by first impressions, and what, if anything, Microsoft has accomplished in the intervening months. START,…

I know people who love Windows 11. I am not one of them. Before anyone tells me why I’m wrong – or that it’s ludicrous for a tech journalist to be against new technology – let me draw your attention to the exact problem first. I want you to right-click on the desktop in Windows 11 and tell me what you see. Does the menu have the Refresh option? Or are you forced to choose Show more options to get to a secondary right-click menu with the desired feature? If you have it, congratulations. It means you keep your system up to date. (If you don’t, I suggest you finally run Windows Update.) But now repeat these same steps within a File Explorer window – arguably, the more common place…

OnePlus has undergone a lot of change since we first met the brand as a plucky upstart all those years ago. Having been partially folded into sister company Oppo over the past 18 months or so, the phones that OnePlus is now releasing exist in a very different context to the company’s early handsets and the new OnePlus 10 Pro embodies this shift perfectly. While an initial January release in China gave us our first taste of what a OnePlus flagship in 2022 looks like, the phone’s more recent expansion into new markets globally highlights the influence of the brand’s passionate fandom, while reflecting the change that the company is going through internally, all at once. With no standard OnePlus 10 (and only rumours of a OnePlus 10 Ultra), the…

About a year ago, I bought a Mac for the first time in my life. It’s not that I’m anti-Apple – I switch freely between iOS and Android, and I’m currently wearing an Apple Watch – but my preference for working in Windows has started to feel like a blind spot in my tech coverage. Even when I can borrow my wife’s MacBook to try the occasional app or MacOS trick, it’s not the same as living inside MacOS full-time. But unlike the average Mac buyer, I didn’t end up with a MacBook. Instead, I went with Apple’s diminutive Mac Mini, which is now sitting on my desk beneath my main monitor. Whether it’s Windows or MacOS, one thing I know for sure is that I’m an enthusiastic desktop PC…