Shipping scams

In context: Gamers have been lamenting about the high prices of graphics cards for what seems like forever. We all got excited when crypto mining became obsolete, just knowing that we were finally going to see prices come down, but for the most part, they haven't. The latest GPUs are still out of reach for the average consumer, and even older cards are holding their value. If you haven't noticed, the tech industry is suffering a significant contraction. Executives are panicking as they try to pinch pennies with layoffs and other measures to keep investors happy. One of those "other measures" is restraining product supply. In a Tuesday evening investors call, AMD CEO Lisa Su tried to calm investor anxiety by pointing out that the company has been, and will continue to, undership GPUs to "balance supply and demand." Of course, that's just another way of saying, "we're going to keep prices inflated by lowering our output." "We undershipped in Q3, we undershipped in Q4," Su told … [Read more...] about AMD admits to restraining chip supply to keep higher CPU and GPU prices

Audio player loading… It looks like Sony will be scaling back its sales projections for the PSVR 2, along with unit production, in the wake of underwhelming pre-order performance. Pre-launch statistics for PSVR 2 haven't quite met Sony's expectations which, as Bloomberg reports (opens in new tab) , initially sat at a lofty 2 million units available worldwide throughout its launch quarter. Sony was clearly betting big on its latest VR peripheral, then. Now, though, according to an as-of-yet unnamed supply partner, Sony has set a more realistic expectation of shipping 1.5 million units throughout the upcoming financial year (April 2023 - March 2024). For context, Sony's sold roughly 30 million PS5 consoles as of December 2022, suggesting Sony expected one in 15 PS5 owners to purchase the VR headset. Back to the virtual drawing board So what's with the lukewarm pre-release reception for the PSVR 2 from consumers? For starters, you only need to look at the … [Read more...] about Low PSVR 2 preorders confirm that Sony is out of touch

Update, 01/18/2023: We’ve reviewed our recommendations and are confident these are still the best tripod heads you can buy. Why Are Tripod Heads Important? If you’re just starting out and building your kit , you may wonder whether you should bother with a tripod head. Some tripods come packaged with one, while others are designed to work with various options depending on the intended use. Do you really need a tripod? To get the most out of your tripod, you’ll want to invest in a good head to pair it with. A well-engineered tripod head allows a photographer or videographer to get the angles they need and lock the camera securely in place without hand-holding. You don’t have to spend over a grand on one, but it’s worth it to put a little money down, especially if you know you’ll be using a tripod often. Landscape photographers, wildlife shooters, and people that do a lot of night photography can all benefit from a sturdy tripod head. Like any other piece of kit, a tripod … [Read more...] about The Best Tripod Heads of 2023

The best VPN routers to make use of your virtual private network connection A Virtual Private Network (VPN) (opens in new tab) is an essential service for maintaining your online privacy, and it’s really easy to use: install an app, tap a button, and you’re protected in seconds. But what if you’re looking to protect everything in your home? Use a VPN router, and there’s no need to install apps everywhere and learn how they work. Just connect your phones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs and anything Wi-Fi-enabled to the router, and it automatically shields all your online activities from attackers. We’ve uncovered the routers with the best VPN functionality, the most capable firmware, and how widely they’re supported by the top VPN providers. Of course you’re looking for a great router, too, so we also pay close attention to design, connectivity, speed, coverage, and bonus features such as parental controls. So, read on for our list of the best VPN routers, and at the end, … [Read more...] about Best VPN routers (February 2023): top routers for Virtual Private Networks

This story is part of Samsung Event , CNET's collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung's most popular products. Samsung's semiannual Unpacked event was held in San Francisco on Wednesday, and a collection of new phones and laptops made their debut. Samsung launched the refresh of its flagship Galaxy S line of phones -- the Galaxy S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra . The company also unveiled its upgraded Galaxy Book Pro laptops , the Book 3 Pro and Book 3 Pro 360, along with a new high-end sibling for the family, the Book 3 Ultra. Along with the new products, Samsung, Google and Qualcomm announced a partnership to develop a mixed-reality platform . It was heavy on words but light on details, however. You can also check out our archived live blog from the event if you feel more like reading a play-by-play. Now playing: Watch this: Samsung's … [Read more...] about Samsung Unpacked Recap: Everything Announced, From Galaxy S23 to Galaxy Book 3 Ultra

Table of Contents What to Look For in a Budget Bluetooth Speaker in 2023 Frequently Asked Questions Best Budget Bluetooth Speaker Overall: DOSS SoundBox Touch Best Budget Portable Bluetooth Speaker: JBL Clip 4 Best Budget Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker: Anker Soundcore Best Budget Rugged Bluetooth Speaker: Anker Soundcore Flare Mini Best Budget Car Bluetooth Speaker: Sony SRS-XB13 Update, 01/11/2023: We’ve reviewed our recommendations and have updated our best budget portable speaker to the JBL Clip 4. What to Look For in a Budget Bluetooth Speaker in 2023 One of the first factors you’ll want to consider when looking for a Bluetooth speaker, regardless of price, is the size and form factor. If you’re using a speaker in place of a home stereo, you’ll likely want a bigger model than if you’re looking for a portable speaker to carry to the park. While almost any Bluetooth speaker will be more rugged than a piece of home audio equipment, they’re not all … [Read more...] about The Best Budget Bluetooth Speakers of 2023

Close Samsung Galaxy S23 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 9 Samsung has recently unveiled its latest flagship smartphone lineup, the Galaxy S23 series at an event in San Francisco, US. The event named ‘Galaxy Unpacked’ was the company’s first major launch event of 2023. Galaxy Unpacked was also Samsung’s first in-person event since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020. The South Korea-based tech giant has already released the India pricing of the new smartphones. Indian customers can also start pre-booking the devices across online and offline retail stores today (February 2). Samsung will start shipping its latest premium smartphone at a later date which the company hasn’t revealed yet. The smartphones in the Galaxy S23 series feature a custom-made Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra houses a new 200MP sensor. Samsung Galaxy S23 … [Read more...] about Samsung Galaxy S23 series: Pre-booking offers in India

Apple reported its earnings for Q1 2023 today, and it was one of the company's poorest-performing quarters in recent years. It was the company's biggest decline since 2016 and the first since 2019. Overall revenue was down more than 5 percent year-over-year as the company failed to match sales from the same quarter last year across most of its hardware categories. iPhone revenue was $65.78 billion for the quarter, down 8.17 percent year over year. Similarly, "Other Products"—which includes the Watch, AirPods, and some other outliers—was down 8.3 percent year over year at $13.48 billion. The real underperformer was the Mac, which was down almost 30 percent at $7.74 billion. Further Reading Apple CEO Tim Cook to take 40% pay cut this year The two parts of the business that did grow were services— which include things like Apple Music and TV+, iCloud, and AppleCare—and the iPad. Services were up 6.4 percent at $20.77 billion, while the iPad grew 29.66 percent to $9.4 … [Read more...] about Apple Q1 earnings miss the mark almost across the board

You can always save money on textbooks by buying online, going ebook , or renting what you need. But there are riskier ways to save a buck that just may yield even greater payoff, such as getting the international or earlier edition of the text, or avoiding the purchase altogether. You already know that the textbook system is a scam. Publishers often crank out new editions without making substantial changes. Schools follow standard procedure over saving students money. And sometimes a class hardly uses the textbook at all. If getting that perfect A is what you’re aiming for, it’s safer to play by the rules and buy your the required edition. However, if you just need to pass, are taking the class for fun, or are really that stripped for cash, consider the alternatives. And keep in mind that none of these alternatives come without some risk involved. The Risky Route to Obtaining Your Textbooks Before you invest time or money in any alternative to buying straight from the … [Read more...] about Three Potentially Risky Ways to Save a Lot on Textbooks

There’s a wider selection of smart phones and mobile OS’s than ever before, but you can’t just go buy every phone available and try them all out. Here’s how you can test out the latest version of the BlackBerry OS for free on your PC. We’ll also look at see how it stacks up to the latest Android and iOS software. Downloading and Installing the BlackBerry Simulator First, you’ll need to download and install the BlackBerry Simulator.  Head over to the download page ( link below ), select the version of BlackBerry OS you want to try, and click Next.  We’re going to select v6.0.0, which is the latest version that will ship on the BlackBerry Torch. You’ll need to register for the download, so enter your name and other info. When you’re done, confirm that your information is correct, select whether or not you want to receive emails from RIM or BlackBerry, and click Next . Agree to the license, and click Next . Finally, click the Download link … [Read more...] about Test Drive the BlackBerry OS on Your PC