XAMI

Amazon is making it easier to buy on its site for to those who would prefer not linking their debit or credit card with the launch of Amazon Cash. The new service comes as an alternative to purchasing gift cards and essentially allows anyone to apply cash toward their Amazon account, through hundreds of participating brick-and-mortar retailers across the U.S. Users can generate their Amazon Cash barcode by visiting the Amazon Cash site and then access it through through Amazon’s website and the mobile app. You could also just screenshot or print out your barcode and show it to a clerk in participating stores to deposit funds. Customers can deposit money in amounts between $15 and $500 dollars and this will be available for your next purchases. Participating retailers include CVS Pharmacy, Speedway, Sheetz, Kum & Go, D&W Fresh Market, Family Fare Supermarkets, and VG's Grocery — with more on the way, according to Amazon. There is no fee to use Amazon Cash. Walmart and PayPal also offer similar services to appeal to customers that don’t have access to bank or credit cards. As TechCrunch points out, citing a 2015 report from the FDIC, more than a quarter of American consumers rely primarily or exclusively on cash.

UK Chip designer Imagination Technologies has seen its share price fall by nearly 70 percent after Apple said it plans to stop using the firm’s graphics technology inside iPhones and iPads within the next “15 to 24 months.” In a statement issued today, Imagination said Apple, which is one of its biggest shareholders, will stop using its products because the Cupertino company is developing its own graphics processing chips. Apple's licensing agreement with Imagination has been in place since at least 2008. It owns more than 8 percent of the UK firm, and came close to acquiring it last year. A deal never materialized, but several Imagination employees were recruited by the iPhone maker. Imagination gets around half its revenue from Apple, thanks to royalties from its PowerVR graphics architecture found in iOS devices. While the firm does have licensing deals with other customers, Imagination called Apple’s contract “essential” in its latest annual report. Apple paid about £60.7 million (around $75.88 million) in royalties to Imagination last year, and it is forecast to pay about £65 million ($81.26 million) for the current financial year, according to the BBC. Ending the agreement may not be a smooth process for Apple. Imagination writes that the firm's plans to develop in-house chips could see it infringe on the UK company’s intellectual property rights. Imagination did note that it is looking at "potential alternative commercial arrangements" with Apple, though the news still wiped around £515 million ($643 million) off the value of the company.

The JEDEC Solid State Technology Association has announced that development of the DDR5 standard is “moving forward rapidly.” The standards body said DDR5 memory will provide double the bandwidth and density versus current generation DDR4. This, in turn, will result in improved performance with greater power efficiency. The standard will also feature a more user-friendly interface for server and client platforms, we’re told. Mian Quddus, Chairman of the JEDEC board of directors, said in a press release that increased server performance requirements are driving the need for advanced technologies and the standardization of next generation memory such as DDR5 will be essential to fulfilling those needs. As The Tech Report recalls, JEDEC first started talking about DDR3 in May 2005 ahead of the first products hitting the scene in 2007. Similarly, JEDEC published the final specifications for DDR4 in September 2012 with support finding its way into consumer products in the second half of 2014. JEDEC is also developing NVDIMM-P (Non-Volatile Dual Inline Memory Module, Persistent), a new high-capacity memory module that retains content after power is cut (kind of like Intel's Optane memory). More information on the DDR5 and NVDIMM-P standards will be shared at JEDEC’s Server Forum event in Santa Clara on June 19. The standards body said it aims to publish the design for DDR5 sometime in 2018.

It’ll let you in on a little secret about photography – virtually everything you see in a commercial capacity has gone through some form of post-processing enhancement. While there are still plenty of photographers that strive to “get it right” in the camera, it can be nearly impossible to avoid a time-consuming run through Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop – especially if you’re going for an artistic, dramatic or otherwise unnatural effect. Research from Adobe and Cornell University, however, may soon result in the minimization of how much time you’ll need to devote to post-processing such images. The duo developed a technique called deep photo style transfer that builds upon recent work on painterly transfer. Simply put, the tool can seamlessly transfer the style of a source image – things like the time of day, weather, season and artistic edits – and apply them to a vastly different image. For example, you could take a picture of a city skyline in brightly-lit, less than ideal conditions, feed the tool an image of a beautiful night skyline and have those ‘effects’ transferred over to your original image. It doesn’t sound all that impressive but the results above speak for themselves. Adobe hasn’t said if it plans to bring the tool to one of its editing suites although as Engadget notes, if you’re running Linux, you can snag the necessary files from GitHub and take it out for a spin.

Samsung and Microsoft first signed a cross-license patent agreement in 2011 that resulted in Samsung paying licensing fees to Microsoft. The two reworked their deal in 2015, and though details were not made public, Samsung began preloading Microsoft apps on its phones and tablets. That’s been the case with Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7 too but Microsoft is doing things differently this time around. The company has announced that it will sell a ‘Microsoft Edition’ of the Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus, beginning April 21 at brick-and-mortar Microsoft Store locations across the US. Interestingly, the device will have to be unboxed in-store and connected to the retailer’s Wi-Fi, which will start loading Microsoft apps into the device. The customization “ensures a best-in-class productivity experience with Microsoft applications such as Office, OneDrive, Cortana, Outlook and more.” "Microsoft Store is committed to empowering its customers to achieve more through Office and Microsoft applications. The new device customization is an example of bringing together Microsoft applications on more devices so customers can work, play and connect from their pockets," the company said. It’s worth noting that regular Samsung Galaxy S8 devices still come bundled with basic Microsoft apps like OneDrive, Skype, and Office. Microsoft Edition devices include a few additional apps, arranges those productivity applications on the home screen and provides additional accessibility to other Microsoft owned applications such as LinkedIn, Wunderlist and more. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ Microsoft Edition devices will retail for $749.99 and $849.99, respectively, just like the normal carrier versions, with pre-orders beginning today.

Ransomware is a particularly nasty class of malicious software. Unlike a destructive virus or piece of malware that eradicates data entirely, ransomware attacks victims psychologically with the hope that their precious files can be recovered… if you’re willing to pay for it. Many of the top digital security firms in the world have been waging war on ransomware since day one. As Jason Woloz, a senior program manager with Google’s Android Security team, explains in a recent blog post, Google is no exception. Google has long had protections from ransomware in Android and although the issue has become more prevalent with time, infections on mobile devices are still quite rare. Woloz notes that since 2015, less than 0.00001 percent of ransomware installations originated from Google Play and less than 0.01 percent of installations from sources other than Google Play were categorized as ransomware. Woloz says that’s less than the odds of getting struck by lightning twice in your lifetime. Google’s fight against ransomware involves a couple of key components including Application Sandboxing which forces apps to operate independently of others and Verify Apps, the security system that analyzes apps before installation and regularly checks in with both devices and apps for PHAs (Potentially Harmful Applications). With Android 7.0 Nougat, Google is further bolstering its fight against ransomware. A few of the upcoming additions and changes are outlined below. Safety blinders: Apps can no longer see which other apps are active. That means scammy ones can’t see what other apps are doing—and can’t inform their attacks based on activity. Even stronger locks: If you set a lockscreen PIN prior to installing ransomware, ransomware can’t misuse your device’s permissions to change your PIN and lock you out. Whacking clickjacking: “Clickjacking” tricks people into clicking something, often by obscuring permission dialogs behind other windows. You’re now protected from ransomware attacks that use this tactic to sneakily gain control of a device. Woloz also provides the following steps you can do to help keep your device safe: Only download apps from a trustworthy source, such as Google Play. Ensure Verify Apps is enabled. Install security updates and always ensure your device is updated to the latest version to get the best security protection. Back up your device. Be cautious. Take a moment to read reviews and other information about apps before installing, to make sure you download the app you’re looking for. Even if you do everything “right,” it’s still possible that ransomware could find its way to your device. If that happens, Google recommends first trying to boot into safe mode and uninstalling any recent apps you may have installed. Should that not work, you can try performing a factory reset although this should probably be your last resort (especially if you don’t have your files backed up).

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is set to be launched today at an event in New York at 10am EDT (8am PT, 4pm BST). We'll be updating this story ahead of the Galaxy Unpacked 2017 livestream going live (now streaming above), so you can watch the announcement here. With that said, this is possibly Samsung's worst kept secret ever, as everything about the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ has been leaked already, from design to price and specifications -- even the user's manual with details on key features (see that further down below). Both phones will have curved edges and are expected to go on sale next month (April 21st or 28th, we'll know for sure soon). The redesigned Galaxy looks more svelte than its well-regarded predecessor. There is no physical home button, and the whole front is wrapped around in glass with minimal bezels at the top and bottom. Depending on your location the Galaxy S8/S8+ will be powered by Samsung’s own Exynos processor or the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC. The Galaxy S8 will be 5.8-inch while the Plus is expected to come in at 6.2-inch, both Super AMOLED with QHD+ display resolutions (2400 x 2960) and 18:9 aspect ratio. Other specs include 4GB or 6GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel dual pixel rear camera, and an 8-megapixel front camera, IP68 waterproofing, wireless charging, and 3000mAh / 3500mAh batteries. The devices will run Android 7.0 Nougat. We liked the Galaxy S7 Edge a lot. Now Samsung has to deliver on finer details like software (including carrier restrictions and bloat), improved palm detection when holding the phone by the thin edges, durability, and so on. Along with Apple's next-gen iPhone (expected in September), the new Galaxy is easily one of the most anticipated tech launches of the year. This year Samsung has not only to worry about the Android competition and getting ahead of the pack so it's still relevant by year's end when the new iPhone will be out, but it has to overcome its own wrongdoing after the failed Galaxy Note 7. The Korean company will also be revealing the new and improved Gear VR headset that works with the S8/S8+ at the Unpacked event. Just yesterday Samsung accidentally leaked the Galaxy S8 user guide, which lists many of the phone's key features. It's taken down since, but not before someone saved a copy, here it is courtesy of Phandroid: INFINITY DISPLAY Always On display – View various information, such as a clock or calendar, even when the screen is off. Multi window – You can run two apps simultaneously without changing the screen. If you use the snap window feature, you can select an area and pin it to the top of the screen and use other apps or features in the lower window. Edge screen – With various Edge panels, you can access frequently used features quickly and easily. You can also capture an area of content and share it with others. INTELLIGENT LIFE Hello Bixby – View frequently updated content, such as the weather, reminders, and alarms, in one place. Hello Bixby analyses your usage patterns and provides suggested information, apps, and functions based on your routine. Bixby Vision (image search) – Bixby Vision is an image search feature that lets you search for relevant information conveniently. Activate Bixby Vision and scan objects or locations with the camera to search for products online or nearby places. You can also translate detected text. Reminder – Schedule notifications and to-do items or use location reminders. You can also create reminders from videos, images, or websites to view them later. Bixby (intelligent voice assistant) – Bixby is an intelligent voice assistant that helps you use the device more conveniently. Press the Bixby key or say “Bixby.” Bixby will respond to you. Start a conversation by talking or typing. Bixby will launch a function you request or show the information you want. SECURITY Iris recognition – The iris recognition feature uses the unique characteristics of your irises, such as their shape and patten, to strengthen the security of your device. You can use your iris data to quickly unlock your screen, verify your Samsung account, and sign into webpages and more. Fingerprint recognition – A built-in capacitive sensor reads your fingerprint when you touch it from any direction. Use your fingerprint to unlock your smartphone and pay with Samsung Pay. Face recognition – Unlock the screen using facial recognition instead of drawing a pattern or entering a PIN or password. Secure Folder – Protect your private content and apps in Secure Folder. Photos, memos, and apps in Secure Folder cannot by accessed by others. You can also keep your private content and apps secure by hiding Secure Folder when the device is unlocked. Samsung Pass – Register your IDs and passwords for websites to Samsung Pass and verify your identity securely via your biometric data, rather than entering your login information. CAMERA Experience the improved camera for taking photos. You can either take clear selfies with the front camera’s smart Auto Focus (AF) feature and create various scenes with the various shooting modes and optimized filters. MORE Samsung Pay – Register your frequently used credit or debit cards to make quick and secure payments. Purchase items by simply touching your smartphone to any standard credit card reader. Samsung DeX – Samsung DeX is a service that allows you to use your smartphone like a computer by connecting a smartphone to an external display, such as a TV monitor. You can your smartphone’s features on a large screen conveniently by connecting an external display, keyboard, and mouse. Samsung Connect – Connect to nearby devices, such as Bluetooth headsets or other smartphones, easily and quickly. You can also control and manage TVs, home appliances, and Internet of Things (IoT) products with your smartphone. Samsung Cloud – Store important data such as images, videos, and apps, securely in Samsung Cloud and view it on other devices. Bluetooth Dual audio – Stream audio from one smartphone to up to two Bluetooth headsets or speakers simultaneously. You can adjust the volume levels for each device independently, allowing users to listen comfortably. An external memory card (microSD card) – A micro SD card allows you to expand your device’s storage and lets you store more content, such as photos and videos. Water resistant – The Galaxy S8 meets IP68 standards to ensure that it is water resistant. Now, you can use your smartphone in wet environments. You can your smartphone freely in various situations. Connection with Gear – You can quickly connect your smartphone and Gear by using the Samsung Gear app. You can answer calls, receive messages, record your walking steps, or workout, measure your heart rate, play music, and more on the Gear.

The Smallest Alienware Refreshed for 2017 If you want a reasonably small and portable gaming laptop, the Alienware 13 is one of the leading options on the market. With its 13.3-inch display, the footprint of this laptop is smaller than a typical 15-inch laptop, and if you’re willing to put up with extra thickness and weight, it’s possible to use it as a portable workstation instead of an ultraportable. Like many Alienware laptops, the 13 comes in a large range of configurations. Depending on how much you want to spend, you can kit out this laptop with a GTX 1050 / Ti or GTX 1060 discrete GPU, as well as quad-core Kaby Lake CPUs, up to 32 GB of RAM, up to 2 TB of PCIe storage, and either a 1080p LCD or 1440p OLED display. Prices range anywhere from $999 to nearly $3,500. The Alienware 13 is a relatively unique product as few of the major gaming laptop manufacturers produce 13-inch devices. MSI, Gigabyte, Aorus and Razer only go down to 14-inch systems, leaving Alienware almost unopposed in this space. It’s not an automatic win for the Alienware 13 in the size and weight arena, though. At 24mm thick and 2.6 kg heavy (5.7 lbs), it’s not attempting to be the slimmest or lightest it could be. In fact many 14-inch laptops are more portable than the Alienware 13, including the Razer Blade (1.9kg heavy and 18mm thick), the MSI GS43VR (1.8kg and 23mm) and Aorus X3 Plus v7 (1.8kg and 23mm). The Alienware 13 also runs into a footprint issue. Despite its smaller display, it’s not physically smaller than any of the aforementioned 14-inch laptops. This means the Alienware 13’s display is flanked by large bezels, which could easily have accommodated a 14-inch panel. I’d be disappointed if Alienware was using the smaller 13-inch display as a marketing bullet point, making the system sound smaller and more portable than it is, rather than giving users the largest display possible in this form factor. There are a couple of reasons why the Alienware 13 is larger than its competitors. The main reason is there’s a beefy cooling solution that uses two massive heatsinks attached to the rear of the device. Air is drawn in through large vents on the sides and base of the laptop, and exhausted through the rear. There’s a lot of metal used here, which adds to the weight of the device. Alienware has also opted for a large 76 Wh battery inside the body, which is marginally larger than the 73 Wh and 70 Wh cells used in the Aorus X3 Plus v7 and Razer Blade, respectively. Combined with the smaller display, you can expect the Alienware 13 to last longer than its competitors on battery. There is an excellent selection of ports on the Alienware 13. On the rear you get a power connector, HDMI 2.0, mini-DisplayPort 1.2, Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C, Ethernet and the Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port. Having these ports on the rear makes sense if you’re primarily using the laptop on a desk, as you can plug in things like a display and a wired network without cluttering the sides of the device. On the sides of the Alienware 13 are two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, one on each side, plus a USB 3.1 Type-C port (not Thunderbolt 3) on the right. There are two 3.5mm audio jacks for headphones and a microphone on the left. Towards the front of each edge are the large speakers included with the Alienware 13. These speakers can go quite loud, but the quality isn’t particularly impressive, especially as there are noticeable distortions at high volumes. Don’t expect much bass either, although the speakers are less tinny than many ultraportables. The design of the Alienware 13 is very similar to every other Alienware laptop released in the last few years. On the metal lid is Alienware’s signature Y-shaped pattern with their alien head logo, which adds a bit of gamer style to the design. The palm rest is made from a soft-touch black plastic, which is clean and stealthy but attracts fingerprints easily. While I typically prefer more business-oriented industrially-designed laptops, the Alienware 13’s design is good as far as gaming laptops are concerned. Of course, it wouldn’t be an Alienware laptop without a ton of LED lighting. The Alienware 13 has eight RGB lighting zones: four in the keyboard, plus a zone in each of the trackpad, power button, Alienware text, and alien head logo. This provides a great level of customization, although it’s disappointing you can’t control the color of individual keys, which is possible on the Razer Blade. The keyboard on this laptop is decent. The layout is great, with large modifier keys, a full-sized set of arrows, and a decent range of functions mapped to the F-keys. Travel distance was impressive, and tactile feedback was very good. This leads to a great experience while gaming or typing. The trackpad is also very solid. The trackpad’s surface is good, which provides a comfortable tracking experience, while the tracking itself is excellent. You won’t be using the trackpad for any serious gaming, but it’s nice to see massive physical click buttons included here. Alienware is one of the few gaming laptop manufacturers that includes Windows Hello and Tobii eye-tracking support across their entire product line-up. The Alienware 13’s implementation is the same as the Alienware 15’s, so it’s very solid and works well for facial recognition log ins and eye tracking. Personally I’m not a huge fan of eye tracking in games, and there’s only a limited selection of games that implement support, but it’s a neat feature for those that want to try it out. There are technically three display options available for the Alienware 13, but I would not recommend the 1366 x 768 option under any circumstances. My review unit included a 13.3-inch 1080p IPS LCD and there’s a 2560 x 1440 OLED option available for those that want to spend an extra $250. There are some disappointing aspects to both the 1080p LCD and 1440p OLED options for gamers. Neither display comes with support for G-Sync, which is a feature available on some competing devices. Neither supports refresh rates above 60 Hz either, and while the fastest GPU available (the GTX 1060) isn’t particularly suited to high-refresh gaming in modern titles, it’s possible to achieve well over 60 FPS in games dating a few years back. Alienware claims the 1080p LCD option is only good for 300 nits of brightness, but in my testing, it comfortably hit 377 nits at 100%. Contrast was good, at 1180:1, while color temperature was too cold, which is a typical trait of most laptop displays. Color performance out of the box is decent but not hugely accurate, although the display looks vibrant and decent in general, thanks in part to great viewing angles. A quick color calibration using SpectraCal’s CALMAN 5 software allowed the Alienware 13 to hit very accurate levels. I’m not sure how many creative professionals will actually use a laptop like the Alienware 13, but it is possible to use this laptop for color accurate work when properly calibrated. Hardware Overview and System Performance There are loads of configuration options available for the Alienware 13. As of writing, there are six options to be found on Dell’s website with room to change some components as you see fit. The configurations available are as follows: $999.99 – Core i7-7300HQ, GTX 1050, 8GB RAM, 180GB SSD, 768p LCD $1,099.99 – Core i7-7300HQ, GTX 1050 Ti, 8GB RAM, 180GB SSD, 1080p LCD $1,599.99 – Core i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 1080p LCD $2,049.99 – Core i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 1440p OLED $2,624.99 – Core i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 1440p OLED $3,349.99 – Core i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 32GB RAM, 1TB + 1TB SSD, 1440p OLED The model I received to review is the $1,599.99 option configured with 16GB of RAM rather than 8GB. With this change, my review unit would cost $1,699.99. Like with many Dell laptops, it’s easy to remove the base model from contention. For just $100 more, you’ll get yourself a faster GPU in the GTX 1050 Ti rather than a GTX 1050, plus a higher-resolution 1080p display. The mid-tier configurations are expensive, but this is typical of most smaller, portable gaming laptops. The Razer Blade, for example, is $1,899 for largely the same hardware as in my Alienware 13 review model; in other words, it’s $200 more expensive. The MSI GS43VR is similarly priced to the Alienware 13 at certain configurations. The simple fact is: if you want the best hardware in a gaming laptop, the best value has always been in 15-inch models, not 14- or 13-inch devices. I’ve tested both the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 and the Intel Core i7-7700HQ in gaming laptops before, but never in the same laptop. The GTX 1060 6GB variant in the Alienware 15 is essentially equivalent to the desktop graphics card, with 1280 CUDA cores and a rated boost clock of 1670 MHz. The Core i7-7700HQ is a 45W Kaby Lake CPU with four cores, eight threads and a base clock of 2.80 GHz with a boost of 3.80 GHz. Before I get to the benchmarks, I will mention that 256GB of storage in a gaming laptop is completely inadequate. I currently test 10 games on every laptop I receive to review, and with many games installs pushing 40 to 50 GB, I couldn’t fit the entire test suite on the Alienware 13. In fact I was barely able to squeeze five games on this laptop. Most gamers will want to install more than five games on their laptop at once, so I’d recommend at least a 512GB SSD. In games, the Alienware 13 performs very similarly to other GTX 1060 laptops. It’s two percent slower than the MSI GS43VR, and roughly on par with the MSI GS63VR on average. Strangely, the Alienware 13 is 3.5 percent faster than the Alienware 15 on average. My general thoughts on the GTX 1060 in gaming laptops hasn’t changed with the Alienware 13. This GPU is well suited to 1080p gaming, and it performs very well in titles from a few years ago. In more modern titles, especially the most punishing games like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, you’ll be hovering around the 30 FPS mark with ultra settings, so in some circumstances you’ll have to turn down the quality if you’d rather play at 60 FPS. At this stage, the GTX 1060 is as good as it gets in this form factor; there are no GTX 1070 laptops smaller than 15 inches, so if you want more performance, it’s not possible to upgrade further. Thermal performance of the Alienware 13 is average. Using AIDA64’s stress test on the CPU only, the CPU sat at around 88°C with only moderate fan noise. Even with this intense workload, it took the fans a full six minutes to spin up from a reasonably quiet state, which is much better than other gaming laptops I’ve tested. If you’re not using the GPU, you can expect the Alienware 13 to remain quiet for the most part, and even under load, the fan noise is pleasant enough. Hitting the CPU and GPU together in AIDA64 punishes the Alienware 13. The system gets noticeably louder, with the GPU sitting around 90°C and throttling impacting CPU performance. Luckily this sort of test is a worst-case scenario for the laptop, and you won’t see these sorts of figures in typical games. Playing Hitman, the Alienware 13’s GPU hit 85°C while the CPU sat at 86°C (both 100% utilization), which is above average for a GTX 1060 gaming laptop. Fan noise was lower than in the AIDA64 stress test, but still very noticeable and quite loud. Raising the laptop off my desk by four centimeters lowered the Alienware 13’s temperatures by nearly 20°C on both the GPU and CPU, indicating there is an airflow issue preventing enough cool air from being sucked in through the vents along the base of the laptop. Battery Life & What's to Like on the Alienware 13 Inside the Alienware 13 is a 76 Wh battery, which is marginally larger than other gaming laptops of this size, and much larger than most 13-inch ultraportables. While this battery is decently sized, the powerful components in the Alienware 13 do limit its battery life to an extent. Battery life isn't fantastic, but it's better than most 15-inch gaming laptops. In the video browsing test in particular, the Alienware 13 outperforms MSI's similar GS43VR by a significant margin, though it falls behind slightly in web browsing. Wrap Up: Powerful Laptop, Not So Little As a smaller form factor gaming laptop, the Alienware 13 gets a lot of things right. At most price points, this laptop includes powerful and competitive hardware, which is exactly what most buyers are after. On the flip side, the Alienware 13 isn’t as portable as other laptops of a similar class. Most people interested in buying a 13- or 14-inch gaming laptop are doing so because they want something portable but powerful; something they can use for work out of the house, and games in the house. Due to the size and weight of the Alienware 13, this laptop really isn’t suited to this type of user. All the major competitors to the Alienware 13 – from MSI, Razer, and Aorus – clock in under 2kg heavy, while some also strive for a slim chassis. The Alienware 13 is a whopping 2.6kg heavy, which puts it in the same ballpark as larger 15-inch laptops, reducing its portability. And while the screen is just 13.3-inches in size, the laptop itself is no smaller than 14-inch competitors thanks to large bezels and a beefy cooler. If you’re not hugely concerned about the portability of the Alienware 13, and don’t want a more affordable 15-inch gaming laptop, there’s a lot to like about this system. For starters, it’s affordable across the entry-level and mid-tier configurations. At $1,100 you can net yourself a pretty decent GTX 1050 Ti gaming laptop, while at $1,599 for GTX 1060 models it’s similarly priced to MSI’s GS43VR and much cheaper than the Aorus X3 Plus v7 and Razer Blade. 256GB of storage space is too slim in the base GTX 1060 configuration, but the included SSD is blazing fast and upgrades to 512GB of space cost $150. My review unit was kitted out with an Core i7-7700HQ processor, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and GeForce GTX 1060 6GB. This configuration performed exactly as I expected. The GTX 1060 is a fantastic GPU for 1080p gaming at very high quality settings, and the 7700HQ provides a small performance boost over its Skylake predecessor. During low-intensity or CPU-only workloads, the Alienware 13 is reasonably quiet thanks to a decent cooling solution, with fans that only spin up aggressively after 5 to 6 minutes of 100% CPU utilization. The laptop is much louder during gaming, although the fans aren’t as annoying as some other solutions I’ve tested. I was impressed with most other aspects of the Alienware 13’s body. The keyboard and trackpad are both very good, and you also get a wide range of RGB LED color zones you can use to customize the Alienware 13’s look. The layout and selection of ports available should suffice for most users, and the included speakers are loud. Whether or not the Alienware 13 is for you depends on whether portability is important. If it is, you should probably look elsewhere for lighter laptops from Razer, MSI and Aorus. If you don’t really care, the Alienware 13 offers decent hardware and features at an affordable price point. Article from: TechSpot

The long-awaited Windows 10 Creators Update is now available to PC users despite the fact that Microsoft hasn’t yet officially announced its availability. ISO files for Windows 10 build 15063 (rumored to be the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) build) recently appeared on Microsoft’s servers and there are two ways to go about the installation process. As The Verge notes, you can grab the ISO files (in your choice of 32-bit or 64-bit flavors), mount them using Windows 10’s File Explorer and run the setup.exe file to upgrade to the Creators Update. Optionally, as Neowin outlines, you can pick up a new version of the Windows 10 Update Assistant and use it to update to build 15063. Be warned, however, that if you have the previous version of the Assistant tool on a PC running the Anniversary Update (or an earlier version of Windows 10), it’ll tell you that your device is up-to-date and leave it at that. Microsoft as of writing has not revealed when it plans to officially roll out the Creators Update to the general public (it hit the Windows Insider fast and slow rings last week). Although this appears to be the final RTM build, it’s always possible that Microsoft could squeeze in a last-minute bug fix or two between now and the public launch which most expect will take place on April 11 (Patch Tuesday).

I forget to edit these post in the past... well... Dude, when you see "Weekly" that mean you just can post 1 time per week, not 1 time each 24 hours, same thing in this section http://csblackdevil.com/forums/index.php?/forum/899-movies-series-programs-weekly/ Suggestion for staff, edit these post and be more specified have a good day

Welcome Yassine

Upload again your image, i want see it This is your solution? really? with all respect but i just see post hunt, don't comment more here if you don't have a smart idea

I just find a solution for this problem, and maybe your windows make a copy of your folder cs First do this : Hidden files WIN7: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/show-hidden-files-in-windows-7/ Hidden files WIN10: http://www.isunshare.com/windows-10/show-hidden-files-and-folders-in-windows-10.html Now go to you Local Disk (C:) > Users > "yourname" > AppData > Local > VirtualStore > Valve Search in these folders, maybe this solve your problem

This is important... But, you use your cs in mod D3D? try..

what mean it? Well, you try to use another explorer (operamini, maxthon) ? also you try to clear all file of chrome? open your profile in your phone or in another pc

Welcome Albert

This grade just was hide from that site, but don't was deleted, like Organizator, Journalist, etc Topic closed

Try to check your config.cfg file in the folder cstrike, in the same folder search files like "autoexec.cfg" and delete it

Welcome Alex

I found it yesterday, and.. that guy have iron balls, he always go alone in that videos, in night, into a mine.... I do not have the courage to do that alone, maybe with 2 or 3 friends, but alone never