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Latest by M. Smith

Digital Storm Aventum 3

Digital Storm Aventum 3 review

We’ve reviewed many big, beefy desktop computers, but Digital Storm’s Aventum 3 is by far the largest. It weighs over 100 pounds -- also contains the most powerful hardware we’ve ever tested.
Asus Zenbook UX305UA

Asus Zenbook UX305UA review

Asus’ Zenbook UX305UA has a Core i5 processor, a 1080p display, and a 256GB solid state drive, all for just $750. It sounds like a great value, but can it really compete in the crowded mid-range ultrabook market?
xbox playstation want to be like iphone project scorpio

E3 2016 was packed with plenty to entice PC gamers — here’s our favorites

E3 has a tendency to focus more on console releases than PC games, but this year was different. We've rounded up all the news every PC gamers needs to know.
ACER Aspire S 13

Acer Aspire S 13 (2016) review

Acer’s new Aspire S 13 certainly has the formula of a great ultrabook – Core i5 processor, thin design, affordable price tag. But this arena has become crowded with excellent choices, all of which have few flaws. Can this new Aspire stack up?
Windows 10

The latest Windows 10 Insider builds are all about bashing bugs

Microsoft has released Windows 10 Insider build 14366 for desktop and 14364 for mobile. Both of them focus on stability, and even offer bug-bashing quests.
microsoft e3 2018 changes 2016 xbox project scorpio

The Xbox and PC are closer than ever, but still not close enough

Microsoft focused its big E3 2016 announcements on crossplay with Windows 10 PC, promising 10 titles that can be enjoyed on either an Xbox or a computer.
PS4 VR

The PlayStation VR will launch on October 13 at $400, but there’s a catch

The much-anticipated PlayStation VR will beat the Rift and Vive's pricing at $400, but gamers will need PlayStation Move peripherals to make it work.
windows 10 free update promotion file removal dark

New Windows 10 build available, adding LastPass support and Windows Ink improvements

Microsoft has released build 14361 to Windows 10 Insider. It makes Edge officially compatible with the LastPass extension.
Intel 750 Series SSD

Intel 750 Series SSD review

Solid state drives have become so quick that SATA can no longer handle them, so a new connection standard called NVMe has been invented to replace it. The 750 Series is the first such drive built for the consumer market, and it proves the standard's purpose.
asus avalon modular pc hands on asusavalon

Asus’ Avalon brings the modular PC dream closer to reality

The modular PC concept has appeared time and time again, but the companies that conceive of it never pull it off. Asus' Avalon is a different story.
Mechanical keyboards computex

The mechanical keyboards at Computex prove Steve Jobs was wrong about the PC

The halls of Computex are filled to the brim with keyboards, even while some repeat predictions of the PC's doom. Is the keyboard's popularity a fluke? Or does it reveal something deeper about computers?
amd computex 2016 opinion radeon rx 480

AMD is fighting for middle-class gamers, but it needs world-class hardware

AMD focused on value at this year's Computex by announcing a mid-range, Polaris-based video card that almost any gamer can afford. But the company lacks the performance wins it sorely needs.
microsoft opens hololens and hello windows holographic

Microsoft’s latest HoloLens trailer looks ripped from a sci-fi blockbuster

Microsoft reaffirmed its commitment to openness at Computex 2016 by taking wraps off its Holographic and Hello API. Partners can now build devices that work with both.
AMD 7th Generation

AMD debuts full 7th-gen APU line at Computex, claims CPU boost of up to 56 percent

After months of teases, AMD has revealed its full 7th-generation APU line. The company claims a performance boost of up to 56 percent.
Asus Zenbook 3

Nobody wants Intel’s Core M processor, and Computex proves it

Core M was built to enable a new generation of 2-in-1 devices thinner, lighter, and quicker than any before. But companies like Asus and HP have turned away from it.
plextor m8pe ssd computex plextorssd 1

Plextor’s newest solid state drive puts gamers in its crosshairs

Plextor's newest solid state drive hopes a combination of cutting-edge technology and racy styling will catch the attention of hardcore gamers worldwide.
asus transformer pro 3 hands on transformer3pro 5

Hands on: Asus Transformer Pro 3

The latest 2-in-1 device from Asus owes a lot to Microsoft's Surface Pro, but it hopes to beat Redmond's engineers at their own game with a bigger screen and lower price tag.
Asus Zenbook 3

Hands on: Asus Zenbook 3

Asus has built a MacBook challenger -- the Zenbook 3. It's similar in size to Apple's notebook, yet has a faster CPU, and bigger screen, at a lower price.
what to expect at computex 2016 feature02

Get a peek inside your next PC with our preview of Computex 2016

Computex, help in Taipei, begins on June 1. It will hold a lot of news for PC enthusiasts, including potential new hardware from both AMD and Intel. There may even be a few surprises.
Dell Latitude 13 7370

Dell Latitude 13 7370 review

Dell showed off a new Latitude 13 at this year’s CES that looked identical to the company’s XPS 13 laptop. Now the Latitude 13 has launched, and it’s more unique than looks suggest. But does the more affordable XPS 13 overshadow this newcomer?
Smartphone-Future-0001 how to reduce your data usage

The smartphone’s scattershot future looks a lot like the PC’s past

Smartphones aren’t novel anymore. Now that everyone has one, the rapid advancements that marked the dawn of the smartphone age will give way to an age of different shapes, sizes, and speeds.
Reliefband VR

Hands on: Reliefband VR

The Reliefband is a wearable that claims to cure motion sickness, including that caused by a virtual reality headset. But is the cure based on real science, or is it a virtual fraud?
origin chronos 2016 review vhero v2 16 9

Origin Chronos (2016) review

Small form factor PCs rarely match the performance of their full-sized peers, but Origin’s new Chronos thinks it can be the exception. Can it take down competitors twice its size?
lenovo thinkpad p50 review laptop hero2

Lenovo ThinkPad P50 review

Most people can get by with any dual-core laptop, but some need desktop-grade capability wherever they may travel. Lenovo’s ThinkPad P50 delivers it. But does a big, heavy, powerful laptop make sense in a post-ultrabook world?
Eizo Foris FS2735

Eizo Foris FS2735 review

You probably haven’t heard of Ezio, but the company has a solid reputation among display aficionados. The company’s Foris FS2735 gaming monitor upholds its reputation, but its price is staggering.
Windows 10

Microsoft’s latest Windows Insider build is basically the Windows 10 Anniversary update

Microsoft's latest Preview build, 14328, is essentially the Windows 10 Anniversary update in beta form. It has Windows Ink, Cortana improvements, and more.
Acer Predator 17 X

Chromebook for Work, liquid-cooled 2-in-1 steal the show at Acer’s New York PC refresh

Acer went all-in on the PC, refreshing its line-up. The new hardware includes the first Chromebook for Work and a fanless 2-in-1 with liquid cooling.
hp z1 g3 launch hpfeatured

Want to add a powerful PC to your cluttered desk? HP's Z1 G3 all-in-one will fit

HP has shrunk its all-in-one workstation, reducing the display size from 27 to 24 inches, but the PC has retained its user serviceability.
HoloLens Opinion

While VR submerges you in other worlds, HoloLens just lets you peek

Microsoft’s latest HoloLens demo, made available at BUILD 2016, is ambitious in scale and disarming in its honesty. But it also highlights the headset’s limitations in ways that weren’t obvious before.
microsofts bot framework is more revolutionary than you think microsoft bots 0006

Microsoft’s vision of the future is Skynet for ordering pizza

Microsoft isn’t a big name in AI, but Redmond’s top management wants to change that. The company envisions a world full of bots, and the consequences of that vision could change the world.
microsoft is trying to build skynet not windows shifting its focus again

Is Microsoft shifting its focus again, or losing it?

Microsoft’s Build 2016 wasn’t the most exciting two and a half hours, and light on Windows features or products, but it gave the company a chance to outline its new AI platforms that developers can easily harness for their own software.
HP Dreamcolor Z32x

HP Dreamcolor Z32x review

HP’s gigantic DreamColor Z32x is one of the largest, and most expensive, monitors we’ve ever tested. Does that also make it one of the best?
dell xps 13 2015 review gold 2016 hero

Dell XPS 13 (Skylake) review

Dell's latest XPS 13 boasts a unique thin-bezel design that makes it smaller and lighter than many competitors, but it comes at a high price. Does this pint-sized portable stand out from the ultrabook crowd?
how to speed up your mac

Neglected again, Apple’s dusty MacBooks are outdated, underpowered and overpriced

Apple's latest event was a snoozer, but Mac fans should pay close attention. The company's continued silence on updates for the MacBook Air and Pro says plenty about its attitude towards old-school computing.