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| RadioNZ - 3 hours ago (RadioNZ)![NZ Located](/pimages/nzsmall.gif) A senior police supervisor spent a week overseas looking into facial recognition technology, without producing a single report about it. Read...Newslink ©2024 to RadioNZ | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | BBCWorld - 26 Jul (BBCWorld)Drone technology has made the war more immediate and more deadly – and opened up a new battleground. Read...Newslink ©2024 to BBCWorld | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 26 Jul (PC World)Maingear just tore back the curtains on a new gaming laptop called the ML-17. Not only is this one decked out with ridiculously powerful hardware, it also comes with much-awaited Thunderbolt 5 support. It’s so hot, I’m surprised it doesn’t breathe fire.
If you’re part of gaming PC circles, you’ve likely heard of Maingear, the company that’s known for designing and building high-performance custom PCs.
Well, Maingear’s latest laptop offering—though powerful and will no doubt deliver blazing fast performance—doesn’t actually stray far from the previous ML-16 laptop‘s blueprint in terms of aesthetics. The one discernible difference? The ML-17’s screen is a little bigger.
More like this: The best gaming laptops of 2024
Details on the Maingear ML-17
Maingear
Maingear
Maingear
The Maingear ML-17 has all the bells and whistles you could want. Maingear loaded this beast up with an Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile GPU, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to three 4TB (that’s 12TB total) of SSD storage.
Although PCWorld hasn’t given this machine a test run yet, I can confidently say that, given the specs, it will likely chew through anything we throw at it, whether that’s an intensive battle royale game or editing a sappy wedding video.
And did I mention the screen is humongous? It measures 17.3 inches, which I find to be comically large myself, but serious gamers may prefer this bigger screen as it allows you to see more of the game you’re playing in crisper detail.
With the ML-17, you can expect sharp images thanks to its 2560×1440 resolution, and its 240Hz refresh rate should ensure smooth gameplay. The display also supports Nvidia’s G-Sync technology, which helps reduce the likelihood of screen tearing in games.
Other cool features include a full-sized keyboard with per-key RGB lighting, a massive 99 watt-hour battery, a pair of stereo speakers, a durable metal chassis, and dual Thunderbolt 5 ports.
Thunderbolt 5, which is set to replace Thunderbolt 4, boasts faster connectivity speeds and supports displays with refresh rates as high as 540Hz. It’s useful if you have a cutting-edge external monitor.
The ML-17 is a high-performance machine that fits neatly within the scope of Maingear’s brand. That said, while the inclusion of dual Thunderbolt 5 ports is pretty darn rad, I’ve seen this kind of top-tier configuration many times before—it very much falls in the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” camp.
The ML-17 is available right now with a lofty starting price of $3,899. Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 26 Jul (PC World)Keeping your online activities and data private is a top priority nowadays. VPNs, or virtual private networks, are one of the best ways to do this. Not only do they encrypt your internet connection, but they reroute all of your traffic through a private tunnel to keep it safe from prying eyes. Even the best VPNs can have problems though.
Maybe you’re not sure if your VPN is working properly. Or maybe you just want to test out the service for yourself to better understand how it safeguards your privacy. Here I’ll show you an easy method to check if your VPN is working and to feel confident it’s operating correctly.
Check your VPN status
An icon such as this from ExpressVPN indicates your connection status.
An icon such as this from ExpressVPN indicates your connection status. Sam Singleton
An icon such as this from ExpressVPN indicates your connection status. Sam Singleton
Sam Singleton
The first thing you should do to ensure your VPN is working is to verify whether or not it’s connected — simple, I know, but necessary. Every VPN that I’ve ever encountered has an icon displayed somewhere on the VPN application indicating your connection status.
This icon or symbol most often comes in the form of a red or green power button or on/off switch. When the VPN is connected it should display green or the status will show “On.” Alternatively, when the VPN is disconnected it will likely change to red or display the status “Off.” Check your VPN client or application for these status indications.
Further reading: The best VPN services
Compare IP addresses
The next simplest way to check if your VPN is working is to compare your home IP address to the VPN IP address. When connected to a VPN, your IP address should change based on the VPN server you connect to.
Here is how to check your IP address:
Make sure your VPN is disconnected.
Go to a website such as whatismyipaddress.com and note your original home IP address provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Open up and connect to a VPN server.
While connected, reopen or reload the same IP checking website. If your IP address is different, then the VPN is working correctly. If not, then there is some issue with your VPN.
Check for leaks
One of the most crucial steps when testing to see if your VPN is working properly is to make sure that none of your data is accidentally leaking outside of the encrypted VPN tunnel. The best way to do this is to run both DNS and WebRTC leak tests.
I personally run these tests on every new VPN that I use both for personal and review purposes because it’s that important. You don’t want to pay for a service to keep your data private and then find out it’s actually being exposed without you knowing.
DNS leak test
In this leak test I connected to a VPN server in Los Angeles. All queries correctly show LA meaning my VPN has no DNS leaks.
In this leak test I connected to a VPN server in Los Angeles. All queries correctly show LA meaning my VPN has no DNS leaks.
Sam Singleton
In this leak test I connected to a VPN server in Los Angeles. All queries correctly show LA meaning my VPN has no DNS leaks.
Sam Singleton
Sam Singleton
DNS, or Domain Name System, can be thought of as the phonebook of the internet. It translates web addresses into their corresponding IP addresses. While your VPN may be hiding the IP address, it could be leaking the DNS instead, accidentally exposing your traffic to the owner of the DNS server — likely to be your internet service provider.
A DNS leak test can be done in order to make sure that your VPN is properly routing DNS requests to a private DNS instead. Here’s how to do it:
Note your home IP address from the step above.
Connect to a VPN server.
Go to a DNS leak test website like dnsleaktest.com or ipleak.net.
Start the test (either Standard or Extended will do).
Check the IP address. If it matches the location of your VPN server and not your home IP address then there are no leaks. If it still matches your home IP address then you should consider switching VPN providers.
WebRTC leak test
While connected to a VPN, the WebRTC leak test successfully shows that my IP address is not being leaked by my browser.
While connected to a VPN, the WebRTC leak test successfully shows that my IP address is not being leaked by my browser.
Sam Singleton
While connected to a VPN, the WebRTC leak test successfully shows that my IP address is not being leaked by my browser.
Sam Singleton
Sam Singleton
WebRTC, or Web Real-Time Communication, is a browser technology that allows for video and audio communications without the need for extra software. When two devices communicate over the internet, they need to know each other’s IP addresses, which means another party can identify your IP address through WebRTC.
A good VPN should be able to prevent your home IP address from leaking through WebRTC and only display the VPN IP address to the other party. Here’s how to check for WebRTC leaks:
Note your home IP address from the step above.
Connect to a VPN server.
Go to a WebRTC leak test website like expressvpn.com/webrtc-leak-test.
It will automatically run the test and display your IP address.
If the IP address matches the location of your VPN server then there are no leaks. If it instead matches your home IP address then a leak is occurring and you should consider switching VPN providers.
Run a speed test
Here you can see speed tests both for my baseline internet and while connected to a VPN—note the drop in performance while connected.
Here you can see speed tests both for my baseline internet and while connected to a VPN—note the drop in performance while connected.
Sam Singleton
Here you can see speed tests both for my baseline internet and while connected to a VPN—note the drop in performance while connected.
Sam Singleton
Sam Singleton
VPNs, by nature of their encryption and routing systems, will likely decrease your internet speed. By first encrypting your traffic and then rerouting it through its own server(s), not only will the physical distance your data needs to travel increase, but the VPN’s server loads can also have a hindering effect. Sometimes this speed difference is unnoticeable and other times it can be so bad that it makes even simple web browsing unbearable — think old dial-up modem days.
Testing your VPN’s speed is less about if your VPN is working — if you can connect then your VPN is probably working — and more about optimizing the connection. I’ve written a whole article about how to test your VPN speed, but I’ll summarize it below:
Disconnect from your VPN.
Go to a speed test website such as speedtest.net or fast.com. Click the start button on the speed test and note the results for your home internet. The larger the number in Mbps, the faster your internet.
Now connect to your preferred VPN server.
While connected, rerun the speed test and note the new speed. Now you can compare how fast your home internet is in contrast to your VPN connection.
If your VPN speeds are significantly slower, you can try different VPN servers. Many things can affect both your home internet as well as a single VPN server connection at any given time (server load, distance, time of day, etc.). It’s best to test your speeds across a few days and with different servers to find the most accurate result. If your VPN’s speeds are consistently slow, you may consider switching to a faster VPN like any of the great services in my roundup of fastest VPNs.
Change your streaming location
VPNs are a great way to access location restricted streaming content. I personally am a huge fan of Studio Ghibli movies, so I often use my VPN to access Netflix in the U.K. in order to view the library of Miyazaki content.
Streaming services can be another way for you to test if your VPN is working correctly. Simply connect to a VPN server in the country you wish to view content and then load the streaming service. If you get a message that says you’re using a proxy or VPN, this means that the site has identified that you’re using a VPN and has blocked the connection. Try connecting to a different server in the same country (if available) and reload the streaming site. If you get the same message, you may want to consider switching to a VPN that’s compatible with your streaming service such as those in my roundup of best VPNs for Netflix. Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | ITBrief - 25 Jul (ITBrief)![NZ Located](/pimages/nzsmall.gif) Organisations are significantly boosting their generative AI investments, with nearly a quarter now integrating the technology, up from 6% in 2023. Read...Newslink ©2024 to ITBrief | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | ITBrief - 25 Jul (ITBrief)![NZ Located](/pimages/nzsmall.gif) A new report reveals CFOs and CIOs in ANZ are tightening collaborations to ensure technology investments deliver tangible business results. Read...Newslink ©2024 to ITBrief | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | ITBrief - 24 Jul (ITBrief)![NZ Located](/pimages/nzsmall.gif) Commvault appoints Pranay Ahlawat as its first Chief Technology and AI Officer, aiming to enhance cyber resilience through advanced AI innovations amid rising cyber threats. Read...Newslink ©2024 to ITBrief | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | RadioNZ - 24 Jul (RadioNZ)![NZ Located](/pimages/nzsmall.gif) New research looked at how humans experience interacting with AI social robots or digital avatars. Read...Newslink ©2024 to RadioNZ | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 24 Jul (PC World)There are awesome deals, and then there are insane deals like this one—a 15.6-inch HP Victus gaming laptop for just $599 at Walmart. It usually goes for $979, which makes this an awesome discount for sure. You rarely see a laptop with a discrete GPU going for $800, much less this cheap!
Featuring an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card, an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, and several other cool features, it’s a powerful configuration and a fantastic gaming laptop without blowing close to a grand.
Sure, it might only have 8GB of RAM, but you can always upgrade that separately if it ever becomes an issue. Out of the box, it’s more than enough for a solid gaming experience.
The 15.6-inch 1080p display has a 144Hz refresh rate, and the AMD FreeSync Premium technology helps to ensure smooth gameplay.
With up to 11 hours of battery life (measured during video playback) and the ability to replenish half its battery in about 30 minutes, you can play on the go for hours with very short breaks to recharge.
This deal is a wonderful opportunity to get a powerful gaming laptop for an extremely reasonable price. Grab your very own 15.6-inch HP Victus gaming laptop for just $599 while this deal lasts.
Save $380 on this 15.6-inch HP gaming laptop nowBuy now at Walmart Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 23 Jul (PC World)Summer is here and temperatures are rising well up 80 degrees Fahrenheit for much of the country. For many, this is a reason to celebrate, as you can finally hit the pool or beach. However, our technology at home can suffer from unrelenting heatwaves.
Laptops are especially susceptible to heat. That’s because the hardware inside of them already generate a good amount of heat, so using them in a hot environment will only further increase the temperature. However, a few tips and the right care can help protect your laptops and other devices from damage.
Further reading: 11 tech tips to beat heat waves and lower your electric bill
Tip 1: Monitor heat development
To monitor how your system reacts to heat, you should take a look at monitoring tools. You can also see directly whether the temperatures are affecting the speed of the CPU, GPU, or RAM–all of which are important for gaming.
Unfortunately, there is no direct display for overheating in Windows. However, with applications such as MSI Afterburner, you can read out important information that shows whether your PC or laptop is sweating or is still running optimally.
Tip 2: Choose the right location for your laptop
When it comes to the influence of heat on your PC, the location is not insignificant. If your study or gaming room is the warmest place in the house, you might want to consider moving your PC or laptop to a different location if possible.
If you like to work on your laptop on the balcony while enjoying the sun, you should also remember not to place your laptop directly in the sun or leave it open during your lunch break. Displays are sensitive to heat, so you should close it and ideally take it with you.
Last but not least, you should be careful not to place your laptop or PC on top of another device or, conversely, place another device on top of it. This includes smartphones, power supply units, and other laptops or devices. All of them generate heat themselves and mutually increase the temperature development.
Tip 3: Do not leave the laptop permanently plugged in
If you have a habit of leaving your laptop or PC permanently connected to the power supply in order to keep the battery charge at 100 percent, you should reconsider this, at least in summer. This is because charging the battery generates heat, even if the battery is already full.
It also shortens the life of your battery, which in the long term means that you have to keep your PC plugged in all the time. It’s a vicious circle.
Tip 4: Use a laptop cooler or a fan
If your computer does not have sufficiently powerful fans to keep the CPU and graphics card cool, you can sometimes replace them with a little know-how.
If you’re not confident in your assembling (or disassembling) skills, then consider getting a laptop cooler. This is usually placed under the laptop to reduce heat build up. The whole thing also acts as a laptop stand and ensures that the device is slightly higher than normal so that air can reach it better.
You can only pick up a laptop stand, which lifts the laptop up at an angle, allowing air to reach the bottom. These are even available with small, magnetic nubs to improve air circulation under the device.
Another option is a table fan. This can be cleverly positioned so that the laptop is constantly cooled by the airflow. It is best to use two fans so that air can reach the computer from both sides.
Make sure that you can adjust the angle of inclination so that the cool breeze can work effectively. The fan should also be powerful enough to produce more than just a gentle breeze. Nevertheless, the product does not have to be expensive.
Further reading: The best laptops we’ve tested Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
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