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| PC World - 18 Jan (PC World)Nintendo’s Switch 2 is official. We’ve seen a video reveal of the final design, teasing a more thorough announcement in April. And across the platform fence, the Steam Deck and its many imitators in the PC handheld space have never been hotter. So now it’s time for the inevitable, attention-grabbing headlines pitting them against one another. Which one is better? Which one will win?
Neither. Both. It doesn’t matter. This is a dumb comparison to make, in an editorial article or a YouTube video with a goggle-eyed face and arrows in the thumbnail.
Because the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Steam Deck, for all that they share in form factor, are serving different markets and different people. As huge gaming products, both of them inform and influence the other. But these two products don’t compete directly, not in the same way that, say, the Xbox and PlayStation compete. Or even in the same way that these consoles compete with the PC.
So I’d like to say, with no small amount of self-aware apology, don’t listen to anyone who wants to frame this as a direct competition. Let’s break it down.
The Switch saved Nintendo
Nintendo released the original Switch a little over eight years ago in 2017. And if you weren’t paying attention at the time, it was a big deal. After the disappointing flop that was the Wii U, Nintendo came out swinging, leaning on its incredible success with gaming handhelds to revitalize its core console business and unify the entire company, all in one product.
The Switch wasn’t perfect. It was very underpowered compared to any other major console, it had serious issues with its controllers, it didn’t last long on a charge, and Nintendo hasn’t done a good job managing its digital game store. But denying the Switch’s impact and influence would be impossible.
Nintendo
The merging of portable and home console form factors via the included dock was ingenious, even if it took the failure of the Wii U’s giant screen-controller-thing to get there. Throw in the Switch Lite to appeal to younger players, who were always far more engaged with portable gaming anyway, and suddenly Nintendo was printing money.
Across three models, the Switch has sold 146 million consoles worldwide at the time of writing. Only the PS2 and the original Nintendo DS beat it for lifetime sales, and its nominal competitor the PS4 is way behind on that list. It surely doesn’t hurt that the Switch started at a $300 price point, which is expensive for a portable in context with the Game Boy, but very fair compared to the PlayStation or Xbox.
The Switch probably helped Valve make the Steam Deck
The Nintendo Switch was such a massive success that it was impossible for it not to influence the PC gaming market. But that’s a couched statement. While there were a few notable handheld devices trying to join PC games to the Switch’s form factor (or at least its shape), none made it into the mainstream. Even big companies like Dell (via its Alienware brand) and Razer experimented with a Switch-style gaming PC handhelds, but they mostly didn’t go beyond mildly interesting trade show demos.
Until the Steam Deck. Valve finally revealed its portable PC, running its home-grown Linux OS, in 2021. The Steam Deck resurrected Valve’s attempts to create both console-style PC hardware and its own integrated platform for PC gaming, all with the portable form factor of the Switch. It can also easily dock to a monitor or TV, with wireless controllers or even a mouse and keyboard. It was a smash hit immediately upon its February 2022 release.
Steam Deck
But it’s important to spot the details here. The Steam Deck was not and is not a direct competitor to the Switch, even though they share a lot of design elements. Sure, both of them are portable game machines with similar layouts, and the Steam Deck uses an integrated store that’s basically the closest thing PC gamers have to the Xbox or PlayStation stores. But that’s about where the similarities end.
The Switch is designed with kids in mind, if not exclusively for them. It’s easy to use, hard to break, and the cartridges are even coated in a nasty bitter agent to keep kids from swallowing them. (Which is a very cool touch, Nintendo, kudos.) The Steam Deck, despite starting at a fairly affordable (in PC gaming terms) $400, is very much aimed at grown-ups. It’s much bigger and heavier, and you’re invited to open it up and mod it or repair it if it strikes your fancy.
Perhaps more pertinently, the Steam Deck is a full computer, using x64 hardware adapted from AMD’s integrated CPU-GPU combos designed for laptops. You can even install Windows on it if you want (but don’t do that). The Switch is a far more locked down and proprietary system built on Nvidia’s Tegra chips, an Arm system that was (at the time) almost exclusively for smartphones and integrated electronics. Try to run anything but Nintendo software on the Switch, and it will fight you every step of the way. It is, in a word, a console.
iFixIt
For all the inspiration that the Steam Deck and SteamOS take from the console world, Valve isn’t stopping you from doing basically whatever you want with the thing, just like a laptop or desktop. The same is mostly true for the various Windows-based imitators that have sprung up over the last three years, from Asus, Lenovo, MSI, et cetera. These are handheld gaming PCs, not handheld game consoles, a small but crucial distinction.
There’s always been a lot of crossover between console gaming and PC gaming, and that’s never been more true than today, when the Xbox and PlayStation are both basically just x64 PCs with a lot of proprietary software. But since the late 90s, Nintendo has stood apart from its competitors. Even when it wasn’t beating them — and it rarely was — it holds a very particular position that it’s carved out for itself. And that gives it a unique relationship to the PC as a gaming platform.
You buy a PlayStation or an Xbox or a PC to play video games. There are some exceptions — Sony in particular has some great exclusives, even though it’s sending a lot of them to the PC. But you buy a Nintendo console to play Nintendo games. That’s always been true, and always been the primary draw of its platforms.
The Switch is an ideal secondary gaming gadget
The Switch was no different, blasting out of the gate with Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Mario Odyssey and Smash Bros. Ultimate quickly following, all experiences you can’t (legally) replicate on non-Nintendo hardware. The immediate success of the Switch also gave Nintendo an opportunity to quickly port in some great games from the Wii U that saw less play on that less successful console, such as Mario Kart 8 and Pikmin 3. Nintendo has steadily released new and successful games for the Switch, plus lots of ports and remakes, throughout its lifetime.
Nintendo has plenty of devotees that only care about Nintendo games, and can rely on them to buy new consoles and titles regularly. This core audience has kept the company afloat during the leaner years of the GameCube and Wii U. But more generalized gamers also see the appeal of Nintendo, and generally buy its stuff as a secondary system if they can afford it. So it’s pretty common, at least in affluent markets, to see a setup with a PlayStation + Nintendo console, Xbox + Nintendo, or PC + Nintendo. I’ve got a Switch docked on my desk right now, even with a massive gaming desktop underneath it.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
With the Switch’s appeal as a portable and relatively affordable system that’s more capable than any mainstream gadget that came before it, this market for Nintendo as an ancillary gaming platform only grew. It grew so much and so quickly that Nintendo was able to attract the third-party developers that often treat it like a second-class citizen. Even though the Switch’s mobile hardware is far less powerful than any other adjacent platform, you can play everything from hardcore games like Dark Souls to multiplayer twitch-fests Overwatch and Fortnite to indie darlings like Balatro on it. The Nintendo eShop, warts and all, is far and away the company’s most successful digital store ever.
There’s a lot of crossover with the PC gaming market on that list. But once again, I stress that the Switch and the Steam Deck are distinct enough products that they aren’t really selling to the same customers, or at least not exclusively to the same customers. You can’t play Zelda on the Steam Deck (not without a lot of questionably legal work and compromises). You can’t play Elden Ring or Marvel Rivals on the Switch.
A small amount of gamers will want all of that, and be limited to choosing either a Nintendo console or a Steam Deck/gaming laptop/desktop/PlayStation. (I’d put an Xbox in there, if anyone was buying an Xbox in 2025.) But the far greater number of gamers will either be okay with a Switch, okay with a different platform, or okay with buying both. And that’s not likely to change anytime soon.
The Nintendo Switch 2 and the Steam Deck are happy neighbors
PC gaming is more prosperous than it’s ever been in 2025, even if the industry as a whole is going into it with a notable black eye. The Steam Deck is a big part of that, and will continue to be so if Valve’s latest moves are any indication. But it’s worth keeping things in perspective. While PC gaming as a segment of the market is bigger than Nintendo’s very profitable chunk, the Steam Deck has only sold a few million units by estimate, an order of magnitude fewer than the Switch even limiting it to just the last few years.
The Switch was and is an amazing success for Nintendo, striking out on its own path to defy and disrupt its console competition. The Switch 2 might be a continuation of that success…or a disappointing follow-up, like the GameCube and Wii U followed the N64 and the Wii. But either way, Nintendo’s distinct place in the gaming landscape is not a threat to Valve, the Steam Deck, or PC gaming as a whole. These platforms borrow from one another and benefit from mutual successes. They’re happy neighbors, not feuding clans.
Willis Lai / Foundry
There are a small number of gamers, and hopefully readers of this article, who will need to choose between the Switch 2 and the Steam Deck (or PC gaming in general). But that choice will come down to what games you want to play and, far more pertinently, which one you can afford. Lists of hardware features and specification spreadsheets will play a vanishingly small role in the decision.
Buy a Nintendo Switch 2, buy a Steam Deck, buy ’em both if you want to and can afford ’em. But don’t buy into the narrative that this is some kind of zero-sum prize fight between massive corporations. It’s a dumb argument to make, an even dumber one to dwell on. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | ITBrief - 17 Jan (ITBrief) As cybersecurity predictions flood in for 2025, analysts warn against sensationalist claims, emphasising the dangers of AI in attacks like Business Email Compromise. Read...Newslink ©2025 to ITBrief |  |
|  | | RadioNZ - 17 Jan (RadioNZ) The event is already drawing crowds, with some saying the harbour feels livelier than ever. Read...Newslink ©2025 to RadioNZ |  |
|  | | RadioNZ - 17 Jan (RadioNZ) Despite continuing tribal violence a business leader in Porgera is happy more supplies are coming through. Read...Newslink ©2025 to RadioNZ |  |
|  | | PC World - 17 Jan (PC World)If you’re on Windows 11, there’s a good chance you’re using BitLocker to protect your system files and personal data. BitLocker is enabled on most Windows 11 PCs by default, and that’s a good thing because BitLocker ensures only you can access your own data.
Unfortunately, there’s a new BitLocker bug that throws up a cryptic error message when you try to adjust the settings, reports Windows Latest. When you attempt to change BitLocker settings, you might be greeted with the following error message: “For your security, some settings are managed by your administrator.” It’s an alert that’s normally only sent out to business users on managed systems.
Microsoft recently confirmed the bug on a new support page, which explains that this happens on unmanaged systems or PCs that use the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). TPM is a dedicated hardware component that facilitates encryption and improves system security. Most modern PCs have TPM and it’s a requirement to install Windows 11, meaning this bug likely affects most non-business PC users on Windows 11.
Unfortunately, there’s no known workaround for this issue. All you can do is wait for Microsoft to fix the issue and release a patch. Until then, you likely won’t be able to decrypt drives that are protected by BitLocker and you won’t be able to change your BitLocker settings.
Further reading: Must-know Windows security and privacy settings Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 17 Jan (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
Pros
Unique decentralized Mixnet provides superior anonymity
Open source
Privacy-first approach
Cons
Still in beta
Lacks some common VPN features
Limited server network
Future cryptocurrency payment model not accessible to everyone
Our Verdict
NymVPN is a really interesting, if somewhat incomplete, service built on decentralized blockchain technology. There are potentially huge privacy upsides with its Mixnet connections, but the beta version still has some bugs to work out and essential features to be added before I’d recommend it to anyone.
Price When Reviewed
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NymVPN is a brand new service out to shake up the whole VPN market. It’s an ambitious project that uses blockchain technology to decentralize control of user privacy, taking it out of the hands of a central VPN provider and into those of individual users.
Through the use of a decentralized Mixnet, traffic is routed through distributed nodes instead of just one encrypted tunnel in order to further obfuscate a user’s identity.
NymVPN’s decentralized approach to privacy is set to make big waves in the VPN industry. That being said, it’s still in beta at the moment. This means there are kinks to work out and features yet to come. I took the pioneering service for a test drive to see what it’s all about and how its feature set, speeds, and privacy match up in the more traditional VPN market.
NymVPN in brief:
P2P allowed: Yes
Simultaneous device connections: 10
Business location: Switzerland
Number of servers: 700+ “mixnodes”
Number of country locations: 34
Cost: Currently free during beta
Further reading: See our roundup of the best VPN services to learn about competing products.
What are NymVPN’s features & services?
Sam Singleton
Since NymVPN is still in beta, it hasn’t yet released its full set of features. At the moment the VPN Windows app offers little more than a server list, choice between a Mixnet or WireGuard connection, and a “Connect” button. Under the sparsely populated “Settings” menu there are a few cosmetic options and an area to provide feedback on the beta client.
When discussing NymVPN’s feature set I can only really talk about what’s in store for the future full release. So, what will NymVPN have coming?
Obligatory VPN features such as a kill switch and split tunneling are on the way, which will undoubtedly help the service compete against rivals. There are currently no plans for ad- and tracker-blocking, nor are there many other security extras on the horizon.
NymVPN is also planning to offer some more unique privacy solutions in the near future. These include zero-knowledge proof access to allow you to access the network with total anonymity, as well as post-quantum cryptography and censorship-resistance features.
NymVPN is pretty bare-bones right now with very little in the way of extra features or settings.Sam Singleton
NymVPN’s sole focus seems to be its biggest selling point, the Mixnet. Unlike a traditional VPN which encrypts and routes your data through a single VPN server, NymVPN instead splits up your data, encrypts it, and then sends it through a multi-layered network. Your data is then mixed with the traffic of other users to anonymize it as it moves through the Mixnet before being rebuilt and decrypted at the endpoint.
It’s a similar concept to how Tor anonymizes user traffic, but with the added benefit of built-in cover traffic and timing obfuscation so that even if someone were monitoring the entry and exit nodes they wouldn’t be able to discern one user’s traffic patterns from another.
All of this will be run by volunteer node operators who, through Nym’s cryptocurrency system will be rewarded with Nym tokens for providing high-quality networking performance. Thus, the system is theoretically self-incentivizing—better operators means better anonymity for users means more rewards for the operators, and the cycle continues.
Technical know-how aside, NymVPN has a few more things going for it. Not only does it allow privacy-first users to take advantage of the Mixnet for total anonymity, it also allows for more traditional two-hop WireGuard connections in case you need faster connections as well.
The app itself is extremely easy to use. Switching entry and exit locations is dead simple and even toggling between “Anonymous (mixnet)” mode and “Fast (WireGuard)” mode is straightforward enough.
NymVPN supports Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux platforms.
NymVPN rewards its volunteer node operators with cryptocurrency tokens in a theoretically self-incentivizing system.
How much does NymVPN cost?
Currently, NymVPN is free during its beta access. All you have to do is sign up on NymVPN’s website, create an account, and download the app.
After the official launch of the service though, NymVPN will move into a crypto-based payment system using the Nym blockchain. You’ll then be able to pay for the service using various popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
In order to maintain total anonymity, users will be required to convert their cryptocurrencies to Nym tokens, which will then be used to fund a VPN connection. Essentially, a user will purchase a subscription (e.g., one month, a year, or two years) and pay using whatever method they wish such as a credit card, PayPal, crypto, etc.
NymVPN will then issue what it calls zk-nyms, or zero-knowledge Nym credentials. These zk-nyms act as ticketbooks representing purchased bandwidth access on the Nym network. This process delinks a user’s payment details from their network access credentials. The user can then use the zk-nyms to gain anonymous access to the NymVPN network.
NymVPN’s token flow for both user payments and node operator rewards.
NymVPN
In theory, all of this sounds appealing. The issue is that proprietary tokens such as those issued by Nym have a tendency to fluctuate in value, sometimes wildly so. If the value of the token becomes worthless, then server operators won’t be incentivized to keep supporting the network. The token economy surrounding Nym isn’t likely to succumb to the same scenario, but only time will tell how well the monetization system works.
How is NymVPN’s performance?
In order to test NymVPN’s speeds I rated connection speeds across its servers in six different countries all around the world for multiple days and then compared them to my baseline internet speeds. I conducted these tests for both the “Anonymous (mixnet)” mode and the “Fast (WireGuard)” mode.
The results for the Anonymous (mixnet) connections were, let’s just say, disappointing. Almost half of the time my connection was so slow that the speed tests couldn’t register anything or my internet simply wouldn’t work at all. The rest of the time my connection speeds were less than 1Mbps—making it practically unusable.
It’s safe to say that as of right now, while still in beta, the mixnet is not a viable everyday option. I don’t doubt that once perfected, you’ll experience unparalleled privacy and anonymity, but there are still major kinks yet to be worked out.
Fortunately, the WireGuard connections were better, but still won’t win any races. Across all locations tested, the speeds averaged just under 15 percent of the base download speed and 21 percent of the base upload speed. Those might not sound good, and on their own they’re not, but relatively speaking these aren’t terrible.
This is because even with the faster WireGuard mode, NymVPN still uses a built-in multi-hop for all connections. This means that your connection will be routed through two encrypted servers rather than the standard single server that most other VPN connections use. As such, you’re just about guaranteed to see slower average speeds due to the longer routing and extra server hop. I reckon that if you were to test average multi-hop speeds on all other VPNs you might find that speeds are similar to NymVPN’s two-hop WireGuard connections.
When it comes to streaming unblocking, NymVPN probably isn’t your best bet here either. Disregarding the fact that the Anonymous (mixnet) connections have trouble even loading webpages, I found the WireGuard mode hit-or-miss with streaming as well.
While connected via the WireGuard mode, I was able to access Netflix and Amazon Prime in the U.S., but struggled with other countries. Disney Plus and HBO Max were blocked on every connection I tested.
Theoretically, the Anonymous mode should work about as well as the WireGuard mode as the endpoint servers will be the same. But until the speeds become much faster and more reliable, I just can’t recommend NymVPN as a good streaming VPN.
This shouldn’t be taken as too much of a hit against the service though, as it doesn’t advertise itself as a streaming VPN nor do I suspect that many users interested in the NymVPN model will use it to stream anyways—it knows its lane.
How is NymVPN’s security and privacy?
Privacy is where NymVPN really shines. As I mentioned previously, NymVPN uses a multi-node mixnet that splits up your data, sending each part through different nodes that individually encrypt the data before sending it on and repackaging it at the endpoint. Additionally, fake cover traffic and timing-delay methods are thrown in to further obfuscate the origin of the data when it reaches the exit point.
NymVPN’s mixnet vs. traditional VPNs and Tor.
NymVPN
NymVPN backs this up by using multiple encryption methods such as AES-256, ChaChaPo-ly, and Lioness. Due to the nature of the mixnet mode, there is no need for access to different protocols like a traditional VPN. However, under the “Fast” two-hop mode you’ll have access to the WireGuard protocol, but no others. WireGuard is generally considered to be one of the best protocols available so this isn’t too much of an issue.
NymVPN is owned by Nym Technologies SA, and is based out of Switzerland. This is another huge privacy boon as Switzerland has strong data privacy laws and is not a member of any intelligence sharing alliances such as 5, 9, or 14 Eyes.
NymVPN does collect some user data though. Per its privacy policy this includes browser type and version used, timestamps, duration of sessions, and device model. It claims that all of this data is used to run and optimize the website and improve Nym products.
Because of the nature of NymVPN’s unique, zero-knowledge mixnet, it says that there is no need for a “No logs” promise. The company justifies this claim by saying that at “no single point in the Nym mixnet can there be a way to connect the origin and destination for a user’s traffic.” This may be true in theory, but until NymVPN undergoes a proper independent audit we’ll just have to take its word for it.
Is NymVPN worth it?
NymVPN is a fascinating attempt at a large-scale decentralized VPN service and it definitely shows promise. With a privacy-first model and blockchain foundation, the VPN has the bones to be something really revolutionary. Beyond the fact that the beta version has some bugs, the biggest issue is that the market just may not be ready for these kinds of changes.
The mixnet is an exciting concept that unfortunately works better in theory right now than reality. The crypto-based payments seems to be a perfect pairing for a VPN where users demand total anonymity, but a token system is likely too niche for the mass market.
Overall, NymVPN is one to watch for the future. For now, you’re probably better off sticking with a traditional VPN provider for your day-to-day privacy needs.
Editor’s note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service. Any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 17 Jan (PC World)More than a year has passed since Asus’ acquisition of the NUC brand from Intel, which marked the first major change the brand had seen since Intel launched it back in 2013.
After more than a decade of continuity — including last year’s transition year where Intel still had a say on design — this will be the real first year in which Asus has done most of the groundwork, fronting up with its own designs and innovations. So how is the NUC different now in this new era? I spoke to Kuo Wei Chao, general manager of Asus IoT business unit, to find out.
The new Asus NUC models and 2025 focus
The Asus NUC lineup announced at CES 2025 in Las Vegas included the NUC 14 AI and the more premium NUC 14 Pro AI+ with 48 TOPS NPU AI power and a dedicated Copilot+ button for quick access to the AI assistant. They were on display alongside two new powerful mini-PCs for everyday use featuring the latest Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) chips: the NUC 15 and NUC 15 Pro+.
A fourth model, the NUC 14 Essential is the efficiency workhorse, designed to provide maximum performance while sipping tiny amounts of power. Last but certainly not least, Asus’ ROG NUC makes a comeback with the most powerful CPU and GPU combination we’ve seen to date.
Chao said Asus’ focus for its second year of NUC is threefold. Like other PCs at CES 2025, the addition of AI hardware is a big change allowing users a high degree of AI task mobility. Asus is also keen to communicate its commitment to “improving performance while keeping NUC sizes as small as possible.”
The third focus reeks of Asus’ company ethos and is arguably the reason why it has been so successful with product lines like the Asus ROG gaming laptops. Chao said there has been a concerted effort to “incorporate a lot of user feedback in the NUC range.” In other words, it has added features and design elements that specifically tailor the NUC experience to what consumers want.
But what does all that product talk actually mean? I picked one model, the 2025 ROG NUC to find out!
The Asus NUC 14 Essential
Asus
The 2025 Asus ROG NUC leads the charge
The Asus ROG NUC is perhaps the most impressive of the 2025 NUCs, and the best example of those Asus changes to the NUC brand in action.
Here Asus has not only increased the performance power on offer by bumping the ROG NUC’s CPU and GPU up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 mobile CPU and mobile Blackwell variant of the Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU, respectively — both titans of Intel and Nvidia’s 2025 performance offerings — but it has also made cooling, upgradability, and connectivity priorities in 2025.
Asus didn’t reveal what model of the Intel Core Ultra 9 (Series 2) chip it has used in the 2025 ROG NUC at CES, but based on the turbo clock speed of 5.5GHz in the specs sheet, I surmise that it can only be Intel’s flagship Arrow Lake mobile CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX.
No other mini gaming PC announced at CES is as stacked for performance, upgradable, overclockable, and yet so portable.
The 2025 Asus ROG NUC.
Asus
It goes without saying that’s one heck of a chip. It puts 24 cores of raw processing power at your disposal, including 36 TOPS of AI power to capitalize on innovations in AI.
Personally, I’m not sure what 5.5GHz looks like in a game, let alone the kind of performance I’d get when that’s paired with 16GB of fast DDR5-6400 memory and the 7,680 CUDA cores in the RTX 5080. But I’m really excited to find out.
The RTX 5080 GPU in particular is a great choice in hardware. It means the 2025 ROG NUC’s GPU will be fully compatible with Nvidia’s new DLSS 4 AI technology so it can access a full suite of features including Nvidia’s Multi Frame Generation, which older Nvidia RTX GPUs cannot.
More changes including overclocking
Another cherry on top of the cake with this year’s ROG NUC is, wait for it… overclocking! Yep, the bump up from an Intel H series chip in 2024 to an Intel mobile HX Series Arrow Lake chip in 2025 gives gamers more control over their NUC’s maximum CPU speed, for the first time.
Overclocking is accomplished in Asus’ Armory Crate software, where gamers can also control their fan speed settings.
Among the other cascade of changes is a “more comprehensive cooling system,” Chao explained. “It comprises an integrated triple-fan design with twin vapor chambers that not only provides enhanced cooling but also makes the 2025 ROG quieter than its 2024 counterpart,” he said. It works in conjunction with a perforated chassis that provides more airflow than before, too.
Asus’ NUC mini-PC lineup. The Asus ROG NUC is shown top left.
Asus
A new chassis size measuring 11.1 x 7.4 x 2.2 inches does make this year’s model slightly larger (3 liters versus 2.5 liters in volume), but the larger size provides users with “more capacity to upgrade,” Chao promised.
“We upgraded the CPU to support a higher TDP and reserved some buffers because we know that many gamers want to overclock and increase performance. So, gamers who want to upgrade, it will be easier to do that,” he said.
In regard to that upgradability, the 16GB starter RAM can be expanded to a whopping 96GB. Swapping out RAM is also made easier by a new single-screw design that allows gamers to access the internal components in seconds.
Connectivity options galore
The ROG NUC also hits the right note with connectivity. In fact, the I/O lists off like a fine wine menu, including no less than 6x USB-A 3.2 ports, 2x HDMI 2.1 FRL ports, and 2x DisplayPort 2.1 ports. It also has a Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB-C 3.2 Gen2 port, a 3.5mm combo jack, and a 2.5Gb Ethernet port. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 make up the wireless connectivity.
The choice of Thunderbolt 4 port instead of the newer Thunderbolt 5 is an interesting choice considering that Asus’ own 2025 XG Mobile eGPU uses the latter this year. On that point Chao said:
“We listened and had many discussions with gamers. I think that Thunderbolt 5 would be very important in the long term. But I think right now, from an ecosystem perspective, it’s not so complete and in its infancy. So, we focused on what the majority want and the best choice for gamers in 2025 — that’s Thunderbolt 4.”
On top of all that, Asus’ ROG branding brings the device in line with Asus’ ROG portfolio aesthetically.
If you’re thinking Asus just won over a whole lot of gamers this year, you may be right. No other mini gaming PC announced at CES is as upgradable, overclockable, stacked for performance, and yet so portable. Let’s hope it lives up to expectations. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | RadioNZ - 16 Jan (RadioNZ) Blue Origin`s giant New Glenn rocket blasted off from Florida early Thursday morning on its first mission to space, an inaugural step into Earth`s orbit for Jeff Bezos` space company as it aims to rival SpaceX in the satellite launch business. Read...Newslink ©2025 to RadioNZ |  |
|  | | PC World - 16 Jan (PC World)The Acer Nitro V is one of the most popular gaming laptops in the country, and it’s easy to see why. I call this particular model “Old Faithful” because it’s stuck around for a long time and frequently goes on sale — like today, when you can pick it up with a Ryzen 5 processor and an RTX 4050 graphics card for just $600. That’s $350 off its original price.
At this price, it doesn’t have the latest and greatest hardware. But a six-core AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS paired with 16GB of DDR5 RAM is pretty darn solid in anyone’s book. Ditto for the Nvidia RTX 4050 laptop GPU with 6GB of VRAM. It’s not going to play Indiana Jones in 4K with all the trimmings, but it’s more than powerful enough to get decent performance out of the latest games, and it’ll chew through less-intense 3D games or 2D titles like nobody’s business. Just don’t expect it to last long on battery power, no matter what you’re doing.
Other features include a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS screen with a speedy 144Hz refresh rate, 512GB of storage, HDMI 2.1 for connecting to a monitor or TV, and three USB-A ports plus one USB-C. You should be able to use the USB-C port for charging, but the barrel charge in the box will be a lot faster. Also, you can upgrade both the RAM and the storage with standard SO-DIMM (two slots) and M2 parts, according to this video. The bottom comes off fairly easily, too, for a laptop anyway.
PCWorld has a full review of the Nitro V right here, but note that our review unit was an Intel model with half the memory.
If you’ve made your decision, hop on over to Best Buy while you still can. I think you’re unlikely to find a better deal on this particular model anytime soon… but we do see it pop up around the same price often, so you don’t need to be in a huge hurry.
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|  | | PC World - 16 Jan (PC World)The big tech giants are all-in on AI. Regular users and corporate customers…not so much. But Google isn’t letting a little thing like reality stop it from injecting its Gemini AI product into every nook and cranny of your life. Instead of charging $20 per user for Gemini in Workspace, Google is just including it from now on. With a price increase. Wonderful.
“We believe that AI is not just another tool; it’s a foundational shift in how work gets done,” says Google’s President of Cloud Applications in a blog post. What a shock, the guy selling melons thinks everyone should be buying melons. “…By removing the need to pay for an add-on to access our latest generative AI capabilities, we’re simplifying our plans and pricing to bring the added value of Google AI to all Workspace customers.”
The $20-per-user Gemini upgrade is going away, as at least some AI tools are integrated into all Workspace business tiers. AI-powered features like “Help me write” will be coming to all Workspace users, though more advanced AI tools will still be reserved for the Business Standard and Business Plus tiers.
It isn’t all wine and roses. The Business Standard tier will increase from $12 to $14, per user per month, “only $2 more than they were paying for Workspace without Gemini,” in Google’s words. That’s nice, Google, but surely at least some people would prefer the choice to decline the raised price. An upsell of $2 instead of $20 is great, but a mandatory price increase is not. Google didn’t say how much the price would go up for Business Plus or Business Enterprise.
As TechCrunch notes, Google was probably pushed to make a more visible integration of Gemini after Microsoft began bundling Copilot features into Microsoft 365 plans. Pricing for new Workspace business users begins tomorrow, but existing subscribers will have until March 17 before they see the price increase. “Very small business customers are not subject to price increases at this time,” says the announcement, though how Google makes that distinction isn’t immediately clear. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
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