A reseller account is a special cPanel account that gives unique privileges to its users. Essentially, it’s a cPanel account that sells other cPanel accounts. This means that it gives website owners the ability to also serve as hosting providers using system resources that they’ve purchased from their hosting providers. Here’s an analogy: Think of it like a sublet. A hosting provider owns a building (server) and he or she uses WebHost Manager (WHM) to rent out space to a site owner who uses cPanel. If this site owner has a reseller account, then they can further rent out the space that they’ve purchased to other people in search of hosting. This tiered system may sound tricky at first, but its very beneficial. It gives any web tinkerer the ability to also become a web host, at very little cost. However, as their operation grows, resellers may find that they’re in need of virtual private or dedicated hosting. When that day arrives — cPanel & WHM will still be on their side. Ask your hosting provider how you can become a reseller or read more about this unique account type in our Knowledge Base: Author nerdcore computers

When it comes to Linux based hosting, cPanel is the control panel of choice for webmasters, combining unparalleled functionality with ease of use. That said, it has so much to offer that many users never discover all its great features and can miss out on things which make managing your website so much simpler. To help, we’ve put together these tips which show you how to do even more with this powerful management tool. 1. Install apps with ease cPanel’s Installatron tool makes it very easy to choose the apps you want to install and manage on your website or hosting account. You can discover what apps are available in the Applications Browser and use these to help give you the functionality and tools you need to make your site successful. In addition, Installatron enables you to import, clone and back up your apps. 2. Adding new domains to your account If you want to operate several websites from a single hosting account, then cPanel’s Addon Domains tool is the easiest way to set this up. Simply find the Addon Domains tool in the top menu bar and fill in the details. 3. In-built analytics While everyone knows about Google Analytics, not everyone has the time or the know how to set it up on their website. Luckily, cPanel comes with AWStats, an open-source analytics tool that provides excellent data on traffic volume and sources and even lets you know about non-human traffic such as bots which are used by both search engines and, unfortunately, hackers. 4. Manage your files If you want an easier and more convenient way to upload files to your server than using FTP, then the cPanel File Manager is the best solution. Using this you can upload individual files or put multiple files into a zip file. 5. Check out how well your server is performing If you are running a website, you want to know that it is performing as well as can be expected. Sometimes the apps and services you run can use up all the resources you have paid for. If you are on shared hosting, you might find that other users on the server are hogging those resources. There could also be a problem with your host’s server. One of the most helpful features on cPanel is the CPU and concurrent connection usage tool. Not only does this tell you your CPU, memory, file and disk usage, it also enables you to manage your resources, helping you prevent issues with your website. 6. Set up databases easily If you use WordPress or other CRM platforms to build your websites, you’ll need to create a database first. Using cPanel’s MySQL database wizard this is an easy and straightforward process as you are taken through all the steps one at a time and given guidance on what to do – such as naming the database, creating usernames and passwords and linking the database to a domain. Sometimes you may need to import a database, perhaps to build a test site or when moving to a new web host. phpMyAdmin is another helpful tool in cPanel that lets you do this without fuss. 7. Update your PHP version The PHP version you use on your website can have an impact on how it works on a visitor’s browser. Like all software, it is updated from time to time and it is always advisable that you update to the latest stable version recommended by your host and which is compatible with your website software. You can easily update your PHP version in cPanel by using the PHP version module. The module also enables you to control a number of PHP related functions, such as whether to allow zip compression or to control the maximum size of files which can be uploaded. 8. Don’t browse for apps, search instead With so many other functions available on cPanel, it can be easy to miss them just by browsing or visually searching. What many users fail to spot is that there’s no need to do this at all – cPanel has a very handy search bar right at the top of the homepage. You’ll see the text, “Find functions quickly by typing here.”  Simply type in the name of the function or app you are looking for. Conclusion cPanel provides a wealth of helpful tools and apps to make the management of websites easier and more convenient. Hopefully, the tips provided here will show you how to save time and manage your site more effectively. If you are looking for great hosting with cPanel, check out our cPanel hosting or look at our Linux VPS packages. Author Nerdcore Computers

Since we originally unveiled our next-generation console in April, we know that there’s been a lot of excitement and interest in hearing more about what the future of games will bring. Today I’m proud to share that our next-generation console will be called PlayStation 5, and we’ll be launching in time for Holiday 2020. These updates may not be a huge surprise, but we wanted to confirm them for our PlayStation fans, as we start to reveal additional details about our vision for the next generation. WIRED magazine covered these updates and more in a story that posted this morning. The “more” refers to something I’m quite excited about – a preview of the new controller that will ship with PlayStation 5. One of our goals with the next generation is to deepen the feeling of immersion when you play games, and we had the opportunity with our new controller to reimagine how the sense of touch can add to that immersion. To that end, there are two key innovations with the PlayStation 5’s new controller. First, we’re adopting haptic feedback to replace the “rumble” technology found in controllers since the 5th generation of consoles. With haptics, you truly feel a broader range of feedback, so crashing into a wall in a race car feels much different than making a tackle on the football field. You can even get a sense for a variety of textures when running through fields of grass or plodding through mud. The second innovation is something we call adaptive triggers, which have been incorporated into the trigger buttons (L2/R2). Developers can program the resistance of the triggers so that you feel the tactile sensation of drawing a bow and arrow or accelerating an off-road vehicle through rocky terrain. In combination with the haptics, this can produce a powerful experience that better simulates various actions. Game creators have started to receive early versions of the new controller, and we can’t wait to see where their imagination goes with these new features at their disposal. While there’s much more to share about PlayStation 5 in the year ahead, we have plenty of blockbuster experiences coming your way on PS4, including Death Stranding, The Last of Us Part II, and Ghost of Tsushima. I’d like to thank all PlayStation fans for continuing the journey with us, as we embark on the future of games. Author Nerdcore Computers

Address and Contact Details If you would like us to repair your Macbook, iMac etc at our workshop, you can find us at 3a Willesden Road Hughesdale Victoria. Our workshop is located on the corner of Willesden Rd and Poath Road in Hughesdale , an inner Melbourne suburbs. The office entrance is off Willesden Road. Please give us a courtesy call first on 0386897974 If you wish to have a mobile service and are located in the inner Melbourne suburbs please call 0386897974.

Smartphones and other electronic devices have made it easier to stay in touch and multi-task while traveling. But they can also mean increased cyber risks for keeping your personal and university information private, as well as increased potential for theft. Stay cyber safe while traveling A good rule of thumb when traveling is to assume your devices will be lost, stolen, compromised, or even confiscated at an international border at some point during your trip – and to plan accordingly. It is also important to remember that anything you do over unsecured Wi-Fi may be seen by others, including your passwords and messages. Here are some tips to keep in mind: Make sure you are able to connect to the Internet securely while you’re away.Encrypt your devices, or at least any sensitive information on your devices.Only bring what you’re willing to lose – both stored information and the devices themselves — even if they’re encrypted.If you’re traveling for UC business, research, or as an international student or scholar, work with your IT department to make sure you’re taking a clean machine or an appropriate loaner device, and that you have the tools you need to connect to the Internet securely.Immediately report lost or stolen devices used for work. Follow your location’s reporting requirements. Special considerations for international travelers There are special rules for bringing electronic equipment, research, intellectual property, and encryption technology abroad. Consult with experts at your campus/location well in advance of your trip if you plan to take university equipment, data, or technology outside of the United States.Although encryption is recommended to protect sensitive information in case your device is lost, stolen, inspected, or confiscated, some countries restrict the use/importation of encryption software. The US may also restrict its export. See UC’s “International Travel” webpage for information, including lists of countries with travel restrictions and links for additional help. If you are not able to use encryption software at your destination, contact your IT department for guidance. If you’re traveling for UC business, research, or as an international student or scholar, visit the UC Global Operations (UC GO) website. Author Nerdcore Computers

Powering Greater Creators While IBC is abuzz with industry talent, we have some news to share from home: Avid’s style is getting a tune-up. It takes panache to lead the pack in today’s hustle-bustle world of media production. That’s why we at Avid have been working on a fresh, modern, bold new way to share who we are with the rest of the world as we move into the next era of audio, video, and broadcast entertainment. Our new look and feel gets to the heart of our mission to equip creators like you with the technology and tools needed to entertain, inform, educate, and enlighten the world. Still the same Avid—just refreshed. You may spot some subtle changes in the coming months while we keep improving the solutions you need to get things done. Like what you see? Send us a note: CONTACT US Meanwhile, the show must go on! Stand 7.B55 is bustling away at IBC, and if you haven’t grabbed a spot at one of our many training sessions you can still do so here. Powerful publishing is on the horizon Avid is making waves with some instrumental solutions and updates just announced at IBC. We’re excited about our new SaaS offering MediaCentral | Publisher, which is powered by Wildmoka and helps improve efficiency across the board. This robust solution enables media producers to create content, add graphics and branding, and publish videos quickly to multiple social media and digital end points. That means increased revenue and boosted viewership to broaden your reach—all so you stay one step ahead of the competition. Media Central | Publisher powered by Wildmoka We’re previewing upcoming features for post-production professionals too, including new support for higher video resolutions and frame rates. For all of you music makers out there, Pro Tools 2019 is in the midst of its European debut at IBC with an update that allows teams to work faster and more creatively on the most complex projects without missing a beat (or a high note). There’s a lot more to come from IBC 2019! Check back for announcements and follow us on social media to stay on top of everything we’re working on.

If you want to be a part of an industry that is constantly subject to new trends due to world-spread innovation and activity, you don’t need to look any further than the information technology industry. There are infinite career paths that one can take toward prosperity, and there are more resources available to you than you can possibly know what to do with. Anyone who wishes to work in the IT industry and dedicate themselves to their career will be heavily rewarded with opportunities and knowledge. Part of being in the IT industry, or any industry, for that matter, is being able to predict trends before they become trending and take the necessary steps to capitalize on them. This is one of the keys to being a visionary. As Wayne Gretzky says, “Don’t skate to where the puck is right now. Skate to where the puck is going to be.”   Even if you weren’t able to predict a trend in advance, you can still see a development and recognize the potential that it has before everyone else does. There is an incredible amount of untapped potential in the IT industry if you search hard enough for it. The big mistake that people make in the IT industry is looking solely at the technological trends, discounting those that are related to human behavior and a general shift in workplace mindset. With that being said, here are some of the broader future trends in the information technology industry that everyone needs to be paying attention to, no matter their position: The number of remote workers will increase significantly. There are an increasing number of people who are opting to go the freelance route instead of following the traditional model of having one boss and one job to do. This has been made entirely possible by the advancements made in technology that have opened up both workers and clients to the global marketplace. Therefore, organizations can choose to hire top-tier talent from all around the world and are no longer limited to those who are local.   Indeed, major companies such as Buffer have embraced this and started hiring remote full-time workers. Through communication tools such as Skype and Slack, people can get their work done as if they were in a physical office building. Meetups are held a few times a year so that employees can establish a face-to-face connection and strengthen their working relationship. Overall, work flexibility is being embraced, and it will be far more commonplace in the IT industry than the traditional setup where workers report to the same physical location every day. Collaboration will become a central tenet of the IT culture. The days of the lone genius programmer getting everything done all by themselves in a dark room are long gone. Although there are still visionaries hiding from public recognition, the overwhelming majority of IT professionals are starting to acknowledge and embrace the power of collaboration.   Teamwork will be emphasized, and individual workers will find themselves working together on completing key projects. When workers aren’t busy being productive at their desks, there are an increasing number of conferences and workshops set up around the world to allow people to come together and share ideas.   Expect a major shift in working spaces within the IT industry due to collaboration. Whereas workers would be assigned their own individual workstations and collaborate with teammates in separate rooms, employees in future generations are going to be installed in collaborative working spaces where they can gather around in close proximity for teamwork. The “one desk, one person” mentality will soon be gone. User experience will be far more important for customer satisfaction. Because technology is advancing at such a rapid pace, many consumers may feel left behind. They might restrain themselves from using a product on the simple notion that it is too complicated for them to use as they see fit. Take a look at Apple’s Mac operating system as an example.   One of the reasons why you see many workers switching from Windows to Mac is due to the ease with which you can use their operating system. Even though it can handle most of the same complexities as other operating systems, it is easy to learn how to use it for casual computing purposes. The tutorials are simple, and most people report that it eventually feels intuitive to use the Mac.   How does this relate to workers in the IT industry? Those developing IT products will be forced to examine their application design critically and put themselves in the shoes of their ideal demographic. Simplicity will be the key focus, and any inefficiencies in the form of unnecessary complexity will have to be removed.   In a world that is running at breakneck speeds, consumers won’t have the time to sit down for hours and learn how to use a product. The learning curve needs to be made as small as possible. Expect to see a “pick up n’ play” mentality being adopted when the user interface is being optimized for the customer. Significant advances in network cable technology are being made. For those of you who work extensively with network cabling, you know that twisted pair cabling is the norm, particularly those that are Category 5e and beyond—because they can easily support Gigabit Ethernet. Although there are pushes being made to create new categories that have improved bandwidth and high-performance data transfer, these cables still suffer from a few flaws that will result in them being phased out.   The primary issue is that they are still susceptible to electromagnetic interference from other electronic devices. This means that there might be gaps in data transfer where information is not completely transferred. This flaw is unacceptable, given that several terabytes of confidential and important information will be transferred on a daily basis by companies in the future. To fix this, developers have switched their attention to developing fiber optic network cabling. Fiber optics are unique in that data is transmitted through pulses of light instead of electric signals. This opens up the gateway to data transfer and speeds and volumes that were previously thought to be impossible.   The only reason why this technology has not been fully phased out is because it is currently too expensive for companies to have installed in their IT rooms, on top of the fact that there are several categories of fiber optic cabling that already exist. This means that there is a higher chance that things could go wrong because a technician accidentally installs the wrong variation of cabling. Is wireless the way to go? In the 21st century, using cords for technology is perceived to be an ancient activity. Thanks to the invention of wireless internet and Bluetooth technology, there is an increasingly high expectation among workers and customers that products are built to operate wirelessly. One only needs to use their imagination to think about where an obsessive focus on making everything wireless can go.   For starters, one can imagine a future in which data transfer is done wirelessly rather than through network cabling as described in the previous section. However, this is a bold idea that will likely fail to see any significant development until far later. With the failed attempts people have made at trying to charge devices wirelessly, it’s best not to hold your breath. Blockchain technology will rise in use and influence. For those of you who don’t already know what Blockchain is, it is a public database that allows you to send data more securely and efficiently. When you store information, it will include a cryptographic signature that links back to you (the sender), along with the date and time when this was made. This technology has been used to send things such as assets and money.   This has huge implications for how things will be done in the healthcare and banking industries, as Blockchain can potentially disrupt them in a big way. We are only beginning to see a small sliver of the potential that it will have for making transactions and sharing information in the near future. 3D Printing will become a bigger part of IT manufacturing. One of the biggest game changes in the manufacturing industry for all sectors has been the invention and development of 3D printing. It sounds like a dream come true – you send a digital 3D design to a printer, and it will recreate that entire thing. With printing speed improving and the cost of printing becoming cheaper, it will be the most valuable tool for any company that regularly manufactures and ships IT products. Customizations in design will become far easier, and less human supervision will be required. Cyber security will be a high-priority concern for customers. It goes without saying that an IT system is only as good as the security that is being used to protect it. If you have been reading the news, you are probably aware that the dating site known as Ashley Madison was hacked, leading to private information of thousands of individuals having been leaked and exposed to the public. Many of its users suffered serious life-altering consequences because of this breach, and the damage has clearly been done. What’s to say that this same kind of hacking event couldn’t happen in other industries where data protection is the #1 concern?   IT companies will be forced to employ maximum security measures as they continue to develop the latest technologies. Systems will have to be continually tested, and knowledge gaps will have to be filled in order to stay one step ahead of those who have malicious intent. Expect the standards for cyber security, both from consumers and workers, to rise sharply with each passing year.   In conclusion, these are some of the major future trends in the information technology industry that you should be paying attention to. There is a high likelihood that they will happen, but the speed at which they happen and the influence they will have on the industry is yet to be determined. One can only take this information and use it as they see fit, or decide that there is an unexplored trend that will rise in the future and seek to become its creator. Author : Nerdcore Computers

Compared to high-price buys such as televisions, washing machines, or other household appliances that enhance the quality of our lives, the USB charger is no big deal, and we purchase it without paying any thought to quality. But, shoddy USB chargers can be dangerous to the gadgets health. When the input voltage is higher than 5 V, these chargers have no in-built mechanism to refine the voltage before supplying it to the device and can lead to significant damages to mobile devices. These kinds of USB chargers do not adhere to safety norms and have several circulatory flaws. These include inadequacies between the primary & secondary transformers and less distance between the output voltage and main input circulatory. So, today, we bring you a comprehensive guide on buying the right USB charger: Rule 1: The Length of the Cable The first thing you must look into when shopping for a high-quality USB cable is the cable length. If you want a USB charger for charging your device via a desktop computer, then you need 1 ft. cable length. A 3ft chord length USB cable is ideally suited for charging in the car. For nightstands and other kinds of furniture, 6ft cable length provides greater flexibility. And, 10ft cord length is for hard-to-reach areas. Rule 2: Deciding on the USB Connector Type In terms of USB Connector types, there are three categories, one is micro USB cables, second is lightning cables, and lastly, 30-pin USB cables. The micro USB cables are compatible with most of the smart gadgets, but not for Apple devices. The lightning cables are exclusively for charging the Apple gadgets. And, the 30-pin USB cables are for the legacy Apple devices. Rule 3: Thickness of the Cable Another essential factor to mull over when buying the best USB charging cable is the thickness of the cable. The thin cables quickly show signs of wear & tear with our everyday rough use. The cord thickness matters, even more, when the cable length is 6ft and more. This factor also goes with buying a USB extension cable. Other Things to Consider When Buying a USB Charger: Number of Ports/ Devices Charging Kits Cable Management Surge Protection Versatile Options At our ebay store, discover the broadest selection of USB cables for both home & office use.  We assure you our high quality USB chargers are at the most competitive prices. Author Nerdcore Computers

This article explains how to create custom TXT records for registered domain names at United Domains. A TXT Record (short for "text record") is a type of DNS Record that provides text information to sources other than your domain name. A TXT Record can contain letters, numbers, and symbols. Note: You must have your domain name pointed to United Domains' name servers to add a TXT record from your United Domains account. Click here for information about changing your name servers. To add a TXT Record, first log in to your United Domains account, then follow these steps: Find the domain you want to customize, and click the DNS button next to it.Scroll to the DNS Records area, and click the Add button to create a new DNS Record. If your TXT record has a Host or Domain value, enter it in the Subdomain field.Click the Record Type dropdown menu and select TXT Record.Under the Value column, enter the TXT Record's value. Click Save. Nerdcore Computers Author

Shopping for an Android device can be an ordeal. Let us take some of the pain out of it with these picks and tips. Trying to find the best Android phone for your needs is hard work. It's easy to get swayed by a pretty handset design or a convincing salesperson at a retail store. Carriers might tempt you with an affordable 24-month payment plan. But before you make an ill-informed impulse buy, read up. From the bottomless pit of phone choices, we bring you our favorites—including our top picks, the Pixel 3A and OnePlus 7T. All of the phones we've selected here have their own advantages, and we've laid them out as honestly as we can. Be sure to check our list of Best iPhones and Best Cheap Phones for more recommendations. You can find all of our latest buying guides here. Updated for December 2019: We've replaced the Nokia 7.1 with the Nokia 7.2, and we cut the Blackberry Key2, as it's getting old and there's no replacement in sight. We've added Google's Pixel 4 as well and tweaked our list of honorable mentions. Our Best Advice Buy Your Phone Unlocked We recommend unlocked phones in this guide. When a phone is sold as "unlocked," it means the phone can be used on multiple wireless carriers/networks. When you buy a phone directly from your wireless carrier, usually on a payment plan, it often comes locked to that network. Carriers are legally required to unlock it upon request if you ever want to switch networks, but it's a big hassle. Try to pay full price for your phone (if it's too expensive, opt for a cheaper model) or make sure it specifically says it is unlocked. Verizon and Sprint Tips: Buying an unlocked phone is smart (it is!), but even if you do the smart thing, networks like Verizon and Sprint will put up hoops for you to jump through. To find out if your phone works on Sprint, use this page. Verizon users, if you put in your SIM card but still have trouble receiving text messages or something else, contact customer service and have them enable "CDMA-Less roaming." This OnePlus 6T guide may help. The steps should be similar for other phones. Best Overall Google Pixel 3A and 3A XL The Pixel 3A (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is $400, but it feels better than many high-end $800 phones, including the standard Pixel 4 (which is also an amazing phone). It has cameras that match almost any device out there, and Google included Night Sight mode, which makes it possible to take night shots and selfies that actually look decent. It also has a classy polycarbonate body, which is more durable than glass phones, and a headphone jack. The interface is speedy, because it runs on a great new midrange Snapdragon processor, and it gets monthly security updates and regular feature updates directly from Google (most phones don't). The only downsides: It's splash-proof, not waterproof; it doesn't have a notch (is that bad?); and it has no wireless charging. Runner-Up OnePlus 7T The OnePlus 7T (9/10, WIRED Recommends) offers a lot of luxury features we'd expect from a top-tier phone in 2019. These include triple rear cameras—2X zoom, 48-megapixel standard, wide angle—a beautiful dual-tone glass design, a Snapdragon 855+ processor, 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, and super fast charging. It also has a class-leading 90-Hz AMOLED screen that runs noticeably smoother than almost any other device outside the OnePlus 7 Pro, which (surprise!) also has a 90-Hz display. It's in-display fingerprint sensor is incredibly speedy, and the phone comes bundled with a case. All for hundreds less than competing phones. The other big benefit is OnePlus' dedication to bimonthly security updates and quick platform updates that add new features. The OnePlus 7T ships with the new Android 10 OS update. Most phones won't get Android 10 for another six to 12 months. Best Luxury Phone Samsung Galaxy S10 Samsung's Galaxy S phones haven't topped a list I've made in years, but the Galaxy S10 series really nailed it (9/10, WIRED Recommends). For the better part of 2019, it topped this list of Android phones, but it has since been trounced by the OnePlus 7T and Pixel 3A, which both offer similar value for less money. I really like almost every aspect of the phones (except Bixby), including the hole-punch in-display selfie camera and in-display "ultrasonic" fingerprint sensor on the S10 and S10 Plus. Samsung's flagships have all the speed and camera capabilities you'd want in a 2019 phone, and Samsung's custom One UI software is pleasant to use and gets security updates monthly. Other bonuses like a MicroSD slot, wireless power sharing, and a headphone jack (yes!) make the Galaxy a step up from the 7T. And since you're probably wondering, there are three S10s: the regular S10, a larger S10 Plus, and the lower-cost S10E that cuts some corners. For advice on which model to buy, read our breakdown of the three models. Personally, I prefer the S10 due to its smaller size. Best Display OnePlus 7 Pro For years, OnePlus has been selling feature-rich flagship phones at prices that are much lower than the competition. Now it’s decided to make the most high-tech phone on the market (in a few ways), and we love it. The OnePlus 7 Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) comes with 256 GB of storage, 8 GB of RAM, and a cutting-edge Snapdragon 855 processor. Moreover, it has the best display I've seen on a phone, which refreshes at a very fast 90 Hz; extra nice for gaming. The screen is notchless, made possible by a pop-out, retracting selfie camera. The 3X zoom and wide-angle lens options on the rear camera also help OnePlus begin to make a name for itself in photography. And since the selfie camera is usually retracted, this is also the only phone that doesn't have a camera pointed at your face 24/7. We've linked to the OnePlus store, but you can also order it at T-Mobile. Best Camera Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL If you're a shutterbug, then you most likely have heard of Google's Pixel line, regarded as some of the best camera phones money can buy (though the iPhone 11 Pro gives it a run for its money). Pixel 4 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is Google's latest, and its dual-camera system is excellent. Portrait Mode lets you effectively blur out the background of a subject, the 2X zoom telephoto lens is handy for close-ups, and Night Sight mode lights up the darkest scenes—you can even use it to capture starry skies. It packs great performance with a smooth 90-Hz screen, just like the OnePlus 7 Pro. You can also use Face Unlock as authentication, which works similarly to Apple's Face ID, and Google also added a slew of sensors that let you wave your hand to trigger certain functions, like switching tracks or snoozing alarms. That's without mentioning all the software smarts that put it a rung above the rest. For example, Call Screen will monitor robocalls for you so you don't have to answer them, and Now Playing uses on-device machine learning to show you songs playing in your surroundings, so you don't need to try and look it up. The Pixel 4's downside is battery life, which can barely last a full day if you're a heavy user. If you're going to buy one, opt for the bigger Pixel 4 XL since it has a beefier battery. Best for $300 or Less Motorola Moto G7 The Moto G7 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is a cheap phone without as many caveats as you might expect. It's snappy and runs apps smoothly (even the camera app) with no noticeable lag, which is a change, even from last year's Moto G6. The camera is also very good for the price and won't let you down under most circumstances—though it will still have some trouble capturing the best shots in extreme lighting environments, like at a concert. In this year's phone, Moto included a nicer display and a lovely glass back that you'll want to promptly protect with a durable case, like most phones. Multiday Battery Life for Cheap Motorola Moto G7 Power The Moto G7 Power has less memory and a lower-resolution display than the standard Moto G7, but it's still not bad if your needs are basic. It also comes with a killer feature: a 5,000-mAh battery. This is a phone that can last two to four days on a single charge. To fit all that battery, it's a little thicker than phones you see these days (9.3 mm), but ending a day with 65-plus percent battery never gets old. (Learn about all three G7 models). Pure Android for Cheap Nokia 7.2 The problem with Motorola phones, like the ones mentioned above, is that Motorola offers very limited software support—usually, you get one Android version upgrade, and that's it. HMD, the maker of Nokia phones, is different. Most of its phones are part of the Android One program, meaning the company makes a commitment not only to have no bloatware on the phone, but also to deliver two years of Android version and security updates. The Nokia 7.2 is no exception; it's on track to get Android 10 very soon. You also get a great 6.3-inch LCD screen (with HDR support, rare in a phone of this price), 128 GB of storage, a decent midrange processor, day-long battery life, and it has the benefit of not looking like a budget phone. The triple-camera experience is solid, too, though it can't match the Pixel 3A's quality. The downsides are that the back is made of glass, so a case is a good idea, and it's only slightly water-resistant, so be careful around the toilet! Best for Audiophiles LG G8 ThinQ LG's G8 ThinQ isn't the flashiest phone, but it gets the job done. It has the same processor as the one inside Samsung's Galaxy S10, so you get great performance, the 6.1-inch, OLED display is sharp and vivid, and the dual-camera system can reliably snap some nice pics (the wide-angle lens helps add a little versatility). You also get about a workday's worth of battery life, and support for wireless charging makes it easy to top up the phone during the day. But LG phones are best for audiophiles because they still sport headphone jacks with a 32-bit Quad DAC (digital-to-analog converter), as well as support for hi-res playback for high-quality music streaming if you've transitioned to Bluetooth headphones. It's one of the slipperiest phones we've used, though, so you should definitely buy a case. LG's software interface is also a little clunky, it has a lot of bloatware (useless apps), and the company is often slow at pushing out Android updates. Keep all of that in mind when making your decision. You can also ignore the gimmicky Air Motion feature that lets you use hand gestures to control specific functions, because it's not very good. The Phone With a Stylus Samsung Galaxy Note 10 The Galaxy Note 10 is a ginormous Android phone (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It's bigger than big. If that's your thing, you'll like the included S Pen's new Bluetooth functionality, which lets you use it to do things like open apps and remotely snap pics. This beefy, brawny phone can handle your most demanding tasks with all the latest specs. I recommend picking up a new 2019 Galaxy S10 instead, unless the S Pen is on your mind. The Note 10 has no audio jack, which might be another reason to stick with the S10. Honorable Mentions Other Phenomenal Phones There are a lot of Android phones out there, and most of them are not on this list. Here are a few good standouts to also consider. The Sony Xperia 5 is perfect for people who binge-watch movies on their phone, because its 21:9 aspect ratio is ideal for cinema. But it is pricey, and its triple-camera system falls short of competitors. There's no wireless charging, either. You can check out our Xperia 1 review for more details. The Xperia 1 is almost the exact same as the 5, just bigger and more expensive. The LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen ($699) comes bundled with a case that adds a second screen. The Google Pixel 3 ($450) and Motorola Moto Z4 ($390) (which supports Moto mods) are also pretty good, just not top picks right now. lmost Too Cheap (or Old) Half-Hearted Endorsements There are many phones I've previously recommended that are right on the edge. They're either getting old (2-plus years) or getting too weak. We worry they won't have software support beyond this year or may feel too sluggish after the next Android update. You can take the risk to get the savings if you like. The LG G7 ($300), Nokia 7.1 ($209), and Moto G6 are all usable. We just think you're better off with the devices listed here or in our Best Cheap Phones guide. You should probably pass on newer devices we've cut from this list, too. The BlackBerry Key2, Moto Z3, OnePlus 6, and OnePlus 6T are also all usable, but their manufacturers probably won't update them beyond 2020. Nerdcore Computers Author

Nearly every article on internal linking starts with a discussion of how complicated yet how important the subject matter is. On the one hand, internal linking is such a simple concept, and everyone should be doing it. On the other hand, the theory, process, and best practices of internal linking get extraordinarily complex. It’s both advanced and simple. But regardless of how complex or basic you think it is, no one argues about this: It is important. Strategic internal linking is an SEO power technique, especially for content marketing. In this article, I’ve chosen to focus on internal linking for content marketing, because it’s one of the most straightforward and simplest ways to experience SEO uptick. Plus, internal linking among blog articles and other content is something that you can do on an ongoing basis. In this article, I want to deliver a level of SEO knowledge that will benefit the experienced SEO, but that will also provide actionable data to help SEO newbies. A Primer on Internal Linking Whatever your SEO skill, it will help to brush up on some internal linking basics. The Definition of Internal Linking An internal link connects one page of a website to a different page on the same website. In an internal link, the source domain and target domain are the same. The Purpose of Internal Linking Internal linking has three main purposes: Aids in website navigationDefines the architecture and hierarchy of a websiteDistributes page authority and ranking power throughout the site We’ll be spending our time discussing that third point — how internal linking can spread authority and rank throughout multiple pages of a website. The Theory Behind Internal Linking Most of the “solid information” and “powerful strategies” on internal linking are little more than sophisticated-sounding prognostication. Still, there’s some merit to theorizing about how Google ranks and values the internal network of linking. The basic theory is this: Internal linking strengthens the overall search-optimized value of a website. Inner linking does so by providing clear paths for spiders, prolonged sessions for users, and a tight-knit network of pages and posts. So, how do you do it? Here are the seven commandments. The Seven Commandments of Internal Linking for Top-Notch SEO 1. Create lots of content. In order to create lots of internal links, you have to have lots of internal pages. The first step to a killer internal linking strategy is to have a killer content marketing strategy. You can’t have one without the other. When you create lots of content, you’ll have lots of linkable content. The more links to the more places, the better your internal linking strategy will be. Some internal linking strategies propose extremely complex layers of pages, silos of content, and a mathematically-balanced formula for number of links to levels of pages. I say it doesn’t really matter. Internal linking doesn’t require organizational spreadsheets and trigonometric derivative charts. An internal linking strategy with lots of content looks less like an org chart and more like a web. There are no “cycles.” There are no “silos.” There are no “tiers.” There are no structured flow diagrams. There’s just plenty of happy links going to helpful places. 2. Use anchor text. In keeping with the content theme of internal linking, your internal links should use anchor text as opposed to linked images. Image links are fine, provided that images are not the main source of links, and assuming the image is properly alt-tagged. While we’re on the subject of alt tags, Sean Work says: The proper use of anchor text, of course, opens a new can of worms. Obviously, you don’t want optimized anchors. Just use natural, unoptimized sentence fragments as anchor text, and you’ll do just fine. No cute tricks. No overthinking it. Just highlight, link it, and be done. Check out this discussion of linkbuilding for a complete discussion on strategic anchors. 3. Link deep. The deeper your links go, the better. There are two types of links you should avoid using in your content: Homepage. Most sites have too many links to the homepage as it is. You would rather strengthen internal pages to boost the overall SEO of your site, rather than simply point more links at the homepage.Contact us. This is a common mistake of many who are starting out in content marketing. As part of their obligatory call to action at the end of a post, they may write something like, “Give us a call to find out more about our awesome services!” Then, they link to the “contact us” page using the anchor “give us a call.” Don’t link to the contact us page unless absolutely necessary. In general, you want to avoid links to the top level pages on a site — pages to which the main navigation menu already has links. The best links — and the most natural links in a content marketing strategy — are deep within the structure of a site. 4. Use links that are natural for the reader. Internal linking requires a user-focused approach to adding value and information. The link value that gets distributed throughout the site is secondary to this key point — providing value to the reader. One of the corollary benefits of internal linking is that it improves user engagement on your site. When a user sees an informative link that truly matches the context of the content, they are likely to click on that link. It can be an external link, as long as it’s something that the reader will be interested in. If that link is an internal one, the site visitor stays longer and becomes more involved in your website experience. Dave Davies, in his Search Engine Watch article, made a good point. When you link in your content you’re telling the engine that the target of your link is so relevant and important that you want your visitor to simply be able to click a link and go straight there. Basically, that what you’re linking to is potentially so relevant that the visitor may want to stop what they’re reading and go to the next page. Content links are a strong signal to both the search engine and the user that the content you’re linking to is really good. Readers want that. Thus, internal linking is helping the reader. But you’re also helping your SEO. Win. Win. 5. Use relevant links. Internal linking, as I’ve made clear, is less rigorous and scientific than some might think. But you still have to be intentional. Don’t merely link for the sake of linking. Instead, link to content that is relevant to the source context. In other words, let’s say I have a page on my site about dog food. And, I have a page on my site about the nesting habits of parakeets. (I have neither.) Should I link the two pages? There is not a strong connection between dog food and parakeet nests, especially on a superficial level. These two pages probably won’t provide mutual enhancement from internal crosslinking. But, if I have a page on parakeet food, then it might make a great internal link for my parakeet nest article. Chances are, information about “parakeets” is going to be on both of the pages. Because of this content overlap, the link is relevant. As much as possible, link to relevant content in your internal linking. 6. Use follow links. Follow links are the best way to build out the internal link architecture of your content marketing. One theoretical internal linking strategy of the past was to nofollow most of the links on a page, in order to increase the link juice to a single page. This type of pagerank sculpting doesn’t work as an SEO strategy. Back in 2005, the search engines came up with the nofollow, known by the attribute rel=nofollow. The idea behind nofollow was that the link “should not influence the link target’s ranking in the search engine’s index.” As Wikipedia stated, such links would “reduce the effectiveness of certain types of internet advertising because their search algorithm depends heavily on the number of links to a website.” Despite the uproar and confusion in the wake of the nofollow link, most people now agree that it’s a good idea. As Danny Sullivan explained, nofollow links can help sites “avoid problems with search engines believing they are selling influence or are somehow involved in schemes deemed as unacceptable SEO practices.” In spite of its value, however, using nofollow links is not a strategy you should be using as part of your internal content links. The link value needs to flow freely to and from internal pages, rather than get stopped up by a nofollow. Keep things free and fluid. 7. Use a reasonable number of internal links. You don’t need tons of links in your internal content. Google’s instructions are simple: “Keep the links on a given page to a reasonable number.” Question: What the heck is a reasonable number? Answer: Nobody knows. Smart people have tried to answer the question, but not even Matt Cutts has provided a definitive statement. He wrote, “It seemed about right to recommend 100 links or so,” and “in some cases, it might make sense to have more than a hundred links.” So, should you go for 100 links? Maybe, but that 100-total links includes all the links on a page — footers, headers, nav bars, ads, everything. 100 links isn’t as hard as it sounds, once you calculate the total number of HREFs on an entire page. When it comes to internal linking, I suggest around three to four, depending on the length of your post. I usually write articles that exceed 1,500 words, and I don’t have a link-heavy navigation bar. So, I wouldn’t feel bad about throwing in ten or twenty internal links if I needed to. There’s no magic number. There is however, the all-important user. Add as many links as would be helpful for the user. Do not create massive blocks of site-wide footer links! This was a really common practice on travel and real estate websites a couple of years ago. These websites would include their most prized keyword rich internal links near the footer. It wasn’t uncommon to see upwards of 50 of these types of links near the footer. The problem is when you have a website with thousands of webpages; this quickly multiplies into tens of thousands of “spamtastic” links that the search engines will quickly penalize your site for. In 2013, many of these sites were hit with an algorithmic penalty for such practices. Conclusion Internal linking when undertaken with these seven commandments in mind, is a cinch. It’s not overwhelming, complicated, or difficult. The great thing is, you’ll experience a stronger link profile and better SEO by consistent internal linking. It’s even worth it to go back and audit your old content to make sure it has sufficient internal linking.

So let's talk about how search engines actually work. Sure, Google's algorithm is extremely complex, but in its simplest form, Google is really just a pattern detection program. When you search for a keyword phrase, Google is going to provide you with a list of websites that matches the pattern that's related to your search. Most people don't realize that when they do a search on Google, they're not actually searching the live web. They're actually searching Google's index of the web… the stored copy of the sites that Google has crawled. Google uses little programs called spiders to crawl the web. The spiders are how Google actually discovers content. Basically, a spider will start on a page and check out all the content on that page, and then is follows the links on that page and looks at the content on those pages. Then it follows the links on those pages to discover even more content, and then the links on those pages lead to more content… The spiders keep crawling at a mind-blowingly massive scale until most of the internet has been crawled. As the spiders crawl all of these pages, a copy is stored on Google's servers. This is Google's index, and it's stored in a way that allows Google to quickly search through the billions of pages in the index. When you search for a certain phrase, Google checks the index to get a list of every page that's related to your search phrase. Here's where ranking comes into play - this is the part that SEOs work to influence. Google uses an algorithm to look at that list of pages it just pulled from the index and rank the pages based on relevancy. Let's say you did a search for “Denver omelette recipe” - Google's going to search the index and come up with a list of every website with a recipe for a Denver omelette. Then it's going to use the algorithm to sort that list so that the most relevant sites will be at the top. There are hundreds of ranking factors, each with a different assigned weight or value. The algorithm will look at a few hundred different factors that influence relevancy, like the content on the page, the number of other sites that link to that page, and the overall quality of the website. When we do SEO, we're hoping to influence those relevancy scores. We know that if we optimize the right signals, Google's algorithm will decide that the page is more relevant - that it's a better answer to the question being asked - and show that page higher than the other options in the index. Nerdcore Computers Author

Windows 7 was one of Microsoft’s best-loved computing operating systems and most of us are still using it. According to NetMarketShare’s September 2018 data, 40.88% are still using Windows 7 – compared to the 37.44% who have moved on to the latest operating system, Windows 10. But like all operating systems before it, Windows 7 will eventually reach the end of its lifecycle, making an upgrade an absolutely essential task for the safety of your PC. [Read more: 8 free ways to make Windows 7 faster] When does support for Windows 7 end? Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 7 on January 13, 2015, but extended support won’t end until January 14, 2020. Find out the difference between mainstream and extended support. This applies as long as you have Service Pack 1 installed. If you haven’t installed Service Pack 1 already, you should do it now by Is Windows 7 still safe to use? Once an operating system enters extended support, it's still very safe to use. It means that Microsoft will continue to patch any security threats but won't add any new features (as it would do during the 'mainstream support' phase). Nerdcore Computers Author

Some good info from Nerdcore Team , don't poo poo it. The amount of links you need depends on your niche. Having them from credible Australian websites is definitely a benefit but not the be all. The first thing you should do is look at the top links and pages of your competitors. Majestic.com has a very good tool for this which allows you to see the anchor text cloud. You do not want to be the black sheep in your vertical, as Nerdcore says you're going to run into trouble. Tools like Majestic and Ahrefs will give you insight into what links your competitors are using. Google now shows you how to improve the the ranking of a term, I found this quote from them interesting : "Get noticed by other sites: Have your site mentioned in appropriate places online. See if you can get mentioned on your local news sites" There is a Google patent for Brand Mentions. There is also a post here /forum-replies.cfm?t=2756271 where the OP complains of competitor having no links. They do however have a trademark. Trademark reg is something that Google could easily have integrated/crawled. Something worth thinking about. The easiest types of links are the free ones. These include: directories, forums, social media accounts etc etc These type of links can provide value in the sense that early on in the piece you should be building naked links. These will (hopefully) "pillow" any anchor based links you get. Furthermore, you should look at the Google homepage of your competitors. Users are more often contacting a business from the Google homepage, without even clicking on your site. Anchor based links should be left for the very best pieces you can publish. This maybe a guest post on a niche website, a private blog network (PBN). Google hates these links in that they game their system. These are both against Googles terms and conditions. I would recommend guest posts ONCE you have a very decent amount of Pillow links. I do not recommend you set up your own PBNs IF you are in a very competitive niche and you have no experience in these. Your competitors SEOs will find them and report you. Nerdcore Computers Author

Whether you like Windows PCs or Macs, family size or ultraportable, there's a suitable notebook computer out there for everybody. When you're shopping for a laptop, it's important to remember that it's more than just the size that counts. But finding the right model to suit your needs and price range isn't easy, which is where we come in. Laptop types The terms laptop and notebook tend to be used interchangeably as a general description. But you can break these down into smaller categories, though they're not always mutually exclusive – for example, an ultraportable can also be convertible. Notebook Ultraportable Ultrabook Netbook Chromebook Macbook Convertible 2-in-1 Tablet as a laptopv Entry-level, mid-range or high-end laptop? Entry-level If you want a cheap laptop for basic tasks and occasional or lighter use and aren't overly concerned about performance, weight or battery life, you can find sub-$500 "budget" models that will do the job. These low-cost laptops are relatively low-powered, but capable of most general computing tasks such as web browsing, email and general word processing. They can handle most basic multimedia tasks (e.g standard definition video streaming) and are best suited to casual users and younger students. Mid-range If you want to take your laptop with you on-the-go a lot, you'll want something thin, light and easy to carry. Choose an ultraportable (including Ultrabooks). Aimed at regular computer users, families, students and business people. Mid-range laptops can run most software and games, but may struggle a bit with high-end functions such as video editing and games that require fast graphics processing. High-end If you want something to give you all the power of a desktop computer while being transportable with relative ease, go for a multimedia powerhouse, including models marketed as gaming machines, which have a powerful graphics card. High-end laptops are for serious computer types that like to push their systems with intensive computing tasks including editing video and audio, 3D rendering and high-end games. Windows, Mac or Linux? Ask a room of techies whether you should go with a Windows, Mac or Linux laptop and you'll start a heated debate that will go for a long time but nobody will win. All three systems have their good and bad points, but it's important for you to choose a side before you start, because it affects your software choices and possibly your hardware decisions too. This is definitely the case with macOS (formerly called OS X), which only runs on Apple's family of computers. Windows MacOs Linux What to look for in a laptop CPU (central processing unit) This is the brain of your computer. The number of cores, processing power and price range is a good indicator of the overall level of CPU power on offer. Laptops generally use low-power-consumption CPUs for better battery life. Be careful in comparing the Intel family of CPUs with those from AMD – their main competitor – as quoted speed figures aren't directly comparable. The same goes for the sub-families of each brand – for example, Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 are increasingly high performance, even at the same quoted frequency figure in GHz; likewise with the M series processors designed for highly mobile computers. Each new generation of processors is usually faster than the previous generation, even at the same chip frequency. Thus, you can expect a 2.4GHz 10th-generation CPU to be faster (and likely more energy efficient) than a 2.4GHz 9th-generation CPU, or earlier generation. RAM (random access memory) A lack of RAM will slow your computer when running multiple programs, using a lot of web browser tabs or performing labour-intensive tasks, such as image processing. Look for a minimum of 4GB (gigabytes) even in a budget system, but ideally aim for at least 8GB for most general-use laptops and 16GB or more for high-end models. Don't skimp on RAM at purchase time as you may not be able to upgrade/increase it later. Screen quality A small screen means a smaller laptop that's generally going to be lighter, but larger (and higher resolution) screens are better for graphics, gaming or watching movies. More laptops aimed at the mid-range market have a screen with at least full-HD specification (1080p - 1920 x 1080 pixels), but higher resolution screens are common in high-end laptops. Storage space Don't underestimate how much space you'll need. Make sure you have enough room for all your current programs and files, as well as the fast-growing collection of videos and music that most people now tend to accumulate. Laptops can be difficult to upgrade, so choose a model with as much RAM or storage capacity as you can afford. If you want a lot of onboard storage, look for a laptop with a with a 1TB (terabyte) hard disk drive (HDD) as a starting point, but preferably double that. However, you may choose to sacrifice storage space for speed and go with a built-in solid-state drive (SSD) if you want higher performance. An SSD is much faster than a hard drive and having one can lift the overall performance of a laptop considerably, and thus extend its useful working life. Many laptops, especially slim-and-light ultraportables, may not allow you to upgrade internal components later, which means it's best not to skimp on RAM (memory) or storage capacity upfront. Look for upgrade options at time of ordering and spend a bit extra upfront on RAM to give the laptop a longer useful lifetime. Cooling Computer components can run hot, especially within the confines of a compact laptop case. Check for hot spots under the laptop after it's been on for a while, as these can get annoying if you're using your laptop where the name would suggest. Also check for vents under the laptop and make sure you don't block them if using it on your lap, as this could cause it to overheat. Graphics card Many laptops will have the graphics processor built into the motherboard (called "on-board graphics"), rather than on a separate ("dedicated") graphics card. High-end models may have a dedicated graphics card which has its own video RAM. Power supply Often called "the brick", this is the block and cord that you use to plug your laptop into a standard wall socket. If your laptop battery won't last long enough for you to leave the brick at home, you'll have to take it with you for recharging, and this can add considerably to the overall weight you have to carry around. Battery life Having a long working time between charges is particularly important for an ultraportable. After all, they lose portability points if you have to also carry the power supply unit and cable with you to charge them. Ideally you want to have a full day of working on-the-go without having to plug it in, but this will depend on what else you have plugged into the laptop drawing power from it. Don't get weighed down by lugging your laptop's power supply unit and cable with you. Look for a model with a long battery life and quick recharge time. You really don't want to have to to carry the external power supply unit and cable with you. Our battery life tests look at a heavy-usage scenario, to give you an idea of the worst results you are likely to get, though for most people the average daily use will give better life. If you intend to be mobile much of the time, then a long battery life and quick recharge time is important. We also record two charging times for each laptop, with the laptop switched on – up to 80% capacity and to 100% capacity. It's useful to note that charging speed usually drops considerably once you get past 80%. In some cases it can take as long or longer to get the extra 20% top-up as it does to get to 80%. Wi-Fi Wi-Fi speed is important because fewer laptops come with a built-in ethernet port for plugging into your local wired network. If this is the case, you may be able to purchase a USB-to-ethernet adapter of the same brand or a third-party alternative. In either case, look for a laptop that supports the current Wi-Fi standard, 802.11ac, recently branded as Wi-Fi 5. This is backwards-compatible with previous standards including the previously most popular 802.11n, but is much faster. The emerging standard for newer laptops is Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) which is faster and with much better security than Wi-Fi 5. USB-C connectivity Connectivity on laptops these days is all about USB-C, the new low-profile standard that's becoming common on more models. A USB-C plug is slimline and easy to use (there's no 'right way up'), but it's appearance can be deceptive, as the same-shaped plug is used for several different standards – USB 3.1 Gen-1 and Gen-2 and Thunderbolt 3. Most USB-C ports will be either USB 3.1 Gen-1 (recently rebranded as USB 3.2 Gen-1) – which is rated at 5Gbps (gigabits per second), the same speed as USB 3.0. The faster (10Gbps) version of this is USB 3.1 Gen-2 (recently rebranded as USB 3.2 Gen-2). There's also USB 3.2 Gen-2x2 (20Gbps). Then there's the blazingly fast Thunderbolt 3 standard, which is nominally eight times faster at 40Gbps. Most models will have the slower USB-C ports, but high-performance laptops may have Thunderbolt 3 ports. You can plug a USB-C device into a Thunderbolt 3, port but don't expect any increase in speed. Plug in a Thunderbolt 3 device, such as an external SSD, and you have the fastest connection in town. Avoid cheap third-party cables and chargers or you may risk damaging your computer or worse Even if you don't have the Thunderbolt 3 version of this connection, USB-C is still preferable to the old USB 3.0, because it's becoming widely adopted on computers and plug-in devices and expected to soon become the dominant connection port, eventually replacing the familiar rectangular USB 3.0 (Type-A) ports. One of the keys to USB-C's swift adoption is its versatility – the same port can transfer both power and data at the same time and it can also mimic a whole range of other ports – including USB 2.0/3.0, SD card, HDMI, ethernet and more – using a USB-C adapter. However, stick with the manufacturer's cables and avoid cheap third-party cables and chargers or you may risk damaging your computer and peripherals or worse. Use only certified USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 cables. Laptops vs desktop computers Total computing portability is enticing enough, but what other benefits can a laptop offer? Energy use Laptops typically use much less power than a desktop PC. They have a low annual running cost. Size A laptop takes up much less space in your home or office than a desktop PC. Range Laptops can loosely be classified into several unofficial categories of laptop, to suit a variety of needs, though these categories aren't clearly defined. So-called categories can be referred to as ultraportables, all-rounders, multimedia powerhouses, student/budget and gaming laptops. Performance Many laptops can match the power of mid-range desktop computers, even in the ultraportable category. There are several key performance factors you should consider: CPU (central processing unit) brand and family (e.g. Intel Core i7, or AMD A-Series or the newer Ryzen chipset). Also note the generation of the processor family, more recent generations are usually faster.CPU frequency (known generally as speed, measured in gigahertz, e.g. 3.2GHz).Storage type – SSD (solid-state drive) is the fastest kind of drive. Unlike a HDD (hard disk drive) it has no moving parts. It is sometimes referred to as Flash storage. As with hard drives, the capacity and speed of SSDs can vary greatly.Memory – RAM, or random access memory, is the temporary storage used by programs when they're running. Generally, 4GB (gigabytes) of RAM is considered a low starting point for a laptop or desktop computer, but these days at least 8GB is considered a normal amount. Tablets and other mobile devices may use much less RAM if they're running on mobile operating systems such as Android or iOS or iPadOS. For laptops, having more memory may be useful for programs that can make use of larger amounts or memory, or for running more programs at the same time.GPU (graphics processing unit) – this handles much of the computational load in creating and displaying images, reducing the load on the main CPU. Some larger laptops will have a separate (discrete) graphics processor or card, while others will have a graphics chip incorporated on the motherboard with the CPU (onboard graphics).Display screen – mid-range to high-end laptops will usually have a high-resolution screen with at least full-HD specification (1080p - 1920 x 1080 pixels) or higher. Peripherals Laptops come with a screen, keyboard and trackpad built in, though you can usually plug in external devices to use the laptop as a desktop computer. If you want to regularly use your laptop as a desktop PC then plugging in an external display monitor, keyboard and mouse may improve usability. Software Most laptops can run the full version of Microsoft's Windows and some may have the option of using Linux (or you might download and install it yourself). Apple laptops run macOS (formerly OS X) and can also be set up to run Windows (using Apple's bootcamp utility to help with the installation). This gives you the ability to run either macOS or Windows each time you reboot the computer. Alternatively you can use a virtualisation program such as Parallels Desktop for Mac, VMware's Fusion or Oracle's Virtual Box software, to run one or more versions of Windows or Linux as 'virtual machines', in addition to the native operating system. Some Microsoft laptops and tablets run Windows 10 S, which is an optimised mode of Windows 10 designed to be more secure and power-efficient. However, it can only load programs that are available on the Microsoft Store online. Windows 10 S mode can be upgraded at no cost to the full Windows 10 but only once. If you do it, there's no going back. Most tablets run iOS or Android, which may not include your preferred programs. Upgrading Laptops have one notable drawback. Upgrading most laptop components is difficult (and in most cases impossible for the average person), as the slim body leaves no room for adding extra components. Plus, many parts are built in permanently and not designed to be replaced. Some ultraslim models don't let you add RAM later on, as the original RAM is soldered on to the motherboard. You can usually upgrade the storage though, but that could involve a trip to the maker's workshop. So once you're ready to buy, go for the most RAM and storage that you can afford. The easiest way to upgrade/expand the capabilities of a laptop is to add devices to it externally, such as extra storage, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi adapter plug-ins. If your laptop has USB-C, you may be able to add various devices via a USB-C adapter or hub. Can your tablet be your laptop and your desktop? A tablet that does double-duty as a laptop is great, but what about a tablet that does triple-duty as a desktop computer also? A good example is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4, which is the first Android tablet  to come with DeX built in, which makes it amazingly versatile. The idea is you add a monitor and mouse to use it as desktop computer. You can keep using the Android user interface on the tablet, with Samsung DeX on a larger screen. Or watch the monitor and use the tablet as a touch pad, digitiser, or touch keyboard. Nerdcore Computers Author

Despite Python’s recent success to becoming one of the most popular and used programming languages in the world, the majority of the programmers know that this language is not young by any means. It is also not that old when compared to some other programming language, though Python has been around for longer than many believe. It was created by G van Rossum and initially released in 1991. Since then, this programming language has changed considerably over the years and is still used for similar things as it was used in its initial days. This is also one of the major reasons for its popularity. People who know Python consider it as a purely production-based language designed for first-class projects and enterprise. Along with the rich history, this language has a huge community and it can be used for anything. That is the reason why it is considered so versatile. With Python, you can do so much, such as creating scripts for desktop programs, building Raspberry Pi applications, training machine learning algorithms, configure servers and so many other things. Really, with this programming language, there are no limits… But before jumping directly to the top blogs for Python, let’s explore some other facts about Python. Why Python is so Special? It is a general-purpose programming language which was designed to be simple for writing and reading. Python is not at all complex language and anyone having the basic knowledge of programming can start with it. The developers behind Python paid less attention to conventional syntax like any other programming language and that is the reason which makes Python very easy to work with, even for non-programmers. Other than this, Python offers several options to programmers in general and meets all their different development needs. If they start with Python for any particular task or project, it is easier for them to jump or switch to any other task or project even if it’s a totally different field or industry. This language can be used for artificial intelligence & machine learning, data science, web development, system operations, deployment, scientific modeling, server and administrative tools, and so much more. But to your surprise, numerous developers don’t consider Python as their primary programming language because of the fact that it’s easy to learn and use, and they take Python as their secondary or third programming language. Of course, thanks to all its features, today, various big names including Google, Amazon, Facebook and others are using Python for several of their applications. What can Python do? From myriads of things, some popular use of Python programming language are as follows: Widely used for building and training artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms.Can easily handle big data and perform complex mathematics.Widely used for data science-related tasks like data cleaning, data analysis & others.Used alongside software for creating workflows.Used on a server for creating web-based applications.It can connect database systems and can also read or modify files.Highly recommended for rapid prototyping or for production-ready software development. To know more about Python programming language, you can read “Why is Python Programming Language So Popular Among Programmers?“. It is a complete blog which includes all the major facts like historical breakthroughs, IDE’s, applications, code comparison and so much more. Now, the question comes, “Why Python?” It is packed with several features which programmers love for their projects. Some of which are listed below. Python is a cross-platform programming language i.e. it can be used for Windows, Linux, Mac, Raspberry Pi and others.It has a simple syntax which is very similar to the English language.Thanks to its syntax, with Python, developers can write programs in fewer lines of codes than any other existing programming languages.Python runs on an interpreter system which allows developers to execute the code as soon as it is written or completed. This makes prototyping very quick.It can be treated in an object-oriented way, a functional way or a procedural way. So, this was the basic overview of Python programming language and now is the time to discuss top Python Blogs which you should follow. Top Python-related Blogs to Follow Be it an experienced developer with quite a knowledge of programming or the newbie in the programming world who is just about to step his or her foot in the real world of programming, resources always counts. Same applies to Python programming language. Though it is clear that Python is an easy-to-grasp language and at the same time it is very versatile; it is very important for you to use python effectively and that can only be possible by reading and constantly educating yourself with all the trends, developments and breakthrough related to Python. It is not important whether you are starting with basic tutorials, or news or the recent developments, but the quality of your resource matters. And for making things more easy for you and narrow your field of vision to make choices easier, we have listed the top 15 Python-based blogs with which you can start your journey or keep yourself updated about everything related to Python programming language. Meanwhile, if you are interested in top E-Books on Python, you can read “E-Books for Python Learning!” Top Python Blogs to Follow in 2019 Planet Python Python Conquers the Universe Everyday Python Python Insider Neopythonic Astro Python PyImagesearch Invent With Python Python Tips Eduonix Blog PyVideo The Python Guru Finxter Python Software Foundation TalkPython PyBloggers Doug Hellmann Real Python Mouse vs Python Full Stack Python Nerdcore Computers Author

Purchasing a Computer There's a lot to consider when shopping for a computer and understanding how they work. Always bear in mind the following when assessing your options: Shop for a computer that suits how you intend to use it. If you want a computer that you can use on your commute to work, opt for a lightweight laptop or 2-in-1.Make sure the computer you choose can run the software you want to use. Always check system requirements in advance.When choosing between Windows or Mac operating systems, always consider compatibility. Windows 10, for example, offers a seamless experience across all platforms while some programs and devices may be incompatible with Mac. Understanding Computer Hardware Computers are made up of lots of components. However, there are four in particular that are key to understanding how a computer works and how effective it will be for you. Processor: The brain of the computer and responsible for every single action. Speed is the key performance indicator and it is measured in GHz. Modern processors also have cores (separate brains) that help them process multiple tasks.RAM: RAM (Random Access Memory) is often referred to simply as memory and is measured in gigabytes. It speeds up tasks by making recently used files readily accessible to the processor. The more RAM you have, the more files your processor has access to at once.Hard Drive: Files and programs are stored on a computer’s hard drive. As with RAM hard drive size is measured in gigabytes. They come as slower, larger Hard Drives (HDD) smaller and faster Solid State Drives (SSD).Graphics Card: A Graphics Card (GPU) determines how well your PC can handle things like playing games and editing home movies. Graphics Cards also use Memory (like the RAM in your computer) that is measured in gigabytes. Navigating Your Computer For a first-time user, the computer interface can be confusing. Understanding what you can see on your screen, however, can make a big difference. The screen you see when your computer has finished booting is called the desktop. You can access everything on your computer from this screen including your Start Menu, a list of all of your installed programs and computers settings. You can even save folders and files that you use regularly directly to your desktop for easy access.When you open a folder (a collection of saved documents and files) a window will appear that displays the contents. Folders can be named to suit their contents and organised, and windows can be made bigger and smaller by dragging the edges.To make life easy for you, computers create icons (small, easy-to-understand graphics) for anything you save on your computer. Double-clicking on one of these icons will cause it to launch. Understanding Computer Software Software is a program that enables you to complete tasks on your devices. Software is perhaps best thought of as a translator that converts lines of complex computer language into an easy-to-understand interface that is controlled through simple commands, like clicking an icon, or selecting from a ribbon or drop menu. The most important piece of software on any computer is the operating system (OS). The operating system is the interface through which all tasks are performed. The most common operating systems are Windows and Mac OSX.All other software allows you to make your computer perform specific tasks. For example, video editing software enables you to compile and enhance your footage with a few simple commands like mouse clicks and key strokes.Software on mobile devices is referred to as apps or applications. Apps are optimised for touchscreen operation and are downloaded direct to your tablet or smartphone. Types of Computer Hardware Desktops & All-in-Ones Desktops and all-in-one computers are reliable, typically long-lasting and can perform an array of tasks. Some of these devices are fitted with the best components so you can run practically any software. Standard desktops require a monitor to work properly, while an all-in-one desktop contains the computer components in the area behind the screen.All-in-one computers have everything you need right out of the box, but are often more expensive than desktops. Desktops allow for more flexibility in mixing and matching parts if you have specific needs.Choose a computer that matches how you intend to use it. If it is only for occasional use, or for light office tasks and emailing, you could save by opting for a computer with a dual core processor and 4GB of RAM. 2-in-1s 2-in-1 devices feature a touchscreen interface and just like your laptop or desktop PC they can run Windows operating system. They have become so advanced that many users are now able to employ them as their primary computer. Establish whether you need all the benefits of a Laptop or Desktop but require a more versatile form-factor, many 2-in-1 devices have a detachable keyboard and can be used in Tablet Mode utilising the touchscreen and saving on space when you are on the go. Choose a 2-in-1 with a screen that suits your usage habits. Larger screens are great for complex tasks while smaller displays mean unparalleled portability. Setting Up Your Workstation If you plan to spend extended periods of time working at your computer, then you would be well advised to set up a workstation that will help you perform tasks safely and in comfort. Make sure the top of the monitor sits at about eye-level. This will prevent you from stooping to read your screen.Make sure you buy a chair that offers sufficient lumbar support. Your feet should be able to lie flat on the floor and there should be between 5-10cm between the back of your knee and the front of the chair.Your desk should be at around the same height as your elbows. This will help you maintain a comfortable and healthy posture when using your keyboard Backing Up Backing up is a vital part of computing that can save you the time, money and heartache involved in losing your files. Put simply, backing up your computer means saving its contents to an external source so you can access your files as they were at a specific point in time. This means you have a copy of all your files if something goes wrong.Syncing your files involves continually saving them to a centralised location. This means that your files are always protected and that the most up to date versions of your files are available across all your devices.You can back up your computer using a host of devices such as portable hard drives and writeable DVDs. You can also back up and sync to online Cloud storage, which keeps your files on a secure server so you can access them from anywhere so long as you have an Internet connection. Nerdcore Computers Author

Which Windows 10 PC Is The One For You? Thanks to Microsoft, finding the right PC for you and your family is easy. With the faster, more responsive Windows 10 operating system, your PC is everything in one: a computer, a TV, a stereo, a video game console and more. So, based on your unique needs and wants, which is the perfect PC for you? If you're looking for: An all-purpose machineBasic, pre-loaded software Good value for money An 'everyday' PC is perfect for: Web-browsing and email Viewing documents, managing personal finances and online shopping Basic communication, such as Instant Messaging Professional: Designed For Work and Play, Portability and Performance Portable and featuring long battery life, a 'professional' Windows 8 PC lets you do all of the fun things, like store photos, music and videos, and surf the Net, as well as create, edit and browse documents, manage your diary, 'To Do' lists and finances. If you're looking for: Portability, durability and long battery lifeCompatibility and connectivity with other computers on a networkPre-loaded productivity software (where possible) A 'professional' PC is perfect for: Web browsing and communication (such as email and Instant Messaging)Creating, editing, viewing and sharing documents and digital photosOrganising calendars, 'To Do' lists and managing finances Gaming: Powerful - No Compromises Have loads of fun playing your favourite video games with a Windows 10 PC that's perfect for all-round tasks and 'gaming', featuring a fast processor, top-of-the-line graphics, lots of memory and storage space, as well as a full-size, high definition screen. If you're looking for: A fast processor, lots of RAM, plus the ability to customise hardware and OS configuration Ability to watch HD content and top-of-the-line graphics Crystal-clear display and a full-size screen A Windows PC for 'gaming' is perfect for: Outstanding gaming experience Playing HD, streaming online content (video and music), viewing and editing digital photos Socialising (text, video, chat, Instant Messaging, email, social networking) and sharing digital content with others On the Go: Super-Portable and Goes Wherever You Go Lightweight and convenient, a tablet, netbook or ultrabook is the 'on the go' Windows 8 PC you can take anywhere. Experience a true multimedia machine, with apps, music, gaming, photos and video at your fingertips. With built-in WiFi, an 'on the go' offers full web-browsing on the go. If you're looking for: A lightweight, thin, highly portable PC with unique style and designLong battery life and quick start-up/shut-downCompatibility and connectivity with other computers on a network An 'on the go' PC is perfect for: Viewing, editing, sharing and streaming content such as photos and videos Socialising with others (text, video, chat, Instant Messaging, email, social networking Playing basic games Nerdcore Computers Author

The Linux Foundation today announced that ONNX, the open format that makes machine learning models more portable, is now a graduate-level project inside of the organization’s AI Foundation. ONNX was originally developed and open-sourced by Microsoft and Facebook in 2017 and has since become somewhat of a standard, with companies ranging from AWS to AMD, ARM, Baudi, HPE, IBM, Nvidia and Qualcomm supporting it. In total, more than 30 companies now contribute to the ONNX code base. It’s worth noting that only the ONNX format is included here, not the ONNX runtime, which Microsoft open-sourced a year ago. The runtime is an inference engine for models in the ONNX format and I wouldn’t be surprised if, at some point, Microsoft put that under the guidance of a foundation, too… but for now, that’s not the case. “ONNX is not just a spec that companies endorse, it’s already being actively implemented in their products,” said Dr. Ibrahim Haddad, executive director of the LF AI Foundation, in today’s announcement. “This is because ONNX is an open format and is committed to developing and supporting a wide choice of frameworks and platforms. Joining the LF AI shows a determination to continue on this path, and will help accelerate technical development and connections with the wider open source AI community around the world.” In its own announcement, Microsoft stressed that it remains committed to ONNX and highlights the work it did on making it easier to generate ONNX models from popular frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras and SciKit-Learn. “We are proud of the progress that ONNX has made and want to recognize the entire ONNX community for their contributions, ideas, and overall enthusiasm,” wrote Eric Boyd, the corporate VP at Microsoft in charge of Azure AI (not Microsoft AI). “We are excited about the future of ONNX and all that is to come.” Nerdcore Computers Author

This malicious software tries to do its damage in the background while your computer still limps along. But there are ways to tell that you've been infected. It was early spring 1999. The Nasdaq was soaring. Three sentences on a cocktail napkin could nab $30 million in venture capital. And Melissa became an overnight sensation, an Internet starlet and pioneer. Melissa brought the underground virus scene to the mainstream. She brashly took any old Word file and forwarded it to 50 people in your Outlook address book, appending her viral payload. But Melissa's stay at the top of the virus charts was brief. Within six months of making it onto CNN and Page One of The New York Times, Melissa found herself out of the spotlight and out of work. A new generation of viruses, tantalizing the public with Anna Kournikova and J.Lo, won the hearts and hard drives of the masses. Meanwhile, Melissa went from starlet to has-been. Though Melissa is mostly forgotten by a world long since immunized against her charms, CSO tracked her down, residing on a 6-year-old PC, sold on eBay for $11 last year to a man who gave it to his 81-year-old granny who uses it as a calculator. When we found her, Melissa was still trying to forward infected Word files, but without much success the computer's no longer connected to the Internet. CSO: How have you survived the past four years?Melissa: I find ways. I get by. I look for those fools who can't help but click on an attachment. Sometimes, I'll set up in some PC in the Third World, where there's plenty of Windows 95 and Office 97. I'll forward files 50 or 100, heck, 1,000 times. And maybe one or two get through. Don't pity me. I'm not pathetic. I'm a survivor!Do you miss the spotlight?Nah. [Swigs from bottle inside a paper bag.] It's not the same anymore. I don't want any part of the current scene. All these knock-off viruses are so derivative. Anna Kournikova naked? Please. Code Red? Pssshthth! Cocktail viruses? [Waves bottle.] 7&7, now that's what I call a "blended threat." [ Prepare to become a Certified Information Security Systems Professional with this comprehensive online course from PluralSight. Now offering a 10-day free trial! ] They owe all their success to me. You write that down. There's been what, 80,000 or so viruses since then? But [points at herself defiantly] they remember my name. Who'll remember Kakworm in five years? No one!Speaking of Kakworm, also a Class of '99 virus, it is still found infecting computers now and again.No kidding. Where? Can you hook me up with that gig?And Funlove, from the Class of '01, reinvented herself as a virus on a Powerpuff Girls DVD.[Hyperventilating.] Funlove was nothing without me! That DVD job was supposed to go to me, but that second-rate worm stole it. ADVERTISING [Pulls paper bag off bottle, breathes into it.] But you know what? It's better this way. Melissa? She never sold out. Melissa stayed true to her artistic integrity. Melissa is an original. She'll be in the history booksor at least security books written by consultants. I've heard rumors that a few boot-sector virusesyou know those old ones that spread by floppy disks?are still in circulation. Those are the kinds of viruses I want to hang out with. Boot sectors on floppies. I give them props. That's old school right there. Do you feel responsible for the computer virus epidemic, which has periodically disabled massive numbers of computers worldwide, affected human productivity and caused billions of dollars in untold damage? Nerdcore Computers Author

The problem of how to find the potential treasure trove hidden in millions of pounds of trash is getting a high-tech answer as investors funnel $16 million into the recycling robots built by Denver-based AMP Robotics. For recyclers, the commercialization of robots tackling industry problems couldn’t come at a better time. Their once-stable business has been turned on its head by trade wars and low unemployment. Recycling businesses used to be able to rely on China to buy up any waste stream (no matter the quality of the material). However, about two years ago, China decided it would no longer serve as the world’s garbage dump and put strict standards in place for the kinds of raw materials it would be willing to receive from other countries. The result has been higher costs at recycling facilities, which actually are now required to sort their garbage more effectively. At the same time, low unemployment rates are putting the squeeze on labor availability at facilities where humans are basically required to hand-sort garbage into recyclable materials and trash. Given the economic reality, recyclers are turning to AMP’s technology — a combination of computer vision, machine learning and robotic automation to improve efficiencies at their facilities. That’s what attracted Sequoia Capital to lead the company’s latest investment round — a $16 million Series A investment the company will use to expand its manufacturing capacity and boost growth as it looks to expand into international markets. “We are excited to partner with AMP because their technology is changing the economics of the recycling industry,” said Shaun Maguire, partner at Sequoia, in a statement. “Over the last few years, the industry has had their margins squeezed by labor shortages and low commodity prices. The end result is an industry proactively searching for cost-saving alternatives and added opportunities to increase revenue by capturing more high-value recyclables, and AMP is emerging as the leading solution.” The funding will be used to “broaden the scope of what we’re going after,” says chief executive Matanya Horowitz. Beyond reducing sorting costs and improving the quality of the materials that recycling facilities can ship to buyers, the company’s computer vision technologies can actually help identify branded packaging and be used by companies to improve their own product life cycle management. “We can identify… whether it’s a Coke or Pepsi can or a Starbucks cup,” says Horowitz. “So that people can help design their product for circularity… we’re building out our reporting capabilities and that, to them, is something that is of high interest.” That combination of robotics, computer vision and machine learning has potential applications beyond the recycling industry as well, according to Horowitz. Automotive scrap and construction waste are other areas where the company has seen interest for its combination of software and hardware. Meanwhile, the core business of recycling is picking up. In October, the company completed the installation of 14 robots at Single Stream Recyclers in Florida. It’s the largest single deployment of robots in the recycling industry and the robots, which can sort and pick twice as fast as people with higher degrees of accuracy, are installed at sorting lines for plastics, cartons, fiber and metals, the company said. AMP’s business has two separate revenue streams — a robotics as a service offering and a direct sales option — and the company has made other installations at sites in California, Colorado, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. The traction the company is seeing in its core business was validating for early investors like BV, Closed Loop Partners, Congruent Ventures and Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, the Alphabet subsidiary’s new spin-out that invests in technologies to support new infrastructure projects. For Mike DeLucia, the Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners principal who led the company’s investment into AMP Robotics, the deal is indicative of where his firm will look to commit capital going forward. “It’s a technology that enables physical assets to operate more efficiently,” he says. “Our goal is to find the technologies that enable really exciting infrastructure projects, back them and work with them to deliver projects in the physical world.” Investors like DeLucia and Abe Yokell, from the investment firm Congruent Ventures, think that recycling is just the beginning. Applications abound for AMP Robotic’s machine learning and computer vision technologies in areas far beyond the recycling center. “When you think about how technology is able to impact the built environment, one area is machine vision,” says Yokell. “[Machine learning] neural nets can apply to real-world environments, and that stuff has gotten cheaper and easier to deploy.” Nerdcore Computers Author

Apple's newest Mac notebook has a larger screen, better battery and new keyboard. In poker, complacency is a quiet killer. It can steal your forward momentum bit by bit, using the warm glow of a winning hand or two to cover the bets you’re not making until it’s too late and you’re out of leverage. Over the past few years, Apple’s MacBook game had begun to suffer from a similar malaise. Most of the company’s product lines were booming, including newer entries like the Apple Watch, AirPods and iPad Pro. But as problems with the models started to mount — unreliable keyboards, low RAM ceilings and anemic graphics offerings — the once insurmountable advantage that the MacBook had compared to the rest of the notebook industry started to show signs of dwindling. The new 16” MacBook Pro Apple is announcing today is an attempt to rectify most, if not all, of the major complaints of its most loyal, and vocal, users. It’s a machine that offers a massive amount of upsides for what appears to be a handful of easily justifiable trade-offs. It’s got better graphics, a bigger display for nearly no extra overall size, a bigger battery with longer life claims and yeah, a completely new keyboard. I’ve only had a day to use the machine so far, but I did all of my research and writing for this first-look piece on the machine, carting it around New York City, through the airport and onto a plane where I’m publishing this now. This isn’t a review, but I can take you through some of the new stuff and give you thoughts based on that chunk of time. This is a re-think of the larger MacBook Pro in many large ways. This is a brand new model that will completely replace the 15” MacBook Pro in Apple’s lineup, not an additional model. Importantly, the team working on this new MacBook started with no design constraints on weight, noise, size or battery. This is not a thinner machine, it is not a smaller machine, it is not a quieter machine. It is, however, better than the current MacBook Pro in all of the ways that actually count. Let’s run down some of the most important new things. Performance and thermals The 16” MacBook Pro comes configured with either a 2.6GHz 6-core i7 or a 2.3GHz 8-core i9 from Intel . These are the same processors as the 15” MacBook Pro came with. No advancements here is largely a function of Intel’s chip readiness. The i7 model of the 16” MacBook Po will run $2,399 for the base model — the same as the old 15” — and it comes with a 512GB SSD drive and 16GB of RAM. Both models can be ordered today and will be in stores at the end of the week. The standard graphics configuration in the i7 is an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of memory and an integrated Intel UHD graphics 630 chip. The system continues to use the dynamic hand-off system that trades power for battery life on the fly. The i9 model will run $2,799 and comes with a 1TB drive. That’s a nice bump in storage for both models, into the range of very comfortable for most people. It rolls with an AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of memory. You can configure both models with an AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory. Both models can also now get up to 8TB of SSD storage — which Apple says is the most on a notebook ever — and 64GB of 2666 DDR4 RAM, but I’d expect those upgrades to be pricey. The new power supply delivers an additional 12w of power and there is a new thermal system to compensate for that. The heat pipe that carries air in and out has been redesigned; there are more fan blades on 35% larger fans that move 28% more air compared to the 15” model. The fans in the MacBook Pro, when active, put out the same decibel level of sound, but push way more air than before. So, not a reduction in sound, but not an increase either — and the trade is better cooling. Another area where the design process for this MacBook focused on performance gains rather than the obvious sticker copy. There’s also a new power brick, which is the same physical size as the 15” MacBook Pro’s adapter, but which now supplies 96w up from 87w. The brick is still as chunky as ever and feels a tad heavier, but it’s nice to get some additional power out of it. Though I haven’t been able to put the MacBook Pro through any video editing or rendering tests, I was able to see live demos of it handling several 8K streams concurrently. With the beefiest internal config, Apple says it can usually handle as many as four, perhaps five un-rendered Pro Res streams. A bigger display, a thicker body The new MacBook Pro has a larger 16” diagonal Retina display that has a 3072×1920 resolution at 226 ppi. The monitor features the same 500 nit maximum brightness, P3 color gamut and True Tone tech as the current 15”. The bezels of the screen are narrower, which makes it feel even larger when you’re sitting in front of it. This also contributes to the fact that the overall size of the new MacBook Pro is just 2% larger in width and height, with a .7mm increase in thickness. The overall increase in screen size far outstrips the increase in overall body size because of those thinner bezels. And this model is still around the same thickness as the 2015 15” MacBook Pro, an extremely popular model among the kinds of people who are the target market for this machine. It also weighs 4.3 lbs, heavier than the 4.02 lb current 15” model. The display looks great, extremely crisp due to the increase in pixels and even more in your face because of the very thin bezels. This thing feels like it’s all screen in a way that matches the iPad Pro. This thick boi also features a bigger battery, a full 100Whr, the most allowable under current FAA limits. Apple says this contributes an extra hour of normal operations in its testing regimen in comparison to the current 15” MacBook Pro. I have not been able to effectively test these claims in the time I’ve had with it so far. But it is encouraging that Apple has proven willing to make the iPhone 11 Pro and the new MacBook a bit thicker in order to deliver better performance and battery life. Most of these devices are pretty much thin enough. Performance, please. Speakers and microphone One other area where the 16” MacBook Pro has made a huge improvement is the speaker and microphone arrays. I’m not sure I ever honestly expected to give a crap about sound coming out of a laptop. Good enough until I put in a pair of headphones accurately describes my expectations for laptop sound over the years. Imagine my surprise when I first heard the sound coming out of this new MacBook and it was, no crap, incredibly good. The new array consists of six speakers arranged so that the subwoofers are positioned in pairs, antipodal to one another (back to back). This has the effect of cancelling out a lot of the vibration that normally contributes to that rattle-prone vibrato that has characterized small laptop speakers pretty much forever. The speaker setup they have here has crisper highs and deeper bass than you’ve likely ever heard from a portable machine. Movies are really lovely to watch with the built-ins, a sentence I have never once felt comfortable writing about a laptop. Apple also vents the speakers through their own chambers, rather than letting sound float out through the keyboard holes. This keeps the sound nice and crisp, with a soundstage that’s wide enough to give the impression of a center channel for voice. One byproduct of this though is that blocking one or another speaker with your hand is definitely more noticeable than before. The quality of sound here is really very, very good. The HomePod team’s work on sound fields apparently keeps paying dividends. That’s not the only audio bit that’s better now, though; Apple has also put in a 3-mic array for sound recording that it claims has a high enough signal-to-noise ratio that it can rival standalone microphones. I did some testing here comparing it to the iPhone’s mic and it’s absolutely night and day. There is remarkably little hiss present here and artists that use the MacBook as a sketch pad for vocals and other recording are going to get a really nice little surprise here. I haven’t been able to test it against external mics myself, but I was able to listen to rigs that involved a Blue Yeti and other laptop microphones and the MacBook’s new mic array was clearly better than any of the machines and held its own against the Yeti. The directional nature of many podcast mics is going to keep them well in advance of the internal mic on the MacBook for the most part, but for truly mobile recording setups, the MacBook mic just went from completely not an option to a very viable fallback in one swoop. It really has to be listened to in order to get it. I doubt anyone is going to buy a MacBook Pro for the internal mic, but having a “pro-level” device finally come with a pro-level mic on board is super choice. I think that’s most of it, though I feel like I’m forgetting something… Oh right, the keyboard Ah yes. I don’t really need to belabor the point on the MacBook Pro keyboards just not being up to snuff for some time. Whether you weren’t a fan of the short throw on the new butterfly keyboards or you found yourself one of the many people (yours truly included) who ran up against jammed or unresponsive keys on that design — you know there has been a problem. T he keyboard situation has been written about extensively by Casey Johnston and Joanna Stern and complained about by every writer on Twitter over the past several years. Apple has offered a succession of updates to that keyboard to attempt to make it more reliable and has extended warranty replacements to appease customers. But the only real solution was to ditch the design completely and start over. And that’s what this is: a completely new keyboard. Apple is calling it the Magic Keyboard in homage to the iMac’s Magic Keyboard (but not identically designed). The new keyboard is a scissor mechanism, not butterfly. It has 1mm of key travel (more, a lot more) and an Apple-designed rubber dome under the key that delivers resistance and springback that facilitates a satisfying key action. The new keycaps lock into the keycap at the top of travel to make them more stable when at rest, correcting the MacBook Air-era wobble. And yes, the keycaps can be removed individually to gain access to the mechanism underneath. And yes, there is an inverted-T arrangement for the arrow keys. And yes, there is a dedicated escape key. Apple did extensive physiological research when building out this new keyboard. One test was measuring the effect of a keypress on a human finger. Specifically, they measured the effect of a key on the pacinian corpuscles at the tips of your fingers. These are onion-esque structures in your skin that house nerve endings and they are most sensitive to mechanical and vibratory pressure. Apple then created this specialized plastic dome that sends a specific vibration to this receptor making your finger send a signal to your brain that says “hey, you pressed that key.” This led to a design that gives off the correct vibration wavelength to return a satisfying “stroke completed” message to the brain. here is also more space between the keys, allowing for more definitive strokes. This is because the keycaps themselves are slightly smaller. The spacing does take some adjustment, but by this point in the article I am already getting pretty proficient and am having more grief from the autocorrect feature of Catalina than anything else. Notably, this keyboard is not in the warranty extension program that Apple is applying to its older keyboard designs. There is a standard one-year warranty on this model, a statement by the company that they believe in the durability of this new design? Perhaps. It has to get out there and get bashed on by more violent keyboard jockeys than I for a while before we can tell whether it’s truly more resilient. But does this all come together to make a more usable keyboard? In short, yes. The best way to describe it in my opinion is a blend between the easy cushion of the old MacBook Air and the low-profile stability of the Magic Keyboard for iMac. It’s truly one of the best-feeling keyboards they’ve made in years, and perhaps ever in the modern era. I reserve the right to be nostalgic about deep throw mechanical keyboards in this regard, but this is the next best thing. Pro, or Pro In my brief and admittedly limited testing so far, the 16” MacBook Pro ends up looking like it really delivers on the Pro premise of this kind of machine in ways that have been lacking for a while in Apple’s laptop lineup. The increased storage caps, bigger screen, bigger battery and redesigned keyboard should make this an insta-buy for anyone upgrading from a 2015 MacBook Pro, and a very tempting upgrade for even people on newer models that have just never been happy with the typing experience. Many of Apple’s devices with the label Pro lately have fallen into the bucket of “the best” rather than “for professionals.” This isn’t strictly a new phenomenon for Apple, but more consumer-centric devices like the AirPods Pro and the iPhone Pro get the label now than ever before. But the 16” MacBook Pro is going to alleviate a lot of the pressure Apple has been under to provide an unabashedly Pro product for Pro Pros. It’s a real return to form for the real Mack Daddy of the laptop category. As long as this new keyboard design proves resilient and repairable I think this is going to kick off a solid new era for Apple portables. Nerdcore Computers Author

NASA has a new app (or web-based game, if you’re on desktop) that provides a simplified simulation of what it’s like to plan and run a commercial crew mission – meaning one of the planned varieties of mission that will actually take place aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Boeing Starliner once they begin flying crews next year. The app takes you through each part of the process, from spacecraft choice, to mission type, to crew selection and then to the actual launch and docking process. It’s mostly about providing some education aoudad each part of the process, rather than offering up an exhaustively realistic flight simulator – but the docking process with the International Space Station can be handled either on full automatic, or on manual mode – and manual mode is fairly challenging and fun. NASA has included plenty of great info on both the Crew Dragon and the Starliner, and the respective rockets they will launch atop. It also included great bios for 10 actual astronauts you can select from to staff your mission. The launch assembly stage was a bit buggy when I gave it a try on my iPhone, but still workable, and it also provides key info about each element of the launch spacecraft, from boosters to crew capsules and everything in between. The ‘Rocket Science: Ride 2 Station’ app is a free download, out now on iOS, and also available on the web. Nerdcore Computers Author

Everyone deserves a smokefree workplace. Find out what your legal and OHS obligations are. Victoria’s current laws and secondhand smoke The Tobacco Act 1987 (Vic) prohibits smoking in all enclosed workplaces. ‘Workplace’ means any premises or area where one or more employees or self-employed persons (or both) work, whether or not they receive payment for that work. Victoria has extensive smokefree laws that prohibit smoking in the following settings: in an enclosed workplace (with limited exceptions) at patrolled beaches at outdoor areas of public swimming pools at and within 10 metres of outdoor children’s playground equipment and outdoor skate-parks at outdoor sporting venues during organised underage sporting events and training sessions in cars carrying children at underage functions at train stations (including platforms) on raised tram stops and under tram and bus stop shelters on public transport on school grounds within prisons and anywhere on prison grounds on the grounds of, and at and within four metres of an entrance to, all Victorian childcare centres, kindergartens or preschools, and primary and secondary schools (including public and private schools) at and within four metres of children’s indoor play centres and ‘Victorian Public Premises’ (which includes buildings such as Parliament, courts, public service bodies and (as noted above) various hospitals and health services). From 1 August 2017, smoking is prohibited in the following areas: (a) all outdoor dining areas where food (other than pre-packaged food or uncut fruit) is provided on a commercial basis; (b) at certain food fairs and organised events. In addition, from 1 August 2017 the use of electronic cigarettes will be prohibited in all of the above legislated smokefree areas. For more information on these laws, see the Victorian Department of Health website on Tobacco Reforms. Workplace exemptions to the Tobacco Act 1987 In Victoria, smoking is still permitted in the following areas: residential premises (except parts of residential premises used for business while non-residents are present) outdoor drinking areas (unless the outdoor drinking area has a roof and walls in place, and the total area of the wall surfaces exceeds 75% of the total notional wall area) the ‘High Roller Rooms’ at Crown Casino a vehicle (other than when a person under 18 is present or in taxi cabs) a place of business occupied by a sole operator that is not for the use of members of the public personal sleeping or living areas in hotels/motels/ hostels and residential care facilities declared areas in approved mental health services (none declared at present) detention centres established for the purposes of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth). Other legal obligations As discussed above, exposure to secondhand smoke is a known health hazard and there is no safe level of exposure. Because of this, general legal duties around health and safety may in practice call for smokefree workplaces. For example: Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) employers have a duty to provide a safe and non-hazardous working environment for employees. Employers owe employees a duty of care under the common law: they must take reasonable care to protect employees’ health and safety in the workplace. Employees are entitled to no-fault workers’ compensation if they suffer injury arising out of or in the course of employment. The Disability Discrimination Act 199213 and other legislation protect the rights of people with disabilities and susceptibilities (including for example, people with asthma). Nerdcore Computers Author

Your Bushfire Plan You don’t have to live in the country to be at risk of fire. If you live near areas that have significant bush, forest, long grass, or coastal scrub, then you need to plan ahead for the fire season. Not everyone thinks clearly in an emergency. Taking steps to get prepared before the fire season means you know what to do when you’re at risk of fire. A written, and preferably well-practised plan, will help you remember what needs to be done during a crisis. Use the Bushfire survival planning template – Leaving early (PDF) to help you write down your plan. Why should I leave early? Leaving early is the safest option to protect yourself and your family.  Leaving early means leaving the area before there are any signs of a fire – not when you can see flames or smell smoke. Leaving early means avoiding panic, being trapped, making the wrong choices and risking serious injury or death. Defending Your Property Planning to stay and defend is a big decision. You could be at serious risk of uncontrollable fires on Severe, Extreme and Code Red days. Most homes in high-risk bushfire areas are not designed for Code Red conditions. The Defending your property page can help you decide whether or not you are capable of defending your property – and tells you about the risks and preparations involved. How to plan Taking steps to get prepared before the fire season means you know what to do when you’re at risk of fire. Just as every family or household is unique, every fire plan will be different. The information and templates in the Fire Ready Kit and on this website, are designed to assist you. Which Fire Danger Rating is your trigger to leave? Will you leave early that morning or the night before? Where will you go? What route will you take – and what is your alternative in the event that a fire is already in the area? What will you take with you?What do you need to organise for your pets or livestock?Who do you need to keep informed of your movements? Is there anyone outside your household who you need to help or check up on?How will you stay informed about warnings and updates? What will you do if there is a fire in the area and you cannot leave? Remember to decide who will do what as part of your plan. Your destination and journey Talk to your family and friends about how you’ll know when to leave and where to go to stay safe. It’s up to you to decide on a suitable place to go when you leave early on a fire risk day. If you do not have friends or relatives in low-risk areas who you can visit, consider community facilities such as libraries, shopping centres, swimming pools or cinemas. If you rely on others for care and support, your only safe option on serious fire risk days is to leave early – never wait to receive a warning. Why write down your plan? Would you remember a plan that’s just in your head if you’re surrounded by smoke, heat and flames? A written plan will take the pressure off you, and avoid arguments and delays. In Victoria the bushfire season is long, and a written plan will help reduce uncertainty and anxiety. Use the Bushfire survival planning template – Leaving early (PDF) to help you write down your plan. Remember, any bushfire plan – written or not – is better than no plan. Share your bushfire plan Once you have prepared your plan, it is a good idea to share the details of your plan with family, friends and neighbours. Doing so will save them a lot of distress when there is a bushfire, as they will know that you are prepared and where to find you.

Consider "futureproofing" your purchase. Buy a laptop that has headroom for more advanced technology while you're in school1. Whether you're heading off to college yourself or trying to help your favorite student, searching for and finding the best laptop for college may seem like a daunting task. Fortunately, this is an open-book test and we can help you find the right answers. The very first thing to consider when shopping for a new college laptop is how you’ll use it now and in the future. With technology advancing rapidly year after year, it's a good idea to consider a laptop that can handle new applications and programs. This is called "futureproofing" your purchase or buying a PC that has headroom for more advanced technology yet to be introduced. Ask yourself these questions—your answers will help narrow your choices. What programs or applications are requirements for your classes?What field or major are you interested in?Do you play video games, or do you want to get into gaming?Do you use video to chat with friends or family?Do you enjoy creating your own content—videos, podcasts, etc.? Consider Performance First How you use your laptop will directly influence how much performance you'll need. Using heavy-duty apps like Adobe Premiere Pro* or playing video games requires a lot of horsepower from the CPU. However, if you or your future college student will use the laptop for more basic tasks like word processing, downloading music, and posting to social media, then a top-of-the-line CPU might not be necessary. Form Factors Today's laptops are a far cry from the thick, bulky machines of the last two decades. In fact, the traditional clamshell laptop design is now joined by other types of designs and form factors. Clamshell Once the only design option for laptops, clamshells (laptops that open and close) are still a popular choice. But nowadays, many clamshells offer more features, such as touchscreens, super high-resolution displays, chassis made from non-traditional materials, and improved connectivity options, such Thunderbolt™ 3 ports. 2 in 1s 2 in 1 laptops offer great flexibility without a need to compromise. 2 in 1s offer the best of both worlds—the performance of a PC and the fun of a tablet, in one sleek device. There are two different types of 2 in 1 laptops: Detachable and convertible. Convertibles Keyboards stay attached and can swivel, twist, or flip. Flip for "tent" or "stand" modes to share content or present. Fold entirely in half for "tablet" mode. Great for productivity-minded students who work hard but want tablet functionality for entertainment. Detachables Provide super-fast switching from laptop to tablet modes. Offer a pure tablet experience when keyboard is detached. Perfect for web surfers who also need to type now and then. When thinking about these different form factors, consider the weight and thickness of your new laptop. A long trek across campus can quickly become uncomfortable if you're lugging around a heavy laptop. Thankfully, laptops available today come in a range of sizes and weights. Which leads us to your next consideration—the laptop's screen. Screen Size The size of a laptop's screen will directly influence its weight and price. Laptops are typically categorized in stores and online by the size of their screens. Common screen sizes for laptops usually start at 11 inches and continue up to 17 inches. Again, ask yourself where and how you’ll use your new laptop to help you decide on a screen size. Does either your schoolwork or interests require you to use an external monitor? 11- to 13-inch models If mobility is most important to you, consider these options: A small laptopA super-thin, lightweight laptop (sometimes referred to as an Ultrabook) Small laptops with 11- or 13-inch screens are a great choice if you have a strict budget, need extreme portability, and only need to complete basic tasks, such as Web browsing, e-mail, and word processing. 17-inch models If performance is your top priority, or you want a laptop that can replace your desktop, go for a 17-inch workhorse. These models may weigh more than others, but they really pack a punch. These large laptops are usually best for gamers, content creators, or video editors who need a lot of processing power to complete complicated tasks. This large screen may eliminate your possible need for an external monitor. 15-inch models For a good balance between mobility, performance, and price, check out some 15-inch models. Many weigh four pounds or less and are targeted for the mainstream consumer—meaning you’ll probably find more features you want, such as more ports, an optical (DVD or CD) drive, and better battery life. Battery Life Battery life is always a main concern when it comes to purchasing a laptop. Unfortunately, establishing the battery life of a laptop is no easy task for manufacturers. How long a laptop's battery will last depends on what you're using the PC for; it's best to look at manufacturers' specs as a general guideline. Generally speaking, the bigger the screen size of your laptop, or the heavier the model, the less battery life it will provide. Smaller laptops and Ultrabooks use lower voltage processors designed specifically to offer better battery life. Go online to manufacturers’ Web sites to research battery life, or read online reviews. Typically, mid-sized to larger laptops will offer between four and six hours, while ultra-portable models can go for as long as ten hours. Ports/Connectivity Don't understate the importance of ports and how you'll connect different peripherals (i.e., cameras, phones, and other devices) to your laptop. While many peripheral devices can connect wirelessly, sometimes you just need a USB port. Smaller laptops, and thin models will have fewer ports. What kinds of ports are available on laptops? USB ports—The most used and recognizable of all connectivity ports, USB ports allow you to connect a huge variety of devices, including external hard drives, cameras, keyboards, mice, and more. The latest version is USB 3.1, which offers higher transfer speeds of 10 Gbps. Thunderbolt™ 3 ports—Thunderbolt™ 3 provides the fastest connection and transfer rates to date, offering 40 Gbps (four times faster than USB 3.1). Ethernet ports—An Ethernet port allows you to connect your laptop directly to a wired network. Many laptops don’t include these ports because of the availability of Wi-Fi. But if you’re somewhere on campus where the Wi-Fi is poor, use these ports and an Ethernet cable to jump online. If your favorite model doesn’t have an Ethernet port, there are USB-to-Ethernet adapters available. HDMI/VGA/DVI—These types of ports allow you to connect to displays or other screens, such as an HDTV or an external monitor. SD card reader—Also known as SDHC card reader, this slot is used for digital camera memory cards. This makes transferring digital photos to your laptop quick and easy. Keyboard Gamers and writers aren’t the only ones who believe a laptop’s keyboard is its most important feature. Think about it—you’ll use the keyboard more than any other part of the laptop, so you’ll want one that’s comfortable, easy to use, and provides a satisfying spring or tactile feel. Do you require or prefer a backlit keyboard? Also, consider key placement and size. Do you want a 10-key pad? Are all the keys in a standard position that you like? Make sure to try out different keyboards. Open a word processor and tap away. You’ll probably know right away if a laptop’s keyboard just isn’t for you. Touchpad Many people forego a mouse and instead depend on a laptop’s touchpad to get things done. A comfortable, easy-to-use touchpad is important, especially if you’re travelling, or working in a cramped space like a café or lecture hall. Consider the size and placement of the touchpad, whether you prefer one large pad or separate left- and right-click buttons. Some touchpads even include patterns and textures for a tactile experience. Graphics The majority of laptop models are powered by a CPU that also includes an integrated graphics chipset. This means the graphics are actually built into the processor eliminating the need for a separate graphics card. These integrated graphic technologies, such as Intel® HD or Intel® Iris™ Plus graphics, are more powerful than ever before, allowing you to play mainstream games, support up to three separate displays, and stream up to 1080p. However, if you’re a gamer or filmmaker, you’ll want to look into dedicated graphics or GPU. Dedicated graphics are more powerful than integrated graphics but also are substantially more expensive when it comes to the price of the laptop. RAM You’ll hear this term thrown around a lot as you shop for your college laptop. Random Access Memory, or RAM. RAM temporarily stores recently-used data for quick access later. Think of it as the info you know off the top of your head—you use it often and your brain can access it quickly. The more RAM that’s available, the faster a computer will feel to you. Consider 8 GBs to 16 GBs of RAM for your laptop. Storage Pictures, videos, and other data you’ll want to save for a long time are stored in your laptop’s “long-term memory.” It’s data that may not be used frequently, but it’s pretty important to save, keep, and use when necessary. This data can be stored on a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), or even a hybrid of the two. SSDs typically provide faster access to data and start up times and are very reliable and durable, as they have no moving parts. The Final Decision It may seem like a lot to remember, but finding the perfect laptop for your college career can really set you up for success. Make a checklist using the features in this article, and focus on what you’ll need most from your college laptop in terms of size, weight, processing power, and storage. Nerdcore Computers Author

Did you know that you can hook your laptop up to a desktop monitor and expand your on-screen real estate to two full screens? What’s even cooler is that if you upgrade to a Laptop with Windows* 10, you can assign a separate viewing mode for both screens. The Benefits of Connecting Your Laptop to a Monitor Laptops aren’t just wireless, portable desktop computers. With the right setup, you can turn your laptop computer into a multi-tasking workhorse that’ll make you say “Gee, I never thought I could do all that!” All you need to do is follow the simple instructions below on how to connect a laptop to a monitor. Then you’ll be set. Getting more screen inches isn’t the only reason someone might want to connect a monitor to a laptop. Here are a couple of scenarios that spell out some of the other benefits. Multi-tasking: Connecting your laptop to a monitor enables you to go into split screen mode, where you can watch a movie on your PC monitor and tweet about it on your laptop screen. This gives you a cool setup that prevents you from having to keep toggling back and forth between applications. More screen real estate: By connecting your laptop to a monitor, you can literally double the size of your available screen space. Functions can be moved from one screen to the other so that you don’t have to shrink windows down or toggle to see two programs at the same time. This type of setup is ideal for a number of scenarios, from leisure activities like video chatting while you’re on Facebook to updating a work spreadsheet while you’re referencing facts on another platform. Extra options in Windows* 10: With Windows* 10, you can choose between a traditional desktop view or the new metro menu. But when you connect your laptop to a second desktop screen, you can actually have your proverbial cake and eat it too by running both at the same time. Three Things You’ll Need to Do When Connecting Your Laptop to a Monitor Get the right cable. When you connect an external monitor to a laptop computer, you have to run a cable between the two devices. Make sure that you get a monitor cable that matches the sockets on your laptop and monitor.Tell your operating system you’re using a second screen. It’s easy to do this in Windows* 10 by going to your Desktop, right click your mouse and go to Display Settings. On Macs, the connection of an external monitor is automatically recognized.Set up the orientation of the monitors. In both PCs and Macs, you can opt whether you want the second screen to mirror your laptop screen or to act as an extension of the first. Access the Control Panel on your PC or System Preferences on your Mac. Learning how to connect your laptop to a monitor is pretty simple and can enhance your experience, even improve your productivity. Imagine not ever having to toggle between open windows and running programs on your laptop. Sounds pretty good, right? Teaching yourself this easy task can make your life simpler and much more productive. Nerdcore Computers Author

Learn about hotspots, including how to use them safely to obtain Internet access to your mobile devices via Wi-Fi1. Hotspots—what are they, where are they, and how can you connect to them while protecting your privacy and security? If you’ve ever tried to answer an email or surf the Internet from your mobile device in public—or even at the office or your house—chances are you connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Not only is this connection highly convenient, you also didn’t have to use your smartphone’s data. Not surprisingly, hotspots are becoming an essential part of public infrastructure—and our Internet experience. Millions of people every day connect to public hotspots for their data needs. By some estimates, there are almost 200 million hotspots around the world, and there will be one hotspot for every 20 people on earth by 2018. Thanks to our modern always-on digital lifestyle, people expect to be constantly connected, and public Wi-Fi access points are expanding to a global network of hotspots to meet those needs. Terminology Before we dive in to how to connect to a hotspot and related security issues, let’s define what we mean. While some people use the terms “hotspot” and “mobile hotspot” interchangeably, they have distinct meanings. Hotspot: A hotspot is a physical location where people can access the Internet, typically using Wi-Fi, via a wireless local area network (WLAN) with a router connected to an Internet service provider. Most people refer to these locations as “Wi-Fi hotspots” or “Wi-Fi connections.” Simply put, hotspots are the physical places where users can wirelessly connect their mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to the Internet. A hotspot can be in a private location or a public one, such as in a coffee shop, a hotel, an airport, or even an airplane. While many public hotspots offer free wireless access on an open network, others require payment. Later in the article you’ll learn how to connect a mobile device to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Mobile hotspot: A mobile hotspot (sometimes called a portable hotspot) is a hotspot that’s just that—mobile! While a “regular” Wi-Fi hotspot is tied to a physical location, you can create a mobile hotspot by using your smartphone’s data connection to connect your laptop to the Internet. This process is called “tethering.” More on this process later. You should also know these terms when you’re talking about Wi-Fi hotspots. Access point (wireless access point):  A wireless access point (WAP) is a networking device that allows a Wi-Fi compliant device to connect to a wired network. The WAP can either be physically connected to a router or be integrated into the router itself. A WAP is not a hotspot, which is the physical location where Wi-Fi access to a WLAN is available. Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is the technology that allows your smartphone or computer to access the Internet through a wireless connection. It uses radio signals to send and receive data between your enabled device and the WAP. SSID: A service set identifier (more commonly known as an SSID) is the unique name of a wireless network. You’ll need to know the name of the wireless network to connect to it. Your computer or smartphone can search for available wireless networks; often people name their network for easy identification—anything from “Bob’s phone” to “hotel guests” to “Get off my LAN.” Now that you understand some of the terms associated with hotspots, let’s learn how to connect to them. How to Connect to a Wi-Fi Hotspot You probably connect your smartphone or laptop to the Internet via several Wi-Fi hotspots throughout your day, whether you’re at your office, in your home, or at public locations like coffee shops and airports. Using hotspots is an easy way to keep connected to your busy life. Connecting to a wireless hotspot is a simple process. Let’s use your smartphone as an example. You want to answer an email at the airport while you’re waiting for your flight, and you don’t want to use your data. You can set your smartphone to notify you when it’s in range of a wireless network, or you can find wireless networks through your phone’s settings. The steps you need to follow to connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot will depend on the device—Android*, iPhone*, or another brand—but here is an overview. Click the wireless icon on your device to see the names of nearby wireless networks. Select a wireless network; in some cases, you might also have to click “Connect.”Enter the security key or the password. Most wireless networks are secured and require a password to accept a connection. Some networks are unsecured or open and do not require a password; you should take care when accessing them as they could introduce a security risk.Select the network type (home, work, or public, if you are on a Windows* device). Choosing the network type will establish a security level appropriate for your location. If you select “home” or “work,” your device will be discoverable to other devices. Be sure to select “public” if you are in a public location like a coffee shop, hotel, restaurant, airport, and other similar locations. Voilà! You’ll be online in a flash. Depending on where you are and the types of hotspots near you, you may be on either an open, unsecured wireless network or a paid/commercial wireless network. You may be asked to sign up for an account or use a paid service like Boingo* or iPass*, which offer various Wi-Fi access plans depending on how much time you plan use the Internet. Let’s say, though, that you can’t find a Wi-Fi hotspot nearby. Read on to learn how you can use your smartphone as a portable hotspot. Using Your Smartphone as a Mobile Hotspot If you’re in a location that doesn’t have a hotspot and you want to connect your laptop to the Internet, you can use your phone as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot through a process called “tethering.” This allows your laptop to access the Internet and share your smartphone’s data connection. While the set-up steps vary depending on your smartphone and your Internet service provider, you can usually find the instructions in your phone’s Settings or Manage Connections menu. For security, you’ll want to make sure that you use a Wi-Fi password so that nearby Internet users can’t access your phone or laptop. Also, be aware that tethering your laptop to your phone will use your phone’s data allowance; so be sure to keep an eye on your usage to avoid any overage fees. Now that you’re connected, that’s it, right? Well, not exactly. You should be aware that while using Wi-Fi hotspots is a convenient way to stay connected with work, family, and friends. Hotspot connectivity also presents some security risks. Hotspot Security One of the risks of being connected to the Internet is that the very technologies that help us keep up with our work and personal lives can be vulnerable to hackers and identity thieves. When looking for a public Wi-Fi hotspot, be sure to connect your smartphone or laptop only to reputable providers—for example, the hotel’s or coffee shop’s wireless network. Be wary about connecting to hotspots that have misspellings such as Bongo instead of Boingo, as hackers sometimes use these seemingly innocent names to lure busy users who aren’t paying close attention. It’s also possible for hackers to distribute malware (software that can damage or disable your computer) through an unsecured Wi-Fi connection, especially if you are using a file-sharing program over the same network. Virtual Private Network (VPN) If you have security concerns about using a public Wi-Fi hotspot, you could consider creating a virtual private network (VPN), which allows you to use to the Internet through an encrypted connection. While this can deter hackers because your data is encrypted, be aware that it will slow down your Internet access because of the processing power required to encrypt and decrypt your transmitted data. Find a VPN Solution that Works If you’re interested in using a VPN to safeguard yourself online: Invest in a monthly service. This is one of the most commonly used solutions. Make sure to do your research before you buy.Consider purchasing a VPN-enabled router. There are several models on the market that make setting up your own VPN easy. With more than 9 billion Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices expected to be in use by the end of the year, the importance of hotspots and Wi-Fi in our lives really can’t be overstated. Nerdcore Computers author

Learn how to increase the Wi-Fi speed on your device by optimizing the settings to boost signal and extend range1. Wi-Fi speed—you probably don’t think much about it until the movie you’re streaming crashes. Or your files won’t upload to the cloud. Or your web browser keeps spinning without loading the page you want. With millions of users connecting their mobile devices to Wi-Fi hotspots around the world, it’s no wonder that people want to know how to increase their Wi-Fi speed so they can stream movies, upload and download documents, and transfer data quickly. Innovations in Wi-Fi technology are what make it faster than previous generations. And since Wi-Fi speed is often related to internet connection range, we’ll show you some ways to help boost the range and extend the wireless signal. We’ll talk more about these past generations below and some of the terms you need to know when thinking about Wi-Fi connections: Speed—New Wi-Fi technologies deliver data more quickly than previous generations. A faster connection results in faster Wi-Fi speeds. Capacity—New routers also deliver more data simultaneously to more devices; that is, they have a larger capacity. Coverage—Wi-Fi speed is one piece of the puzzle, and coverage (or range) is the other. You want a router than can deliver more Internet speed and at greater distances. With a strong Wi-Fi connection, you’ll save time because the connection speed is faster, and you can stream movies, games, videos, and other data-heavy applications more quickly and with higher image quality. Why Your Wi-Fi Is Slow? Let’s talk about why your Wi-Fi connection speed is slow. Physical barriers, such as walls and floors, can affect wireless signals, as does the distance between the device and the access point and the number of devices using your Wi-Fi network. Even simple things like adjusting the height of your router off the floor can impact its performance. Be sure to talk with your Internet service provider to make sure you’re paying for the speed you need. Different providers offer different speeds, and you may not have the package that is the best fit for your connectivity needs. Three main things impact the speed of your Internet connection—the placement of the router, the technology, and the devices that are connected to it. Ways to Boost Your Wi-Fi Speed 1. Place your router in an open spot. Because Wi-Fi is just that—wireless—its connection speed is affected by distance, obstacles (such as walls, floors, and ceilings), electronic interference, and the number of users on the network. All these things contribute to the slow-down of Wi-Fi connection speed. For the best signal, put the wireless router out in the open on the main floor of your house, away from walls and obstructions. Ideally, you’ll want to position it off the floor, above the furniture. Keep it away from other electronics that might cause interference, like microwaves, baby monitors, and cordless phones. You might also try pointing the antennas perpendicularly, with one horizontally and one vertically. Want to know where the wireless dead spots are around your house? Try using a mobile app, like CloudCheck*, to test for them. It can also help you identify where the signal strength is best, so you can find a good spot for your router. Think of it as Wi-Fi feng shui for your wireless router! 2. Use current Wi-Fi technologies. Technologies change rapidly, and one of the best ways to speed up your wireless network is to use the latest hardware. Wireless-N (802.11n) and Wireless-AC (802.11ac) are newer, faster technologies, with Wireless-A (802.11a), -B (802.11b), and -G (802.11g) being older and slower. Newer Wireless-AC routers have data transfer speeds up to three times faster than older Wireless-B/G/N models, and they offer “dual-band” functionally so you can free up channels for older wireless devices to access. And, of course, you’ll want to secure your Wi-Fi network with a password so your neighbors can’t stream their movies on your wireless connection! 3. Limit devices and optimize settings. Playing online games, conducting video chats, and streaming movies and videos take up a lot of bandwidth, and they can slow down Internet speed and access for everyone connected to that Wi-Fi network. Some routers have a Quality of Service (QoS) setting that lets you control which apps have priority access to the Internet bandwidth. For example, you may want to prioritize video calls if you have a lot of meetings, and deprioritize file downloads from the cloud. You can always get your files later, but you don’t want to drop a call with an important client or family member! You’ll also want to make sure that your wireless router has the latest updates to its firmware. While many newer routers have a built-in update process, you may need to access your router’s settings to manually start an update. It’s also a good idea to plug stationary devices, like desktop computers and gaming consoles, directly into the router to provide better bandwidth for your mobile devices. You can install browser extensions that can block ads, animations, and videos that hog bandwidth. Even small tweaks like blocking streaming ads can improve your user experience. You can also fine-tune the channel selection on your router. By default, many wireless routers are set to run on channel 6. This means that your neighbors’ routers might also be running on channel 6, causing congestion on that channel because of the number of devices connected to it. Using a tool like Wi-Fi Analyzer* or Wi-Fi Scanner* can help you identify router channels with more bandwidth giving you improved Internet speed. If your router is relatively new, it should be able to switch between two radio frequencies—2.4 GHz (the older standard) and 5 GHz (the newer standard). Smart wireless routers can choose the best frequency for you and your environment. Each frequency has multiple channels: 14 at 2.4 GHz and 30 at 5GHz. So, if your router has the capability to automatically switch between frequencies, it can choose among 44 channels. If it is older and can only access the 14 channels at 2.4 GHz, then it’s more likely to encounter “traffic” on the Wi-Fi connection. You can check your wireless router settings to see if it is auto-switching between channels and frequencies for the optimal setting. Other Tips Looking for even more ways to try to increase your Wi-Fi speed and extend the Internet connection range? Use a wireless range extender. While this may not speed up the connection, it can boost the signal into the dead spots of your house or office. For example, if your router is on the first floor of your house, you may want to add a wireless range extender on another floor to boost the signal. It can be a big help in areas with thick walls or other physical structures that can impede a wireless signal. Add access points. Think of access points as creating a wireless mesh around your house. They transmit Internet signals to each other to create a wireless network. They are created for large spaces with multiple floors. Speed Up the Data Stream. That invisible wireless connection can have a huge impact on our daily lives—determining how much we get done or how much we can kick back and relax. No one wants dropped video calls, choppy video streaming, or slow file downloads. With a little know-how and some persistence, you can tweak your wireless router’s settings to increase your Wi-Fi connection speed and extend its range. Nerdcore Computers Author

When Windows* 10 came out July 29, 2015, many were cautious to sing its praises, but over time, the improvements to security, its enhanced personalization features, and the attention to gaming won over many critics. All in all, Windows* 10 is a very stable, secure, and feature-packed operating system (OS). Most people will benefit from using Windows* 10, and in this article we will cover whether or not it is the best choice for you. Top Reasons to Upgrade to Windows* 10 The top three reasons you should upgrade to Windows: Improved interface (Start menu) and personalization Enhanced security features Great gaming additions Improved Interface and Personalization Improving the way we interact with our PC is one of the key advancements in Windows* 10. By bringing back the Start menu, and introducing Cortana* (a personal assistant) Microsoft is improving the user interface (UI) and scoring points with users who prefer simplicity. Start menu The Microsoft Start menu was introduced with Windows* 95 more than 20 years ago. Since then, it’s been through much iteration, but no major changes were made until the release of Windows* 8 when the Start menu was replaced with the Start Screen and “live tiles.” The touch-based interface and full screen of apps was a bit jarring to users. Microsoft heard the criticism loud and clear. Windows* 10 not only brought the Start menu back, but it also added in the best features of the Windows* 8 Start Screen. Using the new Start menu in Windows* 10, you can: Change its size by dragging the borders or corners of the Start menuArrange, add, or delete any of the tiles, programs, or apps that appear on the Start menuFully personalize it by changing color scheme and other settings Cortana* Cortana* is a personal digital assistant built into the Windows* 10 OS. Much more than just a search engine, Cortana* can answer questions, search your entire PC for files or documents, provide reminders, track flights, or even tell you a joke. Cortana* is also available on Android devices and Xbox One consoles. Edge Browser* Microsoft bid farewell to Internet Explorer with Windows* 10 and introduced its new browser—Edge*. According to Microsoft, the browser was built from the ground up to provide a clean, modern, easy way to surf the Web and take advantage of future advancements. New features allow you to: Preview multiple pages by hovering over open tabs Pin tabs to the browser bar for one-click access to commonly-visited sites Interact with Cortana* while you browse to receive deals, coupons, and notifications Virtual Desktops As Mac and Linux users already know, virtual desktops are great for those of us who open a lot of programs at once but want to keep things organized. Microsoft’s goal in creating virtual desktops was to: Give users more desktop space to group related windows Help users quickly locate and switch to any window or group of windows Allows users to re-organize groups and move windows as tasks evolve Windows Ink* Windows Ink* is a compelling feature that was introduced with the Windows* 10 Anniversary edition. The Windows Ink* Workspace provides a digital pen to make notes, edits, or even to create a sticky note. Windows Ink* also includes a sketchpad, screen sketch capabilities, as well as your favorite digital pen apps. Security Improvements Some have said that Windows* 10 is the most stable and secure OS from Microsoft to date. Security is a huge concern in today’s digital world, and Windows* 10 was built with security in mind. These security enhancements include: Windows Hello* Use Windows Hello* to log into your PC faster and more securely than before. Using the camera on your PC, Windows Hello* will recognize your face instantly and securely log you in. Or, you can use the fingerprint reader, which works the same way. Once you’ve enabled Windows Hello*, you can also use it with compatible apps, like Dropbox, so you can skip entering your password manually. Signing in is simply faster and safer. Windows Defender* Windows* 10 provides an entirely redesigned Windows Defender*, which helps guard your PC against malware and viruses. Windows Defender* runs in the background scanning files as you access them (and before you open them!). Windows Firewall* Windows Firewall* protects your network’s security by keeping hackers and malicious software from penetrating your PC. Windows Firewall* establishes a protective barrier between your PC and the hackers of the world. Great Gaming You could make a case that Windows* 10 was designed with gamers in mind. From support to DirectX 12 to providing new ways to game across devices, Windows* 10 provides great features and benefits for gamers of any skill level. DirectX 12 Using Windows* 10, games take advantage of the graphic fidelity of DirectX 12. DirectX 12 games use the full capabilities of your PC’s video hardware to deliver sharper visuals and improved performance. Xbox Play Anywhere Microsoft has just unveiled its new Xbox Play Anywhere solution. Now when you buy an Xbox Play Anywhere digital title, you can play it on your Xbox One and any Windows* 10 PC at no additional cost. Start a game, and then pick up where you left off, even on another device! You won’t lose any of your saves, add-ons, or achievements. Built-in Broadcasting Want to stream your domination to the world? No problem—Windows* 10 allows you to stream your game play using the Game Bar. Just hit the Windows key plus G. Click Broadcast and start streaming. What’s Not to Like? Windows* 10 is a solid choice for most users, providing great personalization features and interface improvements, as well as strong security features and gaming enhancements. So, what’s not to like? Well, there are some cases where upgrading to Windows* 10 might not be a high priority. Cost Microsoft released Windows* 10 as a free upgrade until July 29, 2016. If you upgrade now, you’ll pay the retail price (~$119). Windows Media Center* Windows Media Center* was designed to run as a full-screen media player and also support television channels (from tuners). Windows Media Center* has a loyal and devoted following, but it was phased out with the Windows* 10 upgrade. So, if your entertainment solution is built around Windows Media Center*, you’re probably better off sticking with your current Windows* OS until you can find a more viable option. Windows* 7 or 8 Enthusiasts With support extending until 2018 and 2020, both Windows* 7 and Windows* 8 are still favored by many users. If everything is working fine for you, and you prefer the design and UI of Windows* 7 or Windows* 8, there probably isn’t a need to upgrade right now. However, make sure you’re using adequate or additional security measures (Windows* 10 offers enhanced security features). Windows* 10: A More Powerful Upgrade So, what’s the answer? Should you upgrade to Windows* 10? For most PC users, the answer is yes. Secure and stable, Windows* 10 offers a powerful way to stay connected, productive, and entertained. Nerdcore Computers Author

Transferring files from PC to PC can be done quickly and securely without losing any data in the process. There's nothing more exciting than getting a powerful new computer that lets you zip through tasks, run new applications, and play games at astounding speed. However, there's nothing more daunting than realizing you have to move all your music, pictures, documents, and other files from your old computer to the new computer. Fortunately, you don't have to beg and bribe your friends to help with this moving day. There are a variety of ways to easily and safely share files and even move programs from your old computer to your new one while keeping your data safe. DIY Approach: Manually Transfer Files If you're a hands-on sort, one of the simplest ways to get your new computer loaded with all your files is to manually move them. There are a couple of ways to do this. For starters, plug your old computer into a USB flash drive or external hard drive, which typically can cost from $30 to several hundred dollars depending on the storage amount, speed, and functionality you need. Simply copy your files onto the external drive, eject the storage device, plug the storage device into the new computer, and then reverse the process to load the files onto it. Tip: Some computers have eSATA ports that are specifically designed for external hard drives and move data even faster than USB ports. If you don't want to purchase an external hard drive, you can also move and store your files into the cloud—using an Internet-based storage service such as Microsoft OneDrive*, Google Drive*, or Dropbox*. Again, just drop and drag your files from your old computer to the cloud service, and then drag-and-drop the files onto your new computer. These services are often free for a small amount of storage, and then charge a monthly subscription as your storage needs increase. Speed Things Along: Use a Transfer Cable If you find using cloud storage to be a time drag, or if you want to avoid a monthly subscription to cloud services, an alternative option is to move your files with a transfer cable. The cable plugs into a port on both your new computer and old computer. Typically, cables come with software that automates the transfer of files when upgrading from an older Windows* 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, or XP computer to a newer computer. A transfer cable works faster than an external hard drive, since the old computer connects directly to the new one while eliminating the middleman (the external drive). Nerdcore Computers Author

Buying a processor for a gaming rig isn’t as hard as it used to be. Now that AMD’s Ryzen and Intel’s 9th-gen Core CPUs come with more performance and cores than ever before, it’s hard to buy a stinker these days—especially because most games favor graphics firepower over CPU oomph. All that said, there are specific chips that stand out from the horde as the best gaming CPUs due to their price, performance, or nifty extras. Updated October 31, 2019 to include the Core i9-9900KS and new recommendations. Whether you’re on a budget or willing to pay for sheer face-melting speed, these are the best CPUs for gaming PCs that you can buy. Latest gaming CPU news It’s going to be a busy fall for PC processors. AMD delayed its 16-core, 32-thread Ryzen flagship, the $750 Ryzen 9 3950X, to November. Third-generation Threadripper processors will launch the same month, kicking off with a 24-core version. While AMD hasn’t said much else about Threadripper, we expect models with even more cores to appear once the sky-high demand for the company’s most expensive 7nm chips dulls, or supply increases. Intel isn’t sitting on its thumbs though. In addition to launching the Core i9-9900KS, the fastest CPU for gaming ever released with an all-core 5GHz boost, it’s also slashing prices in response to AMD’s awesome 3rd-generation Ryzen processors. It cut the cost of all F-series processors—Intel Core chips that lack integrated graphics—by $25, and announced that its next-gen “Cascade-X” Core-X series chips will launch at prices over 50 percent lower than those of its predecessors. While the 18-core Skylake-X flagship cost nearly $2,000, the new 18-core Core i9-10980XE Extreme Edition chip is downright cheap at $979. The 10-core Core i9-10900X chip is a mere $590. The best gaming CPU for most people AMD Ryzen 5 3600X ($235 on Amazon) Intel’s ruled the gaming roost for seemingly time eternal, but in 2019, AMD seized the mainstream crown. Pound for pound, the Ryzen 5 3600X is the best gaming CPU for most people, and the best mid-range CPU period. While Intel removed Hyper-Threading from most of its mainstream Core lineup, leaving most of its Core i5 lineup with six cores and six threads, AMD bestows its Ryzen parts with simultaneous multi-threading, giving the six-core Ryzen 5 3600X a full twelve threads. That gives it a serious advantage in productivity workloads. But for the first time in recent memory, AMD’s mainstream chip outpunches its direct Intel rivals too. AMD infused its third-gen Ryzen chips with massive instructions-per-clock (IPC) improvements and faster clock speeds, with the 3.8GHz Ryzen 5 3600X capable of boosting up to 4.4GHz. Together, those gains help propel the 3600X past Intel’s Core i5-9600K in Tom’s Hardware’s testing, and the beloved Core i7-8086K in Tech Radar’s testing. Most AMD motherboards support overclocking for the adventurous if you want to try your hands at even better performance. You can find the Ryzen 5 3600X for $235 at Nerdcore Computers, down from a $250 launch price. Better yet, AMD tosses in three free months of Microsoft’s superb Xbox Game Pass for PC with every Ryzen purchase, and your choice of either The Outer Worlds or Borderlands 3. That’s a lot of free gaming goodness to go with a great gaming processor. Mentioned in this article If you want to spend a little less cash, or don’t mind overclocking, consider the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 instead. The non-X version costs $295 at Nerdcore Computers. It packs the same six cores and twelve threads but runs a little slower with a 3.6GHz base clock and 4.2GHz boost clock. The reduction in clock speeds drops the Ryzen 5 3600’s gaming performance a bit, with the chip trading blows with Intel’s Core i5-9600K in gaming benchmarks at TechSpot and GamersNexus, but it’s close. With AMD’s chip offering twice as many threads as Intel’s, and gaming performance so close, both sites give the Ryzen 5 3600 a hearty recommendation. By contrast, the Core i5-9600K costs $235 at Amazon. Most gamers should stick to the Ryzen duo. The best budget gaming CPU AMD Ryzen 3 3200G ($100 Nerdcore Computers) If you want a gaming CPU that won’t break the bank, look no further than the $100 Ryzen 3 3200G. The continuation of AMD’s “APU” strategy, this third-gen Ryzen chip blends four Ryzen CPU cores with eight of AMD’s powerful Radeon Vega compute units. The end result? A solid-performing chip that can play PC games without the need for a graphics card. It’s built using 12nm Zen+ cores rather than the 7nm Zen2 cores in other third-gen Ryzen processors, but the Ryzen 3 3200G should still deliver enough punch for basic gaming. Its predecessor, the Ryzen 3 2200G, handled e-sports titles like Fortnite, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Rocket League with ease and turned in surprisingly good frame rates even in AAA games like Destiny 2 and Rise of the Tomb Raider. You might need to alter some graphics settings and maybe dial the game resolution back to 720p for the best results, but you can get the vast majority of games running between 30 and 60 frames per second with some tinkering. The Ryzen 3 3200G should perform slightly better thanks to faster clock speeds. Its CPU cores are about 300MHz faster than the 2200G’s, while the integrated Radeon Vega GPU cores are about 150MHz faster. You can improve your gaming experience by pairing the chip with other hardware. For instance, an affordable FreeSync monitor such as the 21.5-inch, 1080p Acer SB220Q ($90 on Amazon) would smooth out tearing and stuttering, And because the chip uses your system RAM to feed the Radeon graphics, faster memory would help. Aim for 8GB of 2,933MHz or 3,200MHz RAM for best results, but lower speeds still work. Just make sure you get a dual-channel kit with two memory sticks, because single-channel nukes the gaming performance of Ryzen APUs. Mentioned in this article $238.00 Buy it At nerdcore computers Stepping up to the $245 Ryzen 5 3400G adds simultaneous multi-threading for 8 total CPU threads, faster speeds, and three additional Radeon Vega compute units for better gaming performance. Given the much higher cost, however, the Ryzen 3 3200G is a better pick for most people on a tight budget. If you’re buying a Ryzen APU, though, make sure your chosen motherboard includes an HDMI port. The best high-end gaming CPU Intel Core i9-9900KS ($670 on Nerdcore Computers) If you absolutely, positively need the fastest frame rates possible, price be damned, you’ll want Intel’s $513 Core i9-9900KS Special Edition. Well, theoretically $513. This limited supply chip shot up to $570 Nerdcore Computers on launch day and still sold out.

The 10th gen is here an every one is pleased to know that were one company that has all the cpu in stock. We can setup a powerful gaming or business machine for you. Get the best out of your technology. Product Collection 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors Code Name Products formerly Ice Lake Vertical Segment Mobile Processor Number i7-1065G7 Status Launched Launch Date Q3'19 Lithography 10 nm Recommended Customer Price$426.00 Performance # of Cores 4 # of Threads 8 Processor Base Frequency 1.30 GHz Max Turbo Frequency 3.90 GHz Cache 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache Bus Speed 4 GT/s TDP 15 W Configurable TDP-up Frequency 1.50 GHz Configurable TDP-up 25 W Configurable TDP-down Frequency 1.00 GHz Configurable TDP-down 12 W Supplemental Information Embedded Options Available No Memory Specifications Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type) 64 GB Memory Types DDR4-3200, LPDDR4-3733 Max # of Memory Channels 2 ECC Memory Supported ‡ No Processor Graphics Processor Graphics ‡ Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics Graphics Base Frequency 300 MHz Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency 1.10 GHz Graphics Output eDP/DP/HDMI 4K Support Yes, at 120Hz Max Resolution (HDMI 1.4)‡ 4096 x 2304 Max Resolution (DP)‡ 5120 x 3200 Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)‡ 5120 x 3200 DirectX* Support 12 OpenGL* Support 4.5 Intel® Quick Sync Video Yes # of Displays Supported ‡ 3 Device ID 0x8A52 Expansion Options PCI Express Revision 3.0 Package Specifications Sockets Supported FCBGA1526 Max CPU Configuration 1 TJUNCTION 100°C Package Size 50mm x 25mm Advanced Technologies Intel® Deep Learning Boost (Intel® DL Boost) Yes Intel® Optane™ Memory Supported ‡ Yes Intel® Speed Shift Technology Yes Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost No Intel® Turbo Boost Technology ‡ 2.0 Intel® vPro™ Platform Eligibility ‡ No Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology ‡ Yes Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) ‡ Yes Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) ‡ Yes Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT) ‡ Yes Intel® TSX-NI No Intel® 64 ‡ Yes Instruction Set 64-bit Instruction Set Extensions Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512 Idle States Yes Thermal Monitoring Technologies Yes Intel® Stable Image Platform Program (SIPP) No Security & Reliability Intel® AES New Instructions Yes Secure Key Yes Intel® Software Guard Extensions (Intel® SGX) Yes with Intel® ME Intel® OS Guard Yes Intel® Trusted Execution Technology ‡ No Execute Disable Bit ‡ Yes Intel® Boot Guard Yes Nerdcore Computers 10 th generation of cpu more power for everyday use

Computer or Laptop Making Strange Noises Is your machine making a strange whirring noise? It might be a fan dying. Computers accumulate dust over time, and when fans get clogged, they can slow down, decreasing their effectiveness and making an unpleasant grinding sound. Another common computer problem is the dreaded "click" of a dying hard drive — one of the most potentially destructive PC problems there is. If you hear a rapid clicking or clunking noise inside your computer, it's best to get a backup plan in place, if you don't already have one — chances are your hard drive is close to dying and taking all your valuable data with it. Then again, it may be a loose component or screw inside the machine. Either way, don't ignore it. Computer or Laptop Overheating Dying fans, poor ventilation, or even heavy use can create computer problems as the PC heats up. Most computers are designed to shut down when things get too hot, as a precaution against permanent hardware damage, but it can be pretty alarming when a machine just switches off seemingly out of nowhere. Overheating can cause all sorts of other computer problems. Overheating can cause mouse glitches, strange performance in software, or lockups, while an overheating video card can cause the display to momentarily fail. Computer or Laptop Running Slow - Poor Performance When you delete files and applications from the computer, all kinds of junk can get left behind. Useless files and data can accumulate and degrade system performance. Ironically, antivirus and anti-malware software, while vital to the health of a computer, can slow down a PC's performance. Low hard drive space or not enough RAM in the machine can also cause computer errors and slow down the machine. Computer or Laptop Lockups and Freezes The infamous "blue screen of death" (BSOD) has frustrated many a user, as it brings the computer to a halt and displays an error message that's utterly indecipherable to most computer users. Lockups can be caused by any number of issues — sometimes it's buggy software, or a system running out of memory. Sometimes it's a bad hardware driver causing the issue. More seriously, it can be a sign of overheating, RAM going bad, or the hard drive failing. Components get loose inside the machine and can also cause computer errors, sudden lockups, or even spontaneous shutdowns. When your PC or Laptop wont start, runs so slowly or dies completely Contact Us we have a full workshop to repair most makes and model of desktops and laptops. We can replace your laptop screen, remove spyware/malware, reinstall a fresh operating system or restore your data and lost files with ease. Email Us: info@nerdcore.com.au Laptop Repair Laptop Screen Repairs & Replacements Computer Repair Desktop Computers Laptop Repair Laptops PC Repair Apple MAC's Laptop Screen Repairs Tablets Computer Repair We can come to your home or office and repair your computers on site or we can collect them and bring them back to our fully maintained workshop to completely refurbish and restore your computer and files back to a near new condition. If you have lost files or photographs and fear that you have lost them we have software that will allow us to get them back for you. Simply close your computer or laptop and Contact Us Immediately so we can restore those "lost" files and photographs Our rates are very competitive and we charge $140 per hour for all work done inside our workshop. All work done on your worksite or at your home then we charge $120 per hour for our technicians to come to you. All parts and software that we need to use will be at costs to you as discussed at the time of repair. Call our 24/7 Tech Support Number for an immediate response: (03) 86897974 Email Us: info@nerdcore.com.au You can request a call back or collection by filling out the Contact Us form on the right hand side of this page. Head Office: 3A Willesden Road Hughesdale Victoria 3166 Australia

We work very hard to make sure that every customer gets the service they pay for thats why we are listed in many sites. The site we want to talk about is word of mouth. Here we have established 60 positive reviews with engaging content an fun reviews to read. So i am just quickly writing this blog to let you know that you can rely on other websites to also get great feedback from. Friendly & Helpful - Computer help without the techno jargon, seriously! We're clean and only visible when needed, and leave when our job is done so you can get yours done. While we're there we'll take note of the details of your office technology setup so we'll be even better prepared for future visits or your requests concerning upgrades and new products that will help with your current setup. Our repair process is state of the art booking system were every job logged is monitored by a closing log ticket. Each technician monitors the job right through to the very end making sure that everything is completed and you get the best customer service experience. We follow up on every job we do, we educate our customers through the process of repairing any devices or ongoing project that requires updates to your personal or managers. Personality Professionally Qualified - We're computer networking consultants, firewall, disaster recovery, desktop support technicians, and professional computer programmers. We help growing businesses and home users successfully and securely maintain computer networks, desktops and firewalls. As your "Part-Time IT Department" Nerdcore delivers on-demand, on-site computer and network services that are convenient and reliable and very cost effective. Rest assured every onsite service is backed by our work satisfaction guarantee and 30 days warranty. We come to you in Melbourne an right across Victoria within hours to resolve your issues.

Microsoft and the US government are asking patch management vendors and end-user organizations to share their experiences about how to swiftly patching security flaws and explain learnings from past failures. Microsoft is encouraging all patch management vendors and Windows customers to reach out to the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) for help to solve challenges around patching security flaws in the face of rapidly spreading malware outbreaks . The joint effort is partly inspired by the devastating NotPetya attack that relied on exploits for the same flaws Microsoft rushed out patches for in response to WannaCry, which happened a few months earlier in May 2017. “We were particularly concerned with why patches hadn’t been applied, as they had been available for months and had already been used in the WannaCrypt worm—which clearly established a ‘real and present danger’,” said Mark Simos, a lead cybersecurity architect at Microsoft’s cybersecurity solutions group. Microsoft issued patches for the NSA-developed EternalBlue flaws in March 2017 in the security bulletin MS17-010. NotPetya began spreading in June 2017, causing over $1 billion in damages to several global firms, including shipping giant Maersk, despite raised awareness of the EternalBlue exploit due to WannaCry. The infections spread rapidly, catching many organizations off guard and leaving them with huge bills linked to production downtime and IT cleanups. While everyone assumes patches can and should be deployed as quickly as possible, not all organizations have the resources to do so. Microsoft surveyed 845 IT pros a few months after NotPetya and found that about 80% believed they could patch workstations and servers within 30 days. But NotPetya demonstrated that when faced with rapid cyberattack, patch management in practice might not have been so good. Microsoft recommends organizations apply patches on all systems within 30 days, validating backups and reducing broad permissions within 90 days, and disabling unneeded legacy protocols in the quarter after and beyond, such as the SMBv1 network sharing protocol. Microsoft says vendors should contact NIST at cyberhygiene@nist.gov if they have “technology offerings to help with patch management (scan, report, deploy, measure risk, etc). It also wants end-user organizations and individuals to share “lessons learned from a successful enterprise management program (or lessons learned from failures, challenges, or any other situations)” with NIST. Simos frames the program as "patching for social responsibility”, which is a fair description given the economic losses caused by both attacks. WannaCry cost the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) £92 million (AUD$170 million), consisting of £19 million in downtime during the attack and £73 million in IT costs, which mostly occurred in the cleanup. The project is “kicking off soon”, according to Simos, and will build “common enterprise patch management reference architectures and processes, have relevant vendors build and validate implementation instructions in the NCCoE lab.” The results will be shared in the NIST Special Publication 1800 practice guide, allowing all organizations to benefit from the shared input. There were two surprise questions that prompted Microsoft to contribute to this project with NIST. These were: What sort of testing should they be doing when testing patches? And how fast should systems be patched? “This articulated need for good reference processes was further validated by observing that a common practice for “testing” a patch before a deployment often consisted solely of asking whether anyone else had any issues with the patch in an online forum,” explained Simos. Additionally, major digital transformation projects over the past decade have made large organizations -- and the people who depend on those services -- much more dependent on technology working. Nerdcore Computers Author

Firmware is the soft underbelly of Windows 10 security, but Microsoft has devised a plan to protect PCs from advanced persistent threat (APT) attackers who attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in firmware from Dell, HP and other OEMs across chipsets from Intel, AMD and Qualcomm. Microsoft’s new “secured-core” project aims to deliver real-world protections against the very real threat posed by state-sponsored hacking groups like APT28 aka Fancy Bear, which was recently pegged for using the first known example of a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) rootkit to target Windows PCs. The appeal of the firmware-level malware is that it will still remain on a system after a reboot, offering attackers a persistent presence on systems in the face of usual procedures to remove malware. Microsoft’s technology will be of interest to any organization that could be targeted by APT28, who past victims include the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016, and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The company’s initiative attempts to bring to the diverse Windows hardware ecosystem what Apple delivers to the enterprise with its T2 security processor and Google has done in its Titan chip for Pixel smartphones. But while Apple and Google can exercise control over their own hardware products — as Microsoft can with its Surface line of PCs — the firmware challenge is different for the diverse range of hardware that runs alongside the Windows operating system. Interestingly, it’s Microsoft’s Xbox gaming console that has informed its new approach to hardware-level security and the defenses it wants to create for all Windows OEMs. Like Macbooks and Pixel hardware, the Xbox is vertically integrated technology that Microsoft controls. “Google has done it with the Pixel and their Titan chip. The thing that makes Microsoft attractive to a lot of our customers is that they have a variety of hardware to choose from. And we don’t want to lose that. That’s part of the value of the Microsoft ecosystem,” David Weston, partner director of Windows security at Microsoft told CSO Online. “We’ve done it on Xbox where we control the hardware and that’s similar to the Apple model and so how do we scale that out to deliver the same advanced security protections through hardware? And that’s where Microsoft is working with hardware and silicon providers to bring that. And we’re doing that across an enormous amount of devices,” he added. The outcome is Windows Defender System Guard and Secured-core PC devices, which requires users have updated firmware, as well as configure the Windows 10 machines with the strictest security protections. But it does present security conscious organizations with a new option to lock down PCs with a high risk profile. “The reason this is exciting is because we worked with the manufacturers to enable this. The really cool thing about this is that beyond performance and compatibility testing, they’re not only beautiful like the HP Dragonfly, but you don’t lose performance or have any user friction,” said Weston. In other words, the user isn’t meant to notice these additional security measures, however security operations teams should be able to since they can, using System Guard, remotely monitor PCs and check for firmware attacks. The key benefit is that the technology removes firmware from the boot process. It will be available with version 1909, the soon-to-be-released November 2019 Update. It will also only be available on new devices and there are no plans to update existing hardware. The first device that will ship with the technology is the Arm-based Surface Pro X tablet. According to Microsoft, System Guard uses the “Dynamic Root of Trust for Measurement” (DRTM) in new silicon from AMD, Intel, and ARM to start hardware and then “re-initialize the system into a trusted state by using the OS boot loader and processor capabilities to send the system down a well-known and verifiable code path.” The process  mechanism restricts firmware and thus mitigates firmware-level attacks as well as protecting processes shielded by Microsoft’s virtualization-based security (VBS). “VBS then relies on the hypervisor to isolate sensitive functionality from the rest of the OS which helps to protect the VBS functionality from malware that may have infected the normal OS even with elevated privileges. Protecting VBS is critical since it is used as a building block for important OS security capabilities like Windows Defender Credential Guard which protects against malware maliciously using OS credentials and Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI) which ensures that a strict code integrity policy is enforced and that all kernel code is signed and verified.” Nerdcore Computers Author

The Pros and Cons of Cloud vs in house servers When your business needs to decide which server is best for your business, there is a lot of information to consider. The two most popular options include in house servers (sometimes called dedicated servers) and cloud servers. While they perform similar basic functions to store, share and protect information and data, there are key differences in user experience, implementation time and cost. If your business has outgrown the in house server and you want to replace or upgrade it, now may be a good time to consider moving to a cloud server OR If your business is expanding to different locations or countries, adopting cloud technology from the start may be a better option than an in house server. What are the pros and cons of in house servers for businesses? When you’re considering the pros and cons of in house servers for your business, it’s important to also have a business continuity plan in place if the server fails. Businesses that aren’t dependent on uptime are often more suited to in house servers than businesses that rely on online transactions. Historically small and medium businesses have chosen in house servers over cloud servers for file sharing, to host applications including email and software. Now the cloud is a more viable option for small and medium businesses, there are still some who prefer in house servers because they have total control over it. It’s important to note however that in house servers can require substantial initial capital investment for software and equipment. In house servers can also be developed to meet the changing needs of your business. It’s important to note that your business will need to have a dedicated IT manager to maintain it and ensure it is secure at all times which can be expensive. The pros of in house servers include: Having physical control over your back upBeing able to keep critical data and information in house with no 3rd party access available No requirement for an Internet connection to access the data Can be more cost effective for some small and medium businesses The cons of in house servers include: Sizeable capital investment required for infrastructure and hardware Dedicated IT support required with a dedicated space needed for the in house server Being more susceptible to data loss during disaster situations. This will be dependent on how often data is stored securely offsite.No recovery time or uptime guarantees What are the pros and cons of cloud servers for businesses? Cloud servers for small and medium businesses offer advantages over in house servers but also some drawbacks. If your business has numerous virtual and remote employees and you don’t want to manage an in house server, a cloud server will be beneficial. Cloud servers are easily scalable and give businesses the flexibility to meet changing demands, without hefty investment. You’ll need to budget for monthly hosting fees, but won’t have to be concerned about the security of your data and information. The pros of cloud servers include: No requirement capital expenses or onsite hardware. This usually suits organisations that outgrow data storage quickly.Storage can be easily added when needed with most cloud solution providers charging you only what you need.Easy and efficient to backup and restore from anywhere, using any device including computers, tablets, or smartphones.Data losses can be minimised by having data backed up to the cloud as regularly as 15-minute intervals. The cons of cloud servers include: If your business isn’t dependent on uptime and instant data recovery, the costs could outweigh the benefits.There is a limit to how much data can be stored in the cloud, which depends on cost and storage availability.You will have no access to any data or information if the Internet goes down at your business or at the cloud provider’s side.If full data recovery is required, it can be time-consuming and impact heavily on your business. Could hybrid cloud be the best option for your business? A hybrid cloud is a combination of in house and cloud based server solutions, which gives businesses the best of both worlds. With the ability to have multiple configurations a hybrid cloud can be: Dedicated servers integrated with public cloud storage Private cloud servers integrated with public cloud servers Businesses who use a hybrid cloud can quickly extend their processing power. For instance, larger analytical and processor intensive tasks can be sent to the public cloud while the in house server can be used for critical tasks. This appeals to organisations that value keeping sensitive data and information private but need extra processing power via the cloud. For businesses that have short-term peak loads for processing, using a hybrid cloud can be more cost effective than upgrading their servers because they only pay for the cloud resources they use. Upgrading servers for a few peak periods a year can be expensive and if they’re under utilised, be a waste of resources. Since 2002, Nerdcore Computers has helped thousands of Australian businesses with data storage and information processing solutions. Our team of IT specialists and networking professional’s work closely with public cloud providers. We can engineer your hybrid cloud to seamlessly integrate with Microsoft Azure, AWS and Datto. Where to get the best server solution for your small and medium business When you’re trying to decide between in house servers, cloud servers and hybrid servers for your business, it’s important to choose a solution that fits your business needs now and in the future. Since 2002, Nerdcore Computers has helped thousands of small and medium Australian businesses with their server solutions. As one of Australia’s largest privately owned telecommunications companies, our highly trained and experienced team of IT specialists are here to help you. Call us today. 1300 637 326

Harness the Power of Cloud Services Boost efficiency, slash costs and shore up security with cloud IT solutions for all your business needs. We can help your business select, implement, migrate and support best-in-class cloud IT services. Use the same cloud IT services that over 75% of Fortune 500 companies and top universities use. With Google Apps for Business or Hosted Microsoft Exchange, you get the world’s best IT services for email, calendar, documents, contacts and more. Email is your business’s most important communications platform. To keep your competitive edge, you need to protect your employees’ productivity, manage their mailboxes efficiently and encrypt messages containing personal, confidential and trade secret information. Without a solid email management plan in place, your business is vulnerable to multiple, significant risks. Nerdcore Computers is here to help Business-Grade Email Email is your business’s most important communication tool. Smart email management includes safeguards to protect your employees’ productivity, manage mailboxes efficiently and encrypt messages containing personal, confidential and trade secret information. Use the same email services that over 75% of Fortune 500 companies and top universities use. With Google Apps for Business or Hosted Microsoft Exchange, you’ll get the world’s best email, calendar, and contact systems. Access Data Anywhere With the power of the cloud, you can have access to business data anywhere you go, on any mobile device. We can set up and help manage this type of mobile, cloud-based data sharing. We can also incorporate powerful productivity features on mobile phones, tablets and guest machines. Email Archiving & Retention Don’t take risks with legally binding communications. Take control of business email with advanced tools for email retention and archiving from Nerdcore Computers. You control email retention policies for legal purposes, you keep a copy of all email—even if an employee deletes it—and you legally own all content. Access from Mobile Devices Take full advantage of mobile devices—even employee-owned devices—with mobile access and sync tools from Nerdcore Computers. Access cloud-based email, calendar, contacts, documents and even applications from anywhere. Email IT Service Setup & Migration Ready to upgrade to world-class email IT service? Our IT specialists will consult with you on your needs, set up a best-fit IT services plan for your business, migrate all of your existing business data and assist each user with access, configuration and training. Cloud Server Consultation Meet with an expert cloud IT specialist to determine which IT systems are right for your company. Compare the benefits of popular IT services and understand their differences. We can explain all the features, benefits, pros and cons in plain English. Understand Cloud Costs We help you compare the cost of cloud IT services to traditional in-house servers. We use a multi-year model to compare the true cost of cloud subscriptions to hardware purchase and maintenance.

Backup is Crucial for any Business Whether you run a medical office, ad agency, legal practice or clothing boutique, data backup is crucial. Smart data solutions from Nerdcore Computers protect your data and deliver peace of mind. Whether you’ve already experienced a hard drive or system failure or you’re thinking proactively about implementing regular, continual backups to protect your business, we can help. We’re a top provider of data recovery and data backup for small and mid-sized businesses Australia Melbourne Victoria. Data Recovery & Continuity If you’ve ever experienced a data loss scenario, chances are, you never want to go through it again. Whenever a system crashes or your network goes down, business operations can be brought to a standstill. We offer monitored backup solutions and provide data recovery service to people and businesses to help prevent a data loss “worst-case scenario.” Business Continuity With proper backup planning and strategy, data recovery will never be needed. Not sure how vulnerable you are to data loss? We’re happy to assess your risk and provide you with a comprehensive solution to regularly and systematically back up your business’s data. Nerdcore Computers

Workstation & User Support You pay good money to hire great people. Now, give your employees workstations that really work—ensuring maximum up time and peak productivity. Support for Your Users & Workstations Our expert IT specialists and our deep familiarity with industry-leading tools mean we can effectively support your users and workstations—remotely, at your site or at our office Shop 3a Willesden road Hughesdale. We’re here to provide the updates, patches and backup assistance when your workstations need it. And when it’s time to repair or replace your workstations or IT systems, we can recommend new equipment and oversee your business’s transition from old to new technology. Updates & Patch Management It’s a challenge to keep track of un patched vulnerabilities due to lack of time, the sheer volume of software releases, a lack of resources or even the bandwidth required for implementation. The solution? Outsource patch and update management to the team at Progressive Tech to ensure that all your systems and apps are always updated and secure. Workstation Management & Maintenance When it comes to workstation management and maintenance, you need peace of mind. Rest assured that our team of IT specialists constantly checks all of your IT systems and infrastructure to ensure everything is fully functional at all times. We receive automatic alerts for most common issues and can solve many problems before they ever interrupt workflow. Security & Backup Strategy Keep your workstations secure and protected from viruses, prying eyes or thieves by ensuring that your business-critical files are safe from crypto-malware, accidents or malicious attacks. Sleep well knowing that all of your IT systems are automatically backed up and verified regularly by Progressive Tech. Workstation Upgrades & Replacements Unlike many other IT support providers, we only advise replacements or upgrades that make sense for you and your budget. We also offer repair options for out-of-warranty and older equipment—something you don’t often find with other IT support providers. When it’s time for new IT systems, we’ll make the transition seamless by helping you select the right equipment and working to ensure minimal user impact. Nerdcore Computers 3A Willesden Road Hughesdale Victoria 3166

Managed IT Support Are you troubleshooting the same problems again and again? Stay open for business with our managed IT services and support. We understand how important it is for your business’s IT systems to run reliably and efficiently. Downtime equals lost sales, lost productivity and lost customer goodwill and trust. Find out how our managed IT support plans smash IT problems and keep your business running smoothly. A great managed IT services and support plan goes beyond just minimizing downtime; it helps you understand and maximize the value of your technology. With our team of IT specialists on your side, you’ll be in a position to realize the full return on your investment in IT systems. What exactly are Managed IT Services? Managed IT means hiring an IT support provider to take ownership and management duties over the entire IT infrastructure of your business for a flat monthly fee. To ensure your flat-fee, customized IT support plan delivers the most value and functionality from your IT systems, we provide your business with: Reliable, up-to-date, fast and fully functional IT systems Monitoring and alerting on health of all covered IT systems Patch management and anti-virus management Continuous backup monitoring and alerting Prioritized response time for managed IT services clients Discounted labor rates for managed IT services clients Options for emergency, weekend and after-hours IT support Nerdcore Computers

Stop struggling with tech problems and free yourself to focus on running your business. Find out how we prevent tech problems and ensure your business always runs smoothly. Top-Rated Business IT Support Want to know why so many businesses in Victoria Melbourne area are choosing Nerdcore Computers for all their daily business IT needs? Our focus is on creating lasting relationships with our clients through flexible policies, superior IT service, competitive rates and a full staff of expert IT specialists. We offer an unrivaled array of IT services, including managed IT services, plans, as-needed IT support and special tech projects. Seven days a week, right from our Seattle-based office, we deliver: Flexible IT services and pricing tailored for each business Commitment to build and maintain lasting relationships Focus on value, no pushy sales tactics Friendly, veteran IT specialists If your business IT solution—or lack thereof—is keeping you up at night, we should talk. It’s time to think proactive, be productive, get Progressive. Nerdcore computers

Solid-state drives consist of a series of flash memory chips assembled to act as a single storage device. Manufacturers have offered SSDs since the 1980s, but significant price decreases have made the technology much more affordable for consumers over the past decade. As leading SSD recovery specialists, we regularly invest in technology research and development. Our engineers have years of experience with NAND flash technology, and we can provide data recovery services for all SSD and SSHD brands. With specialized flash recovery tools and the industry's best set of certifications, you have access to a fast way to recover from any type of unexpected SSD data loss. Contact us today to set up a free evaluation. Common Causes of Solid-State Drive Data Loss Many computer users assume that solid-state drives cannot crash or suffer other issues commonly associated with traditional hard drives. While solid-state drives have no moving components, they have a number of sensitive electronic components that can sustain damage and fail for a variety of reasons. The good news is that most of these issues do not cause permanent damage, but data recovery specialists need a special set of tools to successfully perform SSD repairs. Secure Data Recovery Services operates the industry's only certified Class 10 ISO 4 Cleanroom, which allows our engineers to perform safe physical repairs, and we have developed an extensive set of flash data recovery tools to provide the best possible results for our clients. Solid-state drives can lose data due to: Physical or Electronic Component Damage File Corruption Caused by Software or Operating System Issues Bad Sectors Memory Wear Caused by Excessive Overwrites Accidental File Deletion Damage from Viruses, Trojan Horses and Other Malicious Programs Fires, Floods and Other Natural Disasters Solid-state drive failures can catch you off guard, and you face serious consequences when data loss occurs. We offer several service options to help you manage turnaround times and data recovery costs, and unlike many other providers, we will never void your warranty while providing our services. We offer a full no recovery, no charge policy for all SSD and SSD RAID data recovery services. What to Do When a Solid-State Drive Fails If your solid-state drive loses data, keep it turned off. While an SSD cannot sustain physical component damage during operation, it can overwrite files, contributing to corruption and reducing your chances of a successful recovery. Solid-state drives can also suffer from memory wear or other physical issues, and by keeping your drive powered off, you maintain your media in its original condition. Never use data recovery software or disk utilities on your solid-state drive, as these programs can contribute to flash media issues by writing data to your disk. We can provide a free solid-state drive data recovery evaluation through any of our offices. Our experts will determine whether your drive has recoverable data and provide a price quote and turnaround estimate. Security Credentials and Advanced SSD Repair Technology Because we specialize in solid-state drive data recovery, we can successfully treat the vast majority of cases. We maintain a 96 percent overall success rate, and our talented engineering teams always work to find creative solutions to media failure issues. With the use of strict security controls and advanced networks we can guarantee your confidentiality. We hold a number of compliance certifications to demonstrate the effectiveness of our security systems, and reputable third-party companies regularly audit our facilities. You can learn more about our all of our certifications through the menu above. When you need a dependable, trustworthy provider with experienced solid-state drive repair experts, Secure Data Recovery Services can help. By maintaining state-of-the-art facilities, we offer the industry's best services for solid-state disk drives and hybrid drives of all sizes. To set up a free evaluation or for more information regarding our solid-state drive data recovery services, contact our 24/7/365 customer service team today.

Hard Drive Recovery Services Our technology allows us to perform data recovery on hard drives of all types, regardless of physical size or issue. Here are some types of common hard drives that we can recover from: All hard drives are treated with the same certified technology, and our data recovery engineers follow strict security procedures to protect recovered data from unauthorized access. When it comes to recovering data from a failed hard drive Nerdcore Data Recovery Services maintains high overall success rates of over 96 percent. We Work With All Hard Drive Operating Systems We currently provide hard drive data recovery services for all operating systems. Operating system can affect the logical (non-physical) portion of the data recovery process, and we employ a team of skilled software technicians to treat every case as effectively as possible. Apple Nerdcore Data Recovery Services employs Apple Certified Mac Technicians (ACMTs) to safely recover files from all types of Mac OS devices. Microsoft Our hard drive data recovery services provide an excellent resource for Microsoft Windows users, and cutting-edge technology ensures dependable results for all versions of the operating system. Linux Linux systems require dedicated attention, especially when file corruption and other logical issues occur. We support every Linux distribution along with other Unix operating systems. Our technicians have experience with every operating system that is available on hard drives. We can find appropriate solutions for any type of physical or logical hard drive failure. Our R&D team creates all of our software and hardware tools in lab, which allows us to recover your hard drive and give you fast results with unequaled security. We Work With All Hard Drive Manufacturers Nerdcore Data Recovery Services provides options for all hard drive brands, and our services never void your active product warranties. As a recognized leader in our industry, we are recognized by many of the world's most popular hardware vendors. Ask a member of our team how to submit your warranty after data recovery is performed on your hard drive. Seagate We are a Seagate Data Recovery Partner, and our verification gives you peace of mind as your case progresses. View this page for our partner certificate and more information. Western Digital This page showcases our options for Western Digital hard drive owners. We maintain a partnership with Western Digital and offer customer-focused services with special discounted rates. Toshiba Nerdcore Data Recovery Services is a Toshiba Registered Business partner, and we support all Toshiba devices including hard drives, solid-state drives and servers. Samsung We are a Samsung Registered Business partner and offer simple warranty-safe data recovery options for all Samsung product owners. Our services include hard drive data recovery, flash media recovery and more. We also support other hard drive brands not listed above. Our large onsite hardware library allows for efficient and dependable results, and every case is treated with appropriate security controls to provide a private experience. Tips for Increasing Your Hard Drive Recovery Success Rate If your hard drive is exhibiting any of the failure signs below, follow the tips to increase your chances of a full recovery. Clicking, Whirring, or Grinding Noises - immediately power down the device Water Damage - remove the battery and other memory chips from the device and let it dry out. Fire Damage - do not use the drive or attempt to open it up Deleted or missing files - do not use the drive and turn it off to avoid overwriting information. Do not open the hard drive to attempt a DIY recovery as you could cause irreversible damage and render your files unrecoverable. Call a professional data recovery company with proper security certifications and a Cleanroom facility for recovery.

The cloud is supposed to be about convenience. But if you’re trying to access files quickly, remote data storage often disappoints. For file copying speed, even the best online backup options can’t outpace a good local backup solution. For businesses, that means faster disaster recovery, faster collaborations and fewer headaches. Forget about single-disk external drives, too. Local storage options today are both powerful and reasonably inexpensive, making it a perfect time to implement a more advanced hybrid backup strategy for your business. During this overview, we’ll be noting some of the best servers for business with an with an eye towards affordability.  Our top options include the Lenovo ThinkServer TS140 and the Dell PowerEdge T30. Beyond that, unless you’re ready to spend bigger, we recommend going the NAS server route, and our final three picks reflect that recommendation. What Makes a Server the Best for a Small Business? Finding an inexpensive server these days isn’t hard. Finding an inexpensive server that’s actually good is little trickier. The market is forever in flux and opinions vary wildly, but the five best server options listed below will all work nicely toward evolving your business’s backup plan. There are a few criteria we looked for when making our picks. One of the most important is at least four hard-drive bays. The reason we encourage four bays is that’s how many you need to setup RAID 5 and maintain decent storage capacity. RAID 5 both stripes data across multiple drives for performance and keeps parity data so that if one drive fails, you don’t lose anything. We also favor servers that support SSDs (solid-state drives). SSDs have fewer moving parts than traditional mechanical hard drives (HDDs). They’re both considerably faster and less prone to breaking. Granted, SSDs are also considerably more expensive, too, so you many want to stick to HHDs and upgrade later if needed. Some servers let you run both SSDs and HDDs simultaneously, so you can use an SSD for your OS and HDDs for other files. As far as CPUs, most low-cost options use the same processors you’ll find in laptops. Better, faster options uses high-performance processors designed for multi-threaded capabilities and reliability (like an Intel Xeon). We considered CPU and allotted RAM, too. Both will dictate how many simultaneous users you can have accessing your backup and drive other performance metrics. The Difference Between File Servers and NAS Devices Traditional file servers and NAS devices share many features. Most notably, both let business users on a network backup, store, share, edit and otherwise work with files. Usually, the biggest difference between servers and NAS devices is power, with servers having more of it thanks to more advanced hardware. Lower cost servers, however, and NAS devices are usually pretty comparable in that regard, which is why we include NAS devices in this article. Servers can also be used to run applications used by your office, including databases and email. NAS, not so much. In fact, servers are more configurable in general. They usually don’t even come preinstalled with an OS. That way, you can go with Windows Server, Linux Server or whatever other server OS you favor. On the other hand, most NAS devices come pre-configured with proprietary OS software. While less flexible, there’s definitely a speed advantage here. NAS devices can be set up and backing up files in a few minutes. Servers will take both more upfront work and more consistent monitoring. Ultimately, going with one or the other will depend on the needs of your business. Whichever you go with though, don’t dismiss the notion of also backing up your data to the cloud. Server Backup to the Cloud Here at Cloudwards.net, we tend favor a hybrid backup approach when it comes to storing business data. That’s to say, we suggest storing data both locally and in the cloud.  While servers are pretty convenient when it comes to speed, only storing data locally can lead to some big problems for your business. It’s because of this that most online backup experts endorse the 3-2-1 rule, or some variation of it. The basics of 3-2-1 are pretty simple: It’s always best to keep three copies of your data on at least two mediums, with one of those mediums offsite. The reason offsite copies of your business files are recommend is that fires, floods, viruses, accidents and other such problems are hard to guard against. Unless you’re building your own climate-controlled, secure offsite data center to host your server, keeping everything on a server without a fallback plan means putting your business at risk. Online backup is slow, but it also provides a level of data redundancy and security that’s hard to beat with an onsite server. Thanks to plenty of competition, you’ll find some pretty good prices on online backup, too. The top options you can read bout in our IDrive for Business review and CloudBerry Backup review. We have an article on the best server backup to help guide the way. Many of the same options can also be used to backup NAS devices. Or, you can check out another article we’ve penned dedicated specifically to finding the best online backup for NAS. Five Best Affordable Servers for Small Businesses Servers:Server Type:Approximate Price: Lenovo ThinkServer TS140 NAS$750 Dell PowerEdge T30 NAS$600 NetGear ReadyNAS 424 NAS$550 Synology DiskStation DS916 NAS$650 QNAP TS-453ANAS$1600 Lenovo ThinkServer TS140 Our first pick is a popular one: the ThinkServer TS140. Lenovo’s tower server is inexpensive and upgradeable, meaning it can grow along with your business.The TS140 comes with four empty 3.5” bays, which means it can support RAID 0, 1 and 5. You can mix and match SSDs and HDDs, too, if you want to cut costs by only using an SSD for your server OS. Base configurations are pretty minimal: dual Intel Core i3-4130 3.40GHz processors and 4GB DDR3 memory. However, you can opt for a higher-end model running with an Intel Xeon and 32GB of RAM if you’re don’t mind spending more. Or, you can upgrade later. Four PCIe slots open up additional expansion and upgrade options, including swapping your hard-interface from SATA to SAS, should that become a need. The TS140 already has an Intel HD Graphics 4400 card and a DVD-R optical drive. Model:TS140:TS140 (Intel Xeon): Approximate Price:$500$750 Bays:FourFour Processor:Core i3-4130Intel Xeon RAM:4GB DDR34GB DDR3 Another advantage in buying the TS140 is that it’s whisper quiet at just 26 decibels, so won’t disturb your while you work. If you ever decide to move onto a different server, you can also repurpose your TS140 into a pretty nice gaming rig. Granted, that might disrupt your work some. Now, let’s move onto the main event and take a look at the top five servers that are suitable for small businesses. The below list is not extensive; however, it contains my favorite server picks, considering the combination of features and low prices on offer here. Pros: Up to 16TB of storageUp to 32GB of RAMRAID 5 capableVery quietLow-energy consumptionFour PCIe slotsDVD-R driveIntel Graphics 4400 Cons: No hot swappingSlow base CPU Dell PowerEdge T30 LIke the TS140, Dell’s entry-level server comes in a tower case with room for upgrades. However, it’s base configuration also packs a bit more punch than our previous entry, seeing as it comes standard with a Intel Xeon 3.3GHz Quad Core processors and 8GB of RAM. There’s also a pretty affordable 16GB version. The T30 comes with a 1TB hard drive, but has space for up to four 3.5” HDDs or six 2.5” ones. That means you can support up to RAID 5 if that’s a business need. Four PCIe slots and six USB 3.0 ports will come in useful for expansions. ModelT30:T30 (16GB RAM): Approximate Price$450$600 Bays:FourFour Processor:Intel XeonIntel Xeon RAM:8GB16GB The unit is also compact and quiet, so should fit in the corner of your office nicely (just not by the water cooler). While not as popular as the TS140, the T30 certainly has better specs, minus the fact that it doesn’t come equipped with an optical drive or graphic card. Pros: Intel Xeon Quad CoreUp to 16TB of storageUp to 64GB of RAMRAID 5 capableWhisper quietLow energy consumptionFour PCIe slotsFix USB 3.0 slots Cons: No hot swappingNo graphics card Synology DiskStation DS916 The Synology DiskStation DS916 is our top recommendation for SMBs looking for a NAS device. It’s a bit pricey and if you’re looking to save, the DS216 is quite a bit less, but also only has two drives to the DS916’s four. That means the DS216 isn’t capable of RAID 5. The DS916 is and you can even scale it up to nine drives with Synology’s five-bay expansion unit, the DX513. Doing so would increase your storage capacity to 72TB. The base model comes with 2GB of DDR3 RAM, which you might want to upgrade. The quad-core, Intel Pentium N3710 processor should be plenty powerful enough, though. While you can store and stream HD movies if you want, there’s no question the DS916 is built with information technology needs in mind. A maximum of 200 users can use the DS916 at a time — a testament to the power of its hardware. Synology also uses an AES-NI hardware encryption engine to keep your files secure. The ability to read encrypted files at speeds of over 225 MBps and write them at over 209 MBps is another compelling reason why it might be beneficial to your business to keep files locally in addition to in the cloud. Model:DS216:DS916: Approximate Price:$350$550 Bays:TwoFour Bays:Intel Celeron N3060Intel Pentium N3710 RAM:1GB2GB Finally, Synology packages its NAS devices with some great apps that will appeal to business users. That includes mobile apps to connect to your NAS while on the move and a surveillance station app if you want to wire your office with IP cameras for that friendly, big brother feel. Pros: Fast to setupRAID 5Four baysMobile appsUp to 200 usersHot swapping Cons: Only 2GB RAM (upgradeable)Can’t install server OSOnly uses proprietary apps NetGear ReadyNAS 424 While we’d recommend the four-bay version of the NetGear ReadyNAS 420 series, as with the Synology DiskStation, there’s also a two-bay version if you don’t mind decreased capacity and data redundancy. Alternatively, you can can also pick up six-bay and eight-bay versions for a reasonable cost. For those looking for a little more power, there’s also a 520 and 620 series. The 420 series uses an Intel Atom dual core processor to keep things moving. The 520 and 620 series both use the Intel Xeon. Both higher-end models also support virtualization, which the 420 doesn’t. The ReadyNAS has some nice applications that make it a quick addition to your SMB network. That includes ReadyCLOUD to quickly set things up and remote management and monitoring apps. Model:422:424426:428 Approximate Price:$300$400$550$650 Bays:TwoFourSixEight Processor:Intel Atom Dual Core Intel Atom Dual Core Intel Atom Quad CoreIntel Atom Quad Core RAM:2GB2GB4GB4GB It can also automatically backup to several cloud storage options, including Amazon AWS, Google Drive and Dropbox if you’re looking to implement hybrid backup and don’t want to use a service like CloudBerry Backup. According to the specs, the ReadyNAS 424 can only support up to 40 concurrent users. However, that should be enough for most SMBs. Pros: Easy to setup Inexpensive Expandable to 9 bays RAID 5 Handy package center Up to 40 users Cons: Can’t install server OSOnly 2GB RAM (upgradeable)Media file transcoding can drain CPU QNAP TS-453A QNAP makes some of the most popular NAS devices for both home and business users — and makes a lot of them. For professionals, the QNAP TS-453A is our top pick, but there are a few different directions you could go in, including the higher-performance QNAP TVS-671. The TS-453A runs an Intel Celeron N3150 Quad Core 1.6GHz processor and comes standard with 4GB of DDR3L RAM, which you can bump to 8GB. This NAS also supports server virtualization, including VMWare and Hyper-V. According to QNAP it runs faster than our Synology recommendation, with speeds up to 412 Mbps even running AES-NI encryption. Dual HDMI outputs let you expand or mirror your storage locally. Model:TS-253A:TS-453A:TVS-671: Approximate Price$450$550$1600 Bays:TwoFourSix Processor:Intel Celeron N3150 Quad CoreIntel Celeron N3150 Quad CoreIntel i5 Quad Core RAM:4GB4GB8GB Best of all, if you’re looking to after-work karaoke parties for your business associates, the TS-453A is your machine thanks to QNAP’s Ocean KTV app.  In fact, it’s all around great media server, making it an ideal addition to your home theater setup, too. Pros: Easy to setup Server virtualization Very fast 4GB RAM (upgradeable to 8GB) RAID 5Hot swapping Cons: Bit expensive

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In most modern businesses in Australia, IT underpins all facets of operations. This includes the hardware and software that help our team get work done, and the communications services like the Internet, email and phone that connect you to your customers and suppliers. Despite the essential role these IT services play in contributing to your business’ ongoing success, not every organisation has the resources, capacity or expertise available to ensure that their technology and systems are running correctly to best support their operations. Our Managed IT solutions can help businesses in Sydney, Melbourne and the rest of Australia fill this gap. We go above and beyond to strengthen and further enhance your capabilities to take your business to a whole new level. Tailored IT Service Packages OUR IT PACKAGES Every business is different and requires a tailored IT Service based on your specific requirements. Whether you simply want someone to maintain your current IT and communications systems or you prefer fully outsourced IT, we have a package that will suit you. Compare Sustain Synergy Shield 24/7 infrastructure monitoring & reporting Proactive network maintenance schedule Industry leading tools and ticket management processes including customer portal Guaranteed response times - SLA measurement and management Expert and locally based service desk with unlimited IT support Regular scheduled visits by dedicated system administrators Network documentation including tailored procedures & forms Account management Fixed cost IT services Full time onsite IT engineer/s IT team management Strategic CIO service Tailored management reporting

In the past, companies had to invest significant resources to build the physical hardware infrastructure they need for their operations.The rise of Cloud computing means businesses today have far more flexibility, and are able to reduce their initial investment. Cloud solutions allow you to rent or purchase the servers, computing resources and storage space you need at the present time, and then expand your capacity as your business grows. Many Cloud vendors also provide Software as a Service (SaaS) that ensure efficient management of your system requirements. By partnering with Nerdcore Computers to design and implement the right Cloud systems for your business, you also benefit from our ongoing expertise and knowledge to maintain your systems to the highest standards. INFRASTRUCTURE AS A SERVICE (PUBLIC, PRIVATE & HYBRID CLOUD SOLUTIONS) Deciding on the most appropriate Cloud solution for your business can be challenging. Things to consider: Productivity requirements Security requirements Scalability and accessibility Cost The team at Nerdcore Computers takes the time to understand your business, then helps you select the most appropriate Cloud solution for your need. We also tailor solutions to ensure you get exactly what you need. Where do you see your business going? Nercdore Computers can assist you with all your computing requirements, providing the necessary capacity to help your business scale. Nerdcore Computers can ensure you get access to scalable public infrastructure at a cost-effective price. Need greater control or enhanced security? Nerdcore Computers can tailor a private Cloud solution to meet your needs. Need to balance scalability, security and control? A hybrid model will give you the scalability of public infrastructure, combined with the security and control of a private model. It’s a cost-effective option thanks to reduced hardware, software, cooling and power requirements. Whatever model you select, Nerdcore Computers will assist you to make the right decision. We will be there to provide you ongoing services, to ensure your Cloud solution remains relevant as your business requirements change. MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 Productivity applications are no longer software suites installed on individual terminals. With the Cloud-based Microsoft Office 365, you and your staff can access the entire suite of Microsoft products online, anywhere, anytime. The usual productivity tools – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PowerBI, Outlook, Access, Skype, Teams – are now fully integrated, and your team can access all these productivity systems via the Cloud using a single password. By migrating your existing systems to Cloud-based Office 365, your team will be able to streamline collaboration, helping your business achieve full scalability as your business grows. Nerdcore Computers is a registered Silver Microsoft Partner, and will assist you with all aspects of setting up and configuring your Office 365 system. We will also take care of the detailed planning, collaboration and change management processes needed to smoothly migrate from your existing systems to Office 365. Let Nerdcore Computers take responsibility for the whole process, including the safe migration of data and email systems, and see how your business processes will be transformed. MICROSOFT AZURE Microsoft Azure is a suite of cloud computing systems used by enterprises and businesses to build, test, deploy and manage applications and services. If you are exploring how you can leverage Azure’s Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) solutions, Nerdcore Computers has the expertise and insight to support and advise you on how your business can take advantage of what Azure has to offer. This support extends to execution – let Nerdcore Computers implement Azure systems for your business, enhancing how you function and helping you streamline your processes. CLOUD BACKUP & DISASTER RECOVERY Data ranks as one of the most valuable assets for any business, and safeguarding against data loss is critical. Cloud-based backup systems are one way to ensure the safety of your data in the event of system failures or catastrophes. With Nerdcore Computers, your data is backed up to specialist Cloud-based providers. This strategy offers far more flexibility and convenience than traditional offsite tape or USB drive backup systems. With our range of solutions, including Storage Craft’s Shadow Protect and Veeam Disaster Recovery, Nerdcore Computers guarantees: everything is fully backed-up and disaster recovery systems are in placeany accidentally deleted files can be recovered in minutesservers can be brought back online speedily to minimise any downtime to your operations. All backing up is done seamlessly without any interruption to your business.