Windows 11

Windows 11 is a major version of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft that was announced on June 24, 2021, and is the successor to Windows 10, which was released in 2015. Windows 11 was released on October 5, 2021, as a free upgrade via Windows Update for eligible devices running Windows 10.

Windows 11 features

• New Start menu and taskbar design
• Widgets mean there's lots of scope for customisation
• Snap groups enable you to set up your screen how you want

Windows 11 features various interface tweaks including a new Start menu that looks more like an app launcher, more rounded corners, snap controls that let you pin a window to a spot in your screen (and snap groups), a new Widgets area and icon in the taskbar and a new Windows setup experience. 

Snap groups and Snap layouts are particularly cool - enabling you to have greater flexibility and choice over how you set up your display with multiple windows. Windows can now be arranged in different ways, while Windows will remember your layouts so you can easily get back to them in future. Windows 11 will also remember how you laid out your windows on an external display and give you access to that layout when you re-dock. 

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Many icons have been updated, too, giving everything a fresh feel compared to Windows 10. However, in terms of functionality, it's not a huge leap on from Windows 10 - more an iteration. 

The key design change is the new Start menu which you can see above. The taskbar icons are now centralised (you can move them back if you want). The Start menu also shows you your most recently touched files.  

The new Widgets bar - which you can resize - is essentially the replacement for the Start menu live tiles from Windows 10, enabling personalised information such as relevant news stories to be delivered. There should be a lot of different options here come launch as developers will also be able to contribute. 

On tablets, snapped Windows change orientation if you move to portrait from landscape. Touch targets have also been made larger so it's easier to use for touch. 

Android apps will also now be able to be installed on Windows 11 via the Microsoft Store which itself will be redesigned. The apps will come from the Amazon Appstore, so there won't be quite the range that you'd get on Google Play. It's been reported that this process won't be easy since you will need to sign in to an Amazon account to download it first. 

Microsoft Teams will, however, be baked into the operating system it seems, seemingly now being preferred to the officially forgotten Skype. 

For gaming, Windows 11 supports Auto HDR from Xbox Series X which adds HDR to games built for DirectX 11 or later. 

Microsoft wants to position Windows as a platform for other stuff more than ever. Microsoft says it will welcome any type of app to the store - not just 'native' store apps even if developers use their own ways of taking customer payments.

Interestingly there are a bunch of features missing from Windows 11 which we've detailed in a separate feature but these include Live Tiles - replaced by the Widgets sidebar - Tablet Mode, Timeline and Cortana being front and centre. There are also a bunch of other apps no longer present and these include the old Internet Explorer. 

Razer Project Brooklyn

This concept for a next-gen gaming chair might be better described as a luxury gaming pod. An arc of a retractable 60-inch OLED screen provides a panoramic view. Ergonomic cushions cover the seat and arms. RGB lighting pipes the chair. A table folds in and out for PC-to-console ease. And, much like the haptic feedback incorporated into Razer’s surround sound headset, the chair’s frame is equipped to vibrate throughout gameplay. It’ll be better than any ride at Universal. But, alas, it’s just a concept.

 

HyperX Cloud Stinger S Gaming Headphones With Noise-Cancelling Mic Launched in India

HyperX on Tuesday, September 21, launched brand new gaming headphones called the Cloud Stinger S in India. The new addition to HyperX's gaming headset range comes equipped with 50mm drivers, and rotating ear cups. The Cloud Stinger S features a noise-cancelling microphone that is claimed to deliver clear sound. The headphones also have adjustable steel sliders. HyperX Cloud Stinger S is said to provide a 7.1 virtual surround sound experience using HyperX's NGENUITY software, which also helps customise other HyperX headsets like the HyperX Cloud II Wireless, Cloud Alpha S, and Cloud Stinger Core Wireless + 7.1.

HyperX Cloud Stinger S price in India

HyperX Cloud Stinger S is priced at Rs. 5,990 in India. As of now, the device is available for purchase exclusively through HP World stores.

HyperX Cloud Stinger S specifications

The HyperX Cloud Stinger S headphones are lightweight at 275 grams. They are equipped with 50mm drivers that are said to deliver a virtual 7.1 surround sound. The headphones also have a ‘swivel-to-mute' noise-cancelling microphone. The ear cushions are constructed out of leatherette and memory foam and the adjustable sliders are made of steel. As said above, the headset comes with earcups that can rotate up to 90 degrees and allow gamers to rest the pair on the neck during breaks. The headset also includes volume control on the earcup.

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HyperX Cloud Stinger S comes with a frequency response range of 18Hz-23,000Hz and an impedance of 32 Ohms. HyperX says the headphones are compatible with PC. The headphone cable is 2.5 metres in length that allows for a 3.5mm connection.

HyperX NGENUITY software can be used to customise the button assignments on the headset. Users can also use the software to set up lighting and effects, create and store macros, adjust mice DPI settings, and customise keyboard Game Mode.

 

         Xiaomi introduces first over-the-air          charging system called Mi Air Charge

 Xiaomi aims for a truly wireless future with the Mi Air Charge system, which is capable of charging multiple devices wirelessly from a distance.

Traditional wireless chargers still need to be attached to a power source, be it a battery pack or outlet. The latest technology from Xiaomi, on the other hand, uses radio waves to charge a device over the air — truly without wires.

Xiaomi announced its new Mi Air Charge technology on Friday. The system uses a base station with 144 antennas broadcasting a charging signal to compatible devices.

Xiaomi says that a smartphone with a receiving antenna array can connect to the charging point "within a radius of several meters." The company says that users can move about the room and have objects between the devices without interrupting charging.

A millimeter-wave signal is broadcasted directly to the device via beamforming with a beacon antenna. The device can charge multiple phones at 5W of power each.

Xiaomi hopes to use this technology in smart watches, speakers, and other appliances so that future devices no longer need a power cable at all. They imagine a world where everything in the room is truly wireless.

This isn't the first we've heard of "truly wireless" charging. Apple was previously rumored to be partnered with Energous, an over-the-air charging company, but the rumors never panned out. Although are no current rumors of Apple using distance wireless charging technology, previous rumors began as the Energous CEO said they had partnered with a "tier one company". At the time, it was implied to be Apple.

Nvidia GeForce RTX GPUs Aren't for Ready for Gamers Yet - Here's Why

 At Gamescom 2018 last week, Nvidia lifted the lid on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, GeForce RTX 2080, and GeForce RTX 2070 with a release date of September 20. The GeForce RTX series is based on an architecture codenamed Turing that merges conventional graphics rasterisation, real-time ray tracing, AI, and compute power for the first time.

Nvidia claims that Turing delivers up to 6X the performance of the previous-generation 10-Series GPUs. Gamers will be able to play the most recent and upcoming titles in 4K with HDR at frame rates exceeding 60fps.

The GeForce RTX series GPUs feature new hardware called RT cores. These allow hardware acceleration of light rays in real time, which has never been possible before with consumer-grade silicon. The possibilities include deferred shading, and real-time transparency and translucency effects with objects in motion, allowing for shadows and light to behave more realistically. All this means that gamers will be able to see reflections of things like explosions that aren't even happening on screen. In theory, this should result in better looking games with a greater sense of fluidity and immersion, which might seem like a breath of fresh air following two years of the Nvidia GeForce 10-series GPUs.

Seagate One Touch SSD 

Seagate knows that consumer interest in portable SSDs is growing, and so its portfolio has also expanded. We have with us for review today the new Seagate One Touch SSD, which is relatively affordable and quite stylish. It's positioned as a tech lifestyle device, and targets people who don't necessarily need the best possible speed but are looking for something better than a typical portable hard drive.

For anyone who hasn't tried an SSD before, the differences compared to a hard drive will be stark and surprising. They're potentially multiple times faster than hard drives, but much lighter, smaller, easier to carry, and more reliable. Many people are happy to spend good money for these advantages.

Seagate One Touch SSD (1TB) design and features

Seagate is definitely focusing on design with this model. The company has gone for a credit-card shape, though despite claims that this device can be slipped into a wallet, it's much too thick for that. In fact, this drive is almost exactly the same size as the very popular Samsung SSD T5, though very different in design.

There's a distinctive textured fabric panel on the top, and a cloth tab with the Seagate logo on one side. The 1TB version of this SSD is available only in white and black, but if you choose the 500GB version, there are special editions with blue, green, red, or grey camouflage prints. Additional artist editions for both capacities are shown on Seagate's US website though these don't appear to be available here, and there's the possibility of more designs coming out in the future.

For a device that's positioned as modern and fashionable, we're quite surprised to see an old Micro-USB 3.0 port on the back, like most external hard drives still use. This isn't as convenient as a USB Type-C Port, which we'd expect on an SSD. Seagate also doesn't include a Type-C cable or adapter, so those with sleek Type-C-only laptops will need to buy an adapter of their own

Asus VivoBook S15 (S532F) WithScreenPad  

Asus took us quite by surprise when it introduced the quirky and unique ScreenPad on its flagship 2018 laptops, the ZenBook Pro 14 and ZenBook Pro 15. The company effectively replaced the standard trackpads on these laptops with fully interactive touchscreens. The idea was to retain all the functionality of a standard trackpad but also open up completely new ways to use a laptop. We had a lot of thoughts about the concept and execution of the ScreenPad idea – not all positive. While there was a lot of potential, it seemed as though Asus had failed to strike the right balance between usability and innovation.

We now have some new laptops with the second-gen ScreenPad, which Asus says has been refined and focused. The concept has also been democratised, and can now be found on mainstream VivoBook as well as premium ZenBook laptops. This could be a good thing, giving Asus a unique and attractive selling point in the crowded market – but it could also backfire, confusing users and making everything more difficult.