Hands-on with the 2024 iPad mini: Spot the differences

Hands-on with the 2024 iPad mini: Spot the differences

The previous model had already abandoned Apple’s proprietary Lightning connection for the industry-standard USB-C, but this updated USB-C port supports transfer speeds up to 10Gb/s, much faster than the previous model. (That’s data transfer, while charging seems the same.) The USB-C port returns, this time with faster data transfer. Credit: Samuel Axon The USB-C port…

Qualcomm cancels Windows dev kit PC for “comprehensively” failing to meet standards

Qualcomm cancels Windows dev kit PC for “comprehensively” failing to meet standards

It’s been a big year for Windows running on Arm chips, something that Microsoft and Arm chipmakers have been trying to get off the ground for well over a decade. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus are at the heart of dozens of Copilot+ Windows PCs, which promise unique AI features and good battery…

Redbox hack reveals customer info. from 2K rentals

Redbox hack reveals customer info. from 2K rentals

Thousands of Redboxes getting dumped It’s worth noting that the amount of data expected to be stored on Redboxes is small compared to Redbox’s overall business. Since Redbox once rented out millions of DVDs weekly, the data retrieved only represents a small portion of Redbox’s overall business and, likely, of business conducted on that specific…

Android 15’s security and privacy features are the update’s highlight

Android 15’s security and privacy features are the update’s highlight

Android 15 started rolling out to Pixel devices Tuesday and will arrive, through various third-party efforts, on other Android devices at some point. There is always a bunch of little changes to discover in an Android release, whether by reading, poking around, or letting your phone show you 25 new things after it restarts. In…

How to install Windows 11 on supported and unsupported PCs, 24H2 edition

How to install Windows 11 on supported and unsupported PCs, 24H2 edition

How do I enable my TPM? Enabling your processor’s built-in firmware TPM is easy, but finding the setting to do it sometimes isn’t. If you’re unsure what you’re doing, try searching for “[manufacturer of your computer or motherboard] enable TPM” because many manufacturers have created help pages specifically because of Windows 11. For Intel systems,…

Amazon refreshes its monochrome Kindle lineup, including a bigger Paperwhite

Amazon refreshes its monochrome Kindle lineup, including a bigger Paperwhite

The new Kindle Scribe begins shipping December 4 starting at $399.99. This is a hefty increase over the first Scribe’s $339.99 starting price, though the new Scribe does include the Premium Pen accessory by default. The old Scribe came with a cheaper Basic Pen accessory instead. The new Kindle Paperwhite. Amazon The new Kindle Paperwhite….

Amazon’s first color Kindle e-reader, the Kindle Colorsoft, will run you $280

Amazon’s first color Kindle e-reader, the Kindle Colorsoft, will run you $280

Amazon is overhauling its entire Kindle e-reader lineup today. And nestled among the nice-but-straightforward updates to the base model Kindle, the mainstream Kindle Paperwhite, and the pen-centric Kindle Scribe is a first: the Kindle Colorsoft, Amazon’s first-ever color e-reader. The Colorsoft will launch on October 30th and starts at $279.99. That’s quite a bit higher…

Apple A17 Pro chip is the star of the first iPad mini update in three years

Apple A17 Pro chip is the star of the first iPad mini update in three years

Apple quietly announced a new version of its iPad mini tablet via press release this morning, the tablet’s first update since 2021. The seventh-generation iPad mini looks mostly identical to the sixth-generation version, with a power-button-mounted Touch ID sensor and a slim-bezeled display. But Apple has swapped out the A15 Bionic chip for the Apple…

Ward Christensen, BBS inventor and architect of our online age, dies at age 78

Ward Christensen, BBS inventor and architect of our online age, dies at age 78

Their new system allowed personal computer owners with modems to dial up a dedicated machine and leave messages that others would see later. The BBS concept represented a digital version of a push-pin bulletin board that might flank a grocery store entrance, town hall, or college dorm hallway. Christensen and Suess openly shared the concept…

Smart gardening firm’s shutdown a reminder of Internet of Things’ fickle nature

Smart gardening firm’s shutdown a reminder of Internet of Things’ fickle nature

AeroGarden, which sells Wi-Fi-connected indoor gardening systems, is going out of business on January 1. While Scotts Miracle-Gro has continued selling AeroGarden products after announcing the impending shutdown, the future of the devices’ companion app is uncertain. AeroGarden systems use hydroponics and LED lights to grow indoor gardens without requiring sunlight or soil. The smart…