Start11 launches in beta so you can change the Windows 11 Start menu

When Windows 11 launches later this year, it’ll bring a bunch of improvements over Windows 10. There are many new features and, overall, many design elements look a lot better now. One of the biggest changes is in the Start menu, and while some of us prefer the new look, it’s not for everyone. To address that, Stardock recently announced the launch of Start11, the latest version of its Start configuration tool, now focused on Windows 11.

If you’re unfamiliar with Stardock, the company develops a series of customization tools for Windows. The StartX family has been one of the most popular ones. For example, it restored classic functionality of the Start menu in Windows 10, for users that preferred Windows 7. Start11 continues this work, and in the beta version launched today, it has a lot of the same features as previous versions. Right now, the app focuses on making the Start menu more similar to Windows 7’s, with a list of apps on the left and some settings shortcuts on the right. Users can choose between a Windows 7-style design, which replicates the same look-and-feel of that OS more closely, or a more modern look that has similar features but with a newer design language.

However, Stardock plans to add much more functionality to Start11 this time around. According to Stardock CEO Brad Wardell, the tool is going to expanding to support new concepts like pages and tabs, as well as features for enterprise customers. This is still the first beta, so not everything is here yet.

This initial release already includes plenty of configuration features for the Start menu itself and the taskbar. The Start menu includes customization options like colors, fonts, and icon sizes, as well as change the look of the Start icon itself. You can also customize what kind of shortcuts show up in Start. The taskbar supports things like custom textures, transparency settings, blur effects, and more. What the app doesn’t do, at least for now, is bring back the Windows 10-style Start menu. Bringing that back may be difficult since there’s always a chance Microsoft removes the APIs required to make Live Tiles work in the future.

Start11 works with both Windows 10 and Windows 11, so you can get it even if you’re not planning to upgrade to Windows 11 anytime soon. The app costs $4.99, with special upgrade pricing if you have a previous StartX license. You can buy the app here.

The post Start11 launches in beta so you can change the Windows 11 Start menu appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3fSPMPY
via IFTTT

TCL’s new smart TVs come with Google TV instead of Roku TV

TCL has launched updated models of its popular 6-series and 5-series 4K TVs. The most notable change in the new series is that all TVs come with Google TV instead of Roku OS, which is what the previous 6-series and 5-series TVs came with.

TCL 6-series and 5-series 4K TVs: Specifications

Specifications	TCL 6-series 4K	TCL 5-series 4K
Display	Size: 55-inch, 65-inch Mini-LED QLED 4K (2160p) 120Hz refresh rate Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG	Size: 50-inch/55-inch/65-inch/75-inc QLED 4K (2160p) 60Hz refresh rate Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Audio	15W + 15W Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, PCM Dolby Atmos decode and passthrough	8W + 8W Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, PCM Dolby Atmos decode and passthrough
I/O	4x HDMI ports: 2x HDMI 2.1 (1x port with eARC) 2x HDMI 2.0 1x Ethernet port 2x USB 2.0 ports Audio output headphones RF input AV input	3x HDMI ports (1 with eARC) 1x Ethernet port 1x USB 2.0 port Audio output headphones RF input AV input
Software	Google TV Google Assistant integration	Google TV Google Assistant integration

As far as hardware is concerned, the Google TV-powered 6-series and 5-series TVs are pretty much identical to the Roku models. However, there are a couple of upgrades on the newer models. For example, the 6-series models can now handle 4K at 120Hz, a step up from the Roku models, which top out at 1440p at 144Hz. Another upgrade is that out of four HDMI ports on the 6-series, two are full-spec HDMI 2.1 ports — none of the Roku models have an HDMI 2.1 port.

Furthermore, the 6-series and 5-series models with Google TV also support HDR10+ on top of HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG formats. Finally, the updated 5-series TVs can now decode and pass through Dolby Atmos Dolby sound, unlike their Roku counterparts.

Although TCL has offered Android TV software on budget-friendly 3-series and 4-series lineups for some time now, this is the first time the company is bringing Google’s TV interface to its higher-end models. For starters, Google TV is the new interface that runs on top of Android TV. It debuted on the new Chromecast and has made its way to a handful of Sony Bravia 4K TVs.

TCL told The Verge that it’s not leaving or moving away from Roku OS. Rather it describes the new Google TV models as an attempt to diversify its product portfolio and give users more options and flexibility. The company also confirmed that the Roku OS models would remain on sale.

TCL’s new Google TV-powered 6-series and 5-series 4K TVs are already on pre-order in the US. The TCL 6-series 4K comes in two models: 65-inch ($1,299) and 55-inch ($999). TCL says a 75-inch model will arrive later. Meanwhile, the TCL 5-series 4K lineup has four models: 50-inch ($599), 55-inch ($649), 65-inch ($899) and 75-inch ($1,299).

 

 

The post TCL’s new smart TVs come with Google TV instead of Roku TV appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3AwSr9F
via IFTTT

Apple’s iPhone 13 may come with new camera features, including portrait mode video

The iPhone 13 series is reportedly coming this fall. Leaks and rumors over the past few months have revealed plenty about various improvements and upgrades that Apple’s next smartphone lineup will bring along. The camera performance has always remained one of the strongholds of iPhones, and it looks like the new iPhone 13 series will have even more impressive camera tricks up its sleeve, as per a new report.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the iPhone 13 lineup will get at least three new camera and video-recording features. The first, we’re told, is a video version of the Portrait mode. The second is a new video format called ProRes, which will allow users to shoot higher-quality videos. Finally, the iPhone 13 series will come with a new filters-like system, allowing users to easily enhance the looks and colors of images.

The report also notes that Apple is betting big on the new camera features and seeing them as one of the biggest selling points for the iPhone 13 lineup.

Gurman further says that apart from the camera improvements, the new iPhone lineup will see modest upgrades in other areas. The screen size will be the same as the last year’s models — 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch for the mini and regular models and 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch for the Pro models —  and so will be the designs.

The iPhone 13 lineup will reportedly feature an improved A15 chipset, a smaller notch, and a faster refresh rate. Just like last year, there will be four models, including a mini model. A report back in June revealed that the iPhone 13 might come with an upgraded wide-angle camera with autofocus support.

Although the iPhone 12 launch was pushed to October due to COVID 19, Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo has it Apple will return to the usual fall release with the iPhone 13 series, meaning we should expect a launch around September.

The post Apple’s iPhone 13 may come with new camera features, including portrait mode video appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3izKMBq
via IFTTT

ASUS may be upgrading its ROG Phone 5 with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 Plus chip

ASUS seems to be readying an upgraded version of the ROG Phone 5, the company’s gaming-centric smartphone that launched earlier this year with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset. The upgraded version is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 888 Plus and might be launching soon, as per a product listing on a Chinese online retailer.

A product listing of the ASUS ROG Phone 5S has popped up on AliExpress, revealing some key details about the upcoming phone. As per the store listing, the ASUS ROG Phone 5S may come in two variants — 16GB/256GB and 18GB/512GB — and a single black colorway. The phone is available for pre-order, but there’s no mention of a launch date. The listing further mentions that the ROG Phone 5S will be powered by the Snapdragon 888 Plus and feature a 6,000mAh battery with 65W fast charging support. To be clear, the battery and charging specs are identical to the ROG Phone 5.

When Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 888 Plus in June, ASUS had hinted at using the new chip on a ROG Phone, and the ROG Phone 5S is most likely that.

“By utilizing the latest Snapdragon 888 Plus 5G Mobile Platform in the ROG Phone, we ensure its overall performance is taken to the next level,” said Bryan Chang, general manager of smartphone business unit, ASUS.

Based on the available details, it looks like the ROG Phone 5S will likely not be that big on an upgrade over the original ROG Phone 5 in terms of overall hardware and design. It will most likely feature the same 144Hz AMOLED display, cameras, battery, design and dimensions, and so on.

ASUS hasn’t officially confirmed anything about the ROG Phone 5S yet, but we expect to hear more from the company soon.

---

Featured image: ASUS ROG Phone 5

The post ASUS may be upgrading its ROG Phone 5 with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 Plus chip appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3xzPvqV
via IFTTT

MediaTek’s Dimensity 920 and Dimensity 810 chips are aimed at mid-range 5G smartphones

Taiwanese chip design firm MediaTek today launched two new products in its Dimensity lineup of mobile SoCs: the Dimensity 920 and the Dimensity 810. The MediaTek Dimensity family of SoCs is comprised of numerous chips designed for mobile devices, and they all feature integrated 5G modems. The latest additions to the Dimensity family are no different and simply provide smartphone makers another cost-effective option to ship 5G devices priced in the mid-range segment.

MediaTek Dimensity 920

The more powerful of the two chips announced today — the MediaTek Dimensity 920 — is fabricated on a 6nm manufacturing node and offers a 9% boost in gaming performance compared to the chip it’s succeeding: the Dimensity 900. The chip has an octa-core CPU, with multiple ARM Cortex-A78 cores clocked at up to 2.5GHz. The chip also supports LPDDR5 memory and UFS 3.1 storage modules. Its Image Signal Processor (ISP) supports 4K HDR video encoding, quad-camera concurrency, and up to 108MP image capture with zero shutter lag.

In comparison, the MediaTek Dimensity 900 featured 2x ARM Cortex-A78 cores clocked at up to 2.4GHz plus 6x ARM Cortex-A55 cores clocked at up to 2GHz. Its GPU was ARM’s Mali-G68 with four cores.

For cellular connectivity, the Dimensity 920’s integrated 5G modem supports dual 5G SIM, dual VoNR (Voice over New Radio), up to 2CC carrier aggregation, and both SA and NSA networking. Other connectivity features include support for 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and multi-GNSS for navigation.

In its press release, MediaTek also touts several of its proprietary technologies that are supported by the Dimensity 920. These include the company’s “Smart Adaptive Displays” tech which allows for the adjustment of the display refresh rate based on game or UI activity, “5G UltraSave” for improved power efficiency when 5G networking is active, and “HyperEngine 3.0” which, in conjunction with 5G call and data concurrency as well as unspecified connection enhancements and a “Super Hotspot” technology, promises to improve gaming performance.

MediaTek Dimensity 810

MediaTek’s Dimensity 810 chipset is a modest upgrade over the Dimensity 800 it’s succeeding. Featuring 4x ARM Cortex-A76 cores clocked at up to 2.4GHz and 4x ARM Cortex-A55 cores clocked at up to 2GHz, the Dimensity 810 is not much faster than the Dimensity 800, which had four A76 cores clocked at up to 2.0GHz. The Dimensity 810 is aimed at cheaper mid-range 5G phones, though, so this CPU setup is to be expected. The chip supports LPDDR4X memory and UFS storage, and it can handle displays with refresh rates and resolutions up to 120Hz and FHD.

Like the Dimensity 920, the Dimensity 810 is fabricated on a 6nm manufacturing node. Its ISP supports features such as MFNR and MCTF, dual camera concurrency, up to 64MP cameras, and several real-time camera effects like bokeh and AI color thanks to a collaboration with Arcsoft. The chip supports MediaTek’s last-gen HyperEngine 2.0 suite of gaming tech as well as the company’s other networking features.

The Dimensity 810’s integrated 5G modem supports up to 2CC carrier aggregation, mixed duplex FDD + TDD CA, dual 5G SIM, and VoNR.

---

MediaTek says the Dimensity 810 and Dimensity 920 will ship in smartphones later this year in Q3.

The post MediaTek’s Dimensity 920 and Dimensity 810 chips are aimed at mid-range 5G smartphones appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2XiB8Ll
via IFTTT

These are the best replacement chargers for MacBook Air: Apple, Baseus, Anker, and more

The MacBook Air has been Apple’s most popular, and currently the most affordable, notebook featuring a slim, lightweight design. Apple launched the first MacBook Air back in 2009 and introduced an 11 inch variant the following year. While the smaller version hasn’t seen a refresh since 2015, the 13 inch model received a design change in 2018. Like the MacBook Pro series refresh, Apple introduced its sharper Retina display and moved to a Thunderbolt-only design. While Apple introduced a MacBook Air only last year with its custom-made M1 chipset, there are rumors the next update is expected to bring color options to the range, just like the new 2021 24-inch iMac.

Whether you bought one years ago or got your hands on the latest 2020 model with the M1 Silicon chipset, we’re not going to judge you for losing or breaking your charger. In fact, we’ve got your back! Here are some of the best replacement chargers for your MacBook Air.

Apple 30W USB-C Power Adapter

Original replacement

This is the official 30W USB-C charger replacement from Apple for the all MacBook Air models launched in and after 2018 including the current-gen model with M1 chipset.

Buy at Best Buy

Apple 45W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter

Original MagSafe charger replacement

The official 45W MagSafe-based charger replacement from Apple for all the MacBook Air models launched prior to the 2018 model.

Buy at Best Buy

Amazon Basics 30W One-Port GaN USB-C Wall Charger

Affordable USB-C charger

Amazon sells its own 30W USB-C charger that should charge your MacBook Air just as well as the original charger. It's GaN-based which means it produces less heat and can be used to charge other devices including smartphones as well.

Buy at Amazon

Spigen 40W Dual USB C Wall Charger

Dual USB-C port charger

Spigen's dual-port USB-C charger offers a total of 40W charging speeds. Thus using a single port, you can charge a MacBook Air at full 30W speeds. Using both ports, the speeds are limited to 20W each.

Buy at Amazon

Anker Nano II 30W charger

Super-compact

The Anker Nano II is a highly compact charger that supports 30W charging, which means it can juice up the MacBook Air with no issues. It's said to be up to 59% smaller than Apple's 30W charger reducing the overall bulk of your notebook.

Buy at Amazon

Tecknet 65W GaN charger

All-purpose charger

An all-purpose charger that can be used for charging all sorts of devices including the MacBook Air. It features two USB-C ports and a standard USB-A port with support for up to 65W charging, which means you can charge multiple devices at the same time.

Buy at Amazon

Baseus 65W GaN charger

Top recommendation

A compact 65W charger that allows you to charge multiple devices, including the MacBook Air. At the same time it's fairly compact making it is easy to carry around.

Buy at Amazon

icalla 45W MagSafe Charger

Compact MagSafe Charger

This is a great third-party MagSafe based charger for the MacBook Air. According to the company it supports all MacBook Air models launched between 2012 and 2017.

Buy at Amazon

We would advise you to go for the official chargers because they’re generally less likely to fail. However, there are some reliable third-party options to choose from, which also cost fairly lower Apple’s asking price. The 65W GaN charger from Baseus is quite interesting as it can charge a wide range of devices yet maintaining a fairly compact design.

If you’re planning to invest in a brand new Mac, take a look at our recommendation of the best ones you should buy this year. We also have a list of some of the best Apple products for students that should help you, especially during back-to-school season. Not an Apple person and only trust Windows? Here’s a list of the best laptops to buy in 2021.

Apple MacBook Air

The 2020 Apple MacBook Air is powered by the company's new ARM-based M1 silicon chip.

Buy at Amazon

The post These are the best replacement chargers for MacBook Air: Apple, Baseus, Anker, and more appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2U5JWCT
via IFTTT

Firefox 91 arrives with improved cookie protection, tab changes on Android, and much more

Firefox is one of the few remaining browsers with its own rendering engine, as Opera, Brave, Edge, and others now utilize Google’s Chromium engine. However, Mozilla isn’t having much trouble keeping Mozilla competitive with other browsers, as Firefox is about as fast as Chrome and Edge in real-world usage. Firefox 90 arrived last month with new rendering features and the ability to save credit card information, and now Firefox 91 is starting to roll out.

Firefox 91 on the desktop updates the browser’s Total Cookie Protection, which confines cookies to the site where they were created, with fixes for various data leaks and other improvements. Mozilla has also flipped the switch on HTTPS by Default, which attempts to load all content over HTTPS unless it fails (then it will try again over insecure HTTP). Google started testing a similar feature for Chrome back in June.

Firefox 91 Desktop Changelog

• Building on Total Cookie Protection, we’ve added a more comprehensive logic for clearing cookies that prevents hidden data leaks and makes it easy for users to understand which websites are storing local information.
• Firefox now supports logging into Microsoft, work, and school accounts using Windows single sign-on.
• The simplify page when printing feature is back! When printing, under More settings > Format select the Simplified option when available to get a clutter-free page.
• HTTPS-First Policy: Firefox Private Browsing windows now attempt to make all connections to websites secure, and fall back to insecure connections only when websites do not support it.
• The address bar now provides Switch to Tab results also in Private Browsing windows.
• Firefox now automatically enables High Contrast Mode when “Increase Contrast” is checked on MacOS
• Firefox now does catch-up paints for almost all user interactions, enabling a 10-20% improvement in response time to most user interactions.
• The Visual Viewport API is now supported on desktop platforms.
• Scots (sco) has been added as a locale.
• Fixed various security issues.

Firefox 91 Android Changelog

• New installs will see a “Set Firefox as your default browser” message on their notification pane.
• Added eBay Search to help users with their shopping needs.
• In order to improve tab navigation, the default layout of the tabs tray was changed from List View to Grid View.
• The default autoplay setting has been updated to Blocking Audio Only.
• Opting out of telemetry will now also erase all previously collected usage data.
• Password fields no longer automatically start with capital letter with the Samsung keyboard
• Fixed various security issues.

The Android browser now uses a grid view as the default layout for the tabs tray, but the option for list view isn’t going anywhere. eBay is also now available as a search engine option, just like the desktop app has offered for a while. Finally, Firefox for Android is matching Chrome’s behavior of blocking audio in auto-playing videos by default, instead of blocking video and audio auto-play.

You can download Firefox for desktop platforms from the browser’s official website. The Android version is available on the Google Play Store.

Firefox Browser: fast, private & safe web browser (Free, Google Play) →

The post Firefox 91 arrives with improved cookie protection, tab changes on Android, and much more appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3lWAhKF
via IFTTT