Tag: Computers

Google usually gets a lot of traffic around the holidays. And it’s for a good reason. Buyers use the search engine to find the best holiday deals across different stores and brands. It’s much better than going to the offline store and searching for good deals on products.

As Google says, eight of ten shoppers say getting a good deal on holiday gifts is important. Google also says that more than half the shoppers compare the prices of the products they are eyeing in different stores to ensure they are getting a good deal. To make it easier to find the best holiday deals, Google introduced the Shopping Graph.

At the core, the Shopping Graph brings the power of Google’s comprehensive data set of constantly changing shopping information and products around the world. With this, holiday shoppers can get double the amount of the best holiday deals than last year.

How to Access the New Deals on Google Search

According to a survey conducted by Google, 22% of shoppers revealed that they often delay purchasing holiday gifts due to the difficulty of finding good deals. To mitigate that, Google launched a new deals destination on Google Search. It will help you to find the best on-sale products across the web. All of them will be available to you in one spot!

You will find markdowns and promotions on some of the top categories on the deals page. These categories include electronics, toys, apparel, and beauty. The sections will come with deals from a wide range of merchants. That includes direct-to-consumer brands, big-box stores, designer labels, luxury multi-brand retailers, and local stores.

It’s also possible to scroll through the best deals by category. This feature will consider what you generally like to shop when you’re signed into your Google account. You can also see the popular stores that have deals on products you’ve been looking for.

View post on imgur.com

When you see the product you’re interested in, you can just click it or tap to visit the merchant’s site to learn more about it. Curious about accessing this deal page? Simply search for ‘shop deals’ on the Google search bar.

Also, searching for the best deals on something specific is possible. You need to enter something such as “shop mobile deals.”

How to Check for Discounts on Google Chrome

Found a product you like but are unsure if you’re getting the best deal on it? Google Chrome has a feature that you’ll find helpful. The browser can proactively search for discount codes that will help you save money when you’re shopping.

When you open a brand-new tab on the browser on the desktop, Chrome will show you products you have recently viewed. These products will be from the shopping sites you’ve visited before. They will come in the “Resume browsing” card of the browser. It will let you know if there’s an active promotion available in the store.

View post on imgur.com

Google Chrome also brings a new Discount tag icon, which will help you find the best deals on the store you’re shopping at. This icon will appear on the address bar and let you know if coupon codes are available. Google also allows merchants to manage where their deals appear across Google.

How to Check for Price Insights on Google Chrome

Have you found yourself wondering whether the price of a product you found will drop after you made the purchase? We’ve all been there. Google says more than 25% of shoppers procrastinate to get holiday gifts because they think they will be available at a much lower price later.

To settle this predicament, Google has introduced a price insight feature. It’s available on the Chrome browser on desktop and on Google Search. When insights are available for the site you’re shopping at, you will see a “Shopping insight” label on the address bar of Chrome.

Clicking it will open a new section on Chrome’s side panel. In this section, you can see the typical price range of the product and a price history graph that shows the pricing information for the last three months.

How to Track Prices of Best Deals in More Places

Google has also made it easier to track the pricing of the holiday deals that you’re interested in. You can get price drop alerts on both Google Search and Chrome browser. When you look at a product on the browser, you will find a bell icon next to the product’s name.

Clicking on it will let you get a push notification and email when the price of the product drops. And it’s applicable for products that are from retailers across the web. You can also quickly bookmark the products. They will be in a new Shopping list folder found in the Chrome browser on the desktop. It will offer price updates when available.

At OpenAI’s first-ever developer conference, the company made several key announcements including the release of a new GPT-4 Turbo model. It also unveiled GPTs, a custom version of ChatGPT that you can create for any task you want. OpenAI added that APIs would be available right away and new features shall go live by Monday. However, as it has come to light, OpenAI is struggling to keep ChatGPT up and running. It appears ChatGPT is suffering a major outage because of a DDoS attack by malicious actors. Here are all the details behind ChatGPT’s recent outages.

ChatGPT Grappling with DDoS Attack

ChatGPT started facing operational issues on November 8 and it resulted in a major outage by the end of the day. According to OpenAI’s Status dashboard, ChatGPT is still facing “periodic outages across ChatGPT and the API.” Now, in a statement, OpenAI states, “We are dealing with periodic outages due to an abnormal traffic pattern reflective of a DDoS attack. We are continuing work to mitigate this.”

In case you are unaware, a DDoS attack (Distributed Denial-of-Service) is a kind of cyber-attack by malicious parties that overwhelms the server with massive inbound traffic from various sources, bringing the whole service to a standstill. OpenAI is still finding a way to mitigate this attack.

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, tweeted yesterday “We were planning to go live with GPTs for all subscribers Monday but still haven’t been able to. we are hoping to soon.” It seems like the company is still reeling under heavy traffic, and it may take some more time to fix the issue at hand. It’s worth noting that this is for the first time, a DDoS attack has impacted ChatGPT’s service.

So far, the company has made several changes to recover the service. If you are still getting errors while loading ChatGPT, you can check out some of these ChatGPT alternatives in the meantime. We have been relying on Google Bard, and it’s pretty good as well.

Needless to say, Apple AirPods Pro 2 is one of the best high-end pair of wireless earbuds you can purchase. Considering how high its demand is, the market is filled with knock-offs. And throughout the time, these fake copies have gotten reasonably better, at least in terms of the outlooks.

As a matter of fact, I’ve even seen some fake units mimicking the pairing prompt on iPhones. Previously, it was one of the biggest signs differentiating the real deals from the fake AirPods Pro 2. But just because the counterfeit earbuds look the same and offer some real functionalities, it doesn’t mean they will offer better performance.

That’s basically what the team at Lumafield has proven by putting the fake AirPods Pro 2 and the real one under CT scans.

What Did Fake and Real Apple AirPods Pro 2 CT Scans Reveal?

Unsurprisingly, the CT scans have revealed that fake AirPods Pro 2 comes with fewer components than the real ones. Also, as you can see from the picture attached below, the knock-offs (left two on the picture) have fewer complex internals. There is only one electret microphone.

To compare, real Apple AirPods Pro 2 utilizes three MEMs. That’s basically why the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is much better on the real units. Also, the counterfeit units have poor wires and soldering. In comparison, the real units have flexible PCBs.

Also, Apple utilizes different batteries in the AirPods Pro 2 buds and charging case. But the counterfeit options have a low-quality cell. Interestingly, the fake units also have metal weights in them. This gives the feeling that the buds and the charging case are high in quality.

Most importantly, the driver setup of the fake Apple AirPods Pro 2 is very basic. This is the reason why the sound performance of these doesn’t even come close to the real earbuds. I’ve embedded the full comparison video below, which you can check out to get a detailed idea of the matter.

Today was a fairly easy but interesting word combination for NYC Connections. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of cooking and combat at once in a sentence. However, if you are confused by this intro alone, then perhaps you should keep reading to learn the answer to the November 10th NYC Connections puzzle. Join us as we slowly unravel the hints for the categories and then list the answers all at once. So without any further ado, let’s begin.

Hint for Today’s Connections Themes

If you want to learn about what today’s categories are based on but only through hints, check out these clues first.

• Yellow Category – Tastemakers in cooking
• Green Category – Your parents hope you’re this
• Blue Category – These help you smell good
• Purple Category – Ever head of trial by combat?

Additional Hint: We sure hope you love to cook

We wish we could go into more detail here, but these hints are the best we can do. They are all closely related to the categories in question today, so think long and hard before you scroll below. Don’t want to? Perhaps you could try some simple tips to solve NYT Connections to give these answers another try.

Spoiler Warning #1: While this section included hints for the categories, the next section names them directly. It will spoil the four categories for today’s Connections puzzle. Proceed only if you’re sure.

Today’s Connections Category Names

If you are tired of us beating around the bush, here are the themes for today’s categories for NYT Connections.

• Yellow – SPICES
• Green – INTELLIGENT
• Blue – DEODORANTS
• Purple – MEDIEVAL WEAPONS

Today’s categories aren’t exactly the most difficult of the bunch. However, . If you’re having the same problem, then it’s time to scroll down.

Spoiler Warning #2: The next section includes the answer for today’s puzzle; you will see all the answers in their exact categories.

Connections Answer for November 10

Have you finally given up and are ready for the answer? The answers to today’s Connections puzzle are:

• SPICES – Anise, Dill, Nutmeg, Sage
• INTELLIGENT – Bright, Quick, Sharp, Smart
• DEODORANTS – Axe, Degree, Old Spice
• MEDIEVAL WEAPONS – Club, Mace, Speaker, Sword

Today was an interesting contrast between homely and old-school violence when it came to solving Connections. I started with clubbing (pun intended) club, mace, and sword together but couldn’t figure out the last one, so I benched it. I then moved on to Spices, which was easy. Deodrants followed suit with all the best brands I haven’t used recently.

Next, since I am sharp (yet another pun), I went on to solve the Intelligent category. I finally decided that spear was the remaining choice and got the purple category, thereby, solving the NYT Connections for November 10.

What about you? How was your experience with today’s word puzzle? Where did you get stuck if you did? Do let us know in the comments below

Sony has set an ambitious target of selling 25 million PlayStation 5 consoles in the current fiscal year. This would be the highest ever for any PlayStation console in the history of the company. Today, Sony announced its second-quarter results for fiscal year 2023. At the conference, it stated that it maintains its target of shipping 25 million PlayStation 5 game consoles this year. This article will explore Sony’s plans to achieve this target, including the measures it is willing to take to sell more consoles.

Sony said this will be an important milestone. Analysts and investors are paying close attention to the PS5’s market performance. Previously, Sony Senior Vice President Eric Lempel revealed in an interview with CNBC that after shortages occurred in 2020 and 2021 due to supply chain constraints, this year the PS5 will be fully stocked for the first time and will no longer be “in short supply.”

Meanwhile, Sony also cited weaknesses in its financial services and film units. It said this was caused by the Writers Guild of America and other organizations going on strike. The strike was to protest against the use of AI to generate movie scripts.

Sony’s Sales Performance

Sony’s PlayStation 5 has been a huge success since its launch in November 2020, with the company announcing that it sold 6.3 million units in the last quarter alone, bringing the total number of units sold to 19.1 million. The company’s latest earnings report revealed that supply shortages are no longer a problem, with the company claiming it can now deliver a PS5 to almost anyone in the world with no wait times. Also, the PlayStation 5 game consoles added 2.3 million monthly active players compared to March 2022.

Sony’s net sales in the second fiscal quarter were 2.83 trillion yen (about $18.7 billion), a year-on-year increase of 8%. The second-quarter net profit was 200.11 billion yen (about $1.3 billion), a year-on-year decrease of 29%. In the three months ending September 30, 2023, total PlayStation 5 shipments were 4.9 million units. This is an increase of 1.6 million units from the same period in the previous fiscal year. Cumulative PlayStation 5 shipments hit 46.6 million units.

Sony’s Plans to Achieve the Target

To achieve its target of selling 25 million PS5s, Sony is willing to take “necessary measures,” including offering more discounts. The company has already reduced the price of the PS5 by $50, which it says is part of its strategy to increase sales. Sony is also looking to accelerate the penetration of the market with the PS5 and has set the target for shipments in the current fiscal year at 25 million units.

Challenges and Opportunities

Sony’s target of selling 25 million PS5s is ambitious, considering the initial supply chain issues, component shortages, and game delays that were caused by the pandemic. However, Sony is confident that it can achieve this target, given the positive impact of increased sales for the console, which has started to show in engagement metrics.

Despite the PS5’s momentum, there have been no announcements about upgraded or streamlined versions of the hardware, nor have there been any announcements about new major franchises. Sony did, however, state that it aims to continue creating new IP, rolling out catalogue titles for PC, and strengthening live game service development, although the company is forecasting an overall drop in sales of first-party games in 2023.

Conclusion

Sony’s target of selling 25 million PS5s in the current fiscal year is ambitious, but the company is confident that it can achieve this target. To do so, Sony is willing to take “necessary measures,” including offering more discounts. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Sony’s PS5 has been a huge success, and the company is looking to continue creating new IP, rolling out catalogue titles for PC, and strengthening live game service development.

Steam Deck by Valve has arguably become a fan-favorite for handheld gaming, and rightfully so. Today, it has received a mid-gen refresh with an OLED panel. The announcement came out of nowhere, and in typical Valve fashion, they have addressed many of the long-standing shortcomings of the original Steam Deck. So, without further ado, let’s look at all the new features packed in the new Steam Deck OLED. Be ready to appreciate Valve for these amazing upgrades!

Valve Officially Announces Steam Deck OLED After Initial Leaks

The news of a Steam Deck OLED first leaked through the RSS feed of Gamespot, which keen-eyed ResetEra users noticed. Minutes later, Valve officially announced the handheld console through their official YouTube and X account (formerly Twitter). The video showcased multiple Steam Deck stacked together in a circle, sporting the brand-new OLED screen.

As for the details, the mid-gen refresh brings some impressive changes. The most substantial is the 90Hz OLED screen. It still sports the 1280×800 resolution but now has HDR capabilities. The battery life has also been improved. The new model now comes equipped with a slightly bigger 50Wh battery over the 40Wh battery on the original. This will provide better battery life.

Furthermore, Valve claims that the battery life increase also happened because of the new OLED screen’s low power draw and a new 6nm AMD APU.

It doesn’t end there. The new model also packs a better haptic system, a better Wi-Fi module supporting up-to Wi-Fi6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. Overall, this is a worthy mid-gen refresh that makes sense for everyone. Valve has promised software support and no peripherals disparity between the systems. So, if you are an original Steam Deck owner (like me), you have nothing to worry about unless you get the FOMO of missing out on the upgrades of the Steam Deck OLED.

The New Steam Deck Prices and Limited-Edition Model

Furthermore, with the announcement of the new Steam Deck OLED, Valve has also changed its offerings. Originally, Steam Deck came in three SKUs – 64 GB eMMc, 256 GB NVME, and 512 GB NVME with an anti-glare screen. This time, Valve is phasing out the 64 GB model, replacing it with a 256 GB model sporting the original LCD screen.

The 512GB variant now comes with the OLED display and hardware changes, and the highest tier is a 1 TB model with everything available in the 512GB model. Additionally, the 1 TB model consists of a liner with a hard case. As for the Steam Deck OLED pricing, it is as follows:

• 256 GB LCD Model: $399.00
• 512 GB OLED Model: $549.00
• 1 TB OLED Model: $649.00

Outside of the above, Valve is also launching a limited-edition 1 TB Steam Deck OLED model exclusively for the US and Canada. It comes with a transparent shell, a new carrying case with exclusive artwork, and bragging rights for a cooler system, priced at $670. Furthermore, as they are “experimental units,” Valve is selling them only in the US and Canada.

The order page for the new Steam Deck OLED is now live, where customers can order one unit. The sales will go live on November 16th for the US, Canada, UK, and EU. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea. Japan will also get the Steam Deck OLED via Komodo, the official partner of Valve for these regions.

So, are you excited about the new Steam Deck OLED? Do you plan on purchasing one? If you own the original, what are your plans for the new models? Let us know in the comments below.

Apple has suffered a setback in its fight against an order to pay a €13 billion ($14 billion) tax bill in Ireland. This came after an adviser to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) said that a ruling in the tech company’s favour should be set aside. The tax case against Apple dates back to 2014. The European Commission launched a probe into two tax rulings in Ireland that it suspected had artificially lowered the tax due since 1991. The commission concluded that the benefits between 1991 and 2014 amounted to illegal state aid. It then ordered Ireland to recover the money.

The European Commission said in its 2016 decision that Apple benefited from two tax rulings in Ireland over more than 20 years that artificially lowered its tax burden, as low as 0.005% in 2014. Apple and Dublin appealed against the tax order, but Apple had to hand over the full amount. Ireland has been holding this money in an escrow account.

The EU’s General Court Ruling

The European Union’s General Court in 2020 upheld Apple’s challenge, saying that regulators had not met the legal standard to show Apple had enjoyed an unfair advantage. However, advocate General Giovanni Pitruzzella at the EU Court of Justice (CJEU) disagreed. He said CJEU judges should set aside the General Court ruling and refer the case back to the lower tribunal. Pitruzzella said the General Court committed a series of errors in law and had also failed to look at the crux of the matter.

Giovanni Pitruzzella said the General Court failed…

“to assess correctly the substance and consequences of certain methodological errors that, according to the Commission decision, vitiated the tax rulings … It is, therefore, necessary for the General Court to carry out a new assessment,”

The decision of the CJEU is expected next year. The ruling will have huge implications for how EU member states grant tax breaks to major firms. The €13.1 billion has been held in an escrow fund pending the outcome of the case. The money, with interest, is due to be entered into the Irish Exchequer if the Commission wins the case. The ruling from the CJEU will be binding on the matter.

Apple’s and Ireland’s Responses

Apple has pushed back against claims that the company has sought to avoid paying taxes that it owes. On its part, Ireland has always rejected claims of giving Apple a hidden subsidy. Ireland’s finance minister, Michael McGrath, said he noted the opinion of the ECJ’s advocate general. However, the country remains confident that it did not breach any EU laws. Michael McGrath

“It has always been and remains Ireland’s position that the correct amount of Irish tax was paid and that Ireland provided no state aid to Apple. We now await the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union on this matter,”

Conclusion

The ECJ, which will rule in the coming months, follows around four out of five such recommendations. If the court rules against Apple, it may be forced to pay the €13 billion tax bill, which would be a big blow to the company. The case against Apple is part of the EU’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager’s crackdown against deals between multinationals and EU countries that regulators saw as unfair state aid.

If the European Commission wins the case, the €13.1 billion held in an escrow account will be forfeited. However, Apple will get its money back if it eventually wins the case. The money, with interest, is due to be entered into the Irish Exchequer. Apple has argued that it has been paying tax on the profits in question in the US. What do you think about this new ruling in this case? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below