Computers

macOS Ventura now available

More efficiency, security

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macOS Ventura

The latest software update for Macs — macOS Ventura — is now available for free, bringing groundbreaking new capabilities to Apple’s computers.

Continuity Camera

The Continuity Camera will give users an entirely new webcam experience. When an iPhone is nearby, Mac can automatically recognize and use the camera on the iPhone. This gives users the option to work wirelessly easily.

Desk View, meanwhile, taps into the Ultra-Wide camera on iPhone to show the user’s face and a good view of what’s happening around, which will come in handy for presentations, instructional videos, and more.

Handoff also comes to FaceTime, which will enable users to transfer a call from one Apple device to another nearby seamlessly.

Stage Manager

Also available in the latest iPadOS update, the Stage Manager is more than just a tool for easy switching in between tasks or apps.

It actually automatically organizes apps and windows together. So, users can focus on what they need to, while still seeing everything in one glance.

Enabling Stage manager from Control Center also leads to the current window being displayed in the center with others appearing on the left.

Safari: Passkeys, collab features

When it comes to Safari, safe browsing is taken to a whole new level with the introduction of passkeys.

This sign-in method is easy to use, and generally more secure, replacing passwords. A unique digital key is created when a user creates a passkey, and it stays on the device.

Users may be able to sign using Touch ID or Face ID for verification. Passkeys are also synced with end-to-end encryption using iCloud Keychain to be available across other Apple devices.

Meanwhile, Shared Tab Groups allow friends, family, and colleagues to collaborate and share websites with others live.

Speaking of viewing things in real-time, the iCloud Shared Photo Library lets up to six individuals collaborate on a photo library where they can add, delete, edit, or favorite shared photos.

More efficiency for Mail, Messages

Similar to the iPadOS update, users will now be able to schedule messages. It can also cancel the delivery of a message before it reaches the inbox, and add links for better content previews.

Mail can also detect if items are missing so users can be reminded – especially when attaching files.

As for Messages, users will be able to edit or undo a recently sent message, recover accidentally deleted messages, or even mark a message as unread.

Gaming on Mac

Thanks to Apple silicon, every new Mac is also capable of running AAA games with ease. The new macOS Ventura brings technologies like Metal 3 that take full advantage of the incredible hardware in Mac. This results in more responsive gameplay, high frame rates, and beautiful visuals. 

New AAA game titles are coming to Mac later this year, including Capcom’s Resident Evil Village, which will launch on the Mac App Store on October 28, and will take full advantage of the power and performance of Apple silicon.

WATCH: macOS Ventura: Favorite New Features

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Acer PA100 portable SSD brings fast, flexible storage on the go

Up to 2TB

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Acer is expanding its storage lineup with the PA100 Portable SSD. It’s a compact external drive designed for users who need faster storage across multiple devices.

The PA100 uses USB 3.2 Gen 1 connectivity. It reaches sequential read speeds of up to 560MB/s and write speeds of up to 430MB/s. This makes it suited for everyday tasks such as transferring large files, backing up content, managing documents, and moving media between devices.

Up to 2TB of portable storage

The PA100 comes in three capacities: 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB. This gives users options depending on whether they need extra space for documents and schoolwork or larger collections of photos, videos, and project files.

Acer also designed the drive with mobility in mind. The PA100 has a slim 9mm profile and a lightweight build, while its reinforced construction is designed to withstand everyday travel and handling.

The drive comes with a 2-in-1 USB-C to USB-C and USB-A cable. This allows it to connect to compatible PCs, tablets, smartphones, and other devices without requiring a separate adapter. It also supports major operating systems and USB-C mobile platforms.

Designed for everyday use

Power efficiency is another focus. Acer says the PA100 uses less than 3W during operation, while idle power consumption can drop to as low as 0.62W.

The drive also features an optimized thermal design to help maintain stable performance during extended transfers and daily workloads.

The Acer PA100 Portable SSD is backed by a three-year limited warranty. Pricing and availability may vary by market.

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Computers

New Mac mini starts at a whopping $899, only 256GB of storage

It comes with the M6 or the M5 Pro.

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Almost two decades ago, Apple was infamous for being an anti-gamer brand. Though the company’s devices touted superior protection against viruses, they couldn’t play video games, alienating a significant chunk of the population and forcing them onto PCs. For a while now, the Mac has changed the status quo, bringing in more powerful hardware that can play games. Today, Apple is championing that cause further through the newly launched Mac mini.

Compared to the chunkier Macs, the Mac mini has a lithe 5” x 5” profile, emphasizing the “mini” in its name. Despite the size, the new mini will tout two flavors of Apple silicon: the M6 and the M5 Pro.

The M6 variant delivers with up to two times faster gaming performance with ray tracing when running Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, compared to the previous M4 version. Meanwhile, the M5 Pro version touts up to 4.5 times faster rendering performance with ray tracing in Blender, compared to the M2 Pro. It will come with macOS 27 Golden Gate out of the box.

You won’t have to worry about connectivity, either. The Mac mini comes with compatibility for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5Gb Ethernet (going up to 10Gb in upgraded versions). It will also have two USB-C ports, three Thunderbolt 5 ports (but only Thunderbolt 4 for the M6 version), and HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and a headphone jack.

Unfortunately, price seems to be another thing that it’s getting from PCs. The new Mac mini has an increased starting price. Specifically, the M6 version starts at US$ 899 (with only 256GB of storage), and the M5 Pro version starts at US$ 1,699 (for 512GB of storage). Preorders are open now, but they ship out on September 22.

SEE ALSO: Apple raises the prices of iPad and MacBook lineups

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Computers

ASUS unveils TUF Gaming T700, T700 Mini

Built for extreme operational demands

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ASUS has announced the arrival of its latest TUF Gaming desktop lineup models: the TUF Gaming T700 and TUF Gaming T700 Mini.

These new offerings bring heavy-duty performance and military-grade durability to gamers, engineered to endure extreme operational demands while delivering rock-solid stability.

The new ASUS TUF Gaming T700, in particular, is engineered to take on modern AAA titles with its uncompromising performance.

It has an aggressive mecha-inspired MIL-STD chassis, including a transparent side panel to put powerful components on display. Vibrant orange ambient lighting also adds a bold finishing touch.

Inside is an AMD Ryzen 7 8700F processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti GPU for high-frame rate gaming.

The T700 also features a robust thermal solution equipped with quad 65 CFM fans and a 240mm liquid cooler.

Meanwhile, the TUF Gaming T700 Mini is tailored for competitive gamers while maintaining a compact, battle-tested chassis.

It has an Intel Core Ultra 5 225F desktop processor, paired with with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics.

This combination provides seamless multitasking, crisp visuals, and reliable frame rates across today’s popular titles.

The internal hardware is cooled by a custom thermal matrix featuring dedicated copper heat pipes and a heavy-duty 90mm cooling fan.

True to the TUF Gaming legacy, the T700 Mini is likewise MIL-STD tested to endure extreme operational demands.

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