Tech Advisor September 2022

When you buy the latest technology you generally expect it to work without a hitch. That’s probably why some users who have the latest 12th-gen Intel processors are fuming, as their Chrome and Edge browsing sessions freeze up on brand new machines. Intel has acknowledged the problem and which specific Alder Lake CPUs are being affected, and offered up a few potential solutions. Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, and so on) are seeing frustrating hang-ups and freezes when loading multiple tabs on machines with both 12th-gen Intel Core CPUs and the lower-power integrated graphics chip, UHD Graphics 770. That includes 18 desktop and laptop CPU models from late 2021 and early 2022, across i5, i7 and i9 lines. Some of these are very popular models, including members of the…

The future of Outlook is here, albeit with some caveats. Microsoft has officially released the new Outlook for Windows, with features that integrate Microsoft’s futuristic Loop interface as well as more practical innovations such as quick document attachments, a ‘My Day’ summary, and reminders to respond to important email. For now, though, the new features are only available to members of the Office Insiders programme, specifically the Beta Channel. We’ve seen the ‘future of Outlook’ many times over the years, from 2015’s simple, effective Outlook apps for iOS and Android, to 2017’s more cohesive approach toward unifying Outlook across various platforms. We’re also seeing the first fruits of ‘Project Cortex’, in how Microsoft (and its rival, Google,) are blurring the lines between various applications. But Microsoft has also been working…

When you buy the latest technology you generally expect it to work without a hitch. That’s probably why some users who have the latest 12th-gen Intel processors are fuming, as their Chrome and Edge browsing sessions freeze up on brand new machines. Intel has acknowledged the problem and which specific Alder Lake CPUs are being affected, and offered up a few potential solutions. Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, and so on) are seeing frustrating hang-ups and freezes when loading multiple tabs on machines with both 12th-gen Intel Core CPUs and the lower-power integrated graphics chip, UHD Graphics 770. That includes 18 desktop and laptop CPU models from late 2021 and early 2022, across i5, i7 and i9 lines. Some of these are very popular models, including members of the powerful…

Simply testing Thunderbolt docks can be a challenge. But when even the best Thunderbolt docks suddenly vanish from store shelves, it can be like pulling teeth for vendors, retailers, journalists and consumers alike. Unfortunately, it’s not getting better. Plugable fights on the front lines of the skirmish between rival device makers, trying to find new supplies of key components – andintimesofneed, the company redesigns its products to take advantage of what’s available. That’s not always the case. According to Bernie Thompson, the founder and chief technology officer of Plugable, three out of its five highest-selling Thunderbolt docks offering power delivery are sold out. “Basically, every electronics company in the world has been frantically trying to internally redesign their products to switch to chips that are available,” Thompson revealed in a…

The future of Outlook is here, albeit with some caveats. Microsoft has officially released the new Outlook for Windows, with features that integrate Microsoft’s futuristic Loop interface as well as more practical innovations such as quick document attachments, a ‘My Day’ summary, and reminders to respond to important email. For now, though, the new features are only available to members of the Office Insiders programme, specifically the Beta Channel. We’ve seen the ‘future of Outlook’ many times over the years, from 2015’s simple, effective Outlook apps for iOS and Android, to 2017’s more cohesive approach toward unifying Outlook across various platforms. We’re also seeing the first fruits of ‘Project Cortex’, in how Microsoft (and its rival, Google,) are blurring the lines between various applications. But Microsoft has also been working to…

Microsoft Edge has delivered what it promised a few weeks ago: a gaming-focused home page, games integrated directly into the browser, and a ‘clarity boost’ for streamed cloud games. On 9 June, Microsoft tipped off several plans for upcoming improvements in Windows and Edge, the same day that it announced you’d be able to stream games from your Xbox that you already own. Several of these improvements to Edge have been tipped previously; Microsoft said last November that it was trialling Clarity Boost in the experimental Canary version of Microsoft Edge, improving the visual quality of games streamed within Edge. Microsoft has now rolled those new features out to everyone. The new Edge features include a gaming-specific option for the home page. Edge users can click on the ‘Gaming’ header…