APC August 2021

Covid set the scene for a year in tech that saw crazy situations absolutely nobody could predict. The PC was suddenly even more important than ever, as we relied on our gear to work under ever-increasing stresses – as much as we also used our PCs to kick back and escape reality with gaming that took us to a better place for a short while. Motherboards, the foundation that holds it all together, saw new generations from both Intel and AMD, as SSD speeds rocketed up – for AMD users, at least – as did prices, with premium boards now well over a grand. Even low and mid-range boards saw price creep. We also saw what appears to be the ultimate PC assimilation by RGBs, with the few remaining components previously…

Audials Music Tube 2021 Browse and sort music on YouTube and connect with your own music collection. Each video from YouTube can now be saved as a video file or audio track using Audials Music Tube. Lyrics and ID3 tags are added automatically. Audials Music Tube searches YouTube to deliver the highest quality music to you, legally and at lightning speed! Singles, albums or the complete discographies of your stars can be obtained. Audials delivers the latest charts every week: Rock, Pop, Music Video, Dance, US Single, 80s or the US Music Video Charts. Listen to each song or download it in seconds. This also works for several songs or even the entire list. Download link: www.apcmag.com/exclusives Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2021 Effective enhancements for a faster, leaner and more secure Windows. Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2021 is a customisable Windows…

APC is Australia’s oldest consumer technology magazine – having been consistently in print for forty years, since our first issue way back in May 1980 – and we take that heritage and responsibility very seriously. While our focus is obviously on the personal computer the very definition of the PC has changed and shifted markedly since the early 1980s. As such, we touch on many other areas of tech, too, from smartphones and apps to peripherals, accessories, and beyond. We have two goals: to find the best modern tech and to help you make the most of it. We’re also an open church in terms of platforms. We know most people aren’t wed to a single brand’s products and use a variety of devices. And, like you, APC’s journalists want to…

It’s official: Microsoft has announced that the next version of Windows will be called Windows 11 and will be released as a free upgrade (and on new PCs) by Christmas 2021. Over the next few weeks and months, Windows Insiders will get to try out all the new features and we’ll all learn more about what’s in store. Here’s everything you need to know about Windows 11 right now. Insiders have it now, main release later in 2021 If you’re signed up as a WIndows Insider, you should be able to try an official early version of Windows 11 by the time you read this, according to Microsoft. Microsoft says that anyone in the Dev or Beta channels will be eligible to get the Windows 11 Insider builds, provided that their hardware…

NortonLifeLock announced that it’s adding Ethereum mining to its Norton 360 antivirus software with an upcoming feature, Norton Crypto, that “select Norton 360 customers in Norton’s early adopter program” are invited to test. Let’s make this clear from the start: Enthusiasts will probably be better off learning how to mine Ethereum themselves instead of relying on Norton Crypto. The feature is likely intended for the kind of person who’s never heard of a hash rate, shopped for the best mining GPU, or wondered how to optimise their GPU for Ethereum mining. It’s worth considering how Norton Crypto is presented to those people. Naturally, Norton positions Norton Crypto – and the accompanying Norton Crypto Wallet – as the solution to those concerns. The former is a mining tool built into antivirus software people…

The Xbox Series X’s cutting-edge hardware is intended for games that are slated only for new-gen consoles. Where does that leave owners of original Xbox One, which is starting to get a bit long in the tooth? There are still millions of users on the original Xbox One, which are barely capable of 1080p. That could be about to change. In a blog post on Xbox Wire, Microsoft stated its intent to bring some cloud streaming goodness to older consoles to help them keep up. “For the millions of people who play on Xbox One consoles today, we are looking forward to sharing more about how we will bring many of these next-gen games, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, to your console through Xbox Cloud Gaming, just like we do with…