GE GDE21EMKES Bottom Freezer Refrigerator review – CNET
The Good GE’s slate bottom-freezer sailed through our performance tests and looked good doing it. The slate finish does an excellent job of repelling fingerprints.
The Bad The GDE21EMKES is smaller, less affordable and less efficient than the competition.
The Bottom Line This is a good fridge that can be had for less than $1,500, but strong competitors from LG and Whirlpool can be had for even less. Shop around, or wait for a good sale.
Bottom freezer refrigerators flip the script on the top freezer fridge most of us grew up with. Like the name suggests, bottom freezers move the frozen food compartment down below the fridge, making it easier to access your fresh ingredients.
At $1,650, the GE GDE21EMKES is a slightly expensive example of such a fridge, and all in all, it’s a decent option. The slate finish is a classy change of pace from stainless steel (and one that’s a lot better at repelling fingerprints), and the fridge’s performance leaves little to complain about. That said, there are other bottom freezers like the Whirlpool WRB322DMBB that we like as much as this one, if not more — and most of them cost a little less. The GDE21EMKES is a good choice, but shop around a bit before you pull the trigger.
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Design and features
It’s a simple interior, and not quite as big as the competition.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Bottom freezers don’t differ much from model to model. You get your fridge up top, your freezer down below, and, in most cases, not a whole lot of features to speak of. The GDE21EMKES is no different.
Still, it’s an attractive fridge, thanks to the stylish slate finish — it looks good and repels fingerprints to boot. You also get a built-in icemaker in the freezer and a deli drawer in the fridge that slides left and right beneath a shelf to help make it easier to fit large items below.
That sort of storage-minded feature was definitely appreciated, because, at 20.9 cubic feet of total storage space, this bottom freezer is a little bit smaller than the competition. It wasn’t small enough to give me any headaches, though. The in-door drawers are well-sized, offering plenty of room for drinks and condiments, enough so that I had no problem whatsoever fitting our entire load of test groceries inside. I even had room to cram in a couple of our large-size stress test items, as well.
Apple MacOS Sierra review – CNET
The Good Apple’s new Mac operating system, MacOS Sierra, adds space-saving optimizations, Siri support, and closer ties with iPhone and Apple Watch.
The Bad Setting up the Apple Watch unlock feature is complex and time-consuming. Space-saving features push towards buying extra iCloud space.
The Bottom Line This free OS update for Macs launches a new era, tying Apple’s computer OS more closely into iOS and WatchOS.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
Even without new hardware (yet), there are a lot of changes coming to Apple’s Mac line of computers. The operating system that powers MacBooks and iMacs (as well as the Mac Mini and Mac Pro) has gotten a big new refresh. So big, in fact, that it now has a whole new name.
Out is OS X (pronounced oh-ess-ten), followed by an ever-increasing version number, currently 10.11; in is MacOS, a new name that’s much more in line with Apple’s other operating systems, which include iOS (for iPhones and iPads), WatchOS (Apple Watch) and TVOS (Apple TV).
It’s yet another step in a long path to a grand unified theory of Apple operating systems, and it highlights increasing cooperation between Macs and other Apple devices and services. The code name for the first version of MacOS is Sierra, and it’s available starting today as a free update to current Mac owners (for all Macs from 2010 or later, and a handful of 2009 systems), and will come preinstalled on Mac systems going forward.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
The last couple of near-annual Mac operating systems upgrades, 2015’s El Capitan and 2014’s Yosemite, were less an overhaul and more a collection of handy features and enhancements. MacOS Sierra takes that a bit further, adding new features that are inspired by iOS or are designed to help Macs work better with iOS products, adding further incentive to keep your hardware inside Apple’s walled garden, which includes the iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac computers.
Siri on Mac
Voice assistants are hot right now, from Alexa on the Amazon Echo to Cortana on Windows to the original, Apple’s Siri. Once restricted to iPhones, she’s now ready to move into your Mac.
It’s still the same familiar Siri voice (depending on your region), and she does most of the same things as the iOS version. You activate Siri through a keyboard command, Cmd+Space, or by clicking the Siri icon in the dock, then simply speak your query.
CNET/Dan Ackerman
All the standard things — weather, news, local shops and landmarks — work as expected. You can pin results, from sports scores to stock prices, to the notifications panel and see them anytime. That’s a handy extra if you find yourself looking up the same info over and over again.
More about MacOS Sierra
- How to download MacOS Sierra
- What to expect from a new MacBook Pro
- All you need to know about MacOS Sierra
The most useful new trick with desktop Siri is for searching files, which you can do by type, by date, or by keyword. For example, you can easily call out all spreadsheets, or all image files from the last two weeks with the word “screenshot” in the title. It’s a handy way to zero in on files, especially if, like me, you’re not very good at keeping files organized.
New sharing and optimization in iCloud
Using iCloud for storing and sharing photos and files is well-established at this point, and people use Google Drive, Dropbox and other cloud services for similar purposes. But, by checking off a new checkbox in the iCloud settings menu, files on the desktop or in the documents folders of multiple Macs can now be automatically synced. That’s handy if you have, for example, a work and home Mac that you need to jump between easily.
Drop a file or add a screenshot to the desktop of one MacOS system, and a few seconds later, it pops up on the other ones. The documents folder, the other place you’re likely to store important files, works similarly, but each machine gets a named folder within the documents folder on its sister machines.
CNET/Dan Ackerman
There are plenty of ways to sync files between machines, but I liked how effortless this was, and especially how it gave me access to identical desktops (where I keep a lot of in-progress files) across different Macs.
A handful of new optimized storage options can keep more files on the cloud, rather than on your physical hard drive. For example, MacOS can be set to automatically delete iTunes movies and TV shows that have been watched, keep larger mail attachments in the cloud, or to clear items from the trash folder after 30 days.
Hackers were able to remotely control a moving Tesla Model S
A team of researchers from China’s Keen Security Lab were able to remotely hack into a Tesla Model S by exploiting the vehicle’s in-car web browser. While the Keen group worked closely with Tesla’s own security team to fix the vulnerability before it could be put to any nefarious use, the hackers showed it was possible to control many functions of Tesla’s flagship sedan — including the brakes and the sunroof — from miles away.
By connecting the car to a malicious WiFi hotspot, the Keen team was able to access the vehicle’s control systems through the CAN bus by way of the web browser. As the team showed off in a video, they were able to remotely search for a destination on the car’s GPS, control the entertainment and instrument screens, pop the trunk and even hit the brakes while the vehicle was in motion twelve miles away. A little less harrowing: they were also able to adjust the seats and open the sunroof from afar.
The Verge notes, that the conditions for the exploit are fairly specific, but it’s not hard to see the danger it would have presented if a bad actor could connect your ride to some bad WiFi. Thankfully, Tesla patched the exploit within 10 days of receiving the report from the Keen Security Lab, which is a division of Chinese internet behemoth Tencent.
“The issue demonstrated is only triggered when the web browser is used, and also required the car to be physically near to and connected to a malicious wifi hotspot,” Tesla said in a statement. “Our realistic estimate is that the risk to our customers was very low, but this did not stop us from responding quickly.”
While the Keen Security Lab team is withholding additional details on the hack, it’s important to note that this is not something current owners should be worried about at this point. As is common practice in White Hat hacking circles, security exploits like this are generally not discussed publicly until they are patched or the exploited company has a chance to respond.
For their part, Keen praised Tesla’s “proactive attitude” while Tesla’s own statement went on to say: “We engage with the security research community to test the security of our products so that we can fix potential vulnerabilities before they result in issues for our customers. We commend the research team behind today’s demonstration and plan to reward them under our bug bounty program, which was set up to encourage this type of research.”
Via: The Register, The Verge
Source: Keen Security Lab/YouTube
Canon makes big strides with its fast-focusing mirrorless M5
Canon’s 24.2-megapixel M5 is its best mirrorless camera yet, but is that enough? The company is playing to its strengths by giving the new model classic Canon DSLR-like styling and, finally, a 2.36 million dot electronic viewfinder. It’s also got a new image processor and “Dual Pixel” AF that focuses five times quicker than before. However, the M5 is yet more proof that it entered the mirrorless camera game much too late.
Unlike Panasonic and Sony models in the same price range, it lacks 4K video and makes do with 1080p, 60fps shooting instead. The DSLR-like body style is not its strong point either, compared to nicer-looking options from Fujifilm and Olympus. Still, it should appeal to Canon owners, who can use their existing lenses with an optional adapter, and it’s interesting enough to at least give mirrorless buyers pause. However, Canon is going to need to advance its mirrorless program, stat, or it risks staying behind fast-advancing rivals.
Aaron Souppouris contributed to this report.
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Amazon algorithms don’t usually get you the best price
Have you noticed that Amazon’s searches and recommendations tend to steer you toward its own products and partners, rather than whatever happens to be the best deal? You’re not alone. ProPublica has conducted research showing that Amazon’s algorithms favor either its own gear or that of companies that pay for its Fulfilled by Amazon program, even when the price is substantially higher. When hunting for 250 commonly purchased products, Amazon-friendly placements beat significantly lower-priced items for the coveted Buy Box placement (the one most shoppers click) “about three-quarters” of the time.
Even when you’re looking at a direct price comparison, Amazon reportedly isn’t playing fair. It’ll omit shipping costs for products from itself and its partners, but not those of other third parties.
When asked, Amazon told ProPublica that its algorithms consider many points beyond price. “Vast selection, world-class service and fast, free delivery” are also important, a spokesperson says. And to a degree, that’s true. Many shoppers can attest to third parties on Amazon who lure you in with a low price, only to take forever to ship or give you the runaround when you have a problem. And of course, the initial price isn’t necessarily the lowest in practice — if you order enough items at once or subscribe to Amazon Prime, there may be no point to going with an alternative.
The problem, as you might guess, is that this could be construed as anti-competitive. It punishes those merchants that can’t afford to participate in Fulfilled by Amazon, and gives visitors a distorted view of their options. Do you offer more than a cursory glance to all the retailers selling a given item? Probably not. Much as with the EU’s case against Google, there’s a worry that Amazon is using its dominance to squeeze out the competition. It may improve some aspects of the experience by favoring itself, but it could also be hurting your chances at getting a good discount.
Source: ProPublica
macOS Sierra: iCloud Drive Syncs Desktop Files and Documents Across Devices
With macOS Sierra, Apple is aiming to make it easier to access all of your content across multiple devices, expanding iCloud Drive to encompass the desktop and documents folder of every Mac.
This feature puts all of the files stored either on the desktop or in the documents folder in iCloud, making them available on iOS devices, Macs, and iCloud.com for easy access to your most recent files wherever you are.
Turning on the new iCloud feature is done when setting up macOS Sierra. When you install the new operating system, Apple will ask if you want to enable iCloud storage for the desktop and documents folder and will let you know how much iCloud storage space it will take up.
If you have a lot of files on your desktop or in the documents folder, it can take up a significant amount of space, so you might need to do some file cleanup before enabling it.
If you want to enable the feature later or turn it off at some point, you can do so by going to System Preferences –> iCloud –> iCloud Drive –> Options —> and checking or unchecking “Desktop & Documents Folders” in the list of apps allowed to upload data to iCloud Drive.
On Macs and iOS devices, the contents of the desktop and documents folder can be accessed through the iCloud Drive app. On iCloud.com, the files can be accessed through the iCloud Drive folder that’s available once you’re signed in. If you have a Windows machine, your Mac files will be able to be downloaded through the iCloud for Windows app.
The new iCloud storage options in Sierra bring Macs more in line with iOS devices, which use iCloud Drive for all file storage purposes. macOS Sierra is available for free starting today.
Related Roundup: macOS Sierra
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All you need to know about MacOS Sierra – CNET
MacOS Sierra has landed. While we say goodbye to the “X” in “OS X” with MacOS Sierra, the new Mac operating system introduces a number of improvements and new features. Siri integration tops the list, but Sierra also offers easy filing sharing via iCloud Drive, a universal clipboard, auto unlock via Apple Watch and Apple Pay on the Web.
As with past OS X releases, MacOS Sierra is a free upgrade made available via the Mac App Store. Before taking the plunge, learn how to prepare your Mac for MacOS Sierra. And then read on to see how to use Sierra’s new features.
First up, Siri. Apple is making its voice assistant more useful in more places. Not only did Apple open Siri up to third-party apps on iOS devices, but it has also come to Macs. Learn 11 new ways you can use Siri, including Siri with Sierra as well as with iOS 10 and Apple TV.
Related stories
- Complete guide to iOS 10
- 11 new features in WatchOS 3
- Mac tips, tricks and shortcuts: your masterlist
If use Apple Pay to purchase goods in brick-and-mortar stores, then you should know that Sierra lets you make online purchases from your Mac. As long as you are using Safari to shop and have your Touch ID-enabled iPhone or Apple Watch nearby to confirm your purchases, you can use Apple Pay on a Mac.
MacOS Sierra makes it easier for Apple Watch wearers to unlock their Mac. Why enter a password when you can use unlock your Mac with the Apple Watch?
Why not watch a video while you shop? With Sierra’s picture-in-picture feature, you can pop videos out of Safari or iTunes and watch in a floating, resizable video player in the corner of your screen.
MacOS Sierra takes the two folders you likely use the most — Desktop and Documents — and syncs them with iCloud Drive so that any files you have stored there are accessible from your other iCloud Drive-enabled devices, including your iPhone, iPad, other Macs and even Windows PCs. Learn how to sync files via iCloud Drive with MacOS Sierra.
MacOS Sierra understands you have multiple devices and the occasional need to share data across them. With Sierra’s awesome, new universal clipboard, you can copy text, a photo or video from one device and paste it on another device, either Mac to Mac or Mac to iOS device (or vice versa).
What you should know about the new home button on the iPhone 7 – CNET
While the iPhone 7 may not look all that different from its predecessor, there are some fairly significant changes to be aware of. You’ve likely heard that there is no headphone jack or that the iPhone 7 Plus got a second camera around back. But a new feature that is causing some concerns for people is the new home button.
Not really a button
While it looks and feels like a button, it’s not a moving button like before. Instead, it’s just a touch-sensitive area with a fingerprint reader, and it’s powered by a taptic engine, much like the one used in the trackpad on the 12-inch MacBook. What you feel as a button click and depression is actually just an illusion, like the vibrate you feel when you Force Touch on the screen or type on certain soft keyboards.
The illusion is pretty convincing, but you may notice a few things about the new home button:
- Pressing the new home button is easier than before. It’s more sensitive than the old one and doesn’t actually need to move to register a click.
- You can no longer use your fingernail. This is a technique many adopted to “slow down” how fast the fingerprint unlock was on previous models, which would often shoot you past the lock screen before you could read any notifications. Clicking the button with your fingernail would light up the screen without unlocking the phone. This issue is solved both with Raise to Wake and the newer, more confusing lock screen.
- Likewise, using the home button won’t work with most gloves — even some capacitive gloves specifically designed to work with smartphones — or inside cases that cover the button. Some capacitive gloves do seem to work, but not all. So in addition to needing new headphones or opting for the adapter, you may also need to upgrade your gloves this winter.
Advantages of a solid state button
Taylor Martin/CNET
Screenshot by Taylor Martin/CNET
Being a software simulation instead moving hardware comes with its advantages.
For starters, it means fewer moving parts. Alongside cracked screens, the home button was one of the first things to fail on previous models, as it’s typically used a lot more than the volume or power buttons. By making it a solid state button, it should be less likely to fail.
Additionally, it means you can change how the button feels or acts.
Choose your click
During the initial setup of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, you come across the option to Choose your click. This allows you to adjust the intensity of the simulated home button click. There are three options to choose from: light (1), medium (2) and heavy (3) clicks.
If, like me, you blew past this option during the initial setup, you can get back to it to change your preference by going to Settings > General > Home Button.
Change the click speed
Since it’s now much easier to press the home button, you may also notice that you’re able to double- and triple-click it much faster. If in the past you slowed down the click speed in Accessibility settings, you may want to switch back to the default setting to reduce accidental double-clicks.
Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Home Button and tap on the three options — Default, Slow and Slowest — to preview how fast you need to click the home button for it to register as a double- or triple- click.
PS4 vs PS4 Slim vs PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
Which PlayStation 4 should I buy?
By the time family members roll into stores to buy their loved ones a PlayStation 4 this holiday season, there will be three options that look very similar. You’ve got the original PlayStation 4, the new slimmer PlayStation 4 with the exact same branding on the box, and the soon to be released PlayStation 4 Pro. It’s confusing by anyone’s standards, so your best bet is to know what you need before you head into the store.
What’s the difference?
Sony has a history of releasing a “slim” version of the PlayStation a couple of years after its initial release. In the past, those consoles have been labeled a little differently at launch to make it easier to tell the new version apart from the old one. These slimmer versions typically offer more a physical difference than a functionality difference, and this year is no different. The significant feature and performance difference comes with the PlayStation 4 Pro, and even then the difference isn’t huge.
| Price | $349 | $299 | $399 |
| Dimensions | 10.83in x 12.01in x 2.08in | 10.43in x 11.34in x 1.54in | 11.61in x 12.87in x 2.17in |
| CPU | AMD Jaguar 8-core (x86-64) | AMD Jaguar 8-core (x86-64) | AMD Jaguar 8-core (x86-64) |
| GPU | AMD Radeon (1.84 TFLOP) | AMD Radeon (1.84 TFLOP) | AMD Radeon (4.2 TFLOP) |
| Storage | 500GB / 1TB | 500GB / 1TB | 1TB |
| Optical out | Yes | No | Yes |
| AV out | AV/HDMI 1.4 | HDMI 1.4 | HDMI 2.0 |
| Power consumption | 250w max | 165w max | 310w max |
| 4K Streaming | No | No | Yes |
| USB | USB 3.0 (x2) | USB 3.0 (x2 ) | USB 3.0 (x3) |
| PSVR support | Yes | Yes | Yes (Enhanced) |
The biggest functional difference between the original PS4 and the new slimmer PS4 is power consumption. Sony claims the new PS4 has a max power draw of 165 watts, which sounds impressive next to the original 250w max of the first PS4 until you see most benchmarks. The original PlayStation 4 had an average power draw of 150w during its heaviest gameplay sessions, and never pushed anywhere near that 250w max. It is slightly smaller though, so there’s that.
As you can see, Sony is using the same CPU and a GPU that’s a little more than twice the performance in the new PlayStation 4 Pro. There’s also an updated version of the HDMI standard in the PS4 Pro, but there’s no immediate difference in performance out of the box for video output. PlayStation 4 Pro exists to offer 4K video streaming and enhanced graphics on supported titles. Game developers will have the option to offer higher quality graphics to PlayStation 4 Pro gamers, but it’s not yet clear how many will take advantage of this or how significant those differences will be.
Bundles and sales
The default pricing for these consoles can and frequently are augmented by sales and bundles. Each of the PlayStation 4 consoles comes with a single game, usually marked with a giant photo on the packaging, so you have everything you need to get started. Many retailers have already placed the original PlayStation 4 on sale, so it’s just under the $299 slim PlayStation 4 in order to help get rid of the older stock. The $399 PlayStation 4 Pro will of course also come with a game.
Is the PlayStation 4 Pro $100 better than the PlayStation 4 or its slimmer brother? Only if you have a 4K television or are planning to purchase one soon. If you’re happy with your existing television and have no plans to upgrade, you aren’t going to see any significant difference between the PlayStations 4.
Many retailers like to create their own bundles as we get closer to the holiday season, combining extra gamepads or recently discounted games to the package to help you feel like you’re buying everything you need. A big part of this year’s offering will no doubt include PlayStation VR. There are plenty of people who already own a PlayStation 4, but if you’re looking to go all in for the first time and get everything you need, expect those same retail stores to have everything you need to get going.
Which should I buy?
Now that you know everything you need to know about the differences between these consoles, lets break it down!
- PlayStation 4 — This is the PS4 most likely to be included in some kind of extra bundle with more accessories and games. This is also the only PlayStation 4 that comes in white right now. If you’re looking for a PS4 and price is a big point of concern, you probably want to stick with the original.
See on Amazon
- Slim PlayStation 4 — This is the PS4 you will see the most of on shelves this year, and it’s the nicer looking of the three. If you care about that sort of thing, or you’re just rushing in to grab a PS4 and nothing else, this is the version you want.
See on Amazon
- PlayStation 4 Pro — If you own a 4K television, or you plan to own one before long, this is the PlayStation 4 you want. It’ll last the longest, and be able to offer the most over time.
See on Amazon
Nike and EA bring back 1994 with 16-bit soccer shoes
Every year since 1994, EA Sports has added a new game to its FIFA video game line-up. Next week marks the release of FIFA 17, its 24th instalment, and to celebrate, the company has teamed up with Nike to create a limited edition Mercurial Superfly cleat (or boot if you speak the Queen’s English). According to Nike, these slick soccer shoes chart the advancements of the game over the past two decades — nerdy they are not.
The EA Sports x Nike Mercurial boots are bright orange and feature graphics that transition from a pixelated 16-bit design on one side to a high-definition pattern on the other. There’s an EA Sports logo on the sock, lace and heel, and the Nike swoosh has been given the pixelation treatment too. To complete the look, the bottom plate has been given an iridescent golden finish.
The good news is that you’ll be able to grab the new EA Sports x Nike Mercurial Superflys in one of two ways. The first is a virtual unlock, which requires you to reach level seven in the EA Sports Football Club Catalog offered inside FIFA 17. The company will also make 1,500 pairs available via the Nike Football App and Nike website on September 26th.
Source: Nike
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