NVIDIA launches Jetson TX2 platform for drones and robots

NVIDIA has launched Jetson TX1’s successor at an event today, and it was designed to run twice as fast while drawing less than 7.5 watts of power. The product aptly called Jason TX2 is an AI platform for drones, robots, smart cameras and other embedded devices. It can be used for navigation, image and speech recognition, among other purposes. Since it’s more powerful than its predecessor and was specifically designed for “edge computing” — data processing at the source instead of in the cloud or a data center — it could leader to faster, smarter and more accurate devices.

Deepu Talla, vice president and general manager of the Tegra business at NVIDIA, said:

“Jetson TX2 brings powerful AI capabilities at the edge, making possible a new class of intelligent machines. These devices will enable intelligent video analytics that keep our cities smarter and safer, new kinds of robots that optimize manufacturing, and new collaboration that makes long-distance work more efficient.”

The chipmaker has also revealed that around a dozen partner companies are already using the TX2 in different ways. Cisco is using the platform for an all-in-one collaboration device that enables screen sharing, interactive whiteboarding and video conferencing. A company called Fellow Robots relies on TX2 to record on-shelf inventory and to detect items and availability in store. The platform also allows Live Planet to stitch 4K 360-degree videos for live streaming. It powers the vision-based algorithms in a compact-yet-powerful MIT drone, as well.

NVIDIA is now accepting pre-orders for the TX2 Developer Kit in the United States and Europe, with other locations to follow. It’ll set you back $599 to get the carrier-board-and-module, but you’ll at least get the package when it starts shipping on March 14th. The module-only TX2 is priced at $399, but it won’t start shipping until sometime in the second quarter. NVIDIA will also continue selling the TX1 Developer Kit for $499.

Source: NVIDIA

Lawsuit alleges Bose backed Doppler Labs to gain access to its tech

Why it matters to you

Plenty of other companies have come out with similar headphones to the Here One recently, and if Bose loses the lawsuit, this could be bad news for the firm.

Doppler Labs’ Here One earphones allow you to listen to music while choosing how much of the world around you that you hear, even going to far as to make distant sounds easier to hear. Bose’s Hearphones, released late last year, offer a very similar set of features. In a lawsuit filed in Bose’s home state of Massachusetts, Doppler Labs is alleging that this is more than a coincidence.

The filing alleges that Bose made attempts to gain early access to Doppler’s Here Active Listening system and Here One headphones, with the complaint specifically fingering Bose executive Chris Miller. On June 2, 2016, Miller allegedly became one of the backers of the Here Active Listening system. The suit also claims that when the Here One headphones became available for pre-order in June 2016, Miller was one of the first to do so.

More: Doppler Labs Here One review

“In fact, Mr. Miller contacted Doppler Labs’ customer support department on June 28 and June 30, 2016 to explicitly confirm that his order would be one of the first Here One listening systems with Here Buds wireless earbuds to ship to pre-order customers,” the lawsuit reads. “Again, on information and belief, it now appears that Mr. Miller was doing this to gain early access to a competitor’s technology.”

In the meantime, Bose filed a trademark application for its Hearphones on June 17, 2016. Bose wasn’t the only company to launch a similar product around this time, with Nuheara’s IQbuds and the Olive earbuds launching in the latter half of 2016. The difference is that while both of those companies are fairly new, Bose has been in business since 1964, so it’s difficult to imagine why the company would turn to such a risky practice instead of just spending more time on research and development.

More: Conversation-enhancing Hearphones from Bose will help you catch every word

So far, Bose has yet to officially respond to the claims, nor is Doppler Labs offering any details other than what is in the suit.

Will Apple release MacOS 11 or 10.13? We’ll have to wait to find out

Why it matters to you

If you wanted to see a brand-new MacOS 11 to go along with iOS 11 at WWDC this year, you might be disappointed.

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2017 is officially on the calendar, taking place in San Jose, California on June 5 to June 9. There, Apple makes its most important iOS and MacOS announcements, including giving the newest versions their names and numbers.

This year, some speculation suggested Apple might move on from MacOS 10.X, releasing a new MacOS 11 to go along with iOS 11. If some obscure web information is to be believed, however, that is not exactly likely to be the case, 9to5Mac reports.

More: Apple heads back to a familiar venue for WWDC 2017, sets date for event

Whenever the industry is wondering about a company’s upcoming plans, there are a few places that people look to find clues. One place is the web, where pages and placeholders are sometimes published that inadvertently give hints as to what is coming.

9to5Mac

One example is a recently published reference that is part of a “CatalogURL,” or a page that lists a variety of information on available or upcoming products and services. In Apple’s case, a recent CatalogURL includes a reference to MacOS 10.13, which would be the next step after MacOS 10.12, known as Sierra.

If that listing holds true, then we’re not like to see MacOS 11 makes its way in 2017. There is no guarantee that this will happen, however, and if Apple keeps MacOS at version 10, then it would be giving up the chance to release MacOS 11 and iOS 11 simultaneously.

9to5Mac indicates that they’ve seen both MacOS 11 and MacOS 10.13 machines hit their site over the previous few months, and so this might remain a question mark for the foreseeable future. Of course, we don’t have that long to wait until WWDC 2017, at which point all of the relevant Apple questions will be officially answered.

Netgear Orbi review

Research Center:
Netgear Orbi

One of the big home networking topics customers may hear about in 2017 is mesh technology. It’s recent, expanding on the current wireless router setup by incorporating multiple linked devices rather than relying on just one. It aims to provide complete wireless connectivity in a home or office, sending out a “blanket” of dependable coverage that seemingly fills every gap. There are only a handful of mesh networking kits available to buy for now, with Netgear’s Orbi system serving as one of the premium-priced kits on the market.

That said, the Orbi system isn’t exactly a cheap solution. The base “router” unit alone costs $250while each additional “satellite” unit is another $250. Netgear also sells a two-pack for $400, and a three-pack for an unknown price, sold only through a Costco membership. But with the premium price tags come premium features, such as three wireless bands, and a web-based interface packed full of settings customers can tweak.

This isn’t your typical plug-and-go mesh networking system

The Orbi kit provided to Digital Trends consisted of two nearly identical devices. One unit was labeled as the router, and the other unit as the satellite. At first glance, they were indistinguishable in appearance save for the temporary clear plastic band wrapped around the top displaying their intended purpose.

Kevin Parrish/Digital Trends

Kevin Parrish/Digital Trends

Kevin Parrish/Digital Trends

Kevin Parrish/Digital Trends

The Orbi kit is a completely different setup than what we saw with the Luma Wi-Fi system. All Luma units are small, hexagonal devices that can serve as the router or satellite. Even more, Luma sets out to make the process of installing and setting up the wireless mesh network quick and painless by relying on a lightweight smartphone app. That’s not the case with Netgear’s Orbi system at all. Each device has a specific purpose, and the one serving as a router must be accessed through a web browser.

More: Starry Station review

That should be good news for customers who want full control over their wireless network. The Luma system was highly restrictive despite offering many cool features. But with Orbi, users can dig into the root of the wireless network to change just about anything, such as switching off 20MHz and 40MHz channel width coexistence. Most people don’t know what that means, but if you do, and you have an opinion on it, you’ll be thrilled to see the option.

The initial setup required connecting the Orbi router unit to the ISP’s modem and then connecting a PC or wireless device to the router (wireless or Ethernet). An LED ring at the top of the router turned white once the modem and router got to know each other well, and the network was ready to expand to the additional satellite unit.

Orbi provides plenty of customization.

After finding a place for the satellite and powering it up, its LED ring initially went white and then changed to magenta, the latter color indicating that it’s syncing with the router. Once the two units agreed to be friends, the satellite’s LED ring displayed one of two colors — blue for a great connection, and amber for a fair connection. The sync button was used to reestablish a link with the router when the satellite unit was moved to a different location.

With everything up and running, it was time to connect a PC or mobile device to finish setting up the network. This was done through a web browser via the “orbilogin.com” address, and not a special app distributed through app stores. Through the web interface, users create the administrative account (user name, password, security questions), set up the wireless network’s name (SSID) and password, install new firmware if needed, and register the Orbi system on Netgear’s website.

Network tweakers should love the browser-based interface

Because there’s no app to easily load on a wired or wireless device, users can continue to tweak the Orbi network by opening a web browser, typing in the orbilogin address, and logging on. After that, the first thing they will see is an interface broken down into two main tabs: Basic and Advanced. The Home screens for each tab serve up basic at-a-glance info of the hardware and network, while also providing links to sub-sections to tweak specific settings.

For starters, every category listed under the Basic tab is self-explanatory, so advanced users should have no problems making simple changes to the system. That’s not the case for what’s listed under the main Advanced tab. The Setup section is where hardcore router tweakers can assign a static IP address, use specific DNS servers, so on. Meanwhile, the Security section provides means of blocking and allowing wired and wireless devices on the network, blocking services that use a specific protocol and port, and more.

The Advanced tab’s Administration section is where users can see the router’s status, the stored logs, and a list of connected devices. This is also where users can update the firmware, reset the router’s password, and save/restore a copy of the current settings. The Setup section provides more hardcore settings such as creating a virtual private network (VPN), port forwarding, port triggering, and creating static routes. Users can also turn on remote management to change the router’s settings from outside the network.

What users won’t see in the web-based interface is an option for sharing media across the network. This feature can be found within the standalone Netgear Genie app for PC, MacOS, Android, or iOS, enabling users to turn their PC or mobile device into a file server and video/audio streamer. Thus, despite the provided USB 2.0 port on the router and satellite, the app is the only file sharing feature.

To test the USB 2.0 port, we connected an external drive to the router, but couldn’t find any setting in the interface to enable the connected wired/wireless devices to see contents. The instructions say nothing about using an external drive, leading us to believe that perhaps this port is used to power the Orbi device when no power outlet is around. That led us to seek out customer support to find out more about this mysterious port.

Hello? Is anyone listing to our cry for help?

But that never panned out. When we previously tested the standalone $280 Starry Station router (which isn’t mesh-based), the provided app allowed us to call technical support, who was eager to help us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With the Luma mesh networking system, the company called us right after we activated the system, which was both eerie and pleasant. Luma also provided immediate access to its 24-hour support line.

That’s not the case with the Netgear Orbi system. The quick-start guide merely provides a link to register the product and download documentation. To get customer support on the phone, users must have the Orbi’s serial number in hand, hunt down the “contact us” option on the website, and choose from a list of options that includes asking the community, searching the knowledge base, opening an email ticket, chatting online with an expert, or calling the company by phone.

Adding to that, customers who purchase the Orbi system have only 90 days of “complimentary” support. Thus, getting any kind of help from Netgear seemed like pulling teeth compared to Starry and Luma. On top of that, to get help from Netgear, customers must fill out a form and upload a proof of purchase despite previously filling in the requested serial number and purchase date.

The parental controls feature is a third-party service

That’s not the only annoyance we experienced with the Orbi system. While the setup provides a link to access parental controls in the web-based interface, the feature is not actually part of the router’s firmware. Instead, users are sent to Netgear’s website to download and install the standalone Netgear Genie app. This is a simple router manager that doesn’t provide the detailed amount of settings offered through the web-based interface. If anything, Netgear Genie is designed to quickly enable features from a mobile device such as the guest network or parental controls.

More: Securifi Almond 3 Smart Home Wi-Fi system review

The parental controls feature is powered by OpenDNS, a service provided by Cisco that blocks web sites based on a community-driven blacklist. The basic service doesn’t require registration, but the version provided through Netgear enables users to customize their list of blocked websites, requiring the creation of a free account. Once logged into OpenDNS, Orbi users are presented with a list of filtering levels to activate: None, Minimal, Low, Moderate, High, and Custom.

Netgear Orbi Compared To

Synology RT2600AC

Linksys Velop

Linksys WRT3200ACM

Plume Adaptive Wi-Fi

Starry Station

D-Link DIR-869 EXO AC1750

Portal Wi-Fi router

Ubiquiti Amplifi HD

HooToo TripMate Titan

TP-Link AC3150

Linksys EA9500 Max-Stream AC5400

Zyxel NBG6815 AC2200

Netgear Nighthawk X4S

Netgear Nighthawk X8

Google & TP-Link OnHub

After the parental controls are set, Orbi customers accessing the router’s web interface can click on the parental controls link and load up the OpenDNS panel instead of using the Netgear Genie app. Despite the fact these controls aren’t baked directly into the router, this setup still works well, and can be reconfigured simply by accessing the OpenDNS website from anywhere and any browser.

Don’t let that “tri-band” advertisement fool you

The Orbi router is an AC3000 class device. That’s because it’s a tri-band system offering one 2.4GHz connection at up to 400Mbps, one 5GHz connection at up to 866Mbps, and another 5GHz connection at up to 1,733Mbps. However, despite Netgear selling this product as a “tri-band” system, that speedy 1,733Mbps connection is only used for the satellite and router to communicate with each other, and can’t be used by other devices. Bummer.

More: Luma Surround WiFi review

Otherwise, the Orbi router consists of six internal antennas (three out, three in), 512MB of system memory, and 4GB of internal storage that’s only used by the Orbi’s operating system. Other features include MU-MIMO technology, beamforming, high-powered amplifiers, and support for 256-QAM modulation. That latter feature essentially means eight bits of data can be transferred per waveform in a Wi-Fi connection, which translates into more data transfers per connection.

So how does the Orbi system perform? Let’s take a look:

Device:
Samsung Galaxy
S7 Edge
Samsung Galaxy Tab E
Microsoft Surface 3
Lenovo Ideapad Laptop
Internal Wireless N
Lenovo Ideapad Laptop
External Wireless N
5GHz Default Max:
867Mbps
450Mbps
867Mbps
450Mbps
450Mbps
5GHz Tested Speeds:
780Mbps
150Mbps
866.5Mbps
N/A
433.5Mbps
2.4GHz Default Max:
400Mbps
300Mbps
400Mbps
300Mbps
300Mbps
2.4 GHz Speeds:
N/A
150Mbps
N/A
150Mbps
N/A

As the table shows, the Orbi system coughs up decent speeds depending on the device. The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge phone performed slightly better than the Galaxy S6 Edge previously used with the Luma system. However, the Samsung Galaxy Tab E tablet appeared to be bottlenecked not by the Orbi system, but what is likely the use of a 1×1 Wireless N component, meaning there’s only one antenna dedicated to transmitting and one dedicated to receiving, limiting the amount of data moving to and from the tablet.

The system managed decent coverage even in a tiled shower.

As for the Surface and Lenovo laptop numbers, these were provided by Windows 10. The Surface 3 hit the maximum theoretical limit on the 5GHz band, presumably due to two transmitting antennas, and two receiving antennas. However, we saw an improved speed on the 2.4GHz band with the Lenovo laptop compared to its performance on the Luma networking kit and the Starry Station router. That’s because the channel widths aren’t locked down to 20MHz, enabling more data transfers on a wider 40MHz channel width.

What’s strange is that when we enabled the implicit beamforming and MU-MIMO features, the connection speeds of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge took a nosedive. The phone saw speeds of 350Mbps instead of the previously seen 585Mbps. This problem cleared up after disabling these two features.

How is coverage when sitting on the porcelain throne?

To test the signal strength, we set the router in a home’s dining room and the satellite in the living room, which are separated by the kitchen and the vestibule. Using the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, we checked the speed in front of the router, in the living room (or about dead center between the router and satellite), outside on the front porch, and in the bathroom seated next to the dining room.

Location
Speed
Strength
Signal
Dining Room
780Mbps
100 percent
-43 dBm
Living Room
650Mbps
100 percent
-44 dBm
Front Porch
97Mbps
80 percent
-64 dBm
Bathroom Shower
260Mbps
93 percent
-43 dBm

As this test shows, the Orbi system provides decent coverage even when standing in a tiled shower with the Galaxy S7 Edge phone. And due to the system’s mesh-based design, that coverage will only get better when additional Orbi satellites are placed throughout the house. The drawback of course is the cost, as each satellite costs an additional $250. As previously stated, the Orbi kit we tested containing the router and satellite costs a hefty $400.

Our Take

Customers wanting to blanket their house or office with Wireless AC coverage should take a close look at Netgear’s Orbi system. Not only does it provide speeds of up to 866Mbps, but it provides plenty of customization so that users can tweak the wireless network for their needs. However, that means the Orbi system isn’t ideal for the mainstream consumer who wants to connect the system and go. It’s also rather expensive up front at $400, and costs and extra $250 per added satellite unit. We’ve seen some sales that slightly reduce the cost, but it remains an expensive system.

Is there a better alternative?

The DT Accessory Pack

Netgear Wi-Fi USB adapter

$48

Netgear Nighthawk S8000 8-Port gigabit ethernet switch

$100

Netgear 5-Port gigabit switch

$25

As we noted with the Lumi review, we really liked the Securifi Almond 3 router, which can be used as a mesh networking device even though it doesn’t ship as a kit. The Almond 3 offers great performance and includes an interesting touchscreen interface. Still, as a mesh-based system, the Orbi setup may be one of the most robust systems we’ve seen thus far. We still have the Eero system to test, so we’ll get back on that claim.

How long will it last?

Mesh networking is rather new, so products like Netgear’s Orbi system are here to stay. The first products began rolling out in the second half of 2016, and more such as the HiveSpot and HiveDot from Asus are slated to hit the market soon. There are non-mesh networking device manufacturers who will argue otherwise, but this technology may be a better option than purchasing a router and additional wireless extenders to fill the dead spots in a home of office. From what we’ve seen from mesh networking thus far, users benefit from blanket coverage rather than a central broadcast and devices repeating weakened signals.

Should you buy it?

Customers willing to shell out the initial $200 for the Orbi router and the added expense of $250 for extra satellites may want to take the Orbi plunge, including PC gamers. There’s quite a bit to tweak, enabling customers to set up the perfect wireless environment. The drawback to the Orbi system is that it’s not meant to plug and go. It doesn’t offer the installment and management simplicity seen with the Luma networking kit. Mainstream customers wanting a simple and physically small setup should consider a different mesh networking product.

Windows Update just not updating? Here’s how to give it a swift kick

Windows Update is sometimes underestimated as a cornerstone of your system’s integrity and security. Microsoft regularly delivers security patches, hotfixes, and software updates through Windows Update, and so if this service stops running or is turned off, then Windows can become vulnerable to bugs and security holes. The update process has been greatly streamlined for Windows 10, but that doesn’t mean it’s always problem-free, especially when it comes to compatibility and patches.

More: 12 of the biggest problems with Windows 10, and how to fix them

Here, we’ll show you how to get Windows Update working again when it fails, and what to do if it looks like an update is causing problems.

Go online and see if there’s a problem

Go online and take a look at Windows update news. We put this step first because it’s surprising how much it helps when you run into an unexpected problem. Search for a phrase like “Windows update problems” or “Windows 10 update” and see if there’s any recent news regarding the software.

In some cases, an update may suffer from known issues and will need to be patched. This is particularly common if the update fails to complete, or causes something to stop working.

The latest example is the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, which, ironically, brought back a host of bugs, errors, and installation failures. Searching for news like this allows you to quickly pinpoint the problem and potentially fix it, or turn updates off for the time being until a solution is found. Which brings us to another important point.

Google’s Gboard keyboard for Android is gaining translation, new themes

Why it matters to you

Google’s Gboard, the search giant’s alternative keyboard for Android and iOS, will soon let you type in another language.

Let it never be said that Gboard, the Google-made third-party keyboard for iOS and Android, doesn’t get a lot of the search giant’s attention. Starting in March, it is gaining a few useful new features in the form of automatic translation, new themes, and minor aesthetic tweaks.

As far as new features go, Gboard’s language translation feature is pretty self-explanatory: It transcribes words into any of the more than 90 languages that Google Translate, Google’s translation service, supports. Once you tap the Translate icon and select a language from the drop-down menu of options, Gboard sends the words you type to Google’s server and pastes the translated result into the app.

More: Google’s new iOS keyboard is the only one you’ll even need to download

One minor drawback worth noting is that translation only works online — even if you’ve saved a language for offline use.

Translating between languages isn’t the only new trick up the beta version of Gboard’s sleeve. It lets you beautify the keyboard with color themes — an improved selector user interface separates solid color themes, recently used themes, and landscape images into separate, easy-to-navigate rows.

Gboard’s update also boasts a “predictive emoji” feature that suggests the emoticon you’re most likely to use next. It adds a shortcut to Android’s voice dictation settings, too, and introduces supports for the Bashkir language.

More: Google brings Gboard search features to the Google Keyboard app on Android

The beta version is available for Android users who opt into the search giant’s testing platform.

Google, which introduced Gboard in May, hasn’t let it stagnate. In August, the search giant added support for five new languages (Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, and French) and Smart GIF, a feature that automatically suggests emoticons for certain things you type — texting “let’s party,” for example, serves up images of balloons, dancing skeletons, and other thematically relevant doodles. In January, Google rolled out the keyboard to Google app users on Android — if you have the Google app installed, you can enable Gboard without needing to download it separately.

Privacy concerns marred its initial release, but Google later clarified that words and phrases typed using Gboard weren’t passed through the search giant’s servers.

“Gboard will remember words you type to help you with spelling or to predict searches you might be interested in, but this data is stored only on your device,” according to its support page. “This data can’t be accessed by Google or by any apps other than Gboard.”

Spotify vs. Apple Music: Which service is the streaming king?

When it comes to subscribers, the undisputed king of on-demand streaming music is Spotify. The Swedish-born service helped pioneer the current market, and has tens of millions more paid users than the competition, not to mention millions more free users. But Apple Music, known for its high-level exclusive releases and full integration into Apple’s popular iOS system, is the hottest service on Spotify’s heels. Apple’s streamer has shown impressive growth in listenership since its inception, garnering about half the number of Spotify’s paying users since it went live in June of 2015 — nine years behind Spotify.

Related: Apple Music’s iOS 10 update includes new personalized playlists to compete with Spotify

It’s hardly surprising that Apple Music is so successful. Not only is it backed by one of the biggest brands in the world, it also gives users access to the entire iTunes library, a swath of curated playlists, and a 24-hour radio station helmed by BBC-alum Zane Lowe. Even the required subscription fee of $10 per month is no great barrier for entry, as Apple Music offers a three-month free trial and a discounted family plan.

Given that these two are the biggest streaming services on the market, we thought it important to take stock of how the two compare back to back. Follow us below to see if Apple has what it takes to steal Spotify’s crown, and find out which service is best for you.

Music library

Spotify first gained its dominant position on the strength of its impressive 30 million-plus song catalog. Couple this with the fact that it adds over 20,000 new songs each day, and the service offers more music than your ears even know what to do with. While several holes do exist in its library — Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Tool — Spotify’s catalog is extremely deep, and set the gold standard. Moreover, the Swedish streaming service brings all the latest record releases, exclusive live sessions, and various new singles right to its New Releases tab each Friday, providing a great way to hear the latest from established artists, and rising stars alike.

However, Apple’s service touts around 40 million songs, which is superior to Spotify’s “more than 30 million” figure (though we’re not sure by how much), and also outdoes newer contenders like Amazon’s paid streaming service and Jay Z’s Tidal. Moreover, Apple has taken steps to secure more exclusives than the competition, Taylor Swift’s oeuvre being a prime example. Spotify isn’t too happy with artists signing exclusivity deals with Apple, either. Reportedly, Spotify has a history of altering search rankings for artists who release their music through Apple first.

There’s another area where Apple Music has the leg up on its competition: Integration of the iTunes library. Any music you’ve got — whether previously purchased via the iTunes Store, ripped from a physical CD, or uploaded to iTunes Match — will appear in your Apple Music library, giving you the option to freely browse your own music alongside Apple’s standard catalog. Spotify offers a similar function, relegating your local music files to a separate tab, but you can’t access your local music via broad searches like you can with Apple Music.

Winner: Apple Music

If you’re looking forward to Dawn of War III, the PC requirements are finally here

Why it matters to you

You’ll need these minimum or recommended PC specs if you want to play Dawn of War III.

If you’re a Warhammer 40,000 fan, then you’re likely waiting impatiently for the next installment, Dawn of War III. The expansion promises to bring new action and a host of extra bonuses and unlockables to the popular franchise six long years after the last expansion, Dawn of War II, was released.

Dawn of War III is set to hit the market on April 27, meaning that there’s now less than two months to go before you can load up the title and start playing. That also means your window for making sure your PC can play the game at acceptable framerates is closing. Luckily, we now have a list of requirements to start planning around, as Tom’s Hardware reports.

More: ‘Dawn of War III’ to launch on April 27, pre-order bonuses now live

At the very least, you’ll need your PC to be equipped with an Intel Core i3 at 3.0GHz, or the AMD equivalent. An Nvidia Geforce GTX 360 or AMD Radeon HD 6950 is the bare minimum in terms of graphics processing power, and you’ll also want at least 4GB of RAM. The 64-bit version of Windows 10 and DirectX 11 round out the basic requirements.

If you want to play the game well, however, then you’ll want to be running with an Intel Core i5 3.GHz or higher, or with the equivalent AMD CPU. An Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 or AMD Radeon HD 7970 will provide a much better experience, with more detailed graphics and higher framerates, as will 8GB of RAM. The OS and DirectX requirements remain the same.

You’ll be able to pick up Dawn of War III at the Dawn of War store or via Steam. Again, it’s coming on April 27, leaving you just a little time to either upgrade your system or pick up a new one if your current machine doesn’t meet the minimum or recommended specifications.

Insta360 Air is a golf ball-sized camera that turns a phone into a live 360 cam

Why it matters to you

Crowdfunded campaigns come with risks but the Android add-on Insta360 Air is now available from retailers.

After a successful Indiegogo launch, the 360 camera add-on for Android Insta360 Air is available at retailers in the U.S. and Europe and the company is expecting to add even more features.

The Insta360 Air is a golf ball-sized camera that records 360 images and video from an Android phone. Plugging into a micro USB port, the accessory shoots scrollable 360 or “Little Planet” type shots, as well more standard shots and a separate mode for viewing with virtual reality goggles later.

More: Watch hockey from the referee’s perspective, thanks to a 360 camera mount

Insta360 launched an iPhone-compatible 360 camera add-on in 2016, followed by an Indiegogo campaign for the Air in November. The campaign exceeded half its goal in a single day, but for the crowdfunding wary, the Air is now selling at retailers including B&H Photo Video and the manufacturer’s website.

Insta360 says the Air is a plug-and-play device with an intuitive design for simple 360. The Air uses two fisheye lenses and automatic stitching software to shoot 3K photos and 2.5K videos — though, like other consumer 360 cameras, those pixels are stretched through the entire 360 view. The live-capable camera can also double as a webcam with a USB attachment for desktop use.

More: Nine in ten believe videos are better in 360, new Nikon survey shows

While the Insta360 Air is the same camera that launched on Indiegogo, the company says they are currently developing additional features in the form of firmware updates, including image stabilization in real time. The stabilization is a software that corrects differences between frames to electronically create a smoother video. While electronic stabilization is common on affordable cameras, the company says the stabilization is expected to work for live streams as well.

The Air retails for $129 and is available in the U.S. as well as the U.K., Canada, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, and Japan.

Keep your pace during walks with the Ruawalk music-guided wearable

Why it matters to you

Power walk often? If you have trouble staying focused and maintaining your pace, Ruawalk may be the wearable for you.

If you need motivation to keep your pace during a workout walk, try matching your steps to music beats with Ruawalk.

Ruawalk is a Kickstarter project that helps you keep a consistent pace during walks. The circular wearable first needs to pair with your smartphone, and then you can clip it to your shoe. The companion app features a collection of tracks that you can play when you start a workout. Like Guitar Hero and Dance, Dance Revolution, you get points and positive engagement when you match your pace with the beat of the song.

More: MWC 2017 Trends: Waterproof phones are in, wearables are out, and nostalgia is king

What’s neat is if you’re falling behind or not matching your pace with the song, a voice coach will audibly bring you back via your earbuds. There are seven different walking programs that range from 15 to 30 minutes long, each with a different types of songs and purpose. Unfortunately, you can’t use your own music, but the app will have more than 30 songs at launch.

The walking programs’ titles range from “I’m on a diet” and “Mood Booster,” to “Brain Walk” and “Lunchtime Stroll.” Presumably, programs like “I’m on a diet” will be more intensive, featuring fast-paced songs, compared to ones like “Lunchtime stroll. You can check out previews of what some of the music will be like on the company’s Kickstarter page.

The programs have different zones, starting with warm ups and ending with cool downs. “I’m on a diet,” for example, will have a 10-minute, high-intensity walking period in the middle followed by a 10-minute interval zone as well.

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The battery will last three to five days of use, and you can charge it via a Micro USB port located on the device. It looks like the company may be on its way to being funded, as it’s only about $8,000 short of its $30,000 goal with 23 days to go.

You can buy the Ruawalk for $69 from Kickstarter now, and units are expected to ship — if successfully funded — by June.