Apple could announce a new MacBook this week. Here’s what we want to see

MacBooks won’t be the focus of Apple’s big “Gather Round” September event on Wednesday. Yet thanks to the copious rumors, we know that Apple is working on a new, affordable laptop, that could appear at the event.

Here’s what I want to see Apple announce for a new, entry-level laptop.

Just call it a MacBook

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Many reports about the new device have labeled it as a “revamped MacBook Air.” On one hand, I can understand some of the excitement around that idea. The MacBook Air was a popular and high-performing laptop — and many people’s first entry into the Mac brand. Reviving the Air would bring nostalgia to the brand after a few troubling releases.

But please, Apple. Just don’t.

Rather than lean on an old brand like the Air, Apple needs to save the MacBook it already has. The 12-inch MacBook didn’t make nearly as large a splash upon its re-launch in 2015 as the Air did, largely thanks to the high starting price, slower Intel Core M processor, and limited port selection. Despite its forward-looking design, it was quickly disregarded as an overpriced, slow computer, especially compared to the equally-priced 13-inch MacBook Pro. It became a niche product — the opposite of what an entry-level computer should be.

It goes beyond the name. In terms of design, this new laptop needs to be a refined version of the 12-inch MacBook. Thinner, lighter, trimmed-down bezels, and an improved keyboard. If it’s a MacBook Air with a USB-C port, then Apple shouldn’t bother.

The MacBook has a legacy. It’s time Apple recaptured that.

Under $1,000, please

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Price is among the current MacBook’s biggest issues. At $1,300, it’s not much less than a MacBook Pro and far more expensive than entry-level versions of top-tier laptops like the Dell XPS 13. Since this new laptop would be taking the place of the MacBook Air, I’d like the new MacBook to be priced no higher than $1,000. That still isn’t affordable, but it’d be a $300 discount off the current 12-inch model, and would match the current selling price of the MacBook Air.

The only time Apple has priced a MacBook under a $1,000 was the (now-discontinued) 11-inch MacBook Air, while sold for $900 upon its release. I’d be surprised if Apple released a laptop that affordable again, but anything above $1,000 will still be too expensive. If it needs to have a small 128GB SSD (like the base model of the MacBook Pro), so be it.

Don’t think Apple would ever reduce the price of a product line to save it? Look at what happened with the iPad in recent years. The iPad Air 2 sold for $500 in 2016, only to be replaced entirely by the $330 iPad a year later. That’s a 34 percent discount. That happened, of course, in the light of fledgling iPad sales.

It’s time for Apple to do the same with the MacBook.

Take us on a trip to Amber Lake

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Lastly, I want to see the new MacBook pack Intel’s newest hardware. Whatever laptop Apple releases in 2018 will most certainly be 8th-gen, but Intel’s recently launched processors that feel like the perfect fit. The base MacBook currently comes with a 7th-gen “Intel Core M” processor, which no longer holds up to the competition.

Importantly, the new Intel Y-Series chips come with some advantages, such as significant improvements to battery life and connectivity. The new laptops announced at IFA, with these new processors, have boasted significant boosts in battery life, upward of twenty hours. Battery life is an area MacBooks used to lead in, and now they’ve fallen to the back of the pack compared to laptops like the Surface Book 2 or Dell XPS 13. In addition to some extra juice, an Amber Lake-powered MacBook would bring increased connectivity, with Gigabit Wi-Fi and possibly built-in 4G LTE.

I’m not asking for a lot. I’m not asking for Apple to manufacture its own processors, bring iOS apps to Mac in full, or bring touch capabilities to its laptops. I’ll keep it simple. If Tim Cook takes the stage on Wednesday and announced a $1,000 12-inch MacBook with twenty hour battery life, I’ll be happy.

Editors’ Recommendations

• MacBook 12-inch vs. MacBook Pro 13
• Apple’s new MacBook Air with Intel’s 8th-gen processors expected this year
• The MacBook Pro may finally get updated with faster processors
• New Apple MacBook may appear in September at $1,200
• The best MacBook

The complete Oculus Go repair guide

So you’ve encountered an issue with your Oculus Go. Well, here I’ve collected solutions to a number of issues you may be dealing with. From corrosion in your batteries to a broken screen, here’s everything you’re going to need to help get yourself back to your games and experiences. Have you come across a problem that isn’t listed here? Make sure you leave a comment below so we can help you out and update this article!

Products Used In This Guide

• We’ve found that Amazon is the best place to buy these accessories:
• Oculus Go Standalone Headset ($199)
• MagicFiber Microfiber Cleaning Cloths ($9)
• Q-Tips ($4.59)
• 2-Pack Arm & Hammer Baking Soda ($8.40)
• Hard EVA Travel Case ($20)
• UltraClear Screen Protector ($8)
• Amazon 5W USB Official OEM Charger ($20)
• Surge Protector Power Strip 6 Outlets with 6 USB Ports ($23)
• Small Vinyl Sickers ($16.67)
• Oculus Store: The Fitted Interface ($20)

How to handle battery corrosion

Remove the cover and battery from the controller.

Mix a solution of baking soda and water to create a very thick mixture.

Dip your Q-Tip in the solution. You only need the smallest amount.

Wiggle your Q-Tip around inside of the controller to loosen up the corrosion. Be careful not to push the battery button down, as that will cause the mixture to get into your controller.

Get your dry microfiber cloth and wrap it around another Q-Tip.
Use the microfiber cloth to clean up the solution you created and the remains of the corrosion.

You may still experience issues turning on your controller for the first few uses. If the problems keep occurring just remove your battery, give it a wipe down with a dry microfiber cloth and try again.

What to do with scratched or damaged lenses

Use a sticker to stick and peel from your device to catch any dust.

Clean your lenses with a dry microfiber cloth. Do not use chemicals or alcohols, even if they came in the pack with the product.

Peel the first layer of the lenses and stick them to your headset.
Use your fingers to smooth over the protectors and wipe them off again when you’re done.

Ninety-nine percent of the scratches you’ll find on your phone will disappear when you put on a screen protector. They’re still there, but they’re significantly harder to notice. This is the same logic we’ve used here. If your lenses are far too cracked or damaged for this to work it is time to put in a ticket with Oculus Support. Remember, we don’t use chemicals on lenses because they can damage and warp them.

What to do if your interface gets damaged, or doesn’t fit

Pull on the edges of your interface to the side and not straight up.

Once it’s released from the edges of your lenses, pull in the opposite direction. It should now be fully removed.

Get your new interface to line up on your headset.

Push the interface down on half of the lenses and then pull them over the other sides to lock them in place.

Just to be sure that it’s all locked into place push on the interface around the edges of your lenses.

If you’ve damaged the default interface and just needed a new replacement, these instructions are the right one for you. If your problem lies in the interface not fitting properly in the first place you’ll need to use these instructions to install fitted interface that the Oculus Store offers.

Help! My headset won’t charge!

First, check to make sure all your cables are properly connected.

If you’re using an off-brand charger cube try to switch it out for a higher quality charger, or plug it directly into a USB port extension cord.

Turn your device on and get to your home screen, then plug it in again.
If all else still fails, contact Oculus Support.

I honestly have no idea why turning on your headset and getting to the home screen changes why the orange light doesn’t come on. But, I’ve noticed multiple times that it works for me. Other times it comes down to the types of chargers you’re using. Sometimes an upgrade on your ports or cubes is necessary.

Scrapes and bumps on the surface of your Oculus Go headset

Customize your Oculus Go with stickers.

When using stickers, make sure to use smaller ones and don’t cover the entire surface. You still want the surface to be able to breathe to avoid over-heating.

Another option you have is to give your Oculus Go a custom paint job.

You want to use alcohol paints (that get nowhere near your lenses) and use a heat-resistant sealant.

Your final option is to get a decal kit that covers up the entire surface of your Oculus Go.
With 25 options I’m sure you’ll find the right one for you. Since these decal kits are made to cover the entire surface you should be perfectly fine against the battle of over-heating.

Unfortunately, with the surface type of the Oculus Go, it’s impossible to fix those accidental scrapes and bruises. Customizing your Oculus Go helps turn those hiccups into beautiful art! To check out your options check out the shopping guide shown above to make your decisions or see the perfect travel case. If none of the options shown above tickle your fancy you can always contact support to see if they’ll replace your headset instead.

Contacting Oculus Support

Go to the Oculus Support Page.

Select Request to Return my Oculus Hardware.

Fill out the rest of the form with your information and the problems you are experiencing.
Press Submit.

Oculus usually takes 2-5 business days to get back to you on your request to return your hardware. When they respond back to you with repair or return options you’ll be able to finish out the process however you feel comfortable. Whether that’s returning your headset to buy a new one, sending your current one for repairs, or even just requesting a swap-out.

Then if all else fails…

If your equipment is too far gone it might be best to just go for a full replacement. No worries, most of the Oculus Go replacement parts are actually for an extremely fair price. Even I was impressed when I needed to replace my interface, and I’m basically a human Mr. Krabs.

Oculus Go Standalone Headset

Full Replacement

$199 at Amazon

The alternate edition of the interface

If Oculus Support isn’t able to give you the help you need, and the answers found in this guide aren’t working, it might be best to replace your entire headset. You can find this on Amazon for $199. For what the headset is, it’s absolutely worth keeping on your shelves.

Getting better charging equiptment

HITRENDS Surge Protector Power Strip 6 Outlets with 6 USB

$22.99 at Amazon

Get yourself a better outlet to work with

If you’re struggling to get a proper charge and notice that it isn’t just with your Oculus Go headset, the cords might not be the problem. You can get a surge protecting power strip off Amazon for $22.99. This will eliminate your charger cube problem entirely by giving you a direct plug-in option.

Portable charging equiptment

Amazon 5W USB Official OEM Charger

$19.99 at Amazon

Go a bit more portable with your option

If you’re the type of person who’s always on the go you may want to opt into a better charger cube instead. It’s not convenient in any way to carry around an entire power strip just to charge your devices. The Amazon brand charger may have a steep price at $19.99, but it’s worth every penny. As someone who owns one themselves, I’ve never regretted the purchase.

Oculus Go Controller

Replacement Accessory

$25 at Amazon

Sometimes a replacement is the only option

If you have tried your best to repair your controller, and you’re still experiencing problems, then it might be time to admit defeat. Don’t worry, the replacement controller is sold as an accessory on the Oculus Store for just $25.

Oculus Go Relaxed Interface

Replacement Default Accessory

$20 at Amazon

The standard edition of the interface

If you need to replace your interface make sure you’re purchasing the right one. If the interface that originally came with your device is the one that is comfortable, you want the “Relaxed Interface”. You can find this on the Oculus Store for just $20.

Oculus Go Fitted Interface

Replacement Alternate Accessory

$20 at Amazon

The alternate edition of the interface

The alternate edition of the interface was made for people with low nose bridges and high or wide cheekbones. If your Oculus Go doesn’t fit you just right, you may need to switch to this interface instead. You can find this on the Oculus Store for just $20.

Instagram Update Adds Emoji Shortcuts Bar for Faster Comments

Instagram has added an emoji shortcut bar to its mobile app that places the user’s most-used emojis above the keyboard whenever they start to comment on a post (via The Verge).

The new emoji bar doesn’t appear on other occasions in the app that call for the use of the onscreen keyboard, such as when a user creates a post or comments on a Story.

Instagram has obviously identified post comments as the place where emoji are most frequently used on the platform, and naturally wants to make the interaction as easy as possible.

The feature has been in limited testing since May, but only recently became available to everyone on the image-led social network with the latest mobile app update.

That feeling when your favorite emojis are right in front of you 🙌😍 pic.twitter.com/QPF8eGc5yD

— Instagram (@instagram) September 6, 2018

The use of emoji in digital communications has skyrocketed ever since Apple introduced the emoji keyboard to iOS back in October 2011. In the month following the introduction, Instagram revealed that 10 percent of text on the social network included the use of emoji.

By March 2015, nearly half of all text on the platform contained the ubiquitous expressive characters, leading Instagram to employ machine learning to recognize long-term emoji trends. This latest update might be regarded as an inevitable outcome of its extensive analysis.

Tag: Instagram
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Apple’s Carpool Karaoke Wins Short Form Emmy Award

Apple on Sunday won its first Primetime Emmy for original content, landing the accolade for Apple Music’s Carpool Karaoke, which won Outstanding Short Form Variety Series at this year’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards (via Deadline).

Carpool Karaoke began as a viral segment on CBS’ The Late Late Show With James Corden, before Apple acquired the rights in 2016 to develop an offshoot that it would initially make available in 2017 for Apple Music subscribers to watch. This year Apple added the series to the iOS TV app and the Apple TV, making it free to watch for device owners.

“To try and do a Carpool Karaoke series without James Corden was a tricky thing,” Carpool Karaoke executive producer Ben Winston said as he accepted the award on stage. “I think this might be Apple’s first Emmy!”

Corden has appeared in a couple of episodes produced for Apple Music, but Apple’s version mainly features celebrities in the driver’s seat originally occupied by Corden, with other celebrities coming along for the ride. Guest pairings have included Shakira and Trevor Noah, Shaquille O’Neal and WWE star John Cena, and Game of Thrones stars Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams.

Last year, the series made headlines when an episode featuring the Linkin Park crew was recorded just a week before lead singer Chester Bennington’s death. Apple renewed the series for a second season in February and has since aired a few new episodes with the cast of the movie TAG and Evan Rachel Wood and James Marsden from Westworld.

The show was one of Apple’s first efforts at an original series, along with the ill-fated Planet of the Apps, which did not get renewed for a second season following rather mixed reviews.

Tags: Apple Music, Carpool Karaoke
Discuss this article in our forums

Elon Musk’s Boring Company turns digging machine into ‘best video game ever’

After witnessing Elon Musk burning down a doobie in a recent podcast show, many people had an “ahh, I geddit now” moment as they suddenly realized how some of the billionaire entrepreneur’s slightly wackier proposals may have come to be.

A couple of days after Musk’s brief encounter with the green goddess, a video (below) appeared on the Boring Company‘s Twitter feed showing one of its digging machines apparently being operated by an Xbox controller. The tweet includes the caption,”Best video game ever,” though avid gamers may have a word or two to say about that.

We have no idea if it was Musk himself at the controls — there were certainly no thick puffs of smoke wafting in front of the camera as the demonstration proceeded. But seeing as he’s the CEO of the company, and knowing Musk’s penchant for outlandish projects, it’s definitely possible that the idea of connecting an Xbox controller to a giant digging machine could have come from the very same lips that recently wrapped themselves around a spliff during Joe Rogan’s podcast.

Best video game ever pic.twitter.com/DlGFsji76l

— The Boring Company (@boringcompany) September 8, 2018

It’s not clear if the setup is an experiment to test the viability of a novel digging method, or a publicity stunt to help spread the word of the Boring Company’s mission. A stunt like the Boring Company caps, or the Not-a-Flamethrower, or Musk’s idea that rock excavated by the Boring Company’s machines could be used to build life-size replicas of ancient Egyptian monuments. Is the demonstration even real? You be the judge.

The Boring Company plan

For the uninitiated, the Boring Company is, like Tesla and SpaceX, another of Musk’s grand pursuits. This particular one has the ambition to build a vast network of tunnels beneath car-clogged cities in an effort to ease traffic congestion. The idea is to use powerful digging machines that can drill at speeds much faster than conventional boring machines, which should dramatically cut the cost of such projects.

Vehicles would be carried through the tunnels on track-based electric sleds at speeds of up to 150 mph. An elevator-type system would lower a vehicle, and the people inside, from the street onto the sled, while cyclists and pedestrians would use other, specially designed pods. Once moving, the sleds would transfer from side tunnels to the main tunnel, ensuing that all the sleds on the main artery are constantly moving, thereby ensuring maximum efficiency. “This is a big difference compared to subways that stop at every stop, whether you’re getting off or not,” Musk said.

The company has already created a test tunnel beneath SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California, and has plans for tunneling projects in Chicago and on the East Coast. Its latest proposal suggests a short route between Lose Angeles’ Dodger Stadium and other transportation links, a project that, if greenlit, could be a useful test bed for its grander vision of a large network of tunnels.

Musk first mentioned his futuristic boring plan in 2016 when he was stuck in his car on a gridlocked freeway. “Traffic is driving me nuts,” he tweeted in December, 2016. “Am going to build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging…” There was no mention of any Xbox controllers, though.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The Boring Company doesn’t sound so boring anymore
• Elon Musk’s Boring Company wants to dig a tunnel to Dodger Stadium
• Here’s everything you need to know about SpaceX Starlink
• Hyperloop pod reaches fastest speed yet in Elon Musk’s latest contest
• 5 reasons why you shouldn’t be surprised Elon Musk smoked weed

The Moto G6 Plus is dead on arrival in India

Motorola has launched the Moto G6 Plus in India, but it shouldn’t have bothered.

Even until the start of last year, Motorola was the brand to beat in the budget segment in India. Earlier models in the Moto G series offered decent performance coupled with a clean software experience and quick updates, but Motorola squandered its footing in the country with a series of ill-timed decisions. The most egregious of these included flooding the market with sub-par phones and abandoning software updates for entry-level phones — a few devices like the Moto E4 Plus didn’t receive a single platform update.

Motorola launched the Moto G6 and G6 Play in India earlier in the year, and is now following it up with the Moto G6 Plus. The Moto G6 didn’t have a lot to offer in a segment that fields the likes of the Redmi Note 5 Pro, the ZenFone Max Pro M1, and more recently the Nokia 6.1 Plus, and the Moto G6 Plus is in a similar predicament.

The Moto G6 Plus will go on sale in India for ₹22,499 ($310). For that price, you get a device with a 5.9-inch 18:9 panel backed by Gorilla Glass 3, Snapdragon 630, 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, dual 12MP + 5MP cameras at the back, 8MP front shooter, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3200mAh battery. To put things into context, the 6GB/64GB variant of the Redmi Note 5 Pro retails for ₹16,999 ($235), and that particular device is powered by the beefier Snapdragon 636.

If you’re not a fan of MIUI, then there’s the Mi A2: Xiaomi’s 2018 Android One device is available in India for ₹16,999 ($235) as well, and it comes with a Snapdragon 660 and a camera that would put the Moto G6 Plus to shame.

If you’re still not convinced, then we have the POCO F1. The phone features a Snapdragon 845, 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM, 64GB of UFS 2.1 flash storage, and a massive 4000mAh battery, and it costs just ₹20,999 ($290).

Motorola’s current woes in India are of its own making; the brand was cognizant of the prevalent conditions in the budget segment and continued to ignore them. The company was never one to offer beefy specs, but it differentiated itself by providing value on the software front. It lost that edge last year when it failed to deliver timely security and platform updates, and the launch of the Moto G6 Plus does nothing to sway consumers looking to pick up the Nokia 6.1 Plus, Mi A2, or the POCO F1.

If you’re in the market for a phone in the ₹20,000 segment, you’re better off spending it on the POCO F1.

See at Flipkart

What does Argonaut’s $21,000 carbon bike look like? Whatever you want

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Chris Fitzpatrick/Argonaut

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Chris Fitzpatrick/Argonaut

Carbon fiber is an incredible material that can make practically anything lighter, faster, or stronger, and few industries have delved as wholeheartedly into the carbon fiber pool as cycling. With frames, handlebars, wheels, and even seats available in the woven wonder material, bicycles today are better than they’ve ever been.

It’s not all upsides, though. The thing about using carbon in a bike is that it makes things incredibly rigid –which is good– but it does introduce some drawbacks. That rigidity allows you to put all the power you can muster into the pedals and eventually the ground, but a bike that’s too stiff will wear you out because of its unyielding properties. The flesh and bone beings that we’re made of require a little bit of flex when it comes to peak power output, because we aren’t as strong as the bikes we’re riding—and therein lies the drawback.

Manufacturers have responded to the issue of rigidity by tailoring bikes to the needs of different groups, and making bikes with different stiffness profiles for touring, racing, and other disciplines. The only problem is that a “one-size-fits-all” mantra is necessary to keep costs down, which limits the number of models available. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just the way most large bike manufacturers work.

But what if you had a solution for the rigidity issue that would allow for nearly limitless adjustability? What if you could make a carbon fiber bike as unique as its rider’s fingerprint — one that fits their body better than a pair of spandex shorts? Enter Argonaut.

Reining in rigidity

Argonaut is headquartered in Bend, OR, and was started in 2010 by CEO Ben Farver. Ben was welding steel bike frames for a living when he came up with his carbon fiber rigidity solution. In essence, his idea was a tunable carbon fiber bicycle frame.

Generally speaking, the best way to tune a bicycle is to change its size and geometry. But Ben wanted to tune for riding style, power output, and road type (i.e. hills, flats, sprints, distance, or race). This requires much more than simple size and shape adjustments.

Argonaut

In order to make this idea a reality Ben spent two years developing his carbon fiber frames with the help of Innovative Composite Engineering (ICE), based out of White Salmon, WA. ICE builds a slew of composite parts for the aerospace, automotive, and military industries, including a few pieces for a privateer rocket company.

Argonaut has figured out a way to get flexibility and strength exactly where they want it, giving the rider the best bang for their buck with each crank of the pedal.

After more than a year of tinkering, Ben and ICE found that by using unidirectional carbon fiber in addition to a more standard weave, they could achieve varying stiffness profiles that were unique to each rider. By layering the unidirectional carbon fiber sheets, Argonaut is able to tune its bike frames by changing the degree at which the sheets are aligned throughout the frame. In more comprehensible terms, by tweaking the way the grain of each carbon fiber sheet interacts with its neighbors, Argonaut has figured out a way to get flexibility and strength exactly where they want it, giving the rider the best bang for their buck with each crank of the pedal.

The best way to describe the layering of the carbon fiber is to show you. Conveniently, the folks at Argonaut have put together a video, as well as an exploded view of one of their bike frames before it’s gone through the manufacturing process. Through a precise combination of carbon fiber layers, the design can change based on how the pieces are aligned and where additional layers are placed. In essence, each bike frame is a puzzle where the size, shape and orientation of the pieces is unknown until the rider provides their input—and Argonaut has the recipe for sorting it all out; a secret sauce of unlimited flavors.

It’s all in the flex

After two years of research and development with ICE, the result was a concept Ben calls “Three-Dimensional Flex.” Three-Dimensional Flex combines the calculated wizardry that goes into creating each individual piece with Ben’s unique knowledge of how best to capitalize on a particular rider’s habits based on their torsional (up and down) and bending (front to back) rigidity needs. That’s what makes Argonaut so special—the melding of Ben’s experience as a frame building artist with the modern componentry of carbon fiber science. By tweaking the flex in an incredibly precise manner while understanding the needs of each rider, Argonaut is able to bring their customers a completely bespoke carbon bicycle that’s catered to their individual style.

Putting research into practice requires a ton of input on behalf of the rider. Thankfully Argonaut has flushed out a process for interviewing, measuring, and picking out parts for riders in order to get each bike just right. The options are nearly limitless, and Ben, with his encyclopedic knowledge of all things cycling, drills down what’s going to be best for each customer’s unique cycling needs. This process is certainly more in-depth than what you’re likely to find at your local bike shop, but good things take time. Argonaut spends about 80 hours on each cycle before its shipped out.

Argonaut

From start to finish, the entire process from order to delivery takes about 10-12 weeks, and prices vary from around $12,000 to over $21,000 depending on a myriad of factors, mostly centered around the components you choose. This does tip the scale into luxury services, but with offerings north of $12,000 from Trek, Specialized, Giant, and nearly every other major cycling manufacturer, this price point isn’t as outrageous it might seem.

So if you’re willing to take the step into the custom carbon fiber future of cycling with Argonaut, then the answer to “what can a custom carbon fiber bicycle do for you?” is simple: Exactly what you, and only you, need it to.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best mountain bikes
• The versatile HPC Scout is a beast on the road and on the trail
• The Fiiz offers folding bike convenience, traditional bike experience
• The Fender Stratocaster helped Bentley ally tech and craftsmanship
• All of the high-tech materials that make modern outdoor gear great

Microsoft will extend Windows 7 support in exchange for a monthly fee

Support for Windows 7 officially ends on January 14, 2020, but that date can now be postponed provided you’re willing to pay. In a new blog post, Microsoft has announced that it will continue to offer IT support for Windows 7 in exchange for a monthly fee. This means that if you want to continue receiving security updates for Windows 7 then you’ll need to pay a monthly fee. Microsoft has announced the specific amount yet but has said that it will increase every year.

Doubtless, there are going to be some people who are going to be upset over having to pay in order to receive security updates. On the other hand, this does mean that those organizations who are reluctant to upgrade to Windows 10 will still have an alternative. At least until this promotion ends in 2023.

The blog post says that this extended service option will “be available to all Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise customers in Volume Licensing, with a discount to customers with Windows software assurance.” Based on that wording, we can reasonably assume that this means any individuals who have not upgraded to Windows 8 or 10 will need to do so if they want to continue to receive support and security updates from Microsoft.

Those who don’t want to pay for the extended support can, of course, continue to run Windows 7, but they will be at a higher risk of security vulnerabilities and other issues. Unfortunately, those who do want to upgrade to Windows 10 will have to pay a hefty price. The more affordable Windows 8 is no longer being sold and the free upgrade period for Windows 10 has expired.

It will be interesting to see how this extended support promotion plays out for Microsoft. Currently, more than 38 percent of computers worldwide run on Windows 7. It’s likely that there are going to be some organizations willing to pay for the extended support. On the other hand, there are probably plenty of people who have avoided upgrading due to the cost of the software upgrade. Given that this extended service must be purchased for each device in use, it is likely that some will find it more affordable to simply upgrade to Windows 10.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best iPhone apps available right now (September 2018)
• When is your phone getting Android 8.0 Oreo? We asked every major manufacturer
• Microsoft will take charge of your Windows 10 device in a monthly lease
• The best Mac apps of 2018
• From deal to dumpster fire: A MoviePass timeline

Fitness trackers, Xbox controllers, and more are discounted today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on the special edition Xbox wireless controllers, Samsung microSD cards, Fitbit fitness trackers, and more!

View the rest of the deals

If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

These are the best slim cases for the Galaxy Note 9

We’re a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. We live and breathe Android phones, so we’re always on the lookout for the best ways to protect them.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is the largest phone released in 2018, so you might not want to add any extra bulk with a case. Having said that, you probably don’t want to carry around a $1,000 phone with no case whatsoever. That’s where these slim cases can give you the peace of mind you desire without adding unnecessary bulk for your pocket carry.

Some assembly required

Spigen Thin Fit 360

This is the thinnest case that Spigen offers for the Note 9. Designed to preserve the in-hand feel with an extremely minimalist frame that clips together in three parts and comes with a tempered glass screen protector.

$18 at Amazon

Slim and minimalist

Spigen Thin Fit

This is a better option for those looking for a simple and minimalist case and nothing else. This case basically clips around the edges of the Note 9, providing important protection in the corners while leaving all other buttons and cutouts wide open. It’s guaranteed compatible for wireless charging and Spigen screen protectors.

$11 at Amazon

Ultra-thin and crystal clear

Olixar Ultra-Thin Clear Case

Olixar offers a clear case that not only adds barely any bulk to your Note 9, but is transparent to let your phone’s design shine through. A great option for near-invisible protection.

$10 at Amazon

A thin clear case with stylish accents

TORRAS Ultra Slim Fit

A clear, one-piece case that’s only 1mm thick. Available with stylish black or blue accents around the edges or as a crystal clear case.

$12 at Amazon

Let’s be clear — if you decide to use your Note 9 without a case you’re taking a pretty big gamble with a rather expensive bit of technology. As you can see above, you can keep your Note 9 protected with a slim case for just $10 so there’s no need to take unnecessary risks.