AMD just confirmed its 7nm processor and graphics cards for CES 2019

AMD

Some roadmaps from earlier this year had us anxiously waiting for more detailed information about AMD’s upcoming processors, and now there’s even fuel to go about. Today, AMD officially announced that it would be using CES 2019 as the opportunity to reveal more about their much-anticipated 7nm processors.

The announcement promises that AMD President and CEO Dr. Lisa Su will deliver a keynote address at the annual trades show, but it also teases some high hopes for the 7nm processors.

“AMD will catapult computing, gaming, and visualization technologies forward with the world’s first 7nm high-performance CPUs and GPUs, providing the power required to reach technology’s next horizon,” reads the release.

CES 2019 runs from January 8-11, 2019 in Las Vegas, so the timing is just right and confirms previous talks of a 2019 release for the 7nm series.  If that holds up to be true, we’ll likely hear more about the Ryzen 3rd Generation CPUs and Vega GPUs. That’s pretty important, as even the president of the Consumer Technology Association thinks that AMD has big things to go about.

“AMD is transforming the future of computing in our ever-expanding digital world and revolutionizing the $35 billion gaming industry,” said Gary Shapiro in the announcement.

With delays still apparently facing the Intel Cannon Lake chips, this could be a good chance for AMD to make a leap over Intel in gaming. There are still lots of questions and rumors on what both companies will offer at CES, but we’ll find out soon enough. The release ends by mentioning that other CES keynote will be announced in the coming weeks.

In either case, AMD seems to have wakened up Intel. Intel is now stepping up packaging and pricing to resemble the competition, most . The Intel’s Core i9-9900K comes in a cool 12-sided box translucent box and costs a nice $580. That is Intel’s first eight-core, sixteen-thread desktop processor, and feels like a direct response to AMD Threadripper, which comes in some truly world-class packaging. We’ll be keeping an eye on the CES news as January steadily approaches, and as things have gone, they could likely be more leaks before then.

Editors’ Recommendations

• AMD’s new gaming-ready Athlon processor starts at just $55
• Arm’s future CPU designs may finally catch up with Intel in laptops by 2020
• AMD vs. Intel
• AMD’s Ryzen desktop CPUs for 2019 may double the core count
• The best processors for gaming

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 vs. Dell XPS 13

Microsoft

Microsoft just released an updated version of its traditional notebook, the Surface Laptop, with 8th-gen Intel CPUs and a new black color scheme. The Surface Laptop 2 is otherwise very similar to its predecessor, raising the question of whether improved internals are enough to compete with today’s strong group of 13-inch competitors.

Enter the Dell XPS 13, which received its own refresh earlier this year and remains one of our favorite notebooks. The Surface Laptop 2 looks good, but is it enough to take on the king of the hill? Read on to find out.

Design

The Microsoft Laptop 2 looks a lot like its predecessor, meaning that it’s a relatively thin notebook with an excellent all-aluminum build. It maintains the Alcantara fabric covering on the keyboard deck that both gives the notebook one solid color to match its metal chassis and also provides for a soft, luxurious feel. Overall, the Surface Laptop 2 is an attractive notebook that won’t be mistaken for any other.

Dell’s XPS 13 received a more significant design update in its latest iteration, with some millimeters shaved from both the chassis and the bezels. That results in pretty much the smallest 13.3-inch notebook available, and Dell’s use of some new materials, like Gore insulation, ensures that the notebook keeps up the performance without melting down. Its new white and rose gold color scheme adds some panache to an otherwise conservative aesthetic, while the woven texture material in the palmrest and keyboard deck offers a luxuriant feel that’s even better than the carbon fiber lining the deck of the black and silver version.

Regarding input options, the Surface Laptop 2 offers a lot to like. First, there’s the keyboard, which provides more than enough travel and a satisfying click that provides a for a very precise feel. Then there’s the Microsoft Precision touchpad and its smooth support for Windows 10’s full suite of gestures. The touch display is one of the best on a clamshell notebook thanks to Microsoft’s Pixelsense panel technology, and it also supports the Surface Pen. It’s a dubious distinction for a traditional notebook, but it’s there if you want it.

The Dell’s keyboard has a relatively shallow keyboard that nevertheless provides a snappy, precise typing experience, and its own Microsoft Precision touchpad that works as well as any you’ll find on a Windows notebook. The XPS 13 allows its user to log in with Windows 10 Hello through either a fingerprint reader or facial recognition.

Performance

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Both the XPS 13 and the Surface Laptop 2 can be equipped with Intel’s 8th-generation Core CPUs, which are fast and efficient. They’re both likely to provide more than acceptable performance for any productivity user. We haven’t tested the Surface Laptop 2 yet, but the XPS 13 was a fast performer in our testing and managed to keep its heat in check. We expect the same with the Microsoft notebook. We’ll note that the original Surface Laptop used slower SATA solid-state drives (SSDs) compared to the PCIe versions used in the XPS 13, and so unless Microsoft upgraded storage as well then the Dell is likely to be faster at accessing and saving data.

In terms of its display, the Surface Laptop 2 stands out among similarly sized notebooks. It utilizes a 13.5-inch IPS display running at a very sharp 3,000 x 2,000 (267 PPI) resolution in the productivity-friendly 3:2 aspect ratio that Microsoft champions. If it matches its predecessor, then it should offer the usual high contrast and brightness enjoyed by other Surface PCs. That compares to the XPS 13’s choice of Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 or 165 PPI) or 4K UHD display (3,840 x 2,160 or 331 PPI) resolutions that both offer good but not great contrast, slightly higher color gamut, and decent brightness.

Portability

The Surface Laptop 2 isn’t the thinnest and lightest machine around, but it’s competitive at just 0.57 inches thick and roughly 2.76 pounds (depending on the CPU). It’s certainly not hard to carry around. It also offers 47 watt-hours of battery life, which isn’t terribly impressive, but the original Surface Laptop  still did well enough in our suite of battery life benchmarks. It managed 12 and a half hours when looping our test video, and it lasted for over eight hours of web browsing. Those results placed the Surface Laptop among the better notebooks we’ve tested, and we expect better results with the Surface Laptop 2 thanks to its more efficient 8th-gen CPUs.

The Dell XPS 13 is an even thinner notebook, though, at 0.45 inches, and it leverages ultra-thin bezels to be as small as possible in its other dimensions. It’s the smallest 13.3-inch notebook on the market, in fact, although it’s also a bit dense at 2.68 pounds. That’s not heavy, and it beats out the Surface Laptop 2, but it’s not the lightest machine around either. The XPS 13 also does well in terms of its battery life, where the Full HD version lasted over 13 and a half hours playing video and over 10 hours browsing the web. The 4K version lasted a less impressive 10 hours or so on our video test but outlasted the Surface Laptop 2 when browsing the web at around nine hours.

Dell’s XPS 13 wins out for packing lots of power in a smaller chassis

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Both of these are premium notebooks, coming in at $1,000 or more. The Surface Laptop 2 starts out at $1,000 for a Core i5, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD in its Platinum color scheme, and maxes out at $2,700 for a Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The XPS 13 also starts out at $1,000 for a Core i5 and a 128GB SSD, but RAM fails to impress at 4GB the display is the lower-resolution Full HD version. You’ll spend $2,100 for a Core i7-8550U, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 4K display.

Both of these notebooks are good representatives in the 13-inch or so premium market. But the Dell XPS 13 is smaller and packs all of its power — and battery life — into a smaller chassis, making it the winner of this shootout.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Microsoft Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Laptop 2
• Asus ZenBook S vs. Dell XPS 13
• Asus ZenBook S review
• HP Spectre 13 (2017) review
• Asus ZenBook Pro 15 vs. Dell XPS 15

Here’s how to buy the new five-camera LG V40 ThinQ flagship phone

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

LG has a new phone — the V40 ThinQ — and it has five cameras, flagship specs including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, and a nice big 6.4-inch display. Check out our review for our impressions of the phone, but read on if you’re ready to buy it and want the best deals and prices.

The LG V40 is available in two colors, Aurora black and Moroccan Blue, but there is only one 64GB storage option. Thankfully, there is a MicroSD card slot if you want more space. Official retail sales for the phone won’t begin until October 18, though availability varies from carrier to carrier. Pre-orders kick off on October 12.

LG also announced a few “nationwide” deals that may be available through your carrier. For example, if you pre-order the LG V40 ThinQ, you get a DJI Osmo Mobile 2 gimbal, and a SanDisk 256GB MicroSD card with an adapter. Combined, that equates to more than $250 of added value. Here’s everything you need to know about getting the LG V40 ThinQ for yourself.

Unlocked

Some retailers are listing the LG V40 ThinQ for $949 unlocked. Currently, B&H is listing the black version of the device, though we will update this article if we find more retailers listing the phone.

Carriers

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Not interested in getting the phone unlocked from LG? Perhaps ordering through a carrier is a better option for you.

AT&T

AT&T said it will be carrying the LG V40 ThinQ. The device will be up for pre-order starting on October 12, and users will be able to get it for $31.67 per month for 30 months on the AT&T Next plan. Full availability for the phone starts on October 19.

Sprint

Sprint will be offering the LG V40 ThinQ, but it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to pre-order it through the carrier. The V40 ThinQ comes at $960, or $40 per month for 24 months, or you can get it on a Sprint Flex lease for $20 per month for 18 months. Of course, through a lease, you’ll have to return the device and upgrade at the end of the term. Sales of the LG V40 ThinQ begin on October 19.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile announced that it will be offering the LG V40 ThinQ, with pre-orders starting on Friday, October 12, and full sales on Friday, October 19. Pricing for the phone comes at $30 per month for 24 months with a $200 down payment, on the T-Mobile Equipment Installment Plan.

Verizon

On Verizon, the LG V40 ThinQ will be available starting on October 11, but before we dive into pricing there are a few sweet deals to consider. For example, those that activate a Verizon device payment plan will get $200 off the LG V40. If you’re switching to Verizon or activate a new line, you also get up to $300 off when you trade in an old phone. Last but not least, like some other carriers, those that buy the LG V40 ThinQ on Verizon are eligible for a free SanDisk Ultra 256GB MicroSDXC card, as well as a DJI Osmo Mobile 2 gimbal.

Pricing for the LG V40 ThinQ comes at $40.83 per month for 24 months — or a total of $980. That is significantly more than, for example, U.S. Cellular, which offers the phone for a total of $900.

U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular announced its availability for the new LG V40 ThinQ. On the carrier, the device will be up for pre-order starting on Friday, October 12. Those that do pre-order the phones and open a new line on the carrier will get $150 back in bill credits, as well as a V40 ThinQ case for an extra penny. Full sales for the phone on U.S. Cellular will begin on Friday, October 19. On top of that, anyone who pre-orders the phone between October 12 and October 18 will be eligible for a free SanDisk Ultra 256GB MicroSDXC card, as well as a DJI Osmo Mobile 2 gimbal.

When it comes to actual pricing, the LG V40 ThinQ comes at $30 per month for 30 months on U.S. Cellular. That equates to a total of $900.

We’ll update this article as we hear more about LG V40 ThinQ pricing and availability.

Updated on October 3, 2018: Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, U.S. Cellular, and unlocked availability details added.

Editors’ Recommendations

• LG V40 ThinQ: Everything you need to know
• LG V40 ThinQ vs. V35 ThinQ vs. V30: Which of LG’s big phones is best for you?
• LG V35 ThinQ review
• LG V40 ThinQ Review
• iPhone XS vs. LG G7 ThinQ: Can LG swing past Apple?

A pocketable Surface PC remains a dream for Microsoft exec

Ryan Smalley | Behance

Even though Microsoft did not launch its much anticipated dual-screen Andromeda tablet at the Surface Event on Tuesday, October 2, the company may still be pursuing its dream of creating the ultimate pocketable computing device. Microsoft was previously rumored to be working on the dual-screen device, which has been leaked numerous times this year, for at least two years.

“We will invent and we will create when products are right,” Microsoft Chief Product Designer Panos Panay told The Verge. “We can’t bring new categories into the world and not be a place where customers need it.”

The device was previously rumored to launch under the Surface brand and likely take on the name of Surface Phone. Unlike other dual-screen PC concepts that we have seen earlier this year from the IFA trade show, Microsoft’s design calls for a more pocketable device. However, more recently and ahead of the October 2 event, industry insiders speculated that Microsoft had shelved Andromeda, claiming that Microsoft may not have found a use for the device. Now, it looks like Panay confirmed those speculations.

This makes sense, given that Microsoft claimed that it established the Surface brand to push the industry forward. When the company launched the Surface Pro, it proved it could make a unique and functional tablet. Though initial versions of the tablet didn’t gain mass appeal, the device inspired numerous copycats in the PC industry. Likely, to launch Andromeda, the device must offer a unique selling point to get consumers to covet the premium hardware. Prior leaks and patents reveal that Microsoft had explored different user interface concepts, like an alarm clock when the device is placed in a tent position. But those ideas seem more like a novelty.

Yet, despite being reserved about finding a market for Andromeda, Panay seems passionate about such a device. “It’s absolutely my baby,” he said. The dream for Andromeda happened long before Microsoft launched the first Surface product. Even though Panay’s team may have begun development two years ago on this device, Microsoft teased a dual-screen tablet that could replace a notebook nearly a decade ago in a concept known as Courier.

If the Surface Phone is canceled before launch, it wouldn’t be the first time that Panay’s Surface team canceled a device because it thinks that there is not enough demand. Panay revealed in the past that his group was working on a 7-inch Surface Mini tablet that could be used like a Moleskin notebook. Ultimately, however, the tablet never launched because Microsoft didn’t feel like it was different enough from other competitive offerings.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Everything we know about Microsoft’s ‘Andromeda’ Surface Phone device
• Microsoft’s foldable ‘Andromeda’ pocket device may never surface
• Fans petition Microsoft to save the Surface Phone from cancellation
• Microsoft’s two-screen Andromeda may arrive in 2019 with Productivity Mode
• Microsoft patent points to a 2-screen device for 3-way video calls

Fantastical 2 for iPhone and Apple Watch Gains Support for Siri Shortcuts, New Watch Faces

Popular calendar app Fantastical 2 for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, was today updated to version 2.10, introducing full support for the recent iOS 12 and watchOS 5 updates.

Starting today, Fantastical 2 offers Siri Shortcuts that are designed to let you add new calendar events, view upcoming events and reminders, and more. Some examples of Fantastical Shortcut options:

• Set a phrase such as “Hey Fantastical” to automatically open Fantastical to quickly begin creating a new event or reminder using Fantastical’s parser
• Show upcoming events or reminders as part of a custom shortcut using the Shortcuts app
• Jump to a specific reminders list by creating a button on the home screen with the Shortcuts app

All of the available Fantastical Shortcuts can be viewed in the Settings app under Siri & Search > Fantastical after updating to the latest version.

With support for interactive notifications, Fantastical 2 will allow you to snooze alerts for events and reminders right from your iOS notifications list.

On the Apple Watch, Fantastical 2 will work with the Siri watch face, letting you get Fantastical 2 Siri suggestions for upcoming events and reminders on your wrist.

It also supports the new Infograph watch faces with Fantastical 2 complications. There are two complication styles available for the Infograph face and one available for the Infograph Modular face. Complications can be customized in the Fantastical app by going to Settings > Apple Watch.

Fantastical 2.10 now requires users to be running iOS 11 or later on iOS devices and watchOS 4 or later on the Apple Watch.

Fantastical 2 for iPhone and Apple Watch can be downloaded from the App Store for $2.99. [Direct Link]

Fantastical 2 for iPad can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]

Tag: Fantastical 2
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OnePlus Bullets Wireless review: Cheaper BeatsX for Android

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless design mimics that of the more expensive BeatsX.

The contentious OnePlus 6T rumor mill continues to churn, spitting out word of an in-display fingerprint sensor in lieu of a headphone jack. Rather than focusing directly on the anticipated flagship, we turn our attention to the scarce, aptX-supported OnePlus Bullets Wireless.

Read SoundGuys’ in-depth review

What are the earbuds like?

Editor’s Pick

Android smartphones with the best battery life (September 2018)

Some people might think that the most important feature in a smartphone is its display size. Others believe it comes down to a phone’s processor performance, or the amount of RAM, or how much storage …

The aluminum alloy housings look nice but sport a dubious build; the right earbud panel of our review unit dislodged itself, and I used tape to remedy this. Once the earbuds were reconstructed, the auto-play and pause controls worked flawlessly.

While OnePlus states that listeners can run but not swim with the earbuds, I was cautious about exercising in them because the OnePlus warranty states that the company “makes no guarantees” about water-resistance and that liquid damage isn’t covered.

While you can exercise in it, OnePlus’ warranty doesn’t cover liquid damage.

Although these look like a copy of iOS-compatible BeatsX, the sound reproduction benefits from greater clarity and a more neutral bass response. Again, to dive into how the response affects the sound signature, read the full review.

Should you buy the OnePlus Bullets Wireless?

By charging for 10 minutes via the included USB Type-C cable, listeners are afforded five hours of playback.

Yes, if you’re a OnePlus user who isn’t bothered by the fact that the OnePlus 6T is lacking a headphone jack. It’s just $69 and the aptX compatibility is a huge plus and allows for CD-like streaming quality. That said, the durability is disappointing and it’s a hard product to come by, but if you happen upon it when it’s in stock, grab it because it sells faster than hot-cakes.

Get the Bullets Wireless at OnePlus!
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iPhone XS Max vs. LG’s Newly Announced V40 ThinQ

LG today debuted its next-generation smartphone, the LG V40 ThinQ, equipped with an all glass body and a display notch for housing camera equipment, much like the iPhone XS and XS Max.

We were able to get one of LG’s new V40 ThinQ smartphones ahead of their launch, and we’ve got the first V40 ThinQ vs. iPhone XS Max comparison that highlights the differences between Apple’s flagship device and LG’s new flagship device.

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The LG V40 ThinQ features an all glass body with an aluminum frame, while the iPhone XS Max has an all glass body with a stainless steel frame. Apple has done away with the headphone jack, but the V40 still has one, and instead of a Lightning port, it features a USB-C port.

In the hand, the LG V40 ThinQ feels lighter than the iPhone XS Max, but due to the size, it’s still a two-handed device.

The V40 measures in at 6.4 inches with a high-quality HDR OLED display that is as sharp and vibrant as the 6.5-inch HDR OLED display of the iPhone XS Max.

Both devices have a front-facing notch, and while the V40’s notch is somewhat less obtrusive, it’s also housing lesser equipment. The V40 ThinQ features two front-facing cameras, one with 8 megapixels and the second with 5 megapixels. The cameras enable a fast and efficient facial recognition feature for unlocking the device, but as with most Android implementations, it’s not using 3D facial mapping and is less secure.

Because of the weaker facial recognition implementation, LG’s new device continues to offer a fingerprint sensor at the back.

The back of the LG V40 ThinQ is outfitted with three horizontal cameras, while the iPhone XS Max uses a dual camera system. In the V40, there’s a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 16-megapixel wide-angle lens.

The three cameras enable a range of useful features like Triple Shot for three photos at once from different angles, a Cine Shot for creating a photo with one part of the image in motion, and slow motion and portrait features similar to what you’ll find in the iPhone XS Max.

We think the LG V40 is a solid iPhone XS Max competitor with its light weight and its impressive camera equipment, and in a future video, we’ll delve further into the triple-lens camera system as rumors have suggested it’s something we might see in next year’s iPhones.

What do you think of the new LG V40 ThinQ? Does it measure up to the iPhone XS Max? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: iPhone XSTag: LGBuyer’s Guide: iPhone XS (Buy Now)
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Here are the 5 of the best antivirus solutions for your small business

Security problems are a fact of life in the corporate world. Increasingly, malicious hackers are targeting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in hopes of stealing information, obtaining credentials to sensitive accounts, or locking down the corporate network to stop companies from operating. The threats are real — and dangerous.

But ultimately stopping those threats can be difficult. Even the most secure corporate network is only as safe as the office’s least-security-conscious employee. And absent a sound slate of solutions to protect machines, there’s a very real chance hackers could run amok.

Antivirus solutions can often be an important first line of defense for small and medium-sized businesses that don’t have the budget for a big IT department but still need protection. Antivirus protections won’t necessarily protect SMBs from any and all threats, but they will detect many of the attacks hackers are waging against the companies and thwart them before they cause problems.

But with a slew of vendors offering antivirus solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, choosing the best option can be difficult. So we’ve compiled the following list of five outstanding antivirus solutions that should make you and your company safer.

McAfee Endpoint Security

McAfee Endpoint Security is a popular security solution for the small business. And with a free trial before you need to plunk down cash, it’s a great place to start in your search for a solution.

McAfee Endpoint Security includes the basics you’d want from a solution, including antivirus protection and a built-in firewall. It also uses machine learning to identify code that might be trying to cause problems solely by the way it’s acting and appearing on your network. And if you want to stop zero-day malware, or malicious software that hasn’t yet been patched, you can contain it by blocking certain types of behaviors common in malware.

McAfee Endpoint security is an ideal solution for most individuals or companies from the sole proprietor to a mid-sized company. Prices will vary depending on the number of licenses you need and for how many years you sign up for a subscription.

Free Trial

BitDefender GravityZone Business Security

BitDefender GravityZone Business Security is another handy solution that comes with a free trial, so you can see what you’d be getting before you decide to spend cash.

The app is designed to protect you from a variety of threats, including malware, phishing scams, ransomware, and even zero-day exploits. You’ll also find the ability to grant or deny access to websites and applications to limit chances of those services causing problems.

Like some other solutions in this roundup, you’ll find that BitDefender’s GravityZone Business Security uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to continually monitor your network and find possible problems. And since much of that intelligence comes from the cloud, whenever it finds issues elsewhere, it informs its broader network to look out for similar problems. That all results in a faster response to new threats.

BitDefender’s software, which is designed for small and medium-sized business, is available with a free trial. After that, if you like what you see, you’ll pay $110 per year for up to three devices.

Free Trial

Norton Security Standard

Norton Security Standard is an ideal choice for anyone who wants to secure a single PC, Mac, or mobile device and doesn’t necessarily need all of the bells and whistles that would come with the higher-end options, like Norton Security Deluxe or Norton Security Premium.

Still, Norton’s Security Standard gets the job done on many fronts.

For one, you can use the software to protect against a rash of threats, including ransomware, viruses, spyware, and malware. And if you go online, the software will keep your financial and private information, like credentials, available from the prying eyes of hackers.

There’s a firewall baked into Norton Security Standard and you have full access to Norton security experts, who will walk you through solutions to problems when they might occur. In fact, Norton is so sure that its service works that if a Norton expert can’t keep your device free from malware, you’ll get a free refund.

Norton Security Standard is regularly available for $70 per device, per year. For the first year, you can take advantage of an introductory price of $40. It’s not really a corporate solution, so it wouldn’t be best for SMBs. It would, however, be an ideal solution for freelancers and other sole proprietors.

Learn More

Symantec Endpoint Protection 14

If you’re a fan of Symantec’s products but need something a little more sophisticated than Norton Security Standard, you might want to opt for Symantec’s Endpoint Protection 14.

Symantec’s software is used on more than 175 million endpoints around the world and takes on a variety of threats you might face, including ransomware, malware, and even zero-day exploits that promise to wreak havoc on your machines before anyone has caught up with a patch.

When targeting phishers who are trying to steal your credentials, Symantec Endpoint Protection 14 doesn’t just stop the attack. Instead, it lures the attackers into what the company calls a “decoy minefield” where they can reveal their tactics before they’re stopped. The move, according to Symantec, gives the security company important intel to be used in future threats.

Aside from that, Symantec’s Endpoint Protection 14 has a variety of other features to reduce the workload on your network and keep everything running smoothly.

Symantec Endpoint Protection 14 is available as a free trial. After that trial is up, you can get it for $54 per license per year. It’s ideally suited for SMBs and companies that need advanced protection to safeguard their assets.

Free Trial

Avast Business Antivirus Pro Plus

Avast Business Antivirus Pro Plus is another solution ideal for the small business that looks to the cloud and a broad network of endpoints to maximize security. In fact, according to Avast, its security intelligence is based on information it collects from 400 million endpoints.

Armed with that data, Avast’s software can be used on Macs, PCs, and servers. According to the vendor, it’s best for smaller companies that need it for four devices or less. If you need something a bit more powerful, you can opt for the company’s antivirus connected to its Cloud Management Console. That’s designed for five devices or more.

Avast’s solution is designed to protect your computer against viruses, of course, but it can also protect you with its built-in firewall. There’s also a Behavior Shield, Web Shield, and Email Shield built-in to protect you from everything from malicious programs to suspicious emails. And if Avast finds a file that looks suspicious but can’t quite figure out if it is, it will send it off to its Threat Lab to be analyzed.

One other tidbit: the software comes with a Software Defender feature for keeping your apps updated, as well as a Data Shredder to let you permanently delete files you don’t want to recover.

Avast’s Business Antivirus Pro Plus comes with a 30-day free trial. If you like it, you can keep it for $48 per device, per year.

Free Trial

If you’re looking for personal protection at the lowest cost possible, we’ve also found the best free antivirus software to help you out.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best free antivirus for Mac in 2018
• The best free antivirus software of 2018
• Stay safe on the web and save up to $70 with McAfee Total Protection
• How to track a phone
• The best Android apps (September 2018)

Scientists link 3 people’s brains so they can play ‘Tetris’ together

In the future, we might be able to use brain implants like Elon Musk’s proposed Neuralink to directly connect both with other electronic devices and human beings; transmitting thoughts through a kind of high-tech telepathy. That’s still a long ways away, but researchers from the University of Washington have passed a milestone on that journey: Creating a BrainNet “social network” of minds which allows three people to send thoughts to one another’s heads. The goal? Playing a game of Tetris, obviously!

“Tetris was used as an example of a task where two humans can see the solution but are unable to act, motivating a collaboration with a third human who can act but is unable to see the solution,” Professor Rajesh Rao, one of the researchers on the project, told Digital Trends. “Other games with a similar division of labor could also be used. A game such as Tetris provides a familiar and interesting setting for participants in brain-to-brain collaboration experiments.”

As Rao notes, for this particular demonstration, the idea was to get three people in separate rooms collaborating to play a game of telepathic Tetris. Two of the participants were able to see a screen showing the falling Tetris blocks, which may or may not need rotating in order to fit the row of blocks at the bottom of the screen. The other participant was the only person able to control the game but was unable to see what was happening on-screen. By using brain signals taken from the first two participants via an electroencephalogram (EEG), capable of reading electrical activity in the brain, they were able to trigger LED lights, telling the player what move to make.

Next to the idea of sending complex thoughts to other people, this is relatively basic research — although it lays exciting groundwork for future studies.

“Current brain-to-brain interfaces are extremely limited in the amount of information transmitted between brains, preventing practical applications,” Rao acknowledged. “However, with sufficient advances in brain recording and stimulation technologies, one could imagine networks of connected brains in the future producing innovative and creative solutions to humanity’s most important scientific and societal problems within an ethically responsible framework.”

Linxing Jiang, another researcher on the project, told us that: “We see brain-to-brain interfaces opening up futuristic ways for communication. Such interfaces could also be used by people with brain injuries who are paralyzed and unable to communicate, [since] decoding and encoding information from the brain directly might be the only way for them to communicate.”

A paper describing the research, titled “BrainNet: A Multi-Person Brain-to-Brain Interface for Direct Collaboration Between Brains,” is available to read online.

Editors’ Recommendations

• ‘Minimal Turing Test’ asks humans to prove they’re human with only one word
• HDR TV: What it is, and why you’ll want one
• A.I. players master ‘Quake III Arena,’ manage to outperform humans
• Robots can peer pressure kids, but don’t think for a second that we’re immune
• Google’s ‘Project Stream’ will let you play major games on the Chrome browser

iPhone XS and XS Max make substantial camera upgrades over the iPhone X

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The iPhone XS and XS Max pack great cameras, but on paper they may not seem like big enough upgrades over the iPhone X. Think again. The addition of Smart HDR, paired with the powerful A12 Bionic processor, substantially improves the quality of photographs taken by Apple’s new iPhones.

We decided to pit the new iPhones against the old one in a camera shootout to highlight these improvements. We interchange the iPhone XS and XS Max, because the cameras are exactly the same.

Strong lighting conditions

Left: iPhone XS, Right: iPhone X

We’re going to be mentioning Smart HDR a lot, so let’s first break down what it means. It’s a new feature enabled in the iPhone XS and XS Max camera, and it uses the power of the A12 Bionic processor inside. How? The camera takes a wide variety of photographs from seconds before to seconds after you tap the shutter icon. These are taken at numerous exposures and speeds, and the best of each photograph is combined to form a well-balanced photo (the speed at which all of this happens is barely noticeable thanks to the A12 processor). Doing all this means the iPhone can now handle high-contrast scenarios, such as when you have a bright sky and a dark foreground, much better than before.

For example, take a look at the picture of the clouds. It’s a good comparison showing the differences between the iPhone X and the iPhone XS. The sky looks a little overexposed on the iPhone X photo, enough to mask intricate cloud patterns. Those patterns are visible on the iPhone XS photo, and you can see the sky is also a tad bluer, and the clouds more defined. More importantly, the buildings in the foreground are brighter, delivering a much more balanced photograph.

This is even more apparent in the photograph of the woman in the middle of a New York City street. This is not a Portrait Mode photo, but a regular shot. You can easily see how much better the iPhone XS fares — the colors are more accurate, especially the skin tone, but what really shines is Smart HDR again. Take a look at the woman’s forehead, nose, and the background on the left side of the iPhone X photo: It’s all overexposed. The difference when you then glimpse at the iPhone XS photo is startling.

The differences between the XS and XS Max over the iPhone X can be subtle, but in almost every case, the iPhone XS wins out thanks to Smart HDR. Case in point are the following two photos:

Left: iPhone XS, Right: iPhone X

These are two great-looking photos, but the one we’d pick to share is from the iPhone XS. The iPhone X photo looks slightly overexposed overall, from the clouds reflecting on the glass to the amber lights inside the building. Zoom in closer, and you’ll also notice much more grain on the iPhone X photo. Smart HDR can be turned off, but we’ve yet to find a good reason to do that.

Low light

Left: iPhone XS, Right: iPhone X

The iPhone XS and XS Max also have larger image sensors than the iPhone X, which means you should see better exposed low-light photographs with less noise. Smart HDR also helps work wonders here. In both these photos of the New York City skyline, it’s easy to see how quickly the iPhone X overexposes lights from buildings, and even the billboard on the bottom left of the photo with the World Trade Center.

Better yet, look at the color of the sky in the photos with the water tank on the top left. The iPhone X photo has a yellowish hue, but the XS’ photo is bluer and it looks more natural. There’s also significantly less noise in the XS photo. All of this can be applied to the second photo that has the World Trade Center in it.

Left: iPhone XS, Right: iPhone X

These next few photos are mostly taken in low light, which is the scenario we try to test the most, as many flagship smartphones can handle bright environments well. All of these photographs succinctly show off why the iPhone XS camera is better, and how. The photo of the subway entrance is one of our favorites — the iPhone XS got the color tone right, but it also didn’t overexpose the subway sign. The next photo from the High Line is another testament to the benefits of Smart HDR. Everything is much brighter, and if you zoom in on the cars near the traffic light, you can see how much more detail the XS photo offers.

The changes in the last photo are a little more subtle, but they again have to do with light. You can see the filament on the bulbs in the XS photo, whereas it’s too overexposed on the iPhone X photo. This also applies to the lanterns, as they are too bright on the iPhone X photo.

Food

Left: iPhone XS, Right: iPhone X

It’s not always an easy win for the iPhone XS, though. In this food photo, while we do think the iPhone XS takes the photo we want to share, we wouldn’t be surprised if you opted for the brighter iPhone X photo. The focus is slightly off on the iPhone X photo — the wooden spoon is more in focus — but neither are too grainy. Both work well, but the iPhone XS photo is more true to reality; the scene was definitely not as bright as the iPhone X photo makes it out to be.

Portrait Mode

Left: iPhone XS, Right: iPhone X

There have been improvements to Portrait Mode, especially with its accuracy in identifying subjects and applying bokeh, or blur ,around them. The accuracy of the cutout around the subject is good in both photos of the woman taken with the rear camera, but you can see how Smart HDR vastly improves the iPhone XS Portrait Mode photo. It doesn’t overexpose the sunlight hitting the woman’s forehead or in the background; instead, skin tone is much more realistic and natural, and the iPhone XS overall delivers a stronger photo.

It’s not all perfect. Flip over to the front camera, and the iPhone XS still makes mistakes. In the iPhone X photo, the blur around the subject is more accurate than the iPhone XS photo (look at the ear on the right of the XS photo). However, Smart HDR does make the XS photo the one we want to share. Look at the digital billboards in the background — they’re all completely blown out on the iPhone X photo.

Zoom in closer to the subject’s face, and you will notice there’s a slightly stronger level of detail on the iPhone X photo. The iPhone XS takes slightly softer portraits, but we don’t think this is a “beauty mode” like some have suggested. Instead, it looks like the softer image is largely due to aggressive noise reduction — look down at the subject’s shirt collar, and you’ll notice it doesn’t look as detailed as it does in the iPhone X photo. We believe it’s because of Apple’s new stronger noise-reduction technique, and there also seems to be a slight dip in contrast. Photography expert Sebastiaan de With from Halide explains this in greater detail in an in-depth blog post as well, if you want to explore it further.

Top row (from left to right): iPhone XS portrait mode, iPhone XS selfie mode, iPhone X portrait mode.
Bottom row (from left to right): iPhone X selfie mode, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 6S

We snapped a few photos from the iPhone 6S, the iPhone 8 Plus, the iPhone X, and the iPhone XS to compare selfies from the front-facing camera (including two Portrait Mode selfies with the X and the XS). Despite the face looking slightly smoother, we think the XS photos are the best overall. The lack of Smart HDR on the other phones mean a blown-out background, though you can see a slightly stronger level of contrast.

We still prefer the end result of the iPhone XS — Smart HDR is worth it. If it’s not for you, you can always turn this mode off by heading to Settings > Camera and toggling off Smart HDR.

The iPhone XS and XS Max cameras are much improved over the iPhone X. Do we still think you should upgrade? No, unless you’re a serious iPhone photographer or you just want the latest and greatest. You can learn more about the phones in our iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max reviews.

Editors’ Recommendations

• iPhone XS review
• iPhone XS Max review
• Apple iPhone XS vs. iPhone XS Max vs. iPhone XR
• How to buy the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR in the U.K.
• Apple iPhone XS: News, release, specs, and more