Apple just took the wraps off its redesigned MacBook Pros featuring new custom M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. And while I can’t help but be impressed by Apple’s lofty performance claims, folks are now wondering if this means the new MacBook Pros are suddenly good gaming laptops now. We haven’t used the new Pros so it’s too…
Netgear’s latest Orbi Mesh WiFi 6E (model RBKE963) now supports WiFi 6E and a quad-band backhaul network that’s likely to leave a lot of the competition in the dust.
Creating a mesh network is an excellent tactic to build seamless network coverage. Your WiFi devices automatically use the best access point at any given time and switch as you move around the home. It is similar to how phones switch to the best 4G/5G cell towers, but for WiFi.
WiFi 6E brings the 6 GHz band, in addition to 5GHz and 2.4Ghz. That 6 GHz band has about twice the bandwidth with the 5GHz one, so there’s a considerable upside potential as you add newer (compatible) devices.
At the same, keep in mind that not all WiFi mesh networks are created equal. Netgear’s Orbi has dedicated data streams for the access points to communicate among themselves. This strategy is more expensive as it requires more radio hardware, but it ensures optimal peak performance for advanced users.
Some competitors do not have a dedicated link, and some of the inter-node bandwidth is “stolen” from your peak capacity.
In addition to exceptional theoretical WiFi performance, each access point is also equipped with 10Gbps Ethernet, something that even expensive laptops don’t have today. However, since users have kept their routers for many years, 10Gb Ethernet is something great to include for those who buy today.
Nodes can also connect via an internal Ethernet wiring in the home before delivering WiFi to your devices. If your home is wired, it’s a formidable option.
If this is anything like the Netgear AX12 that I’m familiar with, the setup and configuration should be straightforward via the app or a local web interface. Updating the firmware for security reasons is also super easy to do.
Depending on your interior, you could select the Black or White color, and while the price is relatively high ($1499.99 for a 3-points kit), it might just be the best WiFi Mesh system you can get today.
Netgear Orbi Quad-Band Mesh (RBKE963): The New High-End Home WiFi-6 Network
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Social media platform Reddit has teamed up with Adobe to launch its first live series, a comedy and competition show that revolves around the popular subreddit /r/photoshopbattles. The streaming series tasks participants with using Photoshop to compete in “Photoshop battles” in hour-long episodes, which will also feature celebrities and comedians for commentary. Reddit has gradually expanded from its simplistic early … Continue reading
Under Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, the Federal Communications Commission is seeking to create new rules targeting spam text messages. Like another recent proposed rulemaking from the agency, the policy would push wireless carriers and telephone companies to block the spam before it ever gets to your phone.
“We’ve seen a rise in scammers trying to take advantage of our trust of text messages by sending bogus robotexts that try to trick consumers to share sensitive information or click on malicious links,” Rosenworcel said. “It’s time we take steps to confront this latest wave of fraud and identify how mobile carriers can block these automated messages before they have the opportunity to cause any harm.”
Combating spam calls and texts has been a focus of the FCC under Rosenworcel. In addition to recently issuing the largest fine in its history, the agency established a Robocall Response Team to coordinate its efforts against spam callers. The need for action is pressing. In 2020 alone, the FCC received approximately 14,000 complaints about unwanted text messages, representing a 146 percent increase from the year before. As part of the FCC’s rulemaking process, the public will have a chance to comment on the proposal before the agency decides whether to implement the policy.
Showing up in everything from cosmetics and dental floss to product packaging and cleaning supplies. polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are ubiquitous to the modern world. They’re also known as “forever chemicals” as they do not break down in nature. What’s more, they’ve been linked to a host of human diseases, from thyroid conditions to certain cancers, which is why, in 2016, the Obama administration enacted a unenforceable recommendation limiting the amount of PFAS in a given product should not exceed 70 parts per trillion. On Monday, the Biden administration announced that it will give Obama’s recommendation some teeth.
Today, @EPAMichaelRegan announced EPA’s Strategic Roadmap to confront #PFAS. This roadmap delivers on the agency’s mission to protect public health & the environment and answers the call for action on these persistent & dangerous chemicals. Read more here: https://t.co/2GyHIfEVajpic.twitter.com/kDHbwYgEJm
— U.S. EPA (@EPA) October 18, 2021
“This is a really bold set of actions for a big problem,” EPA administrator Michael Regan told The Washington Post. “This strategy really lays out a series of concrete and ambitious actions to protect people. There are concrete steps that we are taking that move this issue forward in a very aggressive way.”
The EPA unveiled its 3-year roadmap towards regulating the class of chemicals on Monday centers on a trio of approaches: “increase investments in research, leverage authorities to take action now to restrict PFAS chemicals from being released into the environment, and accelerate the cleanup of PFAS contamination,” according to the EPA. To that end, the administration plans to set enforceable drinking water limits under the Safe Drinking Water Act, designate PFAS as a hazardous substance under CERCLA (which would hold manufacturers financially liable for incinerating the chemical or releasing it into waterways), set timelines for establishing effluent guideline limitations under the Clean Water Act, review rules and guidance under the Toxic Substances Control Act, and expand monitoring, data collection and research of the chemicals. Additionally, the agency announced a new national testing strategy that will require PFAS manufacturers to provide toxicity data on the chemicals they create.
“Communities contaminated by these toxic forever chemicals have waited decades for action,” Ken Cook, President of the Environmental Working Group, said in a press statement. “So, it’s good news that Administrator Regan will fulfill President Biden’s pledge to take quick action to reduce PFOA and PFOS in tap water, to restrict industrial releases of PFAS into the air and water, and to designate PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances to hold polluters accountable. It’s been more than 20 years since EPA and EWG first learned that these toxic forever chemicals were building up in our blood and increasing our likelihood of cancer and other health harms. It’s time for action, not more plans, and that’s what this Administrator will deliver.”
A handful of states including New Jersey, Vermont, Michigan, and New York, have already moved to regulate the chemicals on their own — California banned their use in baby and toddler products earlier this year — while the EU has banned many of the chemicals outright. The US Navy has announced that it will ban PFAS from its firefighting foam by October, 2023, as directed by Congress.
Ahead of Steam Deck’s December release, Valve has detailed the compatibility program it will use to let people know if they can play their games on the portable PC. Dubbed Deck Verified, the system groups games into four categories: “Verified,” “Playable,” “Unsupported” and “Unkown.”
If you see a game with the first badge, it means it will work great out of the box. Of the playable category, Valve says you may need to do some tweaking. For example, in a title like Team Fortress 2, you might have to download a community controller configuration before you can use the Steam Deck’s thumbsticks and face buttons to play the game. Valve lists Half-Life: Alyx as an example of an experience that you won’t be able to play on Steam Deck, suggesting the unsupported category will be mostly occupied by VR titles. Lastly, an unknown tag means the company hasn’t had a chance to test that game for compatibility yet.
To earn verified status, a game must meet four criteria. First, it should include full controller support, and the onscreen keyboard should appear when needed. Second, you shouldn’t see any compatibility warnings. The game should also support the Steam Deck’s native 1,280 by 800 resolution, and text should be easily readable. Lastly, if the title is playable through Proton, everything, including any anti-cheat software, should work through the compatibility layer.
To make things easy, you’ll see the badges appear both in your Steam library and the store. Moreover, each time you go to buy a game, you’ll see a full compatibility report that lists any issues to expect when playing it. Valve says it’s also working on a system that will allow you to see what compatibility category each game in your library falls under before Steam Deck is available in December.
If nothing else, the system should make it easier to decide if it makes sense to buy a Steam Deck. The last thing anyone wants is to spend $400 on a new gadget and not be able to play their favorite games.
Netflix’s trans employee resource group has sent the company a list of demands, among them, that the company acknowledges that transphobic content causes harm. Last week, in a company-wide memo responding to critics of Dave Chappelle, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos specifically rejected that this is a fact. “While some…
Despite a seemingly endless string of leaks leading up to it, Apple still managed to pack a few surprises into its fall 2021 “Unleashed” MacBook event on Monday.
A new study found that at least 45,000 Americans visited a major trauma center with horseback-related traumatic injury during a recent 10-year stretch—meaning that horseback riding likely sends more people to the hospital than other sports like football, auto and motorcycle racing, and skiing. The results indicate…
Trump’s bodyguards violently attacked protesters in the early days of the former president’s campaign, the suit claims.
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