A TekRevue reader recently asked us about an odd situation: a website wouldn’t load on his work computer but worked fine at home. There was no error while at work, just a message from his browser that the site couldn’t be found. At first he thought the website in question was simply unreliable and would go down often during the day. After some investigation, however, he learned that an issue with caching and DNS at his office’s Internet provider was
How to Create a Windows USB Installer
More and more Windows PCs are shipping without optical drives, making it a bit more inconvenient to reinstall Windows from a disc. There’s always the option to attach an external DVD drive via USB, but a better and more future-proof method is to create your very own Windows USB Installer. Here’s how. Download or Create an ISO The first step to creating a Windows USB Installer is obtaining the source data. If you purchase Windows online or opt for a
Forza 5 Devs Claim Xbox One Cloud Improves AI Processing 600%
When Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One in May, the company lauded the ability of the console to leverage cloud-based servers for advanced “offloaded” game processing. Background AI for simulations and non-time-sensitive physics, for example, could be calculated in cloud, reserving the full power of the console’s local processor for critical tasks. It sounded impressive, but there was no measurement or example of how this would affect gamers and game developers in the real world. That changed Thursday during an Official
10Gbps USB Spec Finalized as USB 3.1
The next advancement for the USB specification, first announced in January, has been certified by the USB 3.0 Promoter Group. The new specification, to be called “USB 3.1,” will double current maximum bandwidth to 10Gbps while maintaining the backward-compatibility that USB is known for. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group, which comprises representatives from HP, Intel, Microsoft, Renesas Electronics, ST-Ericsson, and Texas Instruments, made the announcement via press release (PDF) today. SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps uses a more efficient data encoding
Netflix Individual Profiles Begin Rollout Today
After years of speculation, months of testing, and some public demonstrations, Netflix has finally rolled out individual profiles for shared family accounts, one of the service’s most requested features. The new feature gives users the ability to create unique profiles for each member of the household, complete with separate settings, viewing histories, and instant queues. When using supported devices, a Netflix Instant Streaming user simply chooses the corresponding profile and then is able to enjoy customized content without contaminating (or
The Real Reason for the MacBook Pro Delay is Thunderbolt 2
When WWDC 2013 came and went without an update to the MacBook Pro line, many wondered what Apple was waiting for. A radical redesign, just a year after the introduction of the MacBook Pro with Retina Display, seemed unlikely, and rumors of the discontinuation of the non-Retina models wouldn’t logically explain a delay in updating the remaining members of the family. Earlier this month, an answer to the mystery finally seemed to drop: Apple was waiting for a custom CPU
How to Bypass or Disable the Office 2013 Start Screen
Microsoft Office 2013 uses a default start screen that lets users choose a document template and gain easy access to recently saved documents. While this can be handy, some users prefer to always have Word, Excel, or PowerPoint open with a fresh, blank, new document. Here are two ways to bypass or disable the Office 2013 start screen. Disable the Office 2013 Start Screen on a Per App Basis If you’re a heavy Word user and always want Word 2013
A Balance of Form & Function: NewerTech NuGuard KX for iPad mini
iDevices are expensive, relatively fragile, and highly portable, a mix that often results in heartache and tears as owners scrape the remains of their go-to mobile device from the pavement. Unsurprisingly, many companies sought to address this reality with the creation of ultra-protective, tough cases that claim to keep our precious devices safe from all manner of physical trauma. Some companies, such as OtterBox, take this mission to the extreme. They provide incredibly durable cases that do indeed protect iPhones
Thoughts On iOS 7 Beta 4: Two Key Improvements
As you’ve no doubt heard by now, Apple today released the fourth beta of iOS 7, which was possibly delayed a week by the hacking and rebuild of the company’s Developer Center website. MacRumors is compiling a handy list of the changes and improvements that the latest build brings, but we’ve received some reports that we’d also like to pass on. Here are the two most significant changes in iOS 7 Beta 4. Speed On every front, speed, or at least
Apple SVP Bob Mansfield No Longer Listed On Company’s Website
A number of Apple-focused websites noticed late Sunday that a prominent member of Apple’s leadership team has disappeared from the company’s website. The executive profile for Bob Mansfield, who joined Apple in 1999 as part of the company’s acquisition of graphic chip designer Raycer Graphics, vanished from Apple’s PR website without explanation at some point during the past 24 hours. Update [10:42 PM EDT]: Reuters journalist Poornima Gupta reports a statement from Apple: Apple says Bob Mansfield is no longer on
Pushing It To The Limit: 2013 MacBook Air Battery Life Tests
When Apple released the 2013 MacBook Air in June, the company leveraged the increased power efficiency of the Haswell platform to provide significantly improved battery life. After spending some time testing the new MacBook Air’s 802.11ac Wi-Fi performance, we turned our attention to power efficiency. Just how accurate are Apple’s impressive claims for the 2013 MacBook Air battery life? Testing Hardware We’re testing an entry-level 2013 13-inch MacBook Air, with a 1.3GHz Core i5 CPU, Intel HD 5000 GPU, and
Xbox One Controllers & Headsets Now Up For Pre-Order
With several months to go before the launch of the next generation game consoles from Sony and Microsoft, pricing on accessories is starting to pop up. The Microsoft Store this weekend began listing pre-orders for Xbox One accessories, including controllers, chargers, and headsets. The standard Xbox One wireless controller will retail for $59.99 each, an increase of $10 over the price of a wireless Xbox 360 controller but on par with the cost of the new PS4 Dualshock 4 controller.