Technology

After months of rumors and speculation, many gamers’ dreams have finally come true. Today, Razer has announced the new Razer Blade 14, which is powered by AMD’s flagship Ryzen 9 5900HX. It’s the first Razer Blade to include an AMD processor, and it’s available for purchase now on Razer’s website starting at $1,799.99. The 14-inch gaming rig will also feature up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU and a QHD 165Hz display as well as an FHD 144Hz option. Razer says the Blade will be the smallest 14-inch gaming laptop on the market, with dimensions of 12.59 x 8.66 x 0.66 inches. There’s also a 720p webcam (which isn’t a given on gaming laptops these days). The rest of the laptop looks like a fairly standard Razer Blade, including the signature per-key RGB keyboard and the triple-headed snake log...

After months of rumors and speculation, many gamers’ dreams have finally come true. Today, Razer has announced the new Razer Blade 14, which is powered by AMD’s flagship Ryzen 9 5900HX. It’s the first Razer Blade to include an AMD processor, and it’s available for purchase now on Razer’s website starting at $1,799.99. The 14-inch gaming rig will also feature up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU and a QHD 165Hz display as well as an FHD 144Hz option. Razer says the Blade will be the smallest 14-inch gaming laptop on the market, with dimensions of 12.59 x 8.66 x 0.66 inches. There’s also a 720p webcam (which isn’t a given on gaming laptops these days). The rest of the laptop looks like a fairly standard Razer Blade, including the signature per-key RGB keyboard and the triple-headed snake log...

Razer had a few announcements timed for E3 2021, including its new Razer Blade 14 with AMD’s Ryzen 9 processors, and an updated Raptor 27 gaming monitor along with a 130W GaN charger. We weren’t expecting to hear about anything else, but Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan announced that its Project Hazel mask will actually go on sale, starting early in the fourth quarter of this year. Tan said that Hazel will be released in “drops” exclusively on its website, with the first coming in that fourth quarter timeframe. A slide from Razer’s E3 2021 presentation announcing the launch plan. Image: Razer Alongside that availability announcement, Tan also shared some changes coming to the mask since it was first shown in January. Razer is planning to keep the mask’s transparent design to make it easier to see ...

Razer had a few announcements timed for E3 2021, including its new Razer Blade 14 with AMD’s Ryzen 9 processors, and an updated Raptor 27 gaming monitor along with a 130W GaN charger. We weren’t expecting to hear about anything else, but Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan announced that its Project Hazel mask will actually go on sale, starting early in the fourth quarter of this year. Tan said that Hazel will be released in “drops” exclusively on its website, with the first coming in that fourth quarter timeframe. A slide from Razer’s E3 2021 presentation announcing the launch plan. Image: Razer Alongside that availability announcement, Tan also shared some changes coming to the mask since it was first shown in January. Razer is planning to keep the mask’s transparent design to make it easier to see ...

Netflix has tapped the original story of one of the music industry’s biggest startup successes for a forthcoming untitled original series. The series will tell a “fictionalized account” of Spotify’s co-founders, including the service’s chief Daniel Ek. The six-part series — which is already listed on Netflix, though with limited information — will pull from authors Jonas Leijonhufvud and Sven Carlsson, which documents the rise of Spotify under Ek and his business partner Martin Lorentzon, according to Variety. The book is said to have drawn from “over seventy interviews, along with previously untapped sources” for a “David vs Goliath story about how strong convictions, unrelenting willpower, and big dreams can help small players take on the titans of tech.” The six-part series will pull fr...

Netflix has tapped the original story of one of the music industry’s biggest startup successes for a forthcoming untitled original series. The series will tell a “fictionalized account” of Spotify’s co-founders, including the service’s chief Daniel Ek. The six-part series — which is already listed on Netflix, though with limited information — will pull from authors Jonas Leijonhufvud and Sven Carlsson, which documents the rise of Spotify under Ek and his business partner Martin Lorentzon, according to Variety. The book is said to have drawn from “over seventy interviews, along with previously untapped sources” for a “David vs Goliath story about how strong convictions, unrelenting willpower, and big dreams can help small players take on the titans of tech.” The six-part series will pull fr...

Father’s Day is coming up this weekend. Not to nag, but time is running out to buy a gift and have it delivered on time. We’ve put together a gift guide that’s full of fun ideas. And with Prime Day 2021 just around the corner on June 21st and 22nd, more and more products are available with a discount. You’ll find today’s best deals just below. The 2021 version of Amazon’s Echo Buds are $80 for Prime members today, costing $40 less than their original price (you’ll need to be logged into your Prime account to see the lower price). If you want a wireless charging case, that model costs $100 — also reflecting a $40 discount. Amazon has been discounting many of its own tech products in the lead-up to Prime Day 2021, but this is one of its most appealing deals yet. Verge audio expert Chris Welc...

Beats today announced its second pair of true wireless earbuds, the new Beats Studio Buds. Priced at $149.99 and available in red, black, or white, the Studio Buds have a much different, more compact design than the previous Powerbeats Pro. There are no ear hooks on these, nor any stems, and that results in a very lightweight, comfortable fit. Preorders start today in the US and Canada from Apple and other retailers like Amazon and Best Buy, and the earbuds will be available in stores on June 24th. The Studio Buds include active noise cancellation, IPX4 water and sweat resistance, and can last for up to five hours on a charge. (If you leave noise cancellation off, they can eke out eight hours of continuous playback. They also use USB-C for charging — there’s no wireless charging, unfortuna...

The new Studio Buds are Beats’ second pair of true wireless earbuds and follow the Powerbeats Pro, which remain my pick for the best all-around earbuds for fitness purposes like running or hitting the gym. With its latest pair, Beats is hoping to attract a much wider audience. That starts with the price, which is $149.99 — a full $100 less than the AirPods Pro. For the first time in Beats earbuds, they include active noise cancellation. And with other new features, Beats is extending an olive branch to Android users, which might come as a surprise for a brand that’s owned by Apple. Beats says it has put an incredible amount of work into how the Studio Buds sound. That’s where they’re supposed to exceed expectations for the price. But you don’t get everything under the sun for $150; the mos...

If you’ve been waiting for a 13-inch laptop with the best display technology out there, Dell now has an option for you. Dell has finally released an OLED version of its XPS 13, and I’m typing this review on it right now. The test unit I was sent has a Core i7-1185G7, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. The OLED configuration costs exactly the same as an identically specced non-OLED 4K model ($1,699.99), and $300 more than an identically specced FHD touchscreen model. Nothing else about this XPS is new: it has the same thin and light build, the same tiny bezels and webcam, the same glass-fiber palm rests, and the same 16:10 aspect ratio as the past couple Dell XPS 13s I’ve reviewed. So the considerations here really come down to how much you need an OLED screen and what you’re willing to sac...

The UK’s competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), will collaborate with Google as it attempts to rework online ad targeting, the regulator and Google have announced. It comes as Google is attempting to phase out the use of third-party cookies for tracking and targeting users with ads and instead use a new set of technologies it’s calling Privacy Sandbox. In its announcement, Google said this is the first time regulators and technology companies have worked together on new technologies like this. As well as the CMA, the UK’s data protection regulator (the Information Commissioner’s Office, or ICO) will also be involved. “The CMA is taking a leading role in setting out how we can work with the most powerful tech firms to shape their behaviour and protect competitio...

Amazon is opening up access to its game streaming service Luna to all Amazon Prime members on June 21 and 22 (Amazon Prime Day). Previously, to test out Luna you had to request access or sign up from supported Fire TV devices. But for this limited-time only, any Prime subscribers in the mainland US will be able to start a 7-day trial of Luna right away. Luna is available on Windows PC, Mac, Fire TV, and via the web on iPhone, iPad, and “select Android phones.” Regular pricing is $5.99 a month for access to games including Control, GRID, and Metro Exodus. Or, once you’ve got a Luna account, you can pay $14.99 a month for the Ubisoft Plus beta channel. This gets you access to a big range of Ubisoft games, including the latest titles from the Assassin’s Creed, FarCry, and Watch Dogs franchise...