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How does x86 translation work on Windows on Arm?
Lots of Windows applications were written for x86, and yet can work on Arm CPUs. Here's how it's possible.
Windows has always been made for x86 CPUs from Intel and AMD, but ever since Windows RT came out a decade ago for smartphones, the operating system has slowly been becoming more friendly to Arm CPUs. Today, both Windows 10 and Windows 11 offer complete support for Arm CPUs, but there's a catch. While the operating system itself runs just fine on these CPUs, most applications haven't launched an Arm-compatible version. Although Windows can run on Arm chips, having few programs to actually use would be a problem.
If you were to ask anyone who has built their PC whether you should buy a rebuild, there's a high probability you'll be met with the same response: "No." I'm here to dive into the world of PC building and system integrators (SI), the folk who put together prebuilt PCs, to see whether buying prebuilt systems is as bad as people say. Our own Tanveer Singh went into great detail about what makes a custom PC better than a prebuilt system, touching on a few ways the latter might make more sense, depending on what you're looking for.
Ambient Computing: What is it?
Ambient computing is underlying a lot of our technology today, but what is it?
Devices all around us are getting smarter, and part of that perceived intelligence is the fact that so many of them are practically autonomous. If you have a Google Pixel, for example, you'll be familiar with features like Now Playing that just run in the background without any input. It's essentially invisible tech.
What is an AI Image Generator and how does it work?
AI image generators have created a lot of buzz recently, but they may be hard to understand. Here's everything you need to know about them.
In 2022, we've seen the advent of some incredible text-to-image generators. The first to set off the big wave was Dall-E 2, with Stable Diffusion arriving a short while later. Since then, we've seen other tools arrive too, including Midjourney, Craiyon, and even TikTok to a certain degree. There are growing concerns when it comes to AI image-generating tools, pertaining primarily to the ethics of such tools when they can generate images of real people in places or situations that they were not actually in.
GPT-4: What is it and how does it work?
GPT-4 is all the rage currently, powering Bing Chat and ChatGPT. But what is it and what does it offer?
GPT-4 is the latest large multimodal model from OpenAI, and it's able to generate text from both text and graphical input. OpenAI is the company behind ChatGPT and Dall-E, and its primary research focus is in, you guessed it, artificial intelligence. Today, we're going to talk about GPT specifically, what it does, and how it contributes to a growing industry that also includes ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini.
Everybody's heard of ChatGPT at this stage. It's an AI-powered chatbot that makes use of natural language processing models to produce answers to complicated questions. Those answers may not necessarily always be accurate, but they tend to be detailed enough that you can fact-check the answers that it gives you fairly easily. What if you were to take ChatGPT and try to write code with it?
5 reasons to use AMD in your next gaming PC
Are you looking to buy or build a new gaming PC? Consider using AMD for great performance and even better prices!
When it comes to purchasing or building a new gaming PC, one of the crucial decisions you face is which company's hardware you’ll use: Nvidia, Intel, or AMD. Despite being seen as an underdog in the tech sphere, AMD stands as a fierce competitor in the gaming market, challenging industry giants like Nvidia and Intel simultaneously.
How to lower your GPU's temperature
Keeping your GPU's temperatures in check can extend its lifespan and enhance your overall gaming experience simultaneously.
The GPU, or graphics processing unit, is one of the core components of a PC that does a lot of heavy lifting, even when you are not playing a game. It's constantly used in varying capacities by a wide range of applications, and it's important to keep it cool at all times to ensure smooth performance. It's not particularly difficult to tame the temperature of a graphics card, but there are times when you may need to put in some additional efforts to maintain optimal performance. Nobody likes a GPU that's constantly overheating and delivering throttled performance, so read on to find some effective ways to control and lower GPU temperatures, thus safeguarding your graphics card's performance and longevity.
Visual fidelity vs framerate: What should you you prioritize?
Does image quality matter more than the smoothness of a game?
In modern gaming, two fundamental aspects compete for attention: visual fidelity and framerate. Visual fidelity refers to the graphical quality of a game, encompassing details such as texture resolution, lighting effects, and overall graphical realism. On the other hand, framerate denotes the number of frames per second (FPS) displayed on the screen, directly influencing the smoothness and responsiveness of gameplay. Balancing these elements is crucial for developers to deliver an immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.
10 mistakes you should not make when building a new PC for the first time
Look out for these common mistakes before you start working on your new PC
Building your PC over opting for prebuilts off the shelf is often recommended due to the better value for money, more tailored specifications, and, frankly, the sheer joy of the process. However, diving into your first build can be a minefield of potential mistakes. From choosing an incompatible mix of components to overlooking the need for thermal paste, the devil is in the details. This guide aims to guide you through common mistakes, ensuring your journey from parts selection to the final boot is as smooth as possible.
AirDrop not working on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac? Here are 10 ways to fix it
AirDrop not working? Here are some tips to fix it.
I use AirDrop almost daily between my iPhone and MacBook Pro. It’s such a simple way to get photos, videos, and other content from the mobile device to my computer for editing or adding to a presentation, article, or gallery. Chances are you might want to use it, too, either between your own devices or to AirDrop something, like contact information, to someone else’s device. It’s a fairly foolproof feature, but sometimes, you might run into an issue where AirDrop doesn’t work. Chances are, there’s an easy fix.
7 reasons full-sized mechanical keyboards aren’t more popular
We all seem to love mechanical keyboards. But why aren't there more full-size models available?
If you're a gamer or mechanical keyboard enthusiast, you probably own a TKL, 75%, or 60% keyboard, as these seem to be the most common sizes available. Whether you're into custom boards or "gaming" mechanical keyboards, full-size (or even 96%) mechanical keyboards seem a rarity these days. I own a 75% mechanical keyboard but was searching for a full-size wireless model for my brother to replace his wired Gamdias Hermes M3. That was an even rarer combo to ask for.
Gemini vs ChatGPT: Major improvements for Google
Google Bard has recently been rebranded to Gemini, and we sized it up against the free version of ChatGPT to see how it fares.
Google Bard has now been rebranded to Gemini, and with it comes the same Gemini Pro model that powered Bard. There are no changes to the models underneath, and all that's changed here is the name. Bard with Gemini was advertised as an improvement to the original Bard that Google claimed would have a leg-up over even GPT-4 regarding language tasks.
We're not ready for AI misinformation
Experts say we have the tools to defeat it, but it's too little too late.
With all booming technologies, there's both a good side and a bad side. It usually allows people to do more things faster and with better results, enhancing our way of life. However, there will always be someone who finds a way to use technology to do evil, and artificial intelligence is no exception.
It's no secret that, as humans, we take just about everything in our lives for granted. That includes the trusty keyboard. This means of input has existed since the personal computer's birth, but the peripheral evolved from the typewriter. The keyboard remains the primary means of interfacing with a PC, alongside the mouse. It's also a staple of a PC gaming setup and there's even a budding modding community. It all started in 1868 when the first successful typewriter launched with the QWERTY layout.
Best Plex alternatives in 2024: Jellyfin, Emby, and more
If you're looking for an alternative to Plex, there are a few options that are just as good.
If you have a large database of movies and TV shows, you've probably been enticed by the idea of setting up a Plex server. You can install one to stream video files to clients, and it can transcode them to lower resolutions and bitrates for playback on slower connections. However, for many people, it's not good enough, especially because some features cost money. That's why some of the alternatives are enticing, especially those that are free. These are some of the best Plex alternatives on the market that you can install on an excellent NAS or on your own computer.
4 reasons why the dual-chip graphic card trend died
Dual-chip graphic cards used to be the pinnacle of technology. What happened?
Everybody knows about multi-GPU gaming setups, which were the spectacle of the previous decade. But did you know that mainstream GPUs that had more than one chip on their PCB used to exist? These rendering beasts have been around since 1997, with the Dynamic Pictures Oxygen 402 being one of the first with not two, but four GPU chips on a single PCB.
Is Microsoft's Surface lineup in danger of being discontinued altogether?
Sales for Microsoft Surface are dipping, and the passionate leader behind the brand left Microsoft. Is it time to start worrying about the future?
Microsoft's Surface brand has grown to become a staple of PC computing. The company has put out a lot of cool and innovative hardware in the Surface lineup, from hits like the Surface Laptop Studio to swings and misses like the Surface Neo. But much has changed over the past few years, and Microsoft Surface finds itself at an inflection point in 2024. Surface isn't bringing in revenue like it once was, and Microsoft has scaled back its ambitions for the brand. The crux of that shift happened last year, when Panos Panay — the former Surface leader that became the face of the brand — left for greener pastures at Amazon.
6 simplest mods for mechanical keyboards
Modding your mechanical keyboard can be tons of fun, but also intimidating. Here are 6 of the simplest mods to get you started
There are endless reasons to love mechanical keyboards — satisfying typing and sound, great variety, and easy repairability. But, perhaps, the most fun part of mechanical keyboards is giving them your own touch by customizing and modifying them. Now, keyboard mods can range from the simplest ones that are quick and don't cost a lot to complicated and time-consuming ones that are kind of pricey.
Building a PC is really just an exercise in wellness
Start a rewarding project and learn skills in the process
Building a PC is a project many take on for a variety of reasons. It's a good way to save money compared to the cost of a prebuilt system, especially with more powerful components. There's also a case for the entire process to be rather therapeutic for many, creating stunning builds with tight cable management, flashing RGB lights, and the means to lose oneself in virtual worlds. Then there's skill development, which includes building a system itself, troubleshooting potential issues, modding the case and other parts, and budgeting.