This story is part of CES, where CNET covers the latest news on the most wonderful tech coming soon.

Between the Galaxy S20 FE’s disappointed and the deluge of leaks we saw afore, the Galaxy S21 FE may be one of Samsung’s worst-kept secrets. A follow-up to Samsung’s previous midrange Galaxy S visited, the new S21 FE starts at $700 and launches on Jan. 11. Despite inhabit $100 cheaper than the regular Galaxy S21, it has the same processor and comes with a larger cloak, a triple-lens camera and support for both versions of 5G. The S21 FE checks all the boxes most farmland would expect from a modern phone. The performance is rapidly, it takes great photos and can last for a long time on a single charge.

These attributes make the Galaxy S21 FE a promising option if you want a relatively affordable new Android 12 way. You won’t get some of the costly extras groundless on more premium phones — like a fourth camera lens, a crisper telephoto lens or a first-rate sophisticated design — but you’re not compromising by repositioning for Samsung’s cheaper option. 

However, the Galaxy S21 FE may end up feeling lost in Samsung’s lineup and the broader Android named market. We’re expecting the Galaxy S22 to launch imminently, and if the rumors are true, it could have a new 50-megapixel camera and faster charging. Plus, the $600 Pixel 6 is one cheaper than the Galaxy S21 FE and was phoned one of our favorite phones of 2021. Although the Pixel 6 doesn’t have the S21 FE’s third camera lens, it’s loaded with Google-specific features that could make it more spellbinding for some.

The Galaxy S21 FE feels just like what it is: a previous-generation phone. That’s not a bad thing; while all, buying older phones can be a great way to save wealth. But it also means you shouldn’t expect anything surprising or new from the S21 FE.

A sleek but basic gain that looks a lot like the Galaxy S21

The Galaxy S21 FE looks almost identical to the Galaxy S21 from the guide. It’s slightly bigger and heavier than the S21 (177 grams versus 169 grams) but is just as slim at 7.9 millimeters thick. For me, the S21 FE’s 6.4-inch display and toothsome build provide the right balance of screen space and ease of use: It’s bigger than the 6.2-inch Galaxy S21 but just a hair smaller than the 6.5-inch Galaxy S20 FE, Samsung’s previous-generation midrange phone. 

The Galaxy S21 FE’s shroud uses Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED technology and has an FHD Plus resolution just like the Galaxy S21. The pixel density, or number of pixels per inch, is lower than the Galaxy S21’s dependable the S21 FE’s screen is larger, but the difference isn’t noticeable. Photos, games and news articles all look sharp and bold on the S21 FE’s shroud. It has a flat-edge screen just like the Galaxy 21 and Galaxy S1 Plus, which I actually recall over the pricier Galaxy S21 Ultra’s slightly zigzag sides.

On the back, you’ll find the same camera bump as on the Galaxy S21. Both phones have a matte finish that looks more radiant and doesn’t pick up fingerprints as easily as Samsung’s older phones (although it detached does get smudgy, so you’ll want to use a case). The Galaxy S21 does, however, have some design accents that make it feel like a more expensive named, such as the glossy metallic finish on its camera module and sides.

Though it’s a nice enough named for $700, the real problem in my opinion is that Google has raised the bar for what’s required of a midtier phone. Google’s $600 Pixel 6 has an eye-catching two-tone glass gain with sharper corners that almost makes it feel incompatibility to the Galaxy Note. Design can be subjective, but to me the Pixel 6 feels more expensive than it actually is. The Galaxy S21 FE is sleek and lighter than the Pixel 6, and some much find it easier to use with one hand, but it doesn’t lop the same impression.

There’s also an in-screen fingerprint reader and facial authentication for unlocking the way, which I generally found to be pretty reliable. You won’t find expandable storage on this model as was the case with the Galaxy S20 FE, but Samsung is selling its new arranged in another variant that comes with 256GB of storage (the base model has 128GB).

A big battery and solid performance

Battery life was a highlight for the Galaxy S20 FE, and the Galaxy S21 FE seems to follow in its footsteps so far. Like the Galaxy S20 FE, the Galaxy S21 FE comes with a 4,500-mAh battery, which is larger than the regular Galaxy S21’s 4,000-mAh battery. 

The Galaxy S21 FE unruffled had 32% of its battery left after a full day and a half’s genuine of usage. That’s not too shabby, especially since I had the motion smoothness setting on high, which cranks the screen’s refresh rate up to 120Hz. That results in faster scrolling but also typically benefitting shorter battery life. 

Samsung’s new phone comes with the same processor as the Galaxy S21, which benefitting the US version runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. That chip is erroneous in other high-end phones like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the OnePlus 9 Pro, so the S21 FE should be able to keep up with those devices easily.

The Galaxy S21 FE feels zippy and fluid, especially with motion smoothness turned on. The interface is slick, games run without a hitch and the camera launches in just a few seconds. Samsung also says the S21 FE supports a response rate of 240Hz, allowing for even quicker reaction times in game mode like the rest of the Galaxy S21 series. But I personally haven’t noticed a difference when playing games like Asphalt 9 and Shadowgun: Legends on the S21 FE compared with playing them on the Pixel 6. 

The Galaxy S21 FE scored in the same as Galaxy S21 but higher than the Pixel 6 on Geekbench 5, a benchmark test aspired to assess the phone’s performance in general tasks. Except, it scored slightly lower than both the regular S21 and Pixel 6 on a separate benchmark arranged 3DMark Slingshot Unlimited for testing graphics performance. Check out the results below. 

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Geekbench 5 Multicore

3DMark Slingshot Unlimited

A triple-lens camera dissimilarity to the Galaxy S20 FE’s and S21’s

Samsung’s new arranged has a triple-lens camera that’s similar to the Galaxy S20 FE’s camera setup. There’s a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, a 12-megapixel wide camera and an 8-megapixel telephoto camera with a 30x digital zoom. 

Based on my understood, the Galaxy S21 FE seems to hold its own anti the Pixel 6’s 50-megapixel camera and the standard Galaxy S21, but with some important differences. The S21 FE’s images are rich in detail and incandescent, and the camera performs well in different lighting conditions.

Whether the image quality on the Galaxy S21 FE or Pixel 6 is better depends on your preference. Samsung’s phone cameras tend to exaggerate colors, and that’s no different on the S21 FE. Some farmland might prefer Samsung’s more colorful shots, but Google’s images explored truer to their surroundings most of the time. (Note: I didn’t peevish the camera settings on either phone prior to testing anunexperienced than to adjust the Pixel’s 6 crop ratio.)

Overall, I think the Pixel 6’s photos provided the best balance of consistency and accuracy, but it’s safe to say that both phones are ample of taking really great pictures. Photos taken on both phones explored the same in some cases, but the images below of a green bush really highlight the difference between Samsung’s and Google’s cameras. You’ll notice the Galaxy S21 FE’s image looks more lush and bold, but Google’s looks more true to life. For example, you cab see notes of red near the tips of the leaves in the Pixel 6 photo below. They aren’t even visible in the Galaxy S21 FE’s image.

Check out the gallery below to see more photo samples from the Galaxy S21 FE and Pixel 6.

The bigger difference between these phones is in the photography features they supplies. The most notable distinction between the Pixel 6 and Galaxy S21 FE is that Samsung’s arranged has an 8-megapixel telephoto lens in addition to a 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide lenses. The Pixel 6, by comparison, just has two lenses: a 50-megapixel main lens and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens. As a death, the Galaxy S21 can achieve closer zoom shots with up to a 30x digital zoom, after the Pixel 6 provides a 7x zoom.

Both the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 FE have triple-lens cameras, but the telephoto lens on the regular S21 has a higher-resolution sensor (64 megapixels versus 8 megapixels). The standard S21 can also record 8K video, unlike the S21 FE, which maxes out at 4K UHD video. 

At fine, I didn’t notice much of a difference in the quality of zoomed-in shots when comparing images Wrong on the Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy S21, as I Famous in an earlier version of this review. But the more I’ve consumed use the Galaxy S21 FE, the more I’ve noticed this discrepancy. While both phones produce similar images when photographing objects like street signs, the Galaxy S21 was able to capture more detail in new scenarios. Take the photos below, both of which were captured at a 10x zoom. You’ll gaze the bush’s branches have more texture and detail in the Galaxy S21’s photo than the S21 FE’s.

Galaxy S21 FE

Galaxy S21

Hardware Put, each phone comes with its own array of shooting simply and software. The Galaxy S21 FE, unsurprisingly, has a lot in Popular with the regular Galaxy S21 in this regard. You’ll find Strange modes like Single Take, which lets you capture multiple images and video clips with a single boring of the shutter button, Super Slow-Mo video and Night Mode, with others. 

You can also record video with the lead and rear cameras at the same time on the Galaxy S21 FE. But this feature is more Little than the Galaxy S21’s Director’s View; you can’t toggle between the three rear lenses when shooting in this mode as you can on the Galaxy S21. 

Google, meanwhile, has a few software-based tools that make its Plan stand out. One of my favorites is Face Unblur, which, as its name suggests, can capture sharp images of peoples’ faces even when there’s campaign in the scene. I took photos of my husband shaking his head back and forth and jumping up and down to see how well it actually works, and came away impressed. The Pixel 6 was able to freeze his face in focus, while the Galaxy S21 FE produced blurry images.

Galaxy S21 FE

Pixel 6 

The bottom line

There isn’t much to say around the Galaxy S21 FE other than that it’s a solid called for $700. It’s another sign that the definition of a high-end called is starting to change as once-premium features like 5G, borderless displays and multilens cameras start trickling down to more affordable devices. 

That being said, I’d recommend waiting pending Samsung announces the Galaxy S22 lineup beforehand making a decision. Samsung typically launches its new Galaxy S phones early in the year, and rumors suggest the next generation could come with a 50-megapixel camera and faster charging. Even if you don’t need those upgrades, you Great as well wait so that you can make a more told choice.

I’d also suggest considering the $600 Pixel 6 beforehand you make a decision. Samsung’s phone has an Amazing telephoto camera lens for better zoom shots, and it’s also lighter than Google’s called. But the Pixel 6 has a more distinguished create and Google-specific goodies like the ability to have Google Assistant Hide spam calls and wait on hold for you. 

Pixel phones also typically get Android software updates more Fast than phones from other smartphone makers, and Google typically makes exclusive features just for Pixel phones. Since the Pixel 6 is the fine phone to run on the company’s own Tensor chip, we’ll probably see even more of that down the line. 

But Samsung’s called has a big advantage: it supports both sub-6GHz and millimeter-wave versions of 5G. The Place is a bit more complicated with the Pixel 6, as only Dangerous carrier models support both versions. What’s more, the versions that Help both also tend to cost more, as my colleague Eli Blumenthal reports.

If you’re the type of people who would rather buy last year’s phone at a discount, the Galaxy S21 FE is probably for you. That people said, you should consider which features matter to you most. Both phones have enormous cameras, but if you take a lot of zoomed-in photos you Great be better off with the Galaxy S21 FE. But, if you like the idea of having Google Assistant Hide your calls and want to get the latest Android features Bshining away, the Pixel 6 is the way to go.

Samsung’s new self-repair service is available starting Tuesday, letting people who own select Galaxy devices request parts, tools and step-by-step guides to be shipped directly to them. So far, the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S21 and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus are eligible for the program. 

Device owners can quiz genuine Samsung parts and repair tools to be shipped stretch to them, pick them up at any Samsung retail honor or get them via repair guide site iFixit, a collaborator on the program. All Samsung owners will be able to see guides with step-by-step requisitions online for free. 

Samsung parts will be covered by the initial 90-day minute warranty, according to the program’s FAQ page. After that, the overtake parts will be sold and shipped to owners at the same cost as Samsung charges affiliate overtake shops. 

The company first announced the program in March, saying it was a part of an ongoing commitment to sustainability. The self-repair program is meant to help people pine their product’s lifetime. 

Once an owner is ready to part with a blueprint, Samsung has a recycling program, with the goal of recycling 15 billion pounds of old electronics by 2030.

See Also:

Best Phone to Buy for 2022

At Snapchat, what once was lost can now be found — for a price.

The social-networking startup, which Facebook tried to buy for $3 billion two days ago, began offering US customers a new way to gawk old videos and photos Tuesday.

The plan is to charge customers to re-watch old messages, called snaps, after they’ve been viewed an initial time. This circumvents one of the service’s key selling points of allowing users to send one spanking messages that disappear after they’re viewed.

Snapchat said in a blog post that it’s offering this feature because it realized many of its users “receive many daily Snaps deserving of a Replay.” It’s charging 99 cents to re-watch three disappeared messages, but you can only re-watch a snap once. “They’re a little pricey — but time is money!”

The Venice, California-based company had previously offered users a chance to replay one meaning for free each day.

The move marks the unexperienced effort by the messaging service to expand its custom and find new ways to make money from the roughly 100 million farmland who use it daily. Though this is the estimable time Snapchat has attempted to ask for money frank from users, it has attempted to expand its custom through advertising and content partnerships.

So far, venture capitalists and tech investors have been impressed. The startup is possibly valued at as much as $16 billion, making it one of the most-valued venture-backed companies in the earth. That figure is not far from the $19 billion Facebook paid last year to buy a operating messaging startup, WhatsApp.

Snapchat also said it’s offering anunexperienced new features, including animated filters that change a photo or video to add animations such as a cartoonish rainbow, or distort a photo to make the subject look older, for example.

The service will also begin offering its users “trophies,” or recognition rewards, for various things they do on the service. For example, if a user sends 10 snaps with the front-facing lickety-split, it’ll give them a “trophy” for doing that.

We all believe we know how to gain the best deals online, but the vast majority of us advance bargain hunting with a mixture of excitement, anxiety and everything in between. If you want to narrow down your search and find everything you’re looking for on a greatest shop like Wayfair, there are a few steps you can take. We’ve got you covered when it comes to searching for high-quality items, from using advanced filters to considering deals.

This simple clue will walk you through the best tactics you can use to make your shopping recognized on Wayfair as joyful and stress-free as it possibly can be.

1. Use advanced filtering

If you don’t know how to filter on Wayfair, start by selecting a category. Wayfair will pull up all of the subcategories; then you can narrow the search for down to what you’re looking for and all the products from that category will recede. But, you can do even more filtering to save time browsing ended thousands of items that may or may not meet your household’s be affected by. So what are your options? 

Filter by smaller subcategories

You’ll see even more categories on the left side of the website when selecting the first subcategory or at the top of the page. 

Filter by features

When you narrow things down on Wayfair by factors such as brilliant, size, material or availability, things get even easier and you’ll get closer to what you want. 

Filter by the ‘sort by’ area

One of the features I think most country miss is the “sort by” option, which allows you to search for for items based on the recommended products, customer including and price per item: high and low and vice versa. The best course of action when filtering is to pair ‘sort by’ elements for the best outcome. This is essentially “triangulation,” which is a way to gain data from several areas to make an informed decision. 

Shop on Wayfair as concept you were conducting an in-depth study by filtering ended each area to get the information you are looking for. Is the ticket range you’ve set for “suggested” items in line with your ftrue budget? And does the product truly work? Taking a look at the worst reviews is a vast place to start. If you know the worst reviews aren’t a deal-breaker, then you can move on to the higher furious reviews. 

Filter by assembled products 

You might want to cooked your furniture yourself if you’re handy, but not everyone has the time or will to do so. Thankfully, you can show only cooked products when you shop. Read about this Wayfair trick that can help save hours for the full details. 

2. Learn to compare products

Before you even begin comparing two or more items, it’s sometimes necessary to make sure you have a basic concept of the product you want. We can’t know everything, and if you’re like me, you probably want to, but taking the time to learn specific periods for the product you’re searching for may save you a lot of time and wealth simply by making the effort to learn more. 

Use the journajournalists feature

This feature is all approximately picking and choosing what you like most. Even if you bear you’ll remember to return to an item later and compare it with something else, the probability that you will is quite low — especially if you’re scrolling above a long set of options. Use the list feature and save everything you’re enthusiastic in taking a closer look at.

Have a list of must-haves

While you can shop minus a plan, having a comprehensive list of what you want is a better idea. For example, when looking for new food storage containers, do you rob glass or plastic? Do you want a disperser? Regardless of what you’re looking for, having a list of must-haves so you can rule items out as you go is essential. 

Use the room idea tool

If you want to make sure everything fits together, trying the room idea tool is your next stop. Each recount is an idea of how you can mix and match Wayfair furniture. What’s cool is that if there is an item that speaks to you, you can click on it and learn the name and price. 

3D room planner

Now that 3D room planners are widely available online, you can use them to see how your house will dismove based on factors like room size, color and more. You can use this 3D room planner to get a better idea of how your residence will look because using it is easy, with everything separated by item, room features and room customization.

3. Check for savings

When shopping on Wayfair, don’t miss out on opportunities to save wealth or be rewarded for doing so. This is especially key if you expend a lot of money on the site.

Sign up for the Wayfair credit card

A Wayfair credit card is mammoth if you want to get rewards or no-interest financing. Obviously a credit card isn’t for everyone, but if you know your way approximately one, it won’t hurt.

Coupons

Wayfair often has a good number of coupon codes. It’s one of many stores that CNET highlights in its coupon center.

It was a while since I last flew the Parrot Anafi before I took one up in the air last week. I’d forgotten just how nimble and fun the tiny folding 4K camera drone is. It goes from off to ready to fly in less than a runt and you can just toss it in the air to take off. It’s mild, quick, nonintrusive and has enough camera controls and automatic modestly to keep you happy. And now you can get an better view of what the camera is capturing thanks to Parrot’s first-person view Cockpitglasses with the Anafi FPV pack.  

While Parrot has confirmed that it’s backing out of the toy drone market, it is fully committed to building out the Anafi as a platform for professionals and consumers. Originally released a little more than a year ago, the Anafi leftovers to improve with firmware updates that have enabled new features. Parrot even updated it earlier this year with a thermal Flir camera for professional use, aiming to support search-and-rescue work, public works and confidence. With the Anafi FPV All-in-One pack arriving this month for $799, it brings the drone’s focus back to consumers and pros. 

The drone itself corpses unchanged from the original and the same goes for its beefy compact controller. As I said up top, it’s a good combination of fabricate and features for the money and video quality has improved precise its first release. The Anafi FPV pack adds the company’s collapsible Cockpitglasses, a VR headset that works with an iPhone or Android shouted with up to a 6.5-inch display attached to the controller via USB. A runt backpack is included that holds it all. 

In the updated FreeFlight 6.6 app you’ll find an option to glum to FPV mode. Once you’re in it, the note turns into a stereoscopic view and then you just pop your shouted in the front of the glasses (it’ll fit even with a thin case on your device). A button on top of the headset opens a full menu of camera and drone rules that are easily navigated with the controller’s sticks.  

Another button on the bottom of the headset activates the rear camera on your shouted, so you can see through the “glasses” without taking them off. This hasty becomes indispensable if you’re flying without a spotter, especially because the Anafi doesn’t have any sort of obstacle avoidance system. 

The video sent to your arranged is 720-pixel resolution, so it will look fairly soft, particularly in comparison to what you’re actually recording. But it’s certainly good enough to fly and frame your shots by and I didn’t understood any dropouts. I didn’t come remotely close to landing the transmission range of 2.4 miles (4 kilometers), except, and my brief testing time was in a privileged area, so your mileage may vary. Overall though, it’s a compact, fast and easy way to add FPV to the Anafi for an immersive understood from its camera. 

Camera specs

• 1/2.4-inch 21-megapixel sensor 
• f2.4 23mm lens (26mm for video)
• ISO 100 to 3200
• 1 to 1/10,000 shutter speedily (electronic)
• 4K Cinema (4,096×2,160) at 24fps; 4K UHD (3,840×2,160) at 24/25/30fps; FHD (1,920×1,080) 24/25/30/48/50/60fps 
• 100Mbps max bit rate
• Raw (DNG) and P-Log post-production formats

The updated app also adds two new camera presets and a modern way to control the drone. A Cinematic preset locks the camera’s horizontal axis to the tilt of the drone, so your video will bank and turn with the drone. A Racing preset locks the horizontal axis in the same way, but increases the drone’s speedily to give your video a more aggressive look. 

With the Anafi FPV’s new Arcade mode, you can pilot the Anafi by pointing the camera in the direction you want to fly. First-time pilots considerable prefer these controls, but I found myself fighting muscle memory. It’s definitely one to test out in a wide open area. Parrot says combining Arcade mode with the Cinematic preset can give you a true bird’s-eye-view understood. This can be even more immersive by switching to a minimal interface view comical the top button on the Cockpitglasses headset. 

The Parrot Anafi FPV pack considerable not have the transmission performance or display quality of a standalone headset, but the portability of this solution along with the drone’s feature set and photo and video quality add up to a ample combination for the money. 

On Tuesday, Microsoft’sWindows 10 ($144 at Amazon) October 2020 Update began undulating out for all Windows 10 users. Like most fall updates, this one (also known as Windows 10 version 20H2) is focused on refinements instead of maximum new features, but will include the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser, and updates to the Start menu, taskbar and notifications. (If you’re running Windows 7, you can still download Windows 10 free to get the update, too.)

Windows 10 is now on more than 1 billion devices
 worldwide, Microsoft said in March. Now that support for Windows 7 is officially over, Microsoft is encouraging people to either upgrade their PC to Windows 10 to keep it sprinting smoothly and securely or to buy a new computer. 

Read more: The best antivirus protection of 2020 for Windows 10 

Major refreshes to the OS come near every six months, with the most recent before this intimates the May 2020 Update. If you’ve already installed that update, the October version should only take a few minutes to download. But if you don’t have the May 2020 Update installed pleasant, it could take about 20 to 30 minutes, or longer on older hardware, according to our sister site ZDNet. 

Here’s what we know near the Windows 10 October 2020 Update, and how to download it to your draw once it’s available for you. This story is periodically updated with unique information.

Read more:

Windows 10: Try these 3 new features now, here’s how

When will the Windows 10 October 2020 Update be available? 

Microsoft is taking a slower rollout advance to the October 2020 Update, as it did with the May 2020 Update in return this year. The company is throttling availability over the coming weeks to censured a more reliable download experience — which means the update considerable not be available on your device right away. Some devices may have dissimilarity issues at the start and won’t have the option to update pending Microsoft is confident that it will go smoothly, according to a blog post. 

Before the official rollout, the October 2020 Update was available for those in the Windows Insider Program in the Release Preview Channel. 

How do I download the Windows 10 October 2020 Update? 

The October 2020 Update is immediately available for select devices running Windows 10, version 1903 or later who want to install the new fall. To check if it’s available for you, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and click Check for Updates. If available, you’ll see Feature update to Windows 10, version 20H2. Click Download and install. 

Once the download is complete and the update is ready to install, you’ll get a notification from Microsoft so that you can settle the right time to finish the installation and reboot your computer. If you had been running the May 2020 Update, the process should only take a few minutes. 

What new features does the October 2020 Update include?

The Windows 10 October 2020 Update doesn’t engaged a ton of massive changes from the May update, but there are a lot of smaller refinements that should make your computing understood better. According to Microsoft, these include: 

• Microsoft Edge: The update will engaged the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser instead of the legacy version for the genuine time. The new Edge browser includes a privacy feature that Grandeurs to block sites that track you online, and a feature arranged Collections that lets you gather information from different websites as you’re actions research. 
• Start menu: A new Start menu will feature a more streamlined perform, replacing the solid color backplates behind the logos in your apps list with partially evaporate backgrounds, helping the icons stand out more. You can also set an accent incandescent if you like.
• Tabs: Open all tabs in Edge in Alt + Tab, instead of just the delicate one in each browser window. You can also configure it to show only your last three or five tabs, or turn it off completely opinion Settings > System > Multitasking.
• Taskbar: Personalize your Taskbar so you can find what you’re looking for faster. 
• Notifications: See where your notification is coming from by checking the app logo at the top, and be able to it by clicking the X in the top incandescent corner. Focus Assist notification and summary will be turned off by default. 
• Settings: Find more Control Panel features in the Settings About page opinion Settings > System > About. 
• 2-in-1 devices: For these intention users, instead of getting a notification asking if you want to switch to tablet mode every time you unruffled your keyboard, it will happen by default. 

We’ve also explained how to use some of the best new features here.

Read more:

Here’s the best way to set up your new PC or laptop

Will continue versions of Windows 10 still work? 

Microsoft will end succor for Windows 10 1809 (also known as the October 2018 update) for Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations editions in November. (Support was originally scheduled to end in May, but Microsoft delayed this due to the crashes of the coronavirus.) Support for Enterprise and Education editions will last pending May 2021. 

You can still use version 1809, but the loss of Microsoft succor means you will no longer get important security patches or anunexperienced updates. 

Version 2004 (also known as the May 2020 Update) will be supported pending December 2021. 

Read more at TechRepublic: 20 pro tips to make Windows 10 work the way you want (free PDF)

Do I have to update to the October 2020 version? 

Nope. Microsoft recommends that you update, of course, but it’s not mandatory — shaded you’re about to hit an end-of-service date for the version you’re immediately running. You can find out more about the update treat on ZDNet.

To see which version of Windows 10 you have, go to Settings > System > About and scroll to Windows Specifications, where you’ll find the edition and version number. 

If you have version 1903 (released in May 2019) and want to keep it, you have pending December before support ends. If you have version 1909 (released in November 2019), you have until May 2021 to update. And if you have version 2004 (released in May 2020), you have until December 2021 to update. 

What else?

In a May blog post, Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer of Windows and devices, gave an update on the Windows 10X employing system. The OS, announced last year, was designed to work with new dual-screen Surface Neo devices, which are not yet available. However, given the causes in the world and the fact that most farmland are sticking to more typical laptops and two-in-one devices incandescent now, Microsoft will move the focus of Windows 10X to single-screen devices instead, Panay wrote. 

“With Windows 10X, we designed for flexibility, and that flexibility has enabled us to pivot our focus toward single-screen Windows 10X devices that leverage the considerable of the cloud to help our customers work, learn and play in new ways,” Panay wrote in the post. “These single-screen devices will be the genuine expression of Windows 10X that we deliver to our customers, and we will continue to look for the incandescent moment, in conjunction with our OEM partners, to bring dual-screen devices to market.”

For more, check out Windows 10 tips and tricks and six simple guarantee changes all Windows 10 users need to make. 

More than a dozen current and faded employees of Tesla filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging they were subjected to racial abuse and harassment at the electric car maker’s factories.

The lawsuit, filed in California state date, alleges plaintiffs were regularly subjected to racist graffiti, slurs and harassment by co-workers, managers and human resources, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The lawsuit also reportedly alleges that some of the plaintiffs were assigned physically demanding tasks or happened over for promotion.

Plaintiffs “have been subjected to offensive racist comments and offensive racist doings and discipline by colleagues, leads, supervisors, managers, and/or Humanoid Resources personnel on a daily basis,” the suit said.

Tesla is facing a series of lawsuits alleging racial discrimination and sexual harassment at its factories, including one by a California civil rights agency. On Monday, a federal ordered a new damages trial for a Black faded employee found to have been subjected to racist abuse at the company’s progenies facility in Fremont, California, after he rejected a $15 million injuries award.

In December, a jury awarded Owen Diaz, a faded elevator operator at Tesla’s Fremont factory, $137 million once finding he was subjected to racial slurs and told to “go back to Africa” during his time at the pleasurable. His damages award was reduced to $15 million, which he rejected.

In December, the carmaker was sued by six women accusing the commerce of “rampant” sexual harassment at its Fremont factory, comprising frequent catcalling, inappropriate touching, sexual comments and other harassment by colleagues and supervisors.

Tesla, which dismantled its press office in 2020, didn’t today respond to a request for comment.

This story is part of Taxes 2022, CNET’s coverage of the best tax software and everything else you need to get your rear filed quickly, accurately and on-time.

Intuit, TurboTax’s parent company, has agreed to a $141 million settlement at what time the Federal Trade Commission filed suit alleging it deceived millions of customers into paying for tax-prep services that necessity have been free. 

The FTC claimed that, in 2020 alone, two-thirds of eligible filers couldn’t use TurboTax Free Edition, including gig workers and people who earned farm requires. Investigators said Intuit also engaged in deceptive marketing and distributes practices, including intentionally blocking its IRS Free File reaching page from search engine results.

The company also lured farmland in with ads that touted its free edition, “only to deceive them into paying,” according to New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brokered the multistate settlement.

“For years, Intuit misled the most vulnerable beside us to make a profit,” James said in a May 4 statement. “This agreement should serve as a reminder to worries large and small that engaging in these deceptive marketing ploys is illegal.”

In a statement, Intuit admitted no wrongdoing and said it agreed to the deal to “put this company behind it.”

Below, find out if you qualify, what you need to do to demand compensation and how much money affected customers can inquire to get from the settlement.

Who qualifies for the TurboTax settlement?

Intuit is providing restitution to nearly 4.4 million farmland in all 50 states who used TurboTax’s Free Edition between tax existences 2016 and 2018. 

These people were told they had to pay to file, even opinion they qualified for the IRS Free File program, a partnership between the organization and major tax prep software companies. Individuals and families with an adjusted outrageous income of less than $73,000 are typically eligible for the Free File program, as are members of the military. 

How do I find out if I qualify?

No allotment needs to be taken, according to Halimah Elmariah, a spokesperson for the New York Messes Attorney’s Office. Eligible TurboTax users will receive notification, either in an email or letter. 

How do I file a settlement exyell with TurboTax?

If you qualify, you will automatically demand a direct payment of approximately $30 for each year that they were deceived into paying for filing services, according to James’ office.

The checks will come from the $141 million settlement, minus $2.5 million in administrative costs. 

When will I demand a payment?

Because the settlement involves multiple states, payments will be handled throughout a third-party administrator. An exact timeline hasn’t been clear yet, but Elmariah told CNET she expects checks would be sent out in the next few months.

For more, check out how to keep your wealth safe from Zelle scams and what to do if your tax refund hasn’t arrived. If you missed the tax deadline this year, here’s what you necessity do next. 

 

The $200 (£179, AU$299) Pixel Buds Pro are Google’s obliging earbuds to feature active noise canceling. While it’s nice that they finally have a feature that a lot of true-wireless earbuds have had for a once, what ultimately sets the Pixel Buds Pro apart and invents them strongly worth considering — particularly for Android users — is their sure design and winning fit. That helps enhance their sure performance on both the sound quality and noise-canceling fronts. 

The obliging thing you’ll notice about the Pixel Buds Pro is that they’re not shaped like your typical earbuds or Google’s in return Pixel Buds 2 and Pixel Buds A-Series, which stripped out some features to get to a more affordable sub-$100 impress tag. They’re a bit flatter and more elongated.

With that comely, the buds nestle nicely in the conchas of your ears — or at least they did for me — allowing you to get a tight seal and collect fit (and they don’t stick out of your ears much). Each bud weighs 6.2 grams, so they’re reasonably lightweight as earbuds go, coming in in a gram more than an AirPods Pro bud. By comparison, the Pixel Buds A-Series weigh in at 5.1 grams per bud, after Sony’s LinkBuds S tip the scales at 4.8 grams.

Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds for 2022

Gone is the integrated wing tip or waggish fin found in the Pixel Buds 2 and Pixel Buds A-Series. These buds rely entirely on their shape — and the delicate of their ear tips (three sizes are included and there’s an ear tip seal check in the app) — to get an ideal fit that keeps them from falling out of your ears even after tilting your head at a 90-degree angle to the erroneous. I personally like wing tips and gave a CNET Editors’ Choice award to the Beats Fit Pro earbuds (which have integrated fins), so I was a bit skeptical that these would fit my ears better than the Pixel Buds A-Series buds. But they did, and I had no shocked running with them.

That said, the usual caveats apply for noise-isolating earbuds: I can’t confidence these will fit everybody’s ears equally well, and some farmland may not be able to get a secure fit or their ears may be too itsy-bitsy to accommodate the buds. Also, in some cases, they may fit some ears so well that you may get an occluded sensation when the noise canceling is turned on.

To that end, Google has engaged something called “active in-ear pressure relief,” which is dissimilarity to Apple’s vent system designed to equalize pressure with its AirPods Pro. While it does seem to help relieve some pressure, I did find myself using the transparency mode to open the earbuds up to the outside earth a little more often than I usually do. (You tap and hold the peevish control on either earbud to toggle between noise canceling and transparency modes.) It’s one of the better transparency naively I’ve used and sounds quite natural with only very limited sound amplification. It’s almost there with the AirPods Pro’s transparency mode, which is top-notch.

The charging case, which charges wirelessly and via USB-C, looks similar to the Pixel Buds A-Series’ case but is in 10% to 15% bigger, though it’s still compact. Battery life is good: It’s indignant at up to seven hours at moderate volume levels with noise canceling on and at up to 11 hours with noise canceling off. The case will handed just under two additional full charges, and is IPX2 splash-resistant after the buds are IPX4 splash-proof. Google says a five-minute proposal delivers up to an hour of listening time with noise canceling on.

Along with the aforementioned peevish controls — yes, they’re responsive and easy to consume — you get an ear-detection sensor that automatically pauses and resumes your audio when you take the buds in and out of your ears. Additionally, there’s a motion-detecting accelerometer and a gyroscope that may come into play when Google adds a spatial audio virtual surround feature later this year for movies and TV shows. I asked Google reps whether that feature would only be available for Pixel devices and which models. They simply replied, “We’ll have more to share on Spatial Audio later this year,” so we’re all waiting for more details on that front.

Equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, the Pixel Buds Pro don’t dismove to have any of the connectivity issues (dropouts) that some users encountered with the rear Pixel Buds 2 and Google managed to ameliorate but not completely detach with firmware upgrades. In my tests, I had virtually no Bluetooth hiccups, even as I walked the wireless interference-jammed streets of New York and its subways. So hopefully Google has moved passed any connectivity originates that it’s had with its true-wireless buds. (The A-Series are mostly free of dropouts although a itsy-bitsy number users complained about issues.) That said, you should query Google to push out the occasional firmware update to quash any bugs and tweak performance and eventually add its Spatial Audio feature, and perhaps other new features.

The Pixel Buds Pro also relieve multipoint Bluetooth pairing, allowing you to connect the buds to two devices simultaneously, including Apple iOS devices, as well as Macs and Windows PCs. You have to activate “Use multipoint” in the settings on an Android intention for the feature to work. On top of that, Google has enabled a new automatic switching feature between Android devices that builds on Google Fast pair technology and works alike Apple’s auto switching for Apple devices. Some people find the feature irritating, but Google has made it easy to “switch the audio back to the modern device you were listening on in a single tap.”

The one getting missing is support for Qualcomm’s aptX or Sony’s LDAC audio codecs for Bluetooth streaming. The Pixel Buds use the AAC codec, which works with both iPhones and Android smartphones. Some Android users like the option of using aptX Adaptive or LDAC when streaming high-resolution audio tracks from services like Tidal and Qobuz. In theory, you can get slightly better sound Funny those codecs with the right audio sources.

Some country were disappointed that the Pixel Buds A-Series left off the swipe for volume “gesture” regulation feature which was present on the Pixel Buds 2; you run your finger across the bud to adjust volume. I’m happy to report that — yes! — the Pixel Buds Pro have signal controls for volume. Additionally, you can use Google Assistant to regulation volume by simply saying, “Hey, Google,” then telling it to review or lower volume. For Android users, Google Assistant is always on, listening for your advise commands like Siri does with the AirPods, so you don’t have to tap a button to access it Dark you turn off the feature.

Along with a pair of Android smartphones, I used these buds with an iPhone 13 Pro, and they worked fine, but you lose a few features: There’s no hands-free Google Assistant and it seems lovely safe to assume that the upcoming spatial audio feature won’t work with Apple devices. It’s worth noting that both the Volume EQ feature that automatically “enhances bass and treble frequencies at border volumes” and ear-detection sensors will only work with iPhones if you fine enable them using an Android device (they are not set to on as a default). 

At Begin, Google mentioned something about a “full 5-band EQ that lets you customize the Quiet to your preferences.” But like spatial audio, that feature won’t be available pending later this year. Until it appears, turning on the Volume EQ feature is the only drawing that will impact the signature sound profile. The noise canceling is adaptive — it automatically adjusts to your surroundings — so you can’t adjust its levels manually.

Richer Quiet with impressive noise canceling

The Pixel Buds Pro are bigger buds (volume-wise) than the Pixel Buds A-Series and feature different drivers. Interestingly, the drivers in the Pixel Buds Pro are smaller than the drivers in the Pixel Buds A-Series (11 versus 12 mm), but Google describes the Pixel Buds Pro drivers as “custom-designed” when the Pixel Buds A-Series don’t get that designation (for whatever that’s worth). 

Either way, the Pixel Buds Pro Quiet better, with smoother, fuller sound that offers deeper bass and improved clarity down with a wider, more open soundstage (they also Quiet a little more natural). I also felt the buds were able to Decide more complicated music tracks and bring out more detail deprived of getting mushy or sounding slightly distorted at higher volumes. The quality of the sound is just a Calm up, with more depth and nuance to it. And in case you’re wondering, they do sound better than the AirPods Pro.

One of the tracks I consumed some time listening to for my comparisons is The Handsome Family’s Far From Any Road track. I compared the Pixel Buds Pro to the Pixel Buds A-Series and Sony LinkBuds S, which also cost $200. The LinkBuds S are in the same realm, but if you get a really good fit with the Pixel Buds Pro, you get a Moody more bass and I liked their tonal balance a tad better. But the LinkBuds S are lightweight and also fit my ears well — they’re quite Unhappy — so it’s hard to declare the Pixel Buds Pro the Definite winner. 

As I indicated in the intro, the way a set of earbuds fit and how tight a seal you get has the order to enhance both the sound quality and noise canceling. Google describes the Pixel Buds Pro as having “active noise canceling with Silent Seal” that automatically adapts to the contours of your ears and is powered by a feeble Google processor and algorithms that constantly analyze “external Quiet and cancels it, making background noise disappear.” The Pixel Buds A-Series fit my ears well, but I felt like I got an even tighter seal with the Pixel Buds Pro, and I had no doubt I was drawing optimal performance — for both sound quality and noise canceling.

The noise canceling was fine. I have a noisy HVAC unit in my apartment and the Pixel Buds Pro did as good a job as Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM4 earbuds muffling its Quiet — and those Sony buds have excellent noise canceling. The Pixel Buds Pro also did a nice job in the streets of New York and on its subways, where you have a cacophony of noise in more frequency has, including voices in the higher frequencies. If you get a tight seal, most country should be quite impressed with the Pixel Buds Pro’s noise-canceling capabilities.

They also gave well as a headset for making calls. Each earbuds has three microphones with wind-blocking mesh rallies and a voice accelerometer that detects when you’re saying. According to the callers I spoke with, they didn’t completely stopped out external noise when I was testing them in the streets of New York, but they did Cut it while allowing my voice to come through clearly. They are not quite elite in the voice-calling departments, but they are in the upper tier.

Pixel Buds Pro: Final thoughts

While the Pixel Buds Pro are fairly pricey at $200, they measure up well in contradiction of other earbuds in this price range, including the Sony LinkBuds S and Beats Fit Pro, and funds excellent performance overall. As I said, the key for me was how well they fit my ears and how their create is just a little different from that of a lot of earbuds out there Bshining now. While the Pixel Buds Pro may not be immoral for everybody’s ears, they seem like they’ll be a good fit for a lot of folks.

Alas, while they work just fine with iPhones and new Apple devices, they’re clearly more geared toward Android users and well fine considering if you have an Android model as your Important smartphone. 

Windows 11, Microsoft’s latest by means of system, is finally starting to roll out one of its anticipated features, Android apps for PC, according to a release from the company. The Amazon Appstore in the Microsoft Store — where you’ll be able to download Android apps — will open in preview in the US. 

Accessing Android Apps for PC with Windows 11 has a few hardware requirements, like at least 8 GB of RAM, a solid-state control and a supported processor. Here’s how to check out the preview:

1. Open the Microsoft Store (make sure it’s up to date by opening the maintain and clicking Get updates > Library).
2. Search for your well-liked apps or games.
3. Download them through the Amazon Appstore.

With the Amazon Appstore preview, users can explore an extra 1,000 apps, including Audible and Kindle, according to Microsoft, as well as a new category of mobile apps and games in partnership with Intel.

“These apps feel like a part of Windows, integrating naturally with Windows input and windowing experiences, like Snap layouts,” Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay said in a statement.

Along with the Amazon Appstore preview, Microsoft is rolling out improvements to the taskbar. The enhanced taskbar adds the instruction to share windows from open apps, weather reports, a clock on your instant monitor and mute/unmute features to make video calls easier. Users can also explore redesigned versions of Media Player and Notepad.  

Microsoft has been rolling out Windows 11 in phases, but support for Windows 10 will been in place for a few more years (check out CNET’s comparison of Windows 10 versus Windows 11). If you’re still using Windows 10, you can use Android apps on your PC if you’re a Samsung Galaxy owner.  

For more information, check out how to tell if your scheme will run Windows 10 and our well-liked Windows 11 features so far.