Month: April 2021

Apple’s M2 Chip Already in Production

It wasn’t too long ago when Apple announced their own M1 chip, replacing Intel chips in their upcoming devices.

At the virtual Apple Event last week, information and specs were shared about it, claiming to revolutionize their products’ overall performance. This new technology shows a 2x faster CPU performance in the M1. Also, the M1 only uses 25% performance of what a PC normally uses. Now, production of the next line, M2, is underway.

According to MakeUseOf, “Similar to its predecessor, the M2 chip will integrate multiple discreet components onto a single chip, a design referred to in semiconductor talk as “System-on-a-Chip” or “SoC”. The article states that the M1 combines the CPU, GPU and Neural engine (Apple’s artificial intelligence and machine learning accelerators) all on a single silicon die.”

It’s stated the new M2 chip could be available in July of this year, since Macbooks are going on sale around that time frame.

If you need any help with computer related issues, please contact us at (480) 240-2946 or send us an email at dispatch@computerrepairchandleraz.com. We would be happy to assist.

App Tracking Transparency Talk: Apple Event

Today is the ever famous Apple Event. Nicknamed their ‘Springloaded’ event, it is rumored Apple will be sharing a handful of things they’re working on. For example, iOS 14.5 may be highlighted in this keynote, addressing its release date.

One of the features listed in 14.5 is the App Tracking Transparency. This particular one has been the cause of controversy. App developers will have to request permission of the user for ad targeting.

Those who create free applications and rely on ad tracking could see a decrease in revenue due to Apple’s upcoming iOS feature. But this doesn’t mean that ad tracking is disabled.

“Ads are still permitted,” states TomsGuide, ” it’s just that they can’t be personalized based on your history with other apps or websites. Whether that will impact click through and ultimately revenue will depend on how clever the contextual advertising is. Just because an app doesn’t know the websites you visit, that doesn’t mean it can’t guess your preferences and interests based on what app you’re using.”

Hopefully the Apple Event will share the release date with us so preparations can be in order.

If you need any help with computer related issues, please contact us at (480) 240-2946 or send us an email at dispatch@computerrepairchandleraz.com. We would be happy to assist.

Shake Active Window to Minimize Other Windows

Aero Shake

Microsoft incorporates both practical and fun features. One of the many features, introduced in Windows 7 and included in Windows 10, is called Aero Shake. Users could see this as a way to organize, which is quite handy.

Aero Shake allows users to minimize all open, idle windows except the currently active window rapidly. To use this feature, simply click on the window, drag it, and shake it back and forth. Once finished, you will notice the other window(s) minimize immediately.

Enabling and disabling is just as easy. Head over to Multitasking under the Systems tab of the Settings application. Turn on or off by clicking the toggle to the left or right.

If you need any help with computer related issues, please contact us at (480) 240-2946 or send us an email at dispatch@computerrepairchandleraz.com. Our mission is to fully resolve your computer problems quickly and affordably. We would be happy to assist.

New Display Option to Improve Battery Life

Windows Insiders is a Microsoft program for users to see and test new features before they’re sent out to the public. Currently, Insiders are testing many upcoming features, such as camera settings, news and weather on the taskbar, and more!

Another improvement included in this year’s major update sheds light on battery life on laptops. This one is named “Content adaptive brightness control disabling“, or CABC, and unfortunately comes with a restriction.

The preview build states that while CABC disabling enhances the performance of the battery, the downside involves the lack of image quality.

CABC helps improve battery performance on PCs, but with the trade-off of decreased image quality. It can result in distracting brightness changes that interfere in experiences where image quality is of high importance such as for creative professionals looking for color accuracy. 

Source: Windows Insider Blog

This feature is said to be rolling out over time with certain Dolby Vision and VESA DisplayHDR devices, so keep a look out for it.

If you need any help with computer related issues, please contact us at (480) 240-2946 or send us an email at dispatch@computerrepairchandleraz.com. Our mission is to fully resolve your computer problems quickly and affordably. We would be happy to assist.

Facebook Data Leak

Over the weekend, the large social media site endured quite the breach. According to MacRumors, the personal information of over 553 million Facebook users all over the world was leaked. One of which was its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

While the information appears to be old, the details in the shared database include phone numbers, Facebook IDs, names, locations, birthdates and email addresses, all of which could be used in social engineering attacks or hacking attempts.

Source: MacRumors

The Facebook server breach apparently occurred back in 2019. Once found, it was quickly patched up by August of 2019. The stolen information was then posted on a website for hackers to use among other cyber attacks.

What can you do?

You can check your phone number and your e-mail by using the Have I Been Pwned website. Be sure to also keep an eye out for any kind of e-mail or phone scams.

If you need any help with computer related issues, please contact us at (480) 240-2946 or send us an email at dispatch@computerrepairchandleraz.com. Our mission is to fully resolve your computer problems quickly and affordably. We would be happy to assist.

Copy and Pasting

Most Windows 10 users know of the useful copy and paste shortcuts (CTRL + C / CTRL + V). Clipboard History, a Windows 10 feature, shows a list of items copied to the clipboard.

Mike Tholfsen, the Product Manager on the MicrosoftEDU team shared an amazing tutorial on how to utilize of Clipboard History on TikTok, shown below:

If you need any help with computer related issues, please contact us at (480) 240-2946 or send us an email at dispatch@computerrepairchandleraz.com. Our mission is to fully resolve your computer problems quickly and affordably. We would be happy to assist.