Gigarefurb Refurbished Laptops News

Microsoft is ending support for Minecraft on Apple TV.

The app arrived on the device two years ago and cost £20 in the UK.

In an on-screen message to players the firm said it was “reallocating resources” to more popular platforms, and while the game would still exist on the device, it would refund purchases made within the last 90 days.

Players began being alerted on 24 September. Apple and Microsoft have been contacted for comment.

Apple fan Nathan Burlton tweeted a picture of the message from Minecraft when his 10-year-old son tried to load the game on his Apple TV at the weekend.

“He doesn’t play on it very often,” he said.

“Occasionally when friends are around we would use it on the Apple TV with someone playing on the TV and a few others on iPads. It was useful in that regard.”

The family prefer to play Minecraft on tablets, he added.

Set-top gaming

Set-top boxes have struggled to attract mass audiences to their games offerings despite many being made available on devices like the Apple TV, Amazon’s Firestick and Google’s Android TV.

In an interview with Fast Company last year, games publisher Raw Fury said in the first five months of the launch of its game Kingdom: New Lands, it had sold 54,000 units of the iOS version, 35,000 of the XBox One version and 600 on Apple TV.

Commenting on the decision about Minecraft, analyst Ed Barton from Ovum told the BBC that Apple TV was unlikely to be a big platform for it.

“We wouldn’t assume Apple TV would be the primary device that most Minecraft players are using but for the people who are playing it, it may be their only way of playing it on their big TV,” he said.

“Set-top boxes haven’t blown the lights out of the gaming world – their primary purpose is to watch stuff on, not play stuff on.

“But TV devices are ideal to stream games to in the future.”

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Following a spate of leaks and rumors, the technology world is abuzz with talk of a 2-in-1 Google Chromebook tablet in the works known internally as ‘Nocturne’. We’ve also we’ve seen some pretty solid leaks that point to Nocturne being called the Google Pixel Slate. In the run up to its likely unveiling at the Google Pixel 3 launch event, it seems pretty likely that Google is working on a 2-in-1 tablet running Chrome OS. 

A leaked video has shown a possible Google-made tablet with a keyboard cover, while a more recently-leaked marketing image shows the purported tablet with a completely different-looking keyboard attached. Even renders of software updates showing preparations for biometric login on a Chrome tablet device have popped up. We’ve also seen speculation that the Google Pixel Slate will be able to dual boot into Windows 10 and Chrome OS.

So, the Google Pixel Slate is likely going to be a 2-in-1 tablet running Chrome OS with support for keyboard covers. Here’s everything else we know about it right now.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? A 2-in-1 tablet running Chrome OS from Google
• When is it out? Q3 2018 at the earliest, likely close to holidays
• What will it cost? This is entirely up in the air

Google Pixel Slate release date

We don’t know much about when we’ll see the Google Pixel Slate hit the market,. The only thing we know for sure is that Google has an event planned in New York City to show off new hardware.

We’re pretty sure we’ll see Google’s new Pixel 3 smartphones at that event, but there are plenty of rumors that point to Google releasing two new Chromebooks, too – the Pixel Slate included.

If Google does release the Pixel Slate on October 9, we can expect to see it on shelves by the end of the month or in early November. No matter what, Google will likely make sure this product is available for anyone looking to put some shiny new tech under the Christmas tree.

Google Pixel Slate price

This is another aspect of this rumored product that we know little to nothing about. So, all we can do is speculate based on what might be inside.

We’ve heard rumors that the Google Pixel Slate will have the same resolution display as the Pixelbook of today, though its screen size is unknown. Devices with super-sharp resolutions like that tend to cost around $999 (about £759, AU$1,385). 

However, this device’s keyboard cover is potentially optional, like all other 2-in-1 tablets, which would reduce the price a bit as well. All told, we’re expecting a price similar to that of the Surface Pro or iPad Pro, so around $799 (£799, AU$1,199).

 Google Pixel Slate design

In the run up to the expected launch of the Google Pixel Slate, we’ve seen a number of leaks that give us a good idea of that the upcoming tablet/laptop hybrid will look like.

The latest leaked images of the Google Pixel Slate clearly show a tablet-like device with an attached keyboard. If the image is genuine (and it comes from a leaker who has a good track record with this), then it looks like we’re getting a tablet device that can be used like a laptop as well.

There’s more to life than phones. pic.twitter.com/qRyuwbNKWAOctober 8, 2018

Google Pixel Slate specs

Unfortunately, we don’t know much more about what the Google Pixel Slate tablet will be packing inside than we know about its price and release date. However, a scant few details have creeped through the rumor mill.

For starters, it’s been reported that the Google Pixel Slate will have the same resolution as the Pixelbook – 2,400 x 1,600. However, we’re not sure exactly how large the screen will be, so there’s no pixel density number that we can calculate right now.

According to a now-dated XDA developer forum post, the device will also offer secure login thorough a fingerprint sensor as well as an Intel Skylake generation CPU. The former detail has been backed up by some leaked images. However, we don’t think the Google Pixel Slate will actually launch with a Skylake CPU – that’s an ancient chip by today’s standards. Instead, we’re hoping to see either Whiskey Lake or Coffee Lake generation mobile Intel processors on the Slate.

Also, we know now based off of a leaked image that the tablet will feature at least one USB-C port – a shocker, we know. 

Based on a leaked marketing image of the Pixel Slate, it seems that this tablet’s keyboard will latch on the bottom right and left corners of the display. More than likely, these two parts will be able to come apart completely and still maintain an operating connection while separated if the Google Pixel Slate is really a spiritual successor to the Pixel C.

Beyond this, there isn’t much more information about what might be inside the Google Pixel Slate. At the very least, October 9 isn’t all that far away.

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With competition from rival devices heating up, it’s a good time to be on the lookout for some of the cheapest Chromecast prices. Google Chromecast is not only one of the most useful and innovative gadgets of the last few years, it’s also excellent value for money. And if you’re looking to pick one up for the cheapest possible price, you’ve come to the right place!

Chromecast is a Wi-Fi HDMI dongle that you plug directly into your TV. From there you can use your smartphone or tablet to ‘throw’ video at your TV over Wi-Fi, whether it be Netflix movies, live football matches from the major broadcasters or simply just a funny YouTube video. On this page we’ll find you the best prices for the Chromecast Ultra, Chromecast 2 (or just Chromecast now) and Chromecast Audio and explain how they differ.

With prices already incredibly cheap, there’s no need to hang on for specific Chromecast sales. If you’re in the UK or US and would prefer to stream content from a standalone box, you should take a look at the latest Roku deals.

What is a good Chromecast price?

This one’s easy. The standard price for a Chromecast 2 is $35 in the USA, £30 in the UK and $58 in Australia. You should never, ever pay more than that because you can always find one for that price.

The cheapest Chromecast 2 prices

The Chromecast 2, or ‘new Chromecast’ as it’s also known, is very similar to the now discontinued 2013 Chromecast. Sure, it looks a little different. And it’s got slightly faster network performance and a few other tweaks such as coming with a dangly cable instead of as a rigid stick. But essentially the same product in a different shape – that’s why the prices were basically the same. If you can find one for the same price, get this new one.

The best Chromecast Audio deals

While it doesn’t offer true multi-room streaming at the moment (fingers crossed that comes soon), this easy-to-use and affordable device modernizes any trusty set of wired speakers you already own with wireless capabilities. In doing so, it also opens them up to features that will grow and get even better over time. Got an old set of speakers or an ancient iPod dock? Turn it into a wireless speaker with Chromecast Audio!

The cheapest Chromecast Ultra prices

The 4K Chromecast Ultra is the newest member of the Chromecast family. If you have a 4K TV or are planning on getting one, it’s certainly worth picking one of these up. The Chromecast Ultra is a cheaper alternative to Amazon’s Fire TV or the US-only Roku 4 for getting 4K content on your TV. Chromecast Ultra deals are usually around £69/US$69/AU$95, so anything cheaper is an added bonus.

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Excel has over 475 formulas in its Functions Library, from simple mathematics to very complex statistical, logical, and engineering tasks such as IF statements (one of our perennial favorite stories); AND, OR, NOT functions; COUNT, AVERAGE, and MIN/MAX.

The basic functions covered below are the top 12 most popular formulas in Excel. To help you learn, we’ve also provided a spreadsheet with all the formula examples we cover below. 

1. TODAY/NOW

There are 24 Date and Time functions listed on the drop-down menu under Formulas > Date & Time: 11 Date formats, 10 Time formats, and as many user-defined custom formats you can create. The TODAY function reveals the current month, day, and year; while the NOW function reveals the current month, day, year, and time of day. This is a handy function if you’re one of those individuals who always forgets to date your work.

1. Enter the following formula in cell A1: =TODAY() and press Enter.

2. Next, type over that function in A1 with =NOW().

IMPORTANT NOTE: Why type over? In order for these two formulas to work properly, they must be entered in the Home cell, that is, A1, otherwise, they won’t update automatically when the spreadsheet recalculates. Press Shift- F9 to calculate/recalculate the active spreadsheet only, or press F9 for the entire workbook.

After you enter one of these functions in A1, you can then reformat the Date and Time or use the system default. The default format for the TODAY function is 8/29/18, and the default for NOW is 8/29/18 21:57. If these don’t work for you, change them.

3. Position your cursor on the Date or Time you want changed and choose Home > Format > Format Cells.

NZXT only recently got into manufacturing motherboards last year, but its already onto its sophomore release with the introduction of a new N7 Z390 motherboard.

Ready built for 9th Generation Intel Coffee Lake Refresh processors, this motherboard features two M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs, support for DDR4 memory as fast as 3,866MHz. As with other Z390 motherboards, this new model comes with Gigabit Wi-Fi build in thanks to its Intel Wireless-AC 9560 Gigabit wireless module.

The NZ Z390 motherboard also supports all of NZXT’s unique features include the newly improved Hue 2 platform extends RGB lighting beyond your PC with also accessories such as lighting strips for your monitor. Users will be able to customize their RGB lighting and control GRID + supported fans though NZXT’s CAM software.

As with the NZXT previous NZ Z370 motherboard, this new model comes in black or white with a variety blue, red or purple panels users can throw on to cover up the motherboard’s heat sinks.

The NZXT NZ Z390 motherboard will be available sometime in mid-November for $279 (about £210, AU$390)

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Intel’s recent processors have been a step behind the high-core count, massive multi-threading performance of AMD Ryzen CPUs for some time now, but now Intel Core i9-9900K looks to level the playground.

Team Blue’s first-ever mainstream Core i9 chip comes equipped with 8-cores, 16-threads and the ability to boost up to a maximum 5.0GHz speed. All told, this looks like the most powerful processor ever made for consumers.

Pricing and availability

The Intel Core i9-9900K will sell for $488 (about £370, AU$690) and that’s quite a price bump from Intel’s previous flagship processor, the Intel Core i7-8700K, which went for $359 (£389, AU$524) at launch.

Intel’s first mainstream Core i9 chip also looks exorbitantly expensive next to the $329 (£299, AU$469) AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, which features the nearly the same specs on paper and comes with a premium RGB CPU cooler in the box.

Features and chipset

Not only is the Intel Core i9-9900K one of two of the company’s first mainstream octa-core processors – the other being the Intel Core i7-9700K – it also features the highest 16-thread count in the Coffee Lake Refresh lineup. This should translate to hyper-threading performance, which could finally outpace AMD’s rival processors.

Speaking of AMD, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X also features 8-cores and 16-threads with base/boost clocks of 3.7GHz and 4.3GHz, respectively. Intel’s new Core i9 chip, on the other hand, is rated to start at a 3.6GHz base frequency and boost to 5.0GHz with a single core, or 4.7GHz with six-to-eight cores.

The most impressive thing about the Intel Core i9-9900K is that it integrates 8-cores, 16-thread and 400MHz higher clock speeds into chip with the same 95W thermal package.

One other little tidbit we’re extremely excited about with Intel’s new line of processors is that they all feature a soldered integrated heat spreader (IHS). This new soldered-based thermal interface material should help immensely with heat dissipation and achieving higher overclock speeds.

Unlike Coffee Lake, users won’t necessarily have to splurge on a new motherboard just to install this Core i9 chip. The Intel Core i9-9900K will be fully compatible with existing Z370 motherboards. The only thing Intel’s new Z390 platform brings is USB 3.1 Gen 2 support for 10Gbps data transfer speeds through traditional full-sized USB ports and integrated 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 for gigabit wireless speeds.

Performance

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to benchmark Intel’s new mainstream Core i9 CPU with our usual suite of tests. However, we can tell you the Intel Core i9-9900K paired with a Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 achieved a score of 33,108 in World of Tanks Encore’s benchmark test.

We also got to game a little a PUBG at 1080p and Ultra quality settings, and experience the game at a glorious 175fps.

At another demo station, we were show how users can possibly use the processor to play PUBG and World of Tanks Encore at the same time. Now this isn’t what we would call a traditional PC. Instead what Intel did was take a PC equipped with Intel Core i9-9900K system paired with 16GB of RAM, two Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 two distinct virtual systems, and split it in half with On Raid to create two virtual PCs each featuring a 4-core, 8-thread PC with only one RTX 2080 and 8GB of memory.

Despite having only roughly half of its available processing power, the PC still performed admirably playing PUBG at a consistent 80fps at 1080p and Ultra quality settings. Meanwhile, World of Tanks Encore was running at the same settings and at a steady 100fps.

Obviously, this isn’t something anyone will likely do with their own PC, but its impressive nonetheless.

Early verdict

Intel might be late to the game with its first mainstream octa-core processor, but the Intel Core i9-9900K is an impressive debut. These are the biggest specs we’ve seen on a mainstream Intel processor while maintaining the same thermal design power (TDP) envelope as its predecessor. The reintroduction of a solder heat spreader should amount to a cooler-running chip, something we really look forward to testing.

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DT Research is a Silicon Valley outfit that specializes in heavy duty mobile computing for military, medical and similarly serious applications. The DT301T Windows 10 tablet is its newest offering and the first to be of interest to the small to medium-sized business.

It’s essentially a rugged 10-inch tablet that is supported by a range of accessories including an equally robust keyboard that clips on to give you laptop-like functionality. The capacitive touchscreen provides you with a virtual keyboard, of course, and a battery-powered pen is included for more precise pointing.

Rugged devices tend to be bulkier, heavier and more expensive than standard pieces of hardware, and the DT Research DT301T sits at the premium end of the market. At about £1,367 (around $1,770 or AU$2,469), it is roughly the same price as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet (3rd Gen).

And while this device might not be able to equal the Lenovo ThinkPad on any specification, it’s certainly the tougher of the two Windows 10 tablets – and for some organizations, the CAC (smart card) slot is the essential feature here.

Design

A 10-inch visible display, the same size as the original iPad, seems like the logical choice for a tablet that’s intended for outdoor use. The wide bezel and chunky shock-resistant casing adds some significant size, however.

It is thicker than two ThinkPads, for example, and at 1.3kg, this slate is quite a handful. Any larger and you would have trouble lifting it – that’s because the case is made from a substantial amount of ABS and PC polycarbonate with a magnesium-aluminum alloy. Rubber corners add to the bulk while narrow fins along three of the edges serve as heat sinks in lieu of a fan to cool the powerful Skylake processor.

On the rear are two removable panels: the hot-swappable battery pops out easily, and the other is a module containing the rear camera and Wi-Fi hardware that can be removed using a small Philips screwdriver. This is so that you can specify which features you want when you make your purchase, and potentially upgrade later.

These panels are covered by a rubber hand strap that makes the device much easier to hold. Without it, the weight would be a problem. The clip that holds the pen can be attached to the hand strap easily, and a lanyard is included, so you’re less likely to lose your pen on the building site, or battlefield, or wherever your office happens to be.

Two watertight flaps reveal ports for power, USB 3.0, headphones and a CAC (Common Access Card). The CAC slot is perfect for workers who actually use a smart card for security (or other) reasons, but many will see this as a wasted slot especially given the meagre selection on offer.

For comparison, the similarly priced Lenovo ThinkPad offers two far more useful and forward-thinking USB-C ports, not to mention microSD card and SIM card slots.

Rubber seals the ports tightly enough to keep out dust and water, with the DT301T getting an IP65 rating to prove this, while more strategically positioned rubber helps prevent damage through dropping. This device can also operate in an unusually wide temperature range. In short, it is the toughest tablet we have tested so far. 

Dark gunmetal grey is your only color choice, but the optional carry case comes in blue or black. The detachable keyboard is another optional extra that’s essential if you want to call this a 2-in-1 device. It costs £75 (around US$97 or AU$135), which actually seems quite reasonable given its metal construction and obvious build quality.

The keyboard has well-sprung keys, a gesture-sensitive touchpad and a very robust metal hinge. It weighs a fraction of the tablet, so to stop it falling flat, there’s a metal plate that folds stiffly out from the back. It won’t sit comfortably on your lap, but it will prop the tablet up at a comfortable angle for typing.

Specifications

The DT Research DT301T is built around a 6th-generation (Skylake) processor from Intel and as such, it is a fairly fast and well-specified Windows 10 tablet, although not as well-specified as the products with a Core i7 processor.

The reason for choosing the Core i5 here instead of an i7 CPU is perhaps because this i5 model is compatible with Windows 7, taking into account those who may prefer to downgrade to stay in step with their current fleet of tablet devices.

In fact, if we compare specifications with the aforementioned Lenovo ThinkPad, this tablet looks rather lightweight, with significantly less memory, a smaller and lower resolution screen, and lesser connectivity chops. There’s only one USB 3.0 port and no memory or SIM card slots.

If you do need cellular connectivity, you can specify a 4G module at the time of purchase. This tablet has both front and rear cameras, but both have quite small sensors at 2MP and 5MP respectively.

Audio, on the other hand, sounds superior on the DT301T thanks to the relatively large speaker that stands out from the casing slightly.

In terms of features, the DT301T doesn’t compare well with the ThinkPad as both are water, dust and shock-resistant to some degree, and yet the Lenovo includes a detachable keyboard in the asking price, and as noted its visible display is considerably larger, and offers a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution compared to Full HD on the DT301T.

In this configuration, the DT Research DT301T includes an active pen with an AAAA battery. The capacitive touchscreen has 10-point multi-touch capability, but the pressure sensitive eGalaxPen promises even more precision. It’s also more convenient when you’re wearing gloves or have wet hands.

The battery is rated at 44.3Whr (or 6150 mAh), which means it will last longer than the Lenovo ThinkPad, although our sample lasted only minutes as for some reason, it refused to charge. DT Research assured us the fault is a one-off. The good news is that the battery is hot-swappable, so you have the option of purchasing a spare, or the bulkier long-life version.

Performance

The DT301T boots up quickly into Windows 10 when you press the slightly recessed power button. Sadly there’s no fingerprint or facial recognition capability, so you have to type in your password each time, which isn’t always convenient when you have your hands full. Apps also open quickly and we experienced no lag when running multiple tasks.

The generally impressive results of our various benchmark tests prove that the Skylake processor was a good choice. One thing we did notice is that the tablet runs very hot, and when your hand is pressed up against its metal back panel by the rubber strap, it gets quite uncomfortable. At 1.3kg, it’s also too heavy to hold in this way for long, and we were glad to put the slate back in its metal keyboard dock.

The 10.1-inch display looks sharp in Full HD resolution, and at 800 nits it is very bright and clearly readable in full daylight. The capacitive touchscreen responds well to finger gestures and performs even better with the bundled active pen, which you can attach to any corner of the tablet by a lanyard.

The keyboard makes it even easier to type, of course, and although the touchpad doesn’t click, it does support multi-touch gestures. The keyboard accessory adds considerable weight, making the whole thing far heavier than a laptop, and frustratingly, it doesn’t expand the connectivity at all. It is, however, very well made and should be considered an essential option when specifying your device.

The front and rear cameras offer adequate image quality for video messaging and taking reasonable photos and videos, but their small sensors limit their resolution. Audio quality is quite impressive because the bulging speaker is larger than those found in skinnier tablets.

Final verdict

The DT Research DT301T is clearly very well designed and built to last. The tablet’s metal case and the accompanying keyboard both feel uncompromisingly rugged, while the Full HD screen is sharp and very bright.

All of the key features are present, including an excellent active pen, a sturdy rubber hand strap and a decent speaker – plus the hot-swappable battery offers a real advantage over your average 2-in-1. The CAC slot is a potentially unique selling point too.

The Skylake processor gives this tablet real speed, but for this price, you would expect that, and more. In terms of features and specifications this device cannot compare to the less rugged tablets out there, and the limited connectivity could become a real drag.

There is also the issue of size and weight. If you are choosing a 2-in-1 tablet because you think it will slip into a coat pocket, think again – this thing is considerably heavier than your average laptop.

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