News from the web

A tiny BIOS chip lurks inside every computer, sitting on your motherboard to breathe life into your system when you press the power button. It not only powers your PC, but helps protect it, too.BIOS stands for basic input and output system, and the BIOS chip initializes all the other devices in your PC, like the CPU, GPU, and motherboard chipset. ...   PC World

Since USB-C has almost become the universal standard in terms of connection ports, here is everything you need to know about USB-C. USB-C ports and connectors are pretty commonplace nowadays, and most people with an Android phone will know it as their usual charger. ...   The Inquirer

In this episode of The Full Nerd, Gordon Ung, Brad Chacos, Alaina Yee, Keith May, and Adam Patrick Murray open up the books and admit worthy hardware into our officially unofficial PC Hall of Fame. ...   PC World

Steam has a new rival, as Focus Entertainment has set up a new service where you can buy triple-A games for your PC. Known as the Focus Entertainment Store, this new online shop features its own user accounts, in a clear push to make a dent in the digital PC gaming market. ...   The Inquirer

The QuietComfort Earbuds are one of our favourites, offering a sublime noise cancelling performance. Bose has detailed the latest update for the true wireless, and it’s one that adds plenty of new features. The main new feature of the update – labelled 2.0.7 – is the debut of Bose’s Aware Mode with new ActiveSense technology. ...   The Inquirer

Welcome back to Trusted Recommends, the weekly show where we detail the top scoring products to pass through our labs over the last seven days. This week’s been another hectic one with everything from top-end OLED TVs to robot vacuums earning a recommendation from our team of product experts. ...   The Inquirer

Epic Games has finally announced that its anti-cheat software works on Linux and Mac, so there are even more games are within reach. Since the Steam Deck‘s release, Valve has been assuring gamers that anti-cheat software will be included on the handheld PC. ...   The Inquirer

Oppo is bringing a new phone to the A Series, the A16s, a new sleek handset that will be available for just £159. Oppo seems to be adding a new family member to its A Series of phones; this time, the A16s, which comes with a triple camera and will be on sale for £159. The A16s is powered by ColorOS 11. ...   The Inquirer

For anyone looking to start a new gym career, the Fitbit Versa 3 just took a plunge in price and is now £30 cheaper. Argos is currently selling new FitBit Versa 3 smartwatch, with 15% off the original asking price, going from £199.99 to just £169.99. ...   The Inquirer

There’s thousands of options for watching shows and movies on your TV: Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max are just a few popular options. But what if you want to watch live TV, including local channels? You can watch live TV through your PC just as you would watch Netflix, or you can kick it old-school with a TV tuner and an antenna. Here’s how. ...   PC World

Should you buy a used mining GPU? Usually, you may want to avoid graphics cards that were used around the clock to mine cryptocurrency. But that's not necessarily the case during the Great GPU Shortage, when the best graphics cards are always out of stock even when they're going for exorbitant prices. ...   PC World

Nintendo has confirmed that both N64 and Sega Mega Drive (aka Sega Genesis in US) games will be heading over to the Switch. These classic games will be offered through the Nintendo Online subscription service, similar to how you can currently access Nintendo’s SNES library on the Switch. ...   The Inquirer

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 4: Detail of the entrance to the Google UK offices in London, with the Google logo visible above the doorway, taken on June 4, 2019. (Photo by Olly Curtis/Future via Getty Images) Google is bringing in two new tools that should help make Android phones more accessible for users. ...   The Inquirer

Are you someone who’s not interested in a regular TV but after a set that fits more stylishly with your décor? Samsung’s Frame TVs fill that gap, and a new site has popped up that offers UK customers more avenues of customising the tellies’ appearance. With the launch of theframebezel. ...   The Inquirer

If there’s one smart device that’s guaranteed to make a difference in your home, it’s the smart thermostat. That’s particularly true given the rising energy prices, as smart thermostats have the power and control to help you cut costs. ...   The Inquirer

As the name suggests, Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop Studio fuses together a number of different Surfaces, among them the Surface Laptop and Surface Studio. Inside the Surface Laptop Studio, however, new GeForce RTX hardware points to the power Microsoft has traditionally offered inside the Surface Book. ...   PC World

If you think that overclocking is solely for performance-obsessed geeks armed with bottles of liquid nitrogen, it’s time to reconsider! Even a small bump in PC performance can delay the need to upgrade your processor, keeping money in your pocket. Yes, overclocking can make the best gaming CPUs even better. ...   PC World

Microsoft held a launch event on September 22 to announce all the big updates coming to its Surface line of laptops, tablets and phones. However, one device was surprisingly absent and Microsoft has just confirmed why. ...   The Inquirer

OPINION: I have set up more iPhones than I care to remember, but the first time I booted up the iPhone 13 Pro Max something felt very different. There wasn’t a new startup screen or anything, nor was it radically different to the iPhone 13 I set up moments before. ...   The Inquirer

The Microsoft Event bought us many new products, including the Surface Pro 8, Surface Duo 2, and the new Surface Laptop Studio. The new Surface Laptop Studio is Microsoft most powerful laptop yet, and the replacement of the well-loved Surface Book 3. Keep reading to find out all the ways these two devices compare and if Microsoft’s newest laptop wins out over its predecessor. ...   The Inquirer

OPINION: This week Microsoft released a swath of new devices including the Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Duo. But for me, in this sea of launches it was the more affordable Surface Go 3 that stood out, and this isn’t because it’s the most interesting new Surface in the pack. ...   The Inquirer

With more choice than ever before, there’s never been a better time to build your very own home entertainment set-up and bring the excitement of the cinema right into the comfort of your living room – and it all starts with an LG OLED TV. ...   The Inquirer

Microsoft unveiled the latest update to its affordable tablet line – the Surface Go 3 – at its September event, just one week after Apple announced the new iPad 9 during its own livestream. ...   The Inquirer

Valve has revealed a bunch of new details about its Steam Deck gaming machine, including the fact that you can use it as a chunky PC controller. The company has issued an FAQ that addresses a number of questions that have arisen since the Valve Steam Deck’s announcement in July. ...   The Inquirer

If you’re looking for a quality tablet that doesn’t break the bank, the iPad 8 is on sale for just £263.99 until midnight. iPads are always a bit of a luxury purchase, which is why is helps when they’re significantly discounted. On that thread, the iPad 8 has just been slashed by a hefty £66, going from the asking price of £329.99 to just £263.99. ...   The Inquirer

Comcast – owner of British broadcast company Sky – announced the launch of the XiOne streaming device that’s being made available to Sky Q customers, but there’s a little more to the announcement than that. That’s because UK-based customers won’t be getting access to the XiOne. ...   The Inquirer

The trusty Pavilion has come a long way. With a magnesium aluminum chassis that looks elegant and feels durable and impossibly light, the HP Pavilion Aero 13 looks and feels more like a model from the company’s higher-end Envy or Spectre line than a mainstream Pavilion. And yet the Pavilion Aero 13 line starts at a reasonable $750. ...   PC World

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra could essentially turn out to be the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 in all but name, with rumours of deep S Pen integration. After Google launches its Pixel 6 range over the coming weeks, Samsung’s next Galaxy S flagship family will be the most hotly anticipated smartphone around. ...   The Inquirer

OPINION: The Surface Book is one of my favourite Microsoft laptop ranges, with a unique take on the 2-in-1 design that’s arguably more ergonomic than the more conventional 360-degree hinge. But the Surface Book laptops also have a major flaw when compared to other high-end convertible laptops, as it sees a major performance drop when detaching the screen from the keyboard. ...   The Inquirer

Honor is introducing its latest fusion quad-camera photography technology in the Honor Magic3 Series, to be launched in China. Honor has been working on some photography technology that should improve basic image quality and scenario experience to provide a better photography experience. This new tech is implemented in the companies latest phone, the Magic3 Series. ...   The Inquirer

Fracture Sounds has released Box Factory - a unique cinematic percussion library, featuring a 40-piece ensemble of cardboard boxes. The library features four... Read More   KVR Audio

Antares Audio Technology has announced the release of Auto-Tune Vocodist, an advanced vocoder modeling plug-in for macOS and Windows. The vocoder produces one of the most recognizable... Read More   KVR Audio

Audiomodern has released Gatelab, a creative gate sequencer, volume modulation generator and more. Gatelab randomizes a unique combination of parameters and delivers ever-evolving... Read More   KVR Audio

discoDSP has updated all their iOS apps: OB-Xd synth iOS, OPL FM synth iOS, Scope Visualizer iOS and Schroeder Reverb iOS. What's new: iOS 15 compatibility. Framework... Read More   KVR Audio

The DroneLab soundscape synth for iPad/iPhone has been updated with the addition of audio export. Here's what they say: Originally designed to create... Read More   KVR Audio

The JUCE team have announced the release of JUCE 6.1, which provides numerous updates focused upon the introduction of accessibility support and the adoption of new platform and plug-in... Read More   KVR Audio

Synchro Arts has announced the release of VocAlign Project 5 with a 33% introductory discount until October 25th, 2021. Getting doubles and harmonies to sound... Read More   KVR Audio

Groovyband Live! has released a new edition of its Realtime Arranger software for Yamaha MODX/Montage synths which enables everybody to transform their Yamaha MODX/Montage... Read More   KVR Audio

Cakewalk has released Cakewalk by BandLab (CbB) version 2021.09. The 2021.09 release introduces enhanced audio file export, batch exporting, filename tokens,... Read More   KVR Audio

Toontrack Music has updated EZbass to v1.1.0 which, amongst may other changes, includes the addition of a VST 3 version and Native Apple silicon support for the VST, VST3, AU and standalone... Read More   KVR Audio

Spektralisk has released Xebra, a collection of patches and wavesets for u-he's Zebra 2 synthesiser. Xebra comes in two versions: Free: includes wavesets and template... Read More   KVR Audio

Destroy FX has released updates for most of its free plugins, including support for 64-bit systems (Windows, Apple silicon and Intel-based Macs) and much more: Buffer... Read More   KVR Audio

The Vienna Symphonic Library has released ten Historic Winds Packs offering instruments that were used 300 to 500 years ago. The new instruments are based on Vienna's VI... Read More   KVR Audio

GameSoundCon, the professional conference for video game music and sound design, will be held from November 8-10, 2021. Following last year's success, the event will again be held in a... Read More   KVR Audio

Overloud has released Gem Modula, the latest edition to their Gems series of mixing/mastering plug-ins, that emulate classic modulation units such as the Dimension D, Solina... Read More   KVR Audio

A.O.M. has released Tau Compressor Plus, a simple track compressor plug-in, and updated their audio plugins to version 1.12.0. Improvements: [VST2, VST3, Audio Unit]... Read More   KVR Audio

Toontrack has released the Upright EBX, a much-requested expansion for the company's popular bass software EZbass. This release marks the fifth EBX in the growing family... Read More   KVR Audio

Accusonus has updated its applications, including ERA Bundle. The new product versions unveil significant innovations both on technology and user experience.... Read More   KVR Audio

Jamahook, the plugin that analyzes your audio and suggests new samples to work with your existing material, has been updated to version 1.6. This update sees over 20,000 new... Read More   KVR Audio

SparkPackers has released Retro X Now, a sound bank for Vital with synthwave presets designed utilizing custom-made wavetables. Michael from SparkPackers says:... Read More   KVR Audio

zplane.development has released Fennek – a new peak and loudness metering solution that will help producers and audio engineers keep track of audio levels in their mixes.... Read More   KVR Audio