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OPINION: This week Microsoft made big waves unveiling its latest smartphone, the Surface Duo 2, and updated Surface Pro 8 and Surface Go 3 tablets. But in the sea of announcements there was one key device missing: the Surface Book 4. Prior to the event there was a sea of “leaks” suggesting the firm planned to release a new Book. ...

TV antennas aren’t just for cord-cutters looking to cut back on the cost of TV entertainment. A good TV antenna will bring in anywhere from 20 to more than 100 channels, depending on where you live. The stations are free, don’t require a broadband connection (with the exception of some ATSC 3. ...

Stop right there! Did you see this deal? A decked-out Lenovo Legion 5i gaming laptop for only $1,200 at B&H! That’s a whopping $400 discount on this power-packed beast of a machine. This Lenovo Legion 5i is loaded with a top-end Intel Core i9-14900HX processor and a jaw-dropping 32GB of DDR5 RAM. ...

For the most part, we’re fans of Roku’s friendly, intuitive remotes, and particularly the ones that have voice capabilities. But there’s a sticking point—four of them, actually—when it comes to the Roku remote: the quartet of buttons at the bottom stamped with the logos of popular streaming services. ...

A decade after the Portege laptop exited the consumer market, it’s back — and with a user-replaceable battery, too. On Friday, Dynabook — which, as Sharp, took over Toshiba’s PC business in 2018 and then renamed itself — announced the Portege Z40L-N, a $1,699 laptop based upon the Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor. ...

Despite Nvidia’s dominance of the consumer graphics card market, AMD’s 7000 series is pretty great… unless you want ray tracing. The advanced lighting techniques are where Nvidia’s cards truly shine, and AMD just can’t keep up — even at (sort of) better prices. But what about the new RX 9070 and 9070 XT cards? Adam and Will investigate in the latest PCWorld YouTube video. ...

Spring and summer are right around the corner, which means it’s time to get out of your seasonal depression funk. Go outside, soak in the sun, and have fun with a Bluetooth speaker at your side! JBL’s Flip 6 portable speaker is up to the task — and it just so happens to be on sale for $99.95 on Amazon, a 23% discount off its MSRP. ...

If you’re still rocking a 1080p desktop monitor, I think it’s time to upgrade. At 27 inches, a 1440p display gives you almost twice the screen real estate in terms of pixels while still being comfy enough for day-to-day use. Today, you can get Acer’s take with upgraded IPS panel for just $109.99 at Best Buy. That’s a smooth $90 off. ...

You already know you should keep your computer, tablet, and phone updated to keep them secure (or at least I hope you know that by now, otherwise I’m not doing my job). But a recent malware attack shows why it’s also important to keep all the other devices on your Wi-Fi network updated as well. ...

If you haven’t been paying attention to the news, heads up—prices for tech gear are shooting up. Tariffs are now in effect for goods imported from China, and they’ve doubled since their original announcement. The US government is now imposing an additional 20 percent tax, instead of 10 percent. ...

If you’re thinking of getting an SSD and you plan on taking it out and about with you everywhere, across all sorts of terrain in all sorts of conditions, then you need something that’s ruggedized — like the Samsung T7 Shield that’s on sale at Amazon. Right now, you can grab the 1TB version for $100 (was $170, now 41% off) or the 2TB version for $150 (was $285, now 47% off). ...

Spitfire has released Abbey Road Orchestra: Oboes Professional and Abbey Road Orchestra: Oboes Core Abbey Road Orchestra: Oboes Professional is a meticulously sampled virtual instrument from Spitfire Audio, offering an unparalleled level of detail and expressiveness for crafting realistic oboe performances. ...

HoRNet Plugins has released version 1.1.2 of Magnus MK3, their clipper/limiter plugin designed for mastering-grade loudness and saturation control. This update addresses the following issues: Fixed: LUFS metering not working correctly in some DAWs. Fixed: Unresponsive behavior in Cubase and Nuendo on Windows. Fixed: Incorrect version number in the AAX plugin (Windows build). ...

Bjt2 has updated the free Crescendo plugin to version 1.0.166 with various enhancements and bug fixes. Changes in 1.0.166 from 1.0.165: Bugfixes. New example file. Modifies to MIDIOUT behaviour. Check the user manual. Additional info can be found in the KVR Forum here, here and here. Read More

AudioThing has released Type X, a faithful emulation of the dbx Model 1BX, a compact dynamic range expander. Details: Dynamic Range Expander. Single Band with Attack and Release. Sidechain with Filter. Oversample up to 16x. Brightness and Contrast Controls. Resizable Window. Preset system with randomizer. ...

Arturia has released Mix Drums, an intuitive plugin designed to increase the impact and perceptual loudness of your drums, while preserving peak levels. Developed with mixing engineer Emre Ramazanoglu, it streamlines complex drum processing workflows into a single, efficient tool - allowing creators to achieve powerful drums in seconds. ...

ZAK Sound has launched a new hybrid platform, Raizes Player, alongside its first two custom instruments, Auralis and Nebula Keys. Raizes Player Raizes Player combines advanced sampling with wavetable synthesis, designed to host and enhance Raizes' custom instruments. ...

The Korg Multi/Poly aims to bridge the gap between classic analog sound and modern digital control, instantly conjuring up memories of the VA (Virtual Analogue) golden years, with modern innovation to keep it on a par with today's offerings, and a sound engine that you can get lost in for days. ...

Cinematique Instruments has announced the release of Pure and Flux for Kontakt. Pure Pure is different – and it sounds different. It's the slow movement, the clarity, and the inner intensity that allow Pure to create tension and radiance without relying on heavy modulation or complex interval structures. ...

Tracktion Software has updated BioTek to v3.2 with new features, performance improvements, and new presets, and announced a 40% off Flash Sale. BioTek v3.2 Master FX Panel 3.2 now includes a dedicated Master FX panel. Featuring the same options as the Sound FX panel, it offers four multieffect slots—plus a brand-new Amp Sim module. ...

Ueberschall released a new loop pack for their Elastik player: Soul Club Vol. 3. Soul Club Vol. 3 continues our retro ride on the Soul train of music. With a warm and mellow sound, and the smoothest of upbeat feels, Soul Club Vol. 3 provides an extended journey into the world of classic Soul. The sound is full of easy summer sunshine with an undeniably happy vibe. Soul Club Vol. ...

09/30/16 - Download and convert videos between various formats.

iPhone, iPad / Tools / Audio Editing: Hokusai is a multitrack audio editor for iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Record or import a track, and make it sound the way you want it to: not just trimming the ends, but full cut, copy, paste and delete, and a suite of filters and special effects available....

iPhone, iPad / Tools / Audio Editing: Hokusai is a multitrack audio editor for iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Record or import a track, and make it sound the way you want it to: not just trimming the ends, but full cut, copy, paste and delete, and a suite of filters and special effects available....

iPhone, iPad / Education / Training: An app for choral singers who don't read music well. Snap a photo or import JPG, PNG or PDF. Touch notes in the image to hear the pitch. Not for instrumental parts - see details below. Whether you sing in a choir, or a barbershop quartet, or other vocal group,...

iPhone, iPad / Education / Training: All aspiring music students understand the importance of Sargam practice. Practicing Sargams each day does wonders to your “Sureelapan� as well as confidence. Practicing every day under watchful eyes of your Guru is the ideal way. But that is difficult...

iPhone, iPad / Instruments / Sound Effects: Get the simplest soundboard creation app: Load sounds, samples or songs through your iTunes library Create and edit soundboards quickly and easily Up to 8 sounds per soundboard Make the most of your screen thanks to the adaptive layout Play multiple...

iPhone, iPad / Education / Games, Ear Trainig: Introducing Notes - Sight Reading Trainer, the ultimate iOS app for mastering sight reading in music! Whether you're a beginner or an experienced musician, Notes is your is your tool to become the musician you were meant to be. When you are ready to...

iPhone, iPad / Education / Games, Ear Trainig: StaffWars is a game designed to help beginning and intermediate musicians learn, practice and woodshed the note names on the grand staff, treble, alto and bass clefs. THE APP for anyone who wants to master these clefs.

iPhone, iPad / Tools / Analysis: SPL Graph is an audio Sound Pressure Level (SPL) environmental noise analyzer, real-time frequency analyzer, chart recorder and data logger. It includes: Plot sound level over time Record audio while plot is running, playback to identify sounds that may have...

iPhone, iPad / Education / Sheet Music & Tablatures: PLAY FREE MUSIC SCORES Whatever instrument you play, whether it's a piano, trumpet, guitar, or harmonica, or kalimba, you will always find notes of excellent quality. • Browse the most extensive sheet music collection from MuseScore....

iPhone, iPad / Tools / Tuners: Plays tuning notes for Viola (C G D A)