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AI demand lifts resale value of older graphics cards
Rising GPU prices, driven largely by demand for artificial-intelligence systems, have made older graphics cards surprisingly valuable on the second-hand market. This gives owners an opportunity to sell unused or ageing GPUs, while even faulty cards may be worth something for parts. Cards with substantial VRAM are particularly sought after, with 12–16GB appealing to many…
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iPhones cannot print directly to older printers via USB cables
iPhones cannot directly connect to printers via USB cables, which leaves users with older non-wireless printers unable to print directly from their devices. This matters because many people still own older printers without modern wireless capabilities and expect their phones to work with them similarly to Android devices. Apple deliberately excluded native printer driver support…
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iPhone 18 Pro vs. iPhone 17 Pro: What’s new?
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max offer incremental improvements rather than a major redesign, building on the iPhone 17 Pro range’s aluminium unibody design and dimensions. Their most notable upgrades are a more versatile main camera, a smaller Dynamic Island and improved battery life, although the larger models are heavier and remain expensive. Both…
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How high is too high for speakers in your home sound system?
Setting up a home sound system involves complex decisions about speaker placement, particularly regarding vertical height. Mounting front speakers too high causes loss of dialogue detail and directional effects, as high-frequency sounds from speakers positioned above ear level don’t reach listeners directly. For front, centre and surround speakers, placement at seated ear level produces optimal…
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Steam can damage water-resistant phones, manufacturers warn
Despite featuring water-resistant ratings, smartphones should not be taken into showers, saunas or steam rooms, according to manufacturers including Apple and Google. Hot steam presents a different challenge to liquid water: it condenses inside and around the device, attacking charging ports, speakers, buttons and seals whilst the combined heat gradually wears down protective barriers. This…
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Repurpose an ageing laptop as a local Home Assistant smart hub
An old laptop can be repurposed as a Home Assistant hub, allowing users to manage smart-home devices from different manufacturers without buying a Raspberry Pi or mini PC. This matters because Home Assistant can reduce reliance on separate companion apps and, for some integrations, cloud services, while giving users more local control over their devices.…
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Safe laptop fan cleaning can prevent dust-related thermal throttling
Dust accumulating in a laptop’s vents, fan or heat sink can restrict airflow and cause thermal throttling, reducing processor performance to control temperatures. Routine cleaning usually does not require dismantling the laptop: switch it off, unplug it and use short bursts of electronics-safe compressed air through the vents. Lenovo suggests cleaning every three to six…
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Facebook owner has a surprise megahit with new app everyone is talking about… but beware what could come next
Meta has launched Muse, an AI personal agent that quickly became the number one app on Apple’s App Store following the company’s dramatic AI restructuring. The launch comes after Mark Zuckerberg’s frustration with Meta’s failed Llama 4 model prompted him to overhaul the AI division, hire top talent including Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang, and…
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Apple ordered to pay $5.7bn over Taction haptic patent infringement verdict
Apple has been ordered to pay $5.7 billion to Taction after a federal jury found that its Taptic Engine infringed two haptic-feedback patents. The verdict would rank among the largest patent-infringement awards in US history, although Apple disputes both the finding and the damages and intends to appeal. Taction filed the lawsuit in 2021, alleging…
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This app lets you use an Apple Watch with an Android phone
Merge Watch is a third-party app that allows an Apple Watch to communicate with an Android phone, addressing Apple’s usual restriction that the watch only works with an iPhone. It enables Android users to retain features such as forwarded notifications, message replies, music controls and some health-data syncing, although the experience is less seamless than…