Windows 10 May 2020 Update suffers from a serious flaw whereby some users are losing their internet connectivity, Microsoft has admitted. The good news is a fix is on the way, and is expected to arrive soon – later in September to be precise.
As Neowin reports, due to this bug, Microsoft has now blocked the May 2020 Update from being delivered to devices which use certain LTE modems, after multiple reports of the upgrade causing the mobile internet connection to drop out (as evidenced on Microsoft’s Feedback Hub).
Microsoft has acknowledged the bug in a support document, explaining that it seems to happen after a laptop wakes from sleep or hibernation.
Microsoft explains: “To safeguard your update experience, we have applied a compatibility hold on Windows 10 devices with affected WWAN LTE modems drivers installed from being offered Windows 10, version 2004 [May 2020 Update] until the issue has been resolved.”
Microsoft warning
The software giant says it is now working a fix, and as we mentioned at the outset of this story, that patch should be delivered in late September. Microsoft also warns that you shouldn’t try to work around the block and manually install the May 2020 Update if you’re running one of these LTE modems.
Those who have already installed the update and are having problems can benefit from a quick fix solution (meaning they don’t have to roll back their PC) – simply turn Airplane Mode on, and then off again, and that should temporarily resolve the problem.
These various Windows 10 bugbears around online connectivity aren’t well-timed either, given the amount of folks who have been working from home due to Covid-19, of course.
PasarPolis, the Indonesian-based startup focused on making insurance policies more accessible in Southeast Asia, announced today it has closed a Series B round totaling $54 million. Investors include LeapFrog Investments and SBI Investment, both firms that focus on financial services; AlphaJWC; Intudo Ventures; and Xiaomi.
Founded in 2015 by chief executive officer Cleosent Randing and chief operating officer Michael Saputra, PasarPolis operates in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The company says the number of insurance policies it issues monthly has grown 80 times since August 2018, when it closed its Series A, and that it now partners with more than 30 insurance providers.
Randing said the the insurance penetration rate in the ASEAN region is currently just 3.6%, and the startup’s goal is to reach people who have never purchased insurance before through products including inexpensive “micro-policies” that cover broken device screens.
In 2019, the company says PasarPolis issued more than 650 million policies to people buying insurance for the first time, including ride-hailing drivers, delivery couriers, and online merchants. Sales continued to grow during the COVID-19 pandemic because it increased demand for insurance, while also prompting people to make more purchases online (most of PasarPolis’ policies are sold through its mobile apps). In June alone, the company claims it served more than four million new customers, and has now provided policies to more than 35 million customers in total.
Nishant Kumar, PasarPolis’ chief technology officer, told TechCrunch that the new funding will be used on its AI-based claim automation platform, which allows the company to customize insurance products for different industries.
It also plans to invest in PasarPolis Mitra, an onboarding platform for agents. Soft-launched in May 2020, PasarPolis allows people to apply to become Mitra, or insurance agents, for the company. PasarPolis currently has a network of about 10,000 agents in Indonesia, who help customers chose policies and process claims.
“We plan to invest in infrastructure to help our Mitra be able to engage with our customers more,” said Kumar. “We believe it’s important for us to implement both online and offline strategies as an insurtech player.”
Kumar added that even though technology plays a “pivotal role” in making insurance products accessible to more people, PasarPolis does not “see digital as just a medium to sell insurance. We think that technology can be used to segment risk in real-time and provide more affordable insurance to the masses.”
Randing told TechCrunch that PasarPolis’ competitive advantage is its “ability to offer highly customized and modular insurance products that are integrated with partners’ systems,” including health and accident coverage for Gojek’s drivers and passengers; insurance for small- to medium-sized businesses that cover damaged products and missing items; and policies that protect e-commerce customers.
An example of the kind of customized insurance products PasarPolis can create is a policy for Gojek drivers that covers stolen vehicles and costs less than USD $4 a year.
The company is also a licensed insurance broker, which is why it was able to operate PasarPolis Mitra. “The platform is so unique to Indonesians, that it enables anyone, from professional insurance Mitra, Gojek drivers, stay-at-home moms, and furloughed employees, to earn additional income, especially during the new normal,” said Randing.
While gaming laptops used to be niche enough that it was a little easily to search for the one that happened to be packing the best processor, GPU and RAM assortment, the field has exploded since then and it can be a little harder to determine the best gaming laptop.
The gaming laptop we’re used to seeing – thick chassis with RGB and tapered flares – isn’t the only option any more, with a variety of advancements (such as Nvidia’s Max-Q technology) allowing the sleeker ultrabook form factor to harbour some incredible grunt as well.
Regardless of if you’re in it for the stealthy, sleek numbers to slip in your satchel on the go, or an all-in-one replacement for a desktop rig, we’ve sifted through what’s on offer to bring you the best gaming laptops available in Australia.
The Asus Zephyrus G14 is an absolute beast of a gaming laptop.(Image credit: Asus)
1. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
The best gaming laptop around
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS – 9 4900HS | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 | RAM: Up to 32GB | Screen: 14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz – 14-inch Non-glare WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS-level panel, 60Hz | Storage: 512GB / 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0
Best battery life in a gaming laptop
Excellent performance
Thin and light
No webcam
Fans can get loud
While the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is missing a webcam and a Thunderbolt 3 port, its solid battery life, compact form, and powerful specs do a fine job at balancing everything that gaming laptops should be offering. This is an absolute beast of a gaming laptop, delivering an incredible performance with its AMD Ryzen 4000 processors and Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics card while touting best-in-class battery life that will last you all day long, a fast display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a lightweight, ultrathin design. The best part is that you’re getting all that without burning a hole in your pocket. Don’t get us wrong; it isn’t cheap. However, for a laptop this impressive, we’re surprised Asus isn’t asking for more.
While the Aero 15 range from Gigabyte is aimed at designers, it makes for one of the best value gaming laptops on the Australian market right now due to its powerful internals, brilliant display, and sleek, stylish chassis. This year’s model refreshes much of what was great about the 2019 model – packing a 15-inch 4K HDR screen which is ideal as a high-resolution on-the-go gaming monitor, media machine, or its intended design-centric use. It also ramps up the internals, with a 10th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU running the show and the latest RTX 2070 Super GPU in assistance.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17X has that face-melting performance.(Image credit: Gigabyte)
3. Gigabyte Aorus 17X
Slays the field with truly face-melting performance
CPU: 10th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 16 series – RTX 20 Super series | RAM: up to 64GB | Screen: 17.3″ Thin Bezel FHD 1920×1080 240Hz Anti-Glare Display | Storage: 1TB SSD (PCIe), 2TB HDD
Dominating all-around performance
Gorgeous display
Mechanical keyboard is a dream
Very, very heavy
RTX 2080 model needs two power adapters
The Gigabyte Aorus 17X is hardly for everyone, especially with that breathtakingly steep price. However, if you are looking for a laptop that can pretty much slay anything in its path, this one’s got that face-melting performance you’re looking for, with 10th-generation Intel Core processors and Nvidia’s most powerful GPUs for gaming. Besides its performance, it’s got a few other things going for it including a display that is a complete stunner, a mechanical keyboard (nothing short of that is good for gaming) that’s incredible to use and build quality that’s designed to last.
Give us a laptop that touts one of AMD’s stellar Ryzen 400 mobile processors, and we’d be more than happy to try it on for size. What we found in the Asus TUF A15, however, is not just fantastic gaming performance, but a great value gaming rig with a long battery life and military-grade durability as well. With the help of Nvidia’s most powerful 1080p graphics cards, this Ryzen 4000-powered laptop will see you through all your 1080p gaming demands without burning a hole in your pocket. Whether you play a lot of competitive esports, or need a rugged laptop, this one’s a winner.
Considering the huge 17.3-inch display, it’s amazing that this laptop manages to be at once compact and sleek while still packing the latest GPU and plenty of gaming power to boot. It’s an improvement on the GS65 in most ways (but it’s certainly still great – see below), although the most significant bump is the inclusion of Nvidia’s RTX 2080 GPU and a stupendous 32GB of RAM. The Samsung SSDs come in a RAID configuration for ultra-fast speeds, and the screen has tiny thin bezels on all four sides. There is no doubt that this is a premium beast.
Though Dell has its premium lines, it’s also been very good at building excellent budget machines. The Dell G5 15 SE (2020) is a very good example of that, touting impressive AMD specs, especially in the CPU department, to keep cost down without compromising performance. This is among the very few gaming laptops out there that are affordable and also deliver a staggering performance for the price, with a stunning display to boot. Of course, being a budget laptop, some sacrifices have been made – namely, its build and heat management. However, for the budget-minded, this is certainly among the best gaming laptops out there for gaming.
These days, the best gaming laptop manufacturers are scrambling to craft the thinnest gaming laptop packing raw power. Right now, the one that might be leading the charge is the Asus ROG Zephyrus GX701. At just 0.7 inches thick, this beast of a laptop boasts an Intel Coffee Lake Core i7 chip, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics and 16GB of RAM. That means you can play any PC game under the sun on Ultra, and also take it with you wherever you go – ideal for travelers with a penchant for gaming. Plus, it’s packed with RGB lighting that’ll dazzle just about anyone.
If you want to play some of the best PC games on the move, but you don’t want everyone to know you’re playing games, the MSI GS65 Stealth is the best gaming laptop for you. Coming in at just 17.5mm thick and featuring impressive hardware like Intel Coffee Lake processors and Nvidia GeForce GTX 10-series – refreshed with RTX 20-series graphics at CES – the MSI GS65 Stealth packs a ton of power into a very svelte package. There’s nothing you won’t be able to throw at this thing that’ll slow it down. And, thanks to the subdued design, you’ll be able to bring this beefy rig everywhere you go, making it on of the best gaming laptops on the market right now.
The 15.6-inch Razer Blade might look a lot like its predecessor, but the RTX upgrade marks a significant improvement to this gaming powerhouse. Beyond its insanely high-end specs and beautiful (and slightly tweaked) chassis, it can fit up to a 4K Ultra-HD display, with the specs to actually back it up. It might be expensive, but if you’re a Razer fan looking for the best gaming laptop, or simply want a portable way to experience the cutting edge of Nvidia’s latest RTX cards, it might just be for you.
The Alienware Area-51m is a strong contender for the best gaming laptop, and gets closer to earning that place in other markets (such as the UK and US) due to its relative affordability. Down under, it’s a little more expensive and doesn’t quite earn that spot, but it’s still absolutely worth considering (especially if it’s on sale). With an eye catching design and brilliant build quality, which we’ve come to expect from Dell’s Alienware brand, this is an incredible performer, offering a choice of some of the very best gaming components on the market right now, including 9th generation Intel Core processors and Nvidia’s latest RTX range of GPUs. Sure, it’s pretty expensive, but if you’re serious about getting the best gaming laptop money can buy, then you’ll need to expect to splash out a little bit, and the Alienware Area-51m really is worth every penny.
PasarPolis, the Indonesian-based startup focused on making insurance policies more accessible in Southeast Asia, announced today it has closed a Series B round totaling $54 million. Investors include LeapFrog Investments and SBI Investment, both firms that focus on financial services; AlphaJWC; Intudo Ventures; and Xiaomi.
Founded in 2015 by chief executive officer Cleosent Randing and chief operating officer Michael Saputra, PasarPolis operates in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The company says the number of insurance policies it issues monthly has grown 80 times since August 2018, when it closed its Series A, and that it now partners with more than 30 insurance providers.
Randing said the the insurance penetration rate in the ASEAN region is currently just 3.6%, and the startup’s goal is to reach people who have never purchased insurance before through products including inexpensive “micro-policies” that cover broken device screens.
In 2019, the company says PasarPolis issued more than 650 million policies to people buying insurance for the first time, including ride-hailing drivers, delivery couriers, and online merchants. Sales continued to grow during the COVID-19 pandemic because it increased demand for insurance, while also prompting people to make more purchases online (most of PasarPolis’ policies are sold through its mobile apps). In June alone, the company claims it served more than four million new customers, and has now provided policies to more than 35 million customers in total.
Nishant Kumar, PasarPolis’ chief technology officer, told TechCrunch that the new funding will be used on its AI-based claim automation platform, which allows the company to customize insurance products for different industries.
It also plans to invest in PasarPolis Mitra, an onboarding platform for agents. Soft-launched in May 2020, PasarPolis allows people to apply to become Mitra, or insurance agents, for the company. PasarPolis currently has a network of about 10,000 agents in Indonesia, who help customers chose policies and process claims.
“We plan to invest in infrastructure to help our Mitra be able to engage with our customers more,” said Kumar. “We believe it’s important for us to implement both online and offline strategies as an insurtech player.”
Kumar added that even though technology plays a “pivotal role” in making insurance products accessible to more people, PasarPolis does not “see digital as just a medium to sell insurance. We think that technology can be used to segment risk in real-time and provide more affordable insurance to the masses.”
Randing told TechCrunch that PasarPolis’ competitive advantage is its “ability to offer highly customized and modular insurance products that are integrated with partners’ systems,” including health and accident coverage for Gojek’s drivers and passengers; insurance for small- to medium-sized businesses that cover damaged products and missing items; and policies that protect e-commerce customers.
An example of the kind of customized insurance products PasarPolis can create is a policy for Gojek drivers that covers stolen vehicles and costs less than USD $4 a year.
The company is also a licensed insurance broker, which is why it was able to operate PasarPolis Mitra. “The platform is so unique to Indonesians, that it enables anyone, from professional insurance Mitra, Gojek drivers, stay-at-home moms, and furloughed employees, to earn additional income, especially during the new normal,” said Randing.
While gaming laptops used to be niche enough that it was a little easily to search for the one that happened to be packing the best processor, GPU and RAM assortment, the field has exploded since then and it can be a little harder to determine the best gaming laptop.
The gaming laptop we’re used to seeing – thick chassis with RGB and tapered flares – isn’t the only option any more, with a variety of advancements (such as Nvidia’s Max-Q technology) allowing the sleeker ultrabook form factor to harbour some incredible grunt as well.
Regardless of if you’re in it for the stealthy, sleek numbers to slip in your satchel on the go, or an all-in-one replacement for a desktop rig, we’ve sifted through what’s on offer to bring you the best gaming laptops available in Australia.
The Asus Zephyrus G14 is an absolute beast of a gaming laptop.(Image credit: Asus)
1. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
The best gaming laptop around
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS – 9 4900HS | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 | RAM: Up to 32GB | Screen: 14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz – 14-inch Non-glare WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS-level panel, 60Hz | Storage: 512GB / 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0
Best battery life in a gaming laptop
Excellent performance
Thin and light
No webcam
Fans can get loud
While the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is missing a webcam and a Thunderbolt 3 port, its solid battery life, compact form, and powerful specs do a fine job at balancing everything that gaming laptops should be offering. This is an absolute beast of a gaming laptop, delivering an incredible performance with its AMD Ryzen 4000 processors and Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics card while touting best-in-class battery life that will last you all day long, a fast display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a lightweight, ultrathin design. The best part is that you’re getting all that without burning a hole in your pocket. Don’t get us wrong; it isn’t cheap. However, for a laptop this impressive, we’re surprised Asus isn’t asking for more.
While the Aero 15 range from Gigabyte is aimed at designers, it makes for one of the best value gaming laptops on the Australian market right now due to its powerful internals, brilliant display, and sleek, stylish chassis. This year’s model refreshes much of what was great about the 2019 model – packing a 15-inch 4K HDR screen which is ideal as a high-resolution on-the-go gaming monitor, media machine, or its intended design-centric use. It also ramps up the internals, with a 10th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU running the show and the latest RTX 2070 Super GPU in assistance.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17X has that face-melting performance.(Image credit: Gigabyte)
3. Gigabyte Aorus 17X
Slays the field with truly face-melting performance
CPU: 10th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 16 series – RTX 20 Super series | RAM: up to 64GB | Screen: 17.3″ Thin Bezel FHD 1920×1080 240Hz Anti-Glare Display | Storage: 1TB SSD (PCIe), 2TB HDD
Dominating all-around performance
Gorgeous display
Mechanical keyboard is a dream
Very, very heavy
RTX 2080 model needs two power adapters
The Gigabyte Aorus 17X is hardly for everyone, especially with that breathtakingly steep price. However, if you are looking for a laptop that can pretty much slay anything in its path, this one’s got that face-melting performance you’re looking for, with 10th-generation Intel Core processors and Nvidia’s most powerful GPUs for gaming. Besides its performance, it’s got a few other things going for it including a display that is a complete stunner, a mechanical keyboard (nothing short of that is good for gaming) that’s incredible to use and build quality that’s designed to last.
Give us a laptop that touts one of AMD’s stellar Ryzen 400 mobile processors, and we’d be more than happy to try it on for size. What we found in the Asus TUF A15, however, is not just fantastic gaming performance, but a great value gaming rig with a long battery life and military-grade durability as well. With the help of Nvidia’s most powerful 1080p graphics cards, this Ryzen 4000-powered laptop will see you through all your 1080p gaming demands without burning a hole in your pocket. Whether you play a lot of competitive esports, or need a rugged laptop, this one’s a winner.
Considering the huge 17.3-inch display, it’s amazing that this laptop manages to be at once compact and sleek while still packing the latest GPU and plenty of gaming power to boot. It’s an improvement on the GS65 in most ways (but it’s certainly still great – see below), although the most significant bump is the inclusion of Nvidia’s RTX 2080 GPU and a stupendous 32GB of RAM. The Samsung SSDs come in a RAID configuration for ultra-fast speeds, and the screen has tiny thin bezels on all four sides. There is no doubt that this is a premium beast.
Though Dell has its premium lines, it’s also been very good at building excellent budget machines. The Dell G5 15 SE (2020) is a very good example of that, touting impressive AMD specs, especially in the CPU department, to keep cost down without compromising performance. This is among the very few gaming laptops out there that are affordable and also deliver a staggering performance for the price, with a stunning display to boot. Of course, being a budget laptop, some sacrifices have been made – namely, its build and heat management. However, for the budget-minded, this is certainly among the best gaming laptops out there for gaming.
These days, the best gaming laptop manufacturers are scrambling to craft the thinnest gaming laptop packing raw power. Right now, the one that might be leading the charge is the Asus ROG Zephyrus GX701. At just 0.7 inches thick, this beast of a laptop boasts an Intel Coffee Lake Core i7 chip, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics and 16GB of RAM. That means you can play any PC game under the sun on Ultra, and also take it with you wherever you go – ideal for travelers with a penchant for gaming. Plus, it’s packed with RGB lighting that’ll dazzle just about anyone.
If you want to play some of the best PC games on the move, but you don’t want everyone to know you’re playing games, the MSI GS65 Stealth is the best gaming laptop for you. Coming in at just 17.5mm thick and featuring impressive hardware like Intel Coffee Lake processors and Nvidia GeForce GTX 10-series – refreshed with RTX 20-series graphics at CES – the MSI GS65 Stealth packs a ton of power into a very svelte package. There’s nothing you won’t be able to throw at this thing that’ll slow it down. And, thanks to the subdued design, you’ll be able to bring this beefy rig everywhere you go, making it on of the best gaming laptops on the market right now.
The 15.6-inch Razer Blade might look a lot like its predecessor, but the RTX upgrade marks a significant improvement to this gaming powerhouse. Beyond its insanely high-end specs and beautiful (and slightly tweaked) chassis, it can fit up to a 4K Ultra-HD display, with the specs to actually back it up. It might be expensive, but if you’re a Razer fan looking for the best gaming laptop, or simply want a portable way to experience the cutting edge of Nvidia’s latest RTX cards, it might just be for you.
The Alienware Area-51m is a strong contender for the best gaming laptop, and gets closer to earning that place in other markets (such as the UK and US) due to its relative affordability. Down under, it’s a little more expensive and doesn’t quite earn that spot, but it’s still absolutely worth considering (especially if it’s on sale). With an eye catching design and brilliant build quality, which we’ve come to expect from Dell’s Alienware brand, this is an incredible performer, offering a choice of some of the very best gaming components on the market right now, including 9th generation Intel Core processors and Nvidia’s latest RTX range of GPUs. Sure, it’s pretty expensive, but if you’re serious about getting the best gaming laptop money can buy, then you’ll need to expect to splash out a little bit, and the Alienware Area-51m really is worth every penny.
The Redmi 9A is now official in India. Just a week after week after the Redmi 9 launch, the company has introduced an entry-level device. The company also launched Redmi earphones during the event.
The Redmi 9A is the sixth device in the Redmi 9 family after the Redmi Note 9, Redmi Note 9 Pro, Redmi Note 9 Pro max, Redmi 9 Prime, and Redmi 9. The Redmi 9A comes under ‘Make in India’ initiative and is manufactured in India.
The Redmi 9A comes an Aura 360-design and flaunts a 6.53-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1600×720 pixels and a dew-drop notch and a 20:9 aspect ratio. Just like the Redmi 9, the display is certified by TUV Rheinland for low Blue light. On the inside, the Realme 9A is powered by octa-core MediaTek Helio G25 SoC onboard clocked at 2GHz. It is paired with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.
As for the optics, the Redmi 9A comes with a single 13MP sensor. For selfies, you get a 5MP snapper on the device with 83-degree FoV. There is a single flashlight on the device to help in low-light scenarios. It runs on MIUI 12 based on Android 10.
Further, the device will have a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging via micro USB port. Connectivity options on the device include Dual SIM 4G LTE, VoLTE, and you also get an expandable slot for expansion up to 512GB. Other features include Face unlock, P2i water resistance, and there is also a 3.5mm audio jack onboard.
Redmi Earphones
(Image credit: Redmi)
Redmi’s first audio product after the Redmi Earbuds S is a budget wired earphone with 10mm driver with support for Hi-Res audio and 90-degree angled audio jack. It comes with a metal body and is extremely light at 13 grams. It is available in three colour options – Balck, Blue, and Red.
Price and availability
Product
Price
Redmi 9A (2+32GB)
Rs 6,799
Redmi 9A (2+32GB)
Rs 7,499
Redmi earphones
Rs 399
The Redmi 9A base variant with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage is priced at 6,799 and the 3+32GB variant is priced at Rs 7,499. The device will be available in three colour options Nature Green, Sea Blue and Midnight Black. It will go on sale via Amazon on September 4 at 12 noon.
The Redmi earphones is priced at Rs 499 and will be available starting September 7.
After months of speculation, Samsung has officially revealed Australian pricing and release date information for its upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip foldable devices.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2, which our hands-on review says “has addressed all the complaints users had with the original Fold,” will be available to pre-order in Australia from September 9, with an on-sale date of September 25.
Priced at AU$2,999, which was the launch price of the original Fold, the new and improved Galaxy Z Fold 2 will be available to purchase in Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze, the latter of which has become Samsung’s signature colour in the back half of 2020.
Meanwhile, pricing and availability for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5G has also been revealed, with the upgraded clamshell landing on Australian shores on October 9, 2020 at a price of AU$2,149.
Like the Galaxy Z Fold 2, the Z Flip 5G will be available to purchase in Mystic Gray and, you guessed it, Mystic Bronze. You can take a gander at the new colours in the images below.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Samsung)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Samsung)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Samsung)
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(Image credit: Samsung)
Both foldable devices will be available from Samsung’s online and physical stores, along with selected (and as yet undisclosed) retail partners.
Additionally, Samsung has revealed that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will come with an unnamed bonus offer for those who pre-order the device, and just what that may entail will likely vary from carrier to carrier.
Microsoft’s Edge browser may be based on Chromium, however, it is getting a lot of features that make it more user friendly than Google Chrome. Pretty soon Microsoft is going to introduce yet another killer feature that can make Edge your new favourite browser, if it already isn’t.
According to a report, Microsoft is working on a new feature called “Web Capture,” a screen grabbing feature, built right within the browser. It will allow users to capture custom full-page screenshots of the website they’re browsing.
Microsoft Edge – Web Capture pic.twitter.com/yEtWJq9cMeSeptember 1, 2020
Ease of use
Right after taking the screenshot, users will be able to preview it, save it and share it instantly, in case required. While it is still unclear, the report suggests that Microsoft may even add an option to annotate the screenshot and share it with your friends and colleagues.
While Windows comes with a snipping tool built-in, however, having a utility tool built right there where you need it, makes Microsoft earn extra brownie points over all the other browsers. The feature, once available publicly, will be parked in the settings menu that can be accessed by clicking the three dots on the right-hand side of the Edge browser.
While gaming laptops used to be niche enough that it was a little easily to search for the one that happened to be packing the best processor, GPU and RAM assortment, the field has exploded since then and it can be a little harder to determine the best gaming laptop.
The gaming laptop we’re used to seeing – thick chassis with RGB and tapered flares – isn’t the only option any more, with a variety of advancements (such as Nvidia’s Max-Q technology) allowing the sleeker ultrabook form factor to harbour some incredible grunt as well.
Regardless of if you’re in it for the stealthy, sleek numbers to slip in your satchel on the go, or an all-in-one replacement for a desktop rig, we’ve sifted through what’s on offer to bring you the best gaming laptops available in Australia.
The Asus Zephyrus G14 is an absolute beast of a gaming laptop.(Image credit: Asus)
1. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
The best gaming laptop around
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS – 9 4900HS | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 | RAM: Up to 32GB | Screen: 14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz – 14-inch Non-glare WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS-level panel, 60Hz | Storage: 512GB / 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0
Best battery life in a gaming laptop
Excellent performance
Thin and light
No webcam
Fans can get loud
While the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is missing a webcam and a Thunderbolt 3 port, its solid battery life, compact form, and powerful specs do a fine job at balancing everything that gaming laptops should be offering. This is an absolute beast of a gaming laptop, delivering an incredible performance with its AMD Ryzen 4000 processors and Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics card while touting best-in-class battery life that will last you all day long, a fast display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a lightweight, ultrathin design. The best part is that you’re getting all that without burning a hole in your pocket. Don’t get us wrong; it isn’t cheap. However, for a laptop this impressive, we’re surprised Asus isn’t asking for more.
While the Aero 15 range from Gigabyte is aimed at designers, it makes for one of the best value gaming laptops on the Australian market right now due to its powerful internals, brilliant display, and sleek, stylish chassis. This year’s model refreshes much of what was great about the 2019 model – packing a 15-inch 4K HDR screen which is ideal as a high-resolution on-the-go gaming monitor, media machine, or its intended design-centric use. It also ramps up the internals, with a 10th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU running the show and the latest RTX 2070 Super GPU in assistance.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17X has that face-melting performance.(Image credit: Gigabyte)
3. Gigabyte Aorus 17X
Slays the field with truly face-melting performance
CPU: 10th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 16 series – RTX 20 Super series | RAM: up to 64GB | Screen: 17.3″ Thin Bezel FHD 1920×1080 240Hz Anti-Glare Display | Storage: 1TB SSD (PCIe), 2TB HDD
Dominating all-around performance
Gorgeous display
Mechanical keyboard is a dream
Very, very heavy
RTX 2080 model needs two power adapters
The Gigabyte Aorus 17X is hardly for everyone, especially with that breathtakingly steep price. However, if you are looking for a laptop that can pretty much slay anything in its path, this one’s got that face-melting performance you’re looking for, with 10th-generation Intel Core processors and Nvidia’s most powerful GPUs for gaming. Besides its performance, it’s got a few other things going for it including a display that is a complete stunner, a mechanical keyboard (nothing short of that is good for gaming) that’s incredible to use and build quality that’s designed to last.
Give us a laptop that touts one of AMD’s stellar Ryzen 400 mobile processors, and we’d be more than happy to try it on for size. What we found in the Asus TUF A15, however, is not just fantastic gaming performance, but a great value gaming rig with a long battery life and military-grade durability as well. With the help of Nvidia’s most powerful 1080p graphics cards, this Ryzen 4000-powered laptop will see you through all your 1080p gaming demands without burning a hole in your pocket. Whether you play a lot of competitive esports, or need a rugged laptop, this one’s a winner.
Considering the huge 17.3-inch display, it’s amazing that this laptop manages to be at once compact and sleek while still packing the latest GPU and plenty of gaming power to boot. It’s an improvement on the GS65 in most ways (but it’s certainly still great – see below), although the most significant bump is the inclusion of Nvidia’s RTX 2080 GPU and a stupendous 32GB of RAM. The Samsung SSDs come in a RAID configuration for ultra-fast speeds, and the screen has tiny thin bezels on all four sides. There is no doubt that this is a premium beast.
Though Dell has its premium lines, it’s also been very good at building excellent budget machines. The Dell G5 15 SE (2020) is a very good example of that, touting impressive AMD specs, especially in the CPU department, to keep cost down without compromising performance. This is among the very few gaming laptops out there that are affordable and also deliver a staggering performance for the price, with a stunning display to boot. Of course, being a budget laptop, some sacrifices have been made – namely, its build and heat management. However, for the budget-minded, this is certainly among the best gaming laptops out there for gaming.
These days, the best gaming laptop manufacturers are scrambling to craft the thinnest gaming laptop packing raw power. Right now, the one that might be leading the charge is the Asus ROG Zephyrus GX701. At just 0.7 inches thick, this beast of a laptop boasts an Intel Coffee Lake Core i7 chip, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics and 16GB of RAM. That means you can play any PC game under the sun on Ultra, and also take it with you wherever you go – ideal for travelers with a penchant for gaming. Plus, it’s packed with RGB lighting that’ll dazzle just about anyone.
If you want to play some of the best PC games on the move, but you don’t want everyone to know you’re playing games, the MSI GS65 Stealth is the best gaming laptop for you. Coming in at just 17.5mm thick and featuring impressive hardware like Intel Coffee Lake processors and Nvidia GeForce GTX 10-series – refreshed with RTX 20-series graphics at CES – the MSI GS65 Stealth packs a ton of power into a very svelte package. There’s nothing you won’t be able to throw at this thing that’ll slow it down. And, thanks to the subdued design, you’ll be able to bring this beefy rig everywhere you go, making it on of the best gaming laptops on the market right now.
The 15.6-inch Razer Blade might look a lot like its predecessor, but the RTX upgrade marks a significant improvement to this gaming powerhouse. Beyond its insanely high-end specs and beautiful (and slightly tweaked) chassis, it can fit up to a 4K Ultra-HD display, with the specs to actually back it up. It might be expensive, but if you’re a Razer fan looking for the best gaming laptop, or simply want a portable way to experience the cutting edge of Nvidia’s latest RTX cards, it might just be for you.
The Alienware Area-51m is a strong contender for the best gaming laptop, and gets closer to earning that place in other markets (such as the UK and US) due to its relative affordability. Down under, it’s a little more expensive and doesn’t quite earn that spot, but it’s still absolutely worth considering (especially if it’s on sale). With an eye catching design and brilliant build quality, which we’ve come to expect from Dell’s Alienware brand, this is an incredible performer, offering a choice of some of the very best gaming components on the market right now, including 9th generation Intel Core processors and Nvidia’s latest RTX range of GPUs. Sure, it’s pretty expensive, but if you’re serious about getting the best gaming laptop money can buy, then you’ll need to expect to splash out a little bit, and the Alienware Area-51m really is worth every penny.
Ever since we moved from smartphones with physical keyboards to full-screen displays, keyboard applications have become a staple part of our lives. A lot of effort goes into identifying the end-user requirement and coming up with an innovative solution to address them. However, if you have a dedicated community that can help you drive innovation then there is no doubt that your work gets instant traction.
Ankit Prasad, founder and CEO, Bobble AI
(Image credit: Bobble AI)
We connected with the good folks behind Bobble and Mint Keyboard to understand the entire product cycle and the factors that drive innovations that improves user experience. Interestingly, Bobble likes to call itself a conversation media platform, rather than just a plain keyboard app. Hence the first obvious question was around this aspect of the business.
Not just a keyboard but a conversation media platform
Conversation media, first coined by Bobble, brings together different modules that build up an ecosystem with the keyboard app at its core. It covers textual, voice-based, graphical and various languages etc. as different modules that help users communicate their thoughts and ideas effectively.
According to Ankit, the generation aged between 18 to 34 form the core user base for Bobble and they prefer to interact using another graphical or other media rather than just typing. The increased use of audio, images and gifs adds value to the conversations held online.
Identifying users’ requirements keeps you ahead of the curve
Assessing user habits and typing experience, it became easy for any product team to identify the trends and requirements. Bobble identified that emojis are an integral part of any communication these days and hence making them easily available can enhance user experience. This drove the idea of introducing an emoji bar right on top of the keyboard. Interestingly, after Bobble incorporated this, a lot of popular applications added a similar bar in their applications.
Features that are considered to be small but are important from a user experience perspective like understanding Hinglish (a mix of Hindi and English) messages, allowing users an option to choose the level of auto-corrections so that a duck remains a duck while you chat, multilingual input option apart from incorporating cricketing terms in chats etc. have been some of the highlights of Bobble’s communication platform.
Allowing users to personalize the communication by letting their images create an avatar and use it as gifs or stickers in chats is yet another example where Bobble has led by thinking out of the box. Recently Facebook also introduced their version of the personalized avatar.
Community driven innovation
Getting feedback directly from end-users and understanding specific product feature requirements can be easily achieved if you have an active user community. These communities not only drive innovation but help any product company deliver exactly “what the user wants.”
India has over 60 million visually challenged people out of which 40 million users are seriously impaired while 8 million are completely blind. Bobble is creating features that cater to this community. They came up with features that can actually help them drive communication. Bobble has a dedicated community that is actively involved in giving feedback about the existing features and shares ideas around new ones.
Several new features introduced by Bobble came from this community’s feedback and Ankit revealed that a group visually-challenged users take up Bobble as their primary mode of communication on their smartphones and form an integral part of their user community. Double Tap with talkback is one such accessibility feature that was suggested by this community. Talkback feature reads out the key that is pressed and to use them, users can simply double-tap letting the keyboard type the message.
New age communication
Visual communication is the standard now as people have moved away from the textual to newer ways that helps them express themselves better. The fact that out of 70 billion messages shared every day, approximately 7 billion emojis and 700 million gifs are used shows the changing trends in communications and helps make the chat more interactive as well as adds the fun quotient as well.
This has also opened new avenues for brands to reach out to their audience without being intrusive or tracking user data. A branded image of a coffee mug or a pizza box can be ideal opportunities for them to reach out to their direct audience directly.
In conclusion…
On an average, a user gets on the keyboard for about 30 minutes each day. It is now up to the smart minds at Bobble to figure out how much more they can create out of this limited opportunity.
For starters, Bobble plans to add several impactful features for its burgeoning user base, especially the specially-abled community, because it creates both a social as well as economic impact, reasons Ankit while revealing that regional languages are the way to move forward.
Because, for Bobble, every tap on the keyboard provides a lesson to be learnt and a solution to be built.
mukesh 