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Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Latest Tech News

This new work from home trend is reviving the best business laptops in a massive way. Don’t get us wrong; business laptops have always been around. However, innovations in portable computing has somewhat forced them in the shadows, as general consumers set their sights on sleeker Ultrabooks and more affordable laptops.

Now, with more and more professionals working from home, the best business laptops have found their place in the sun again. These powerful, versatile and robust machines are the perfect solutions for professionals no longer tied to their office desks – much like they have been for those who often traveled for business. As added perks, many of them are thinner, more lightweight and longer-lasting than ever.

Whether you’re looking for one with long battery life and perhaps a rugged build, or you want the thin and light option, we found the best business laptops of 2021 for you. From the most common Windows laptops to a Linux laptop and a more economical Chromebook, here are our top picks.

For more options, check out our best mobile workstation and best thin client guides where you’ll find something for your small startup or your home office-based one-man team. If you’re looking for something with a bit more oomph, one of the best business desktop PCs or even a workstation might be a better fit. Alternatively, check out our best tablets for business guide as well.

While you’re at it, consider which accessories you may need, such as l aptop bags, docking stations, and portable chargers to keep the battery going.

Also, make sure you check out our best laptop 2021 roundup for top choices no matter what kind of device you're after.

We've also featured the best laptops for writers, programmers, graphic designers, and photographers.

1. Dell XPS 15 (2020)

All-powerful laptop for creative students

CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti | RAM: 8GB – 64GB | Screen: 15.6" FHD+ (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge Non-Touch Anti-Glare 500-Nit – 15.6" UHD+ (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge Touch Anti-Reflective 500-Nit Display | Storage: 256GB – 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe

Amazing speakers

Beautiful display

Comfy keyboard

GTX 1650 Ti is a little weak

Combining staggering power in a stylish thin and light chassis, this laptop doesn’t hold back when it comes to internals and features that improve your computing experience overall, making this one of the best business laptops around. Among those amazing features are a gorgeous bright display with 500 nits of brightness, an extremely comfortable keyboard, impressive speakers, and a terrific trackpad. We’re not saying that this laptop is perfect, but our coveted 5 out of 5 rating should speak for itself.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 15

2. MacBook Pro 16"

The best Apple laptop

CPU: 2.6GHz 6‑core Intel Core i7 to 2.4GHz 8‑core Intel Core i9 | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 to AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 | RAM: 16-64GB 2666MHz DDR4 | Screen: 16-inch 3072x1920 at 226 ppi | Storage: 512GB – 8TB SSD

Powerful configurations

Best MacBook to date

Big and beautiful screen

Expensive

If you don't want a Windows laptop and you want only the best Mac laptop you can get, then the MacBook Pro 16" is truly the best laptop from Apple you can choose.

Aside from its large and beautiful 16" screen, the technical specifications make this probably the most powerful laptop on this list, and should provide many years of excellent use.

There's a choice of 6-core or 8-core processor, and for RAM the base model comes with 16 GB with the option to expand to 64 GB. There's also a choice of graphics cards available, allowing this laptop to handle even the most demanding applications.

All in all this is a beautiful and powerful machine, but as you'd expect, it comes with the biggest price tag of all of the laptops featured here. If you want only the best, then the MacBook Pro 16" should probably be at the top of your list.

3. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (6th Gen)

The ultra-thin business laptop that sacrifices nothing

CPU: Intel Core i7-7600U vPro | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 14-inch, 2560 x 1440 pixels | Storage: 1TB SSD

Smaller and lighter in every way to previous versions

Improved Microsoft Precision Touchpad

Expensive

Previous versions of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon have been the absolute best-in-class when it comes to business laptops, and this year's model is no exception, with Lenovo delivering a thinner and smaller design with practically no trade-offs.

If you're looking for one of the best Lenovo laptops with business grade capabilities, you've got an ace here. Despite its small size, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon comes with pretty much every feature you need in a productivity machine, making it the best business laptop money can buy. Thanks to a battery life of up to 15.5 hours, and a rapid charging feature that brings the battery back up to 80 percent capacity in only an hours, the X1 Carbon is an ultrabook that lets you keep on working while you're on the move.

4. Huawei MateBook X Pro

A stunning business laptop

CPU: 8th generation Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 , Nvidia GeForce MX150 2GB GDDR5 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.9-inch 3K (3,000 x 2,080) | Storage: 512GB SSD

Beautiful design

Fantastic display

Terrific battery life

No SD card slot

Webcam not great

Huawei may not be the first name you think of when looking to buy a new business laptop - whereas Dell and Lenovo are two names you'd more likely associate with notebooks for work, but the Chinese company has proved to be an excellent laptop manufacturer with its new MateBook X Pro. It has a beautiful design that will get appreciative looks in the boardroom, it's light enough to carry around with you, and it has powerful components and excellent battery life. It's also one of the cheaper ultrabooks on the market.

Read the full review: Huawei MateBook X Pro

5. Dell XPS 13

New and improved

CPU: 8th generation Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – 4k (3840 x 2160) | Storage: 256GB – 1TB SSD

Centered webcam

Battery life better than ever

Beautiful optional 4K display

Update isn't huge

Expensive

If the Dell XPS 15 is a little large or expensive for your needs, then the Dell XPS 13 makes for an excellent second.

This ultraportable laptop – as Dell puts it – punches above its weight with Windows 10 Pro across the entire range as well as rather attractive pricing.

This award winning laptop (it won best laptop of the year from us and many others) manages to pack a 13.3-inch display into the chassis of an average 11.6-inch model. It was also refreshed in 2019 with even better components, for a much improved business laptop experience.

The laptop can be upgraded to 16GB of RAM and a 1TB M2 SSD drive. Battery life is exceptional as well with almost 22 hours of continual use when using productivity applications.

Dell has once again given the Dell XPS 13 a boost when it comes to components, and the webcam is now placed above the screen for better video calls, which helps make the Dell XPS 13 once again one of the best business laptops money can buy.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13

6. MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020)

Worth the upgrade at the highest configuration

CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i5 – 10th-generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 | RAM: up to 32GB | Screen: 13-inch Retina display with True Tone | Storage: 256GB – 4TB SSD

Improved specs (on some models)

Larger capacity SSD for starting model

New keyboard is great

Entry-level model still has 8th gen Intel CPU

You still only get Thunderbolt 3 ports

The MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020)’s entry-level model may miss out on some of the lineup’s new toys. However, going for the higher-end configurations will get you new (and powerful) Intel processors and improved RAM speeds for better performance, all packed in the 13-inch incredibly svelte body. Apple rounds it all out with that incredible Magic Keyboard from the new 16-inch, finally getting rid of that problematic keyboard. Even if you don’t go for the 10th-generation Intel Core configurations, you might still appreciate the fact that all models come with more storage capacity for the same price as their predecessors.

Read the full review: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020)

7. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano

Ultra light and surprisingly powerful

CPU: up to 11th-gen Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: 8GB - 16GB LPDDR4x | Screen: 13.0" 2K (2160 x 1350) IPS, anti-reflective, anti-smudge, touchscreen with Dolby Vision | Storage: 256GB – 1TB PCIe SSD

Sleek design

Incredibly light

Excellent display

Limited ports

Keyboard layout

Even its limited ports and small trackpad cannot hold the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano back. One of the best business laptops we’ve ever tested, this portable is not only the lightest laptop we’ve ever tested, but also surprisingly powerful considering how sleek it is. That makes it the most ideal choice for professionals who are always on the go. Excellent features abound as well, with the likes of a crisp 2K 16:10 touchscreen, a physical webcam shutter and advanced biometrics of the fingerprint scanner adding to its value and making it worth its steep price. At least if portability and performance are your top priorities.

Read the full review: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano

8. MacBook Air (2020)

New and improved for 2020

Lower price of entry

New 10th generation processors

Improved keyboard

Screen colors a little muted

Battery life only OK

Webcam still just 720p

Apple’s thinnest and lightest MacBook came back with a vengeance in 2020. Not only did it fix a lot of the complaints with its predecessors – namely, that problematic keyboard, replaced by a drastically improved keyboard. But it also came with new and more powerful internal components, even more storage space options, and a lower price of entry. There are a couple of things we’d do better, like the muted screen and the average battery life. However, all things considered, this model of the MacBook Air is better than anything we’ve seen from the line to date, and among the best business laptops for Apple fans who want to travel light.

Read the full review: MacBook Air (2020)

9. Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch)

The most powerful 2-in-1 laptop in the world

CPU: Intel Core i5-7300U - Intel Core i7-8650U 1.9GHz | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620; Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (2GB GDDR5 VRAM) | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 3,000 x 2,000 (267 ppi) PixelSense display, 3:2 aspect ratio | Storage: 256GB – 1TB SSD

Very good battery life

Powerful

Pricey

No Surface Pen included

The Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch) is another entry from Microsoft in our best business laptop list, and it's worthy of its spot, as Microsoft has crafted one of the most powerful 2-in-1 laptops in the world. The Surface Book 2 has some powerful enough components to handle most day-to-day tasks, and even some light gaming and video editing if you go for a model with a dedicated graphics card. If you want a bigger screen, then there is also a 15-inch version of the Surface Book 2, which comes with more powerful components.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch)

10. Google Pixelbook Go

The best Chromebook ever made

CPU: Intel Core m3 - Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 615 | RAM: 8GB - 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) or 4K LCD touchscreen | Storage: 128GB - 256GB eMMC

Incredible battery life

Amazing ‘Hush’ keyboard

Iffy pricing at mid- to- high-end

No biometric login

Google continues its tradition of making the best Chromebook in the world. This is a Chromebook that proves that these devices can be just as stylish and powerful as traditional laptops, and the Pixelbook Go brings a lot of the original Pixelbook's premium features to a more affordable device. It also features a fantastic battery life and a brilliant keyboard that makes typing on a pleasure. This is among the best business laptops for professionals looking to save some cash.

Read the full review: Google Pixelbook Go

11. Ceneva F158G

A business laptop that won't break the bank

CPU: Intel Celeron J4125 | Graphics: Intel UHD 600 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 15.6-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 512GB SATA SSD

Aggressively priced

Windows 10 Pro

Fingerprint reader

Webcam location

Poor battery life

Newcomer Ceneva has created an affordable business laptop that includes a backlit keyboard, a fingerprint reader and ships with Windows 10 Pro. The Ceneva F158G also features a CNC-machined body with a brushed metal finish and weighs just over 1.5kg which makes it quite portable. The fingerprint reader is built in to the huge touchpad and the keyboard includes a numeric keypad for working with spreadsheets. The Ceneva F158G also features a large 15.6 inch FHD screen with a 5mm border and a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. This is because the webcam is built into the bottom bezel but some may find its placement off-putting while video conferencing due to the angle.

Read the full review: Ceneva F158G

Michelle Rae Uy also contributed to this article.

Check out our laptop buying guide video below.

Want more choices? Check out our list of the best laptops
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Latest Tech News

The Google Pixel Watch could finally launch this year based on the latest leaks – but if so, it'll land later on given it wasn't revealed at Google IO 2021. Given all we've heard about a Google Watch, we can surmise that it's been in development, but the big question is when it will arrive.

Just like how Pixel phones are a showcase for Android, the Google Pixel Watch is expected to be an example of the full potential of Wear OS – and given the wearable operating system's big update shown off at Google IO, we figured the watch wasn't far behind. However it now looks as though the Google Watch might land alongside the Pixel 6 in October instead.

It's hard to be too hopeful though when multiple rumored launch windows have come and gone. One leak even suggested the Google Watch would be announced alongside the Google Pixel 4, but that didn't happen.

An early report in mid-2018 from reliable Twitter leaker @Evleaks says he had information from a trusted source that a Google Watch was in development. His source said it would be announced alongside the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, but that – perhaps obviously – didn't happen either.

But a recent leak in April 2021 shows a supposed image of the smartwatch (whether real or render is unclear), suggesting it could be getting ready to release, and Google itself has confirmed that it's working on a premium Fitbit running Wear OS – which might end up being the Pixel Watch.

Below we're going to break down everything we know so far about the new watch, including our thoughts on whether it will ever actually happen. Then, further down, we've put together a list of the features we'd like from the first flagship Google Watch.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The first flagship watch designed by Google
What will it cost? Probably a high-end cost, but no specifics yet
When is it out? Possibly in October alongside the Pixel 6

Google Pixel Watch release date and price

An exact release date for the rumored Google Pixel Watch isn't clear – just predictions based on leaks. If it's to land in 2021 our best guess would be at the Google Pixel 6 launch towards the end of the year, and indeed that's been rumored. More specifically, all of these devices could land in October.

Of course, Google Watch launch rumors have wrongly predicted its release before – a tweet from noted leaker Evleaks claiming a "reliable source" said it would be announced alongside the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL back in 2018, then a rumor claimed the Goole Watch would land on October 15 2019 at the Pixel 4 launch – but of course, neither happened, and we're still waiting.

It's possible that the Pixel Watch could benefit from Google's acquisition of Fitbit, which could see the latter company's wearable skills put towards Google smartwatch hardware, but that deal was only finalized in January 2021. A smartwatch based on Fitbit's tech is probably unlikely to land in the near future – though Google has announced that a premium Fitbit running Wear OS is in the works.

Better still, at Google IO 2021 the company announced that Wear OS is integrating features from Samsung's Tizen OS, which could suggest what's coming in the Google Watch.

We've also heard that Google has reportedly ordered processors from Samsung (according to ETNews) which would be capable of detecting body movements. There's no guarantee that these are for a smartwatch (they could be for a Pixel phone) but a wearable would be an obvious fit. That, then, is strong evidence that some form of Pixel Watch is in the works.

However, a codename has also been spotted for a device called medaka. A medaka is a tiny fish (Google always uses codenames of sea creatures for its products) and the device is said to not sport a notch so some have taken this to mean it's the Pixel Watch.

Here are the upcoming Google device codenames #leaked:#salmon and #medaka.None of the devices has a notch and medaka is most probably the rumored Pixel Watch. More info should surface soon.January 25, 2019

That's a fairly old leak too though. But in April 2021, leaker Jon Prosser released rendered images based on info he'd received, including a potential October 2021 release date, which fits the usual release window for flagship Pixel phones.

Prosser also suggested that the watch could be coming in October, supposedly around the usual release window for flagship Google Pixel phones, but that the timeline was fungible.

As for price, we don't currently have any idea how much this watch will cost. Considering the Pixel range is usually high-end products with generally flagship level prices, we'd expect that but we don't currently have any evidence supporting it.

Opinion: 3 reasons the Google Pixel Watch may tempt you away from an Apple Watch

Google Pixel Watch news and rumors

In terms of spec, there isn't much known about the Google Pixel Watch, though one source suggests it will use a 5nm chipset - likely the same one as the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 4 is rumored to have. You can expect a 5nm chipset to be much more powerful than the ones we've seen in current Wear OS watches.

We've also seen a Google patent, which details a gesture control system that would allow a smartwatch to detect movements you make with your arm, wrist or fingers.

For example, you could make a fist to launch Google Assistant and open the fist to dismiss it. These gestures would be done on the arm or hand that the watch is worn on. However, patents aren't always used, so there's no guarantee we'll see this.

There could also be a big focus on fitness, both because Google is buying Fitbit, and because Google sent out a survey asking people about features they'd like to see in Wear OS, and those features included things like SPO2 (oxygenation) tracking, sleep apnea detection, sleep analysis, heartbeat alerts, recovery time monitoring, stress tracking, pairing for medical devices and gym equipment, rep detection, and calorie tracking.

Of course, it's unlikely they would all be added, but some may well be, and it shows that Google is thinking about health and fitness.

As for specs, the Pixel Watch is likely to run Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset that will mean improvements to battery life and more power for running your favorite apps on your wrist. That said, with any luck it will use something even newer, as the 3100 is getting on a bit now and a successor is overdue.

Wear OS is the latest version of Google's smartwatch operating system

One rumored feature was something codenamed 'Blackghost'. It was thought to be be a power management integrated circuit built into the chipset itself that will allow the watch to listen out for voice commands at all times without draining the battery.

That isn't a feature on the Snapdragon Wear 3100, but it may be Google has found a way to make it an exclusive feature for the Pixel Watch when it launches - or that the watch will indeed use a newer chipset.

If so, expect to be able to ask Google Assistant questions without either draining your smartwatch after a few hours or having to press a button beforehand.

Another report - this time from WinFuture - has suggested there may actually be three versions of the Pixel Watch in development. The website has heard word of devices with code names Ling, Triton and Sardine all in development at Google HQ.

Exactly what the differences for the devices would be are currently unclear. It may mean we'll see three variants of the Pixel Watch. That same report also suggested at least one version of the watch will come with 1GB of RAM.

This report could mean there will be one watch in the range with LTE or another that's designed to be more focused on fitness, but so far we've yet to hear any rumors of what those different versions will be. This report is also quite old now, so it may no longer be relevant.

Rumors died down for over a year until April 2020, when a leak suggested the Pixel Watch could have a feature typically reserved for analog timepieces: a physical crown, according to a new image from leaker Jon Prosser.

👀 pic.twitter.com/Gi3ThvgF5DApril 8, 2021

Prosser followed up with a batch of rendered images based on info provided by a source which show potentially the first full looks at the Pixel Watch's supposed design. Here's the full video of Prosser's reveal:

Per the renders, the Pixel Watch looks like a circular smartwatch with a bezel-less display, no buttons, and a single physical crown on the right side. The renders also recreate the suggested interface, including a watch face with radial time markers, giving it an analog timepiece look. The apps look very simple, suggesting Google could be going for a more elegant minimalist design.

What we want to see

Below we've put together a list of the things we want to see from the Google Pixel Watch.

1. Rotating crown or bezel

Samsung's Gear Sport uses a rotating bezel

Before the switch to Wear OS, Android Wear 2.0 put a big focus on how the design had been reworked to play well with rotating bezels and crowns, but then we haven't seen many watches embrace that.

Why not use it for the Google Pixel Watch? Those features may be far in Google's rear view mirror as the Wear OS updates take precedent, but we'd love to see an innovative way of interacting with the watch such as a rotating crown or bezel.

2. In-display fingerprint scanner

If Google really wants to put the Pixel Watch on the map, adding an in-display fingerprint scanner would go a long way to doing that. Currently Wear OS watches (and the Apple Watch) allow you to secure them with a PIN code – but that’s not the most secure form of protection available.

With an in-display fingerprint scanner, the secure biometric technology would fit seamlessly into the wearable without disrupting the visual appeal of the watch. It would also allow you to approve purchases over the current contactless limit (assuming the Pixel Watch comes with NFC).

There are a couple of potential negatives here though. Firstly, the addition of this fledgling technology could increase the thickness of the watch – and no one wants an overly chunky wearable – but secondly it’ll also likely push the price tag way up.

If Google can overcome these two things though, you can sign us up for a Pixel Watch right now.

3. Swimproof

We’re used to smartwatches coming with a level of dust and water resistance, but few carry an IP certification high enough to ensure their survival when we cannonball into the local pool.

A fully swim-proof Google Pixel Watch would not only allow you to keep the wearable on in the bath, but also allow you to track workouts in the pool without fear of malfunction.

4. Three day battery life

The new enhanced battery saver mode on Wear OS

This is a simple one, but we want the Google Pixel Watch to last as long as it can. Imagine a fully fledged smartwatch that doesn't need charging after two days of intensive usage.

Wear OS is integrating a useful enhanced battery saver mode that should give you a lot more time with your smartwatch, but it'll limit the amount of features you can use when it's on.

Clearly Google wants to improve how long your watch will last from one charge, but we'd love to see a big battery inside the watch and well optimized software that offers the best battery for a smartwatch on the market right now.

5. NFC payments

Another simple one here, but quite a few Wear OS watches don't come with NFC built in so you aren't able to use Google Pay features on your wrist. That's a frustration for a lot of people, so we're hoping Google will include an NFC chip inside the watch.

That'll especially be useful when you're out for a run and you need to buy a bottle of water, but you've left your wallet at home.

6. Best in class fitness

Garmin's Forerunner 935 comes with a lot of fitness features built-in.

While we're on the topic of running, we want the Pixel Watch to compete with the fitness prowess of the Apple Watch 3 as well as top-end specialist watches like the Garmin Forerunner 935.

Imagine if Google can include all of the latest tracking tech including accurate GPS, LTE so we can listen to music on the go as well as a top of the range heart rate tracker.

We want to be able to strap the Google Pixel Watch to our wrist and head out for any type of exercise and know we'll be tracked accurately and get as much fitness stats as we possibly can.

7. High-end watch design

This one is a given, but we want to see a watch that you're not embarrassed to wear on your wrist. Not every Wear OS watch is a gorgeous creation, so we wish Google will be able to offer a slimmer option than most other manufacturers that uses high-end materials and feels like a proper timepiece you're excited to wear.

If you're going to be spending a fair amount of money on a new watch, you'll want it to look great on your wrist so this is one of the most important things we want to see on the new wearable.

Top Wear OS watches you can buy right now

Main image: Misfit Vapor running new Wear OS

Image Credit: TechRadar

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Latest Tech News

WHERE TO BUY

Get your Huawei Matebook 14 in-store for R24,999. Now available at Incredible Connection, Takealot, Vodacom & MTN.

Or visit the Huawei Online Store, where it comes bundled with the premium Huawei Backpack , Huawei Bluetooth mouse and Huawei VIP service, all valued at R2,997 inclusive. Ts & Cs apply.

For professionals looking for a practical and sleek laptop, the choices are plentiful but only a few stand out that can showcase their own personality and taste.

With the newly launched Huawei MateBook 14, Huawei has provided a high quality laptop that not only brings a slim and sleek metal body but also a stylish design that boasts a minimalist look the MateBook series is known for.

Craftsmanship packed inside a slim design

Featuring clean lines that exude a true aesthetic feel, the Huawei MateBook 14 comes in a Space Grey colour that brings a classic look with an energetic feel. As an ideal companion for work or travel, the 1.49kg weight makes it easier to carry around when the user is on the move. Add to that the lightweight design that measures only 15.9mm at its thickest part.

Inspired by the concept of pureness, the Huawei MateBook 14 features a tough metallic body that is made from 5252 aluminium alloy. This material is tempered by an oxidation process that involves more than 40 steps that greatly improves the laptop’s resistance against dirt, corrosion and daily wear and tear. The tough edges also embody the laptop’s active style, which was processed with a CNC diamond cutting machine. This in turn provides a tough exterior but is gentle to the touch.

More than that, careful attention was given with how the laptop feels. The Huawei MateBook 14’s sleek metal chassis was sandblasted with an advanced process that resulted in a smooth, polished surface.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE HUAWEI MATEBOOK 14

2K Touch Screen Display

The laptop also features an expansive 14-inch 2K Touch Screen display with a 2160x1440 resolution and a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. It has a pixel density of 185 pixels per inch (ppi), as well as support for 100 percent of the sRGB colour space. The 3:2 FullView display supports a 1500:1 contrast ratio plus a peak brightness of 300 nits, perfect for viewing and editing high-resolution images and videos.

With the Huawei MateBook 14, users can be assured that with the aesthetically pleasing design also comes durability and reliability not found on other laptops.

The Huawei MateBook 14’s slim and sleek design is the ultimate embodiment of craftsmanship.

Service Warranty

Once you purchase the Huawei laptop, you will get a 2 year collect repair and return VIP service warranty with 24/7 online technical support valued at R1,299.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE HUAWEI MATEBOOK 14

Get your Huawei Matebook 14 in-store for R24,999. Now available at Incredible Connection, Takealot, Vodacom & MTN.

Or visit the Huawei Online Store, where it comes bundled with the premium Huawei Backpack , Huawei Bluetooth mouse and Huawei VIP service, all valued at R2,997 inclusive. Ts & Cs apply.

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Tuesday, July 6, 2021

New Lotus Emira: What we've all been waiting for from the British brand video - Roadshow

The Emira is the latest mid-engined sports car to be produced at Lotus' new factory in Hethel, England, and it looks utterly fantastic.

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Best car insurance companies for 2021 - CNET

Auto insurance is essential for safe, legal driving.

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2022 Lotus Emira is a spectacular new sports car - Roadshow

The Emira is the last Lotus without a fully electric powertrain, and it replaces the Elise, Exige and Evora in one fell swoop.

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Ring Alarm Security Kit review: A cheap, reliable DIY system - CNET

The new Ring Alarm Security Kit is virtually identically to the original. That's not a bad thing.

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Tesla Cybertruck getting rear-wheel steering, Musk tweets - Roadshow

The engineers of the wedge-shaped electric pickup still have a few surprises in store, even as the Cybertruck charges toward production.

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Succession season 3 trailer: 'Do you want to be on the side of good or evil?' - CNET

Season 3 of the hit HBO comedy-drama will bring lots more Roy family scheming.

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2022 Bentley Flying Spur plug-in hybrid gets 435-mile total range - Roadshow

The plug-in Flying Spur uses a twin-turbo V6 engine, and it's got over 25 miles of electric-only range.

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2022 Bentley Flying Spur hybrid is green through and through - Roadshow

Bentley's latest plug-in has a 435-mile total range and performance that almost matches the V8.

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Virgin Galactic aims to send Richard Branson to space before Jeff Bezos - CNET

The space tourism company plans to send its founder to orbit on July 11.

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Latest Tech News

AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) might have taken its time getting here, but according to at least one developer, the wait was worth it as it was much easier to implement in their game than Nvidia's rival DLSS technology.

Edge of Eternity developer Midgar Studio spoke to Wccftech last week about their new Western JRPG, touching on everything from console development to the new resolution upscaling technologies from both AMD and Nvidia. Company CEO and lead programmer Jérémy Zeler-Maury offered a first-hand account of developing a game using both AMD and Nvidia's tech and said that AMD's solution was far simpler to include in Edge of Eternity than Nvidia's DLSS.

"Implementing DLSS was quite complex to integrate into Unity for a small studio like us," Zeler-Maury said, "it required tweaking the engine and creating an external plugin to bridge Unity and DLSS. It was complicated, but in the end, it gave amazing results. FSR, on the other hand, was very easy to implement, it only took me a few hours, requiring only simple data."

AMD's FSR tech fell short in some areas compared to Nvidia's DLSS, however. The source data Zeler-Maury used needed to be "as sharp as possible" because FSR isn't a "deep-learning method" like DLSS, so it can't reconstruct finer details as well as Nvidia's tech can. Still, Zeler-Maury said, "Quality-wise, when there is a lot of pixel info available for upscaling to 4K, both technologies give amazing results, and I have a hard time seeing differences between them. I’d even say that I slightly prefer the FSR for 4K resolution since it doesn’t introduce any artifacts/minor blurriness that DLSS can sometimes introduce."

We've reached out to Nvidia for comment on implementing DLSS for smaller indie titles and will update this story with their response if and when we hear back.

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Is AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution the ideal tool for small developers?

For small, indie developers like Midgar Studio who don't have the kind of big teams that major AAA studios have, time spent on any given feature of a game is a premium investment. Having a simpler-to-implement tool can both save time and increase the likelihood that such a tool will be used.

If a small team, like the five-person crew behind the indie darling Valheim, can spend a day implementing something like AMD's FSR, that's a lot of reward for very little time invested. And since AMD's FSR is an open source technology that runs on non-AMD graphics cards – including older Nvidia GTX cards that are still widely used – it's also something that will benefit far more gamers than Nvidia's DLSS technology, which is limited to Nvidia's newer RTX cards.

If Zeler-Maury's experience is representative of FSR from a developer's perspective, than we can expect to see a lot more of AMD's new tech in games both large and small.

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TikTok is down, according to a growing chorus of users complaining worldwide and suddenly not dancing in any new short videos.

The TikTok algorithm is showing stale content or random videos that they wouldn't normally be served. TikTok users are also complaining of getting logged out or having zero followers.

TikTok is the only one dancing around the subject, with no response on its other social media channels. Its official Twitter account, for example, is silent about the outage right now, though plenty of users are replying about the app being down.

Developing...

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The fallout of Covid-19 could only halt our MCU superheroes for so long. After a delay of more than a year comes the highly-anticipated Black Widow on July 9th, a standalone film exploring Natasha Romanoff’s dark past. Concurrent with a theatrical release, we explain how to watch Black Widow online with a Disney Plus subscription and one-time Premier Access fee of $29.99.

Disney Plus deals: see all today's best prices here

How to watch Black Widow online

Release date: July 9, 2021

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, Rachel Weisz, Ray Winstone, William Hurt.

Director: Cate Shortland

Runtime: 135 min

Watch now: Get Disney Plus then order on Premier Access today

Taking place between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, we find ex-KGB agent Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) in self-imposed exile in Norway. She’s soon tracked down by fellow Widow and surrogate sister Yelena (Florence Pugh), who requests her help in dismantling the Black Widow program that turned them both into deadly assassins.

In the process they're reunited with their adoptive parents: Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), a spy and now one of the Red Room’s top scientists, and super-soldier Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour). They’re also forced to confront Dreykov, overseer of the Black Widow program, and the unstoppable villain Taskmaster. Cue some explosive action – in particular a scene where Taskmaster barrels down the street in a tank in pursuit of the bickering pseudo-siblings.

Directed by Cate Shortland from a screenplay by Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok), Black Widow provides a grittier, more grounded tone than previous Marvel features, while still delivering the jaw-dropping spectacle and heart-stopping emotion you’ve come to expect from the MCU.

Ready to dive into Black Widow’s dark past? Then read on as we explain how to watch Black Widow online with Disney Plus Premier Access.

How to watch Black Widow online: stream full movie on Disney Plus today

Anyone in countries that have access to Disney Plus - North America, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, most of mainland Europe and more - simply need to head to the Disney Plus website to sign up for the service.

Once you've done that, you'll find Black Widow available to buy through the Premier Access platform for $29.99/£19.99/AU$34.99. It's available to pre-order in the US and Canada until July 8, before being released on Friday, July 9 at 8am BST / 12am PT / 3am ET.

As for Disney Plus itself, it's well worth checking out. In addition to getting you first dibs on Premier Access films, it features every episode of The Simpsons ever made, all your favorite Pixar flicks, the latest Marvel movies, and the complete Star Wars canon.

You can save 15% if you sign up for an annual subscription, or if you're in the US, for the ultimate value you can take advantage of a combined bundle that includes ESPN Plus, Hulu and Disney Plus for the outrageously cheap price of just $13.99 a month.

What is Disney Plus Premier Access?

Disney Plus introduced Premier Access in September 2020, in response to the worldwide Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent shuttering of the majority of cinemas. It provided an alternative route to get big budget blockbusters to audiences, with its first premium video on-demand title being the live-action Mulan remake.

It's now reserved for the service's absolute biggest movie releases and designed to let you watch the latest Walt Disney releases from the comfort of home – whether that's simply your preference, or because movie theaters may be closed where you are.

It's a great option to have and Disney's spared no effort trying to recreate the cinematic experience, with all Premier Access titles available to watch on Disney Plus in 4K HDR resolution (Dolby Vision) and offering support for immersive Dolby Atmos sound.

While the one-off $30/£20/AU$35 on demand fee seems hefty, it does work out at about the same price as two movie tickets (and means you don't have to splash out on expensive popcorn, drinks and snacks). Not only that, but subscribers can pause the action when they want and re-watch the film as many times as they'd like – that is, as long as they remain a Disney Plus member.

Premier Access films are eventually made a part of the regular Disney Plus library. However, that doesn't happen until three months after their original release date.

Marvel's Black Widow — (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

How to save money on Disney Plus

The Disney Plus price is already cheaper than competing streaming services like Netflix but you can save even more when you sign up for an annual subscription which gives you 15% off the monthly price. Obviously you have to splash the cash at the start, but with so much content to get stuck into, we very much doubt you'll run out of things to watch before the 12 months are up. You're looking at a mere $79.99/£79.90/AU$119.99 for the year.

If your interests are farther reaching (and you're in the US), then we'd seriously recommend looking at the fantastic value bundle package. It adds Hulu and ESPN Plus to your subscription price.

The Hulu element opens up a world of Hulu Originals too, such as Upload, Love Victor, Helstrom and The Handmaid's Tale. Bringing even more great value, ESPN Plus offers loads of exclusive live sport, highlights and documentaries. The combined bundle costs just $13.99 a month.

What else should I know about Disney Plus?

Disney Plus is showing no signs of slowing down since the service first launched in November 2019. It's the only place to watch Loki, which is just one in a string of recent releases exclusive to the platform, including Soul, The Mandalorian, Cruella, Hamilton, and much more.

The streaming service has apps for iOS and Android (of course), and is available to watch online via the likes of Amazon Fire TV Stick, PS4, Xbox One and Roku streaming devices.

And finally, there's the new Star on Disney Plus that most global markets get to enjoy and which sees the amount of content available on Disney Plus more than double, with a particular eye to shows grown-ups are going to enjoy. It costs a tiny bit more, but is worth it based on our initial impressions – and you can still save big by going with an annual subscription.

Even more Disney Plus

Also on Disney Plus: how to watch Soul online
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