Technologies

Alienware Intros Thinnest x14, Most Powerful m18 Gaming Laptops

Alienware redesigns its laptops for greater comfort, with better cooling and next-gen components.

At CES 2023 in Las Vegas, gaming PC-maker Alienware surprised us with four new laptops, including its most powerful gaming laptop ever and the world’s thinnest 14-inch gaming laptop. All of the new models will be loaded with next-gen chips from Intel, AMD and Nvidia and were developed using an updated version of the Dell-owned company’s Legend design framework.

Legend 3.0 changes the design slightly, flattening the back to make it more comfortable to carry as well as an updated nose so they’re easier to open. They all have a new foot design to allow for better cooling and greater comfort when used on your lap. They all have taller 16:10 displays, Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support, full-HD webcams and a thermal material on the CPU and GPU for optimized heat dissipation.

The second-gen Alienware x14 is the smallest of the bunch and Alienware says it’s the thinnest 14-inch gaming laptop in the world. Its display has a 2,560×1,600-pixel resolution with a 165Hz refresh rate and 100% P3 color range.

The Alienware x14 arrives this winter starting at $1,799. UK and Australian availability and pricing weren’t announced, but the US price converts to approximately 1,490 or AU$2,635.

A 16-inch version, the Alienware x16, will also be available for those who want a bit more power and screen real estate but still in a slim package. It’s expected to start at $2,149 but only high-end configurations will be available at launch, starting at $3,099.

If you want to go even bigger though, Alienware announced the all-new m18. It’s an impressive 18-inch laptop, which you can load up with your choice of Intel or AMD processors and Nvidia or Radeon graphics. To keep the components cool, Alienware used seven heat pipes and four fans while keeping the same body thickness as last year’s m17.

The m18 has a full-sized keyboard and number pad with optional Cherry MX mechanical keys, plus dual user-replaceable DDR5 SO-DIMM slots and up to 9TB of potential storage. Alienware will offer it with either a 165Hz 2,560×1,600-pixel resolution or a 480Hz 1,920×1,200-pixel resolution.

Again, Alienware will only have high-end configurations at launch, with prices starting at $2,800. Entry-level m18 models will start at $2,099. And, like the x14, you can opt for a smaller 16-inch m16, which will have many of the same features, ergonomics and design qualities as the m18. At launch, the m16 will start at $2,599 but lower-end configurations are expected later this year, starting at around $1,899.

Technologies

Chrome Autofill Now Supports Passport, Driver’s License and Vehicle Info

Soon, you’ll never need to remember anything ever again.

Computer users are accustomed to web browsers autofilling everything from names and addresses to credit card numbers. Now, Google Chrome is adding new enhanced autofill options that allow users to automatically populate fields for passports, driver’s licenses, and their vehicle’s license plate or VIN, Google said in a blog post on Monday.

Desktop users must choose to turn on the feature, which is called enhanced autofill. Otherwise, it stays off. To turn it on, open Chrome, and at the top right of your browser, select more, then settings, then autofill and passwords. Finally, choose enhanced autofill and turn it in.

Google says Chrome now can «better understand complex forms and varied formatting requirements, improving accuracy across the web.» The company also says that enhanced autofill will be «private and secure.»

This enhanced autofill update is available in all languages, and more data options will be supported in the coming months.

A representative for Google said the company had no additional comment.

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Chrome is a critical component in Google’s business. The web browser, currently the most popular in the world with a 73% market share, according to GlobalStats, provides the company with valuable user data that it uses to sell advertising. Advertising is how Google makes the majority of its revenues. New features help keep users loyal to Chrome, making it more difficult for them to switch to other browsers, including those from companies like Perplexity and OpenAI.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 4, #407

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 4, No. 407.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle makers will never run out of categories because they have discovered they can just pick one athlete and make a connections group out of four facts about that person. They do that today with the blue category, so if you don’t know that one player, you’re out of luck. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Get up and go!

Green group hint: College hoops.

Blue group hint: Famous basketball player.

Purple group hint: Not fair, but…

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Energy.

Green group: Men’s college basketball teams with the most championships.

Blue group: Associated with Damian Lillard.

Purple group: Foul ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is energy. The four answers are pep, verve, vigor and zip.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is men’s college basketball teams with the most championships. The four answers are Kentucky, UCLA, UCONN and UNC.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with Damian Lillard. The four answers are 0, Dame Time, Trail Blazers and Weber State.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is foul ____. The four answers are out, shot, territory and tip.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Nov. 4

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Nov. 4.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? There are a few tricky clues, so read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.