Samsung Electronics has announced plans to raise the price of its enterprise SSDs by 20-25% in Q2 of 2024. This is a significant increase from the initially projected 15%, with the price hike being attributed to the booming AI industry.
The past few weeks have seen a global shortage of NAND flash enterprise SSDs, a situation that is being blamed on high demand from new data centers and the rapid expansion of AI-related storage servers.
A semiconductor industry insider told BusinessKorea, “Server companies seeking to expand their storage capacity are rushing their SSD orders recently, and some products are even experiencing shortages, leading to considerations for increased production.”
Same price hike everywhere
Samsung significantly influences price decisions as it supplies about 50% of the enterprise SSD market. TrendForceestimates that where Samsung leads others will follow, with the 20-25% jump in price mirrored across the board.
TrendForce’s Bryan Ao says, “With large-capacity SSD orders experiencing low order fill rates, suppliers continue to influence price trends, likely forcing buyers to accept higher prices. As some buyers attempt to increase their inventory levels before the peak season in 2H24, Enterprise SSD contract prices are forecast to jump by 20–25% in Q2 – marking the highest rise across all product lines.”
This increase is unique to enterprise SSDs, with eMMC and consumer SSDs only getting 10-15% more expensive in Q2.
As The Register reports, “With much of the growth of the SSD market being propped up by AI-induced demand, there’s lots riding on AI being a success. After all, if there is a bubble and it pops, not only will those super-expensive SSDs have become a pretty bad deal in retrospect, but SSD makers like Samsung will see a major source of increasing revenue evaporate. Just as long as the money for expensive computer components keeps coming, there’s nothing to worry about. No pressure.”
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Gigabyte has consistently been making gaming monitors primarily focused on the budget PC Gaming experience and the GS34WQC successfully leans into the ultrawide tier. The 34-inch 1440p display comes with a 120Hz refresh rate in addition to the ability to overclock to 135Hz. Performance aside, SDR image quality is quite stunning and looks great.
Then there’s an incredibly reasonable feature set that comes with various gaming assists such as crosshair overlay. Though there’s a nub to make various in-display settings changes, the GS34WQC can also be personalized through the OSD Sidekick app. For variable refresh rate solutions, the monitor comes packed with AMD FreeSync Premium to combat potential screen tearing.
For $329(£388, AU $549), this gaming monitor makes more than enough sense for PC gamers who want an ultrawide display that won’t break the bank. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be any sacrifices to pack all of this into that price point.
One of the most glaring issues is its HDR implementation. Even with changing settings through software or in-display, image quality is only going to look slightly average. To be honest, it’s best to avoid HDR on the GS34WQC altogether. Then there are some design problems that come in the general aesthetic alongside set-up.
Like other modern Gigabyte gaming monitors, some assists like Black Equilizer and Aim Stabilizer do more to hurt overall image quality than help in any way. PC gamers looking for more extras like speakers and USB capabilities are going to be a bit disappointed. Anyone with a solid 1440p rig looking to play games in the 120 frame rate range may walk away satisfied; more so if they also have PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The Gigabyte GS34WQC offers a quality PC gaming experience at the cost of things that individuals in the price range probably won’t care about.
Gigabyte GS34WQC: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Available now in U.S. UK and AU territories, the Gigabyte GS34WQC retails for around $329(£388, AU $549) depending on where one shops. Though available on Amazon, the gaming monitor can be grabbed at various stories depending on where one resides. In the U.S., the monitor can be purchased at Best Buy, UK residents can find it at Currys and Australian citizens can find it at MSY.
Considering the price, the GS34WQC is one of the most affordable 34 inch ultrawide gaming monitors available. RIght now on Newegg, the monitor can be purchased on sale for $289 which adds even more to its value. Users looking for a bit more extras can pay around $10 bucks more for the Dell 34 Curved Gaming Monitor that also comes with a healthy selection of USB ports. Meanwhile, the significantly more expensive AOC CU34G2X at $450 provides better HDR capabilities in addition to USB ports.
Value: 4 / 5
Gigabyte GS34WQC: Specs
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Screen size:
34 inches
Aspect ratio:
21:9
Resolution:
3440 x 1440
Brightness:
300 cd/m2
Response time:
1ms
Viewing angle:
178°(H)/178°(V)
Contrast ratio:
4000:1
Color support:
16.7M
Inputs:
2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x Displayport 1.4, 1 x combo Jack
Weight:
18 lbs
Gigabyte GS34WQC Design
Image 1 of 5
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Like other Gigabyte gaming monitors, don’t expect the GS34WQC to do much in the looks department. The all-black matted material feels more acceptable in a classroom or library than next to an RGB desktop. Again, the GS34WQC is more about function than everything else.
When it comes to maneuverability out of the box, the 18 lbs gaming monitor doesn’t feel unwieldy. Set-up is where some of the problems with the design began to show up. A singular attached screen connects the stand to the neck. However, those who don’t read the monitor may run into some issues in the next steps.
The four screws already come taped to the neck that connects to the display. Be careful not to remove the tape without catching them because they will fall and can potentially get lost. Even more so, the packaging doesn’t come with a small screwdriver so users are responsible for securing the display themselves. Both height and tilt can be adjusted on the gaming monitor too.
There are a handful of ports available to get started including one DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, 3.5mm headphone, and power jack. Power goes directly through the display so users won’t have to worry about a larger powerbrick. The port selection is respectable and will definitely satisfy gamers with at least two consoles. Switching between inputs is pretty easy through the nub as well. Considering the low price for this ultrawide gaming monitor, this is good enough for a multiplatform gaming set-up alongside a gaming PC rig.
Gamers who want extras like external speakers and USB hubs for connectivity are going to have to look elsewhere. Considering the max refresh rate output is 120Hz and 135Hz when overclocked, this is for lower-powered 1440p gaming rigs.
Gigabyte GS34WQC: Features
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The Gigabyte GS34WQC isn’t necessarily feature-rich but does have a handful of tools to improve a user’s gaming experience. When it comes to variable refresh rate solutions, having AMD FreeSync is a great addition; even for users who have Nvidia GPUs. Then there is HDR capability but we’ll explain why it’s not very good in the next section.
Those who don’t want to fiddle with the nub for settings outside of input can definitely give the OSD Sidekick app a shot. Though the app works well, it’s really a matter of preference in regards to usability. Users can make color changes in SDR and other display options but it’s also for toggling various game assists.
Three primary gaming assistance features are designed to provide gamers with a competitive edge on the GS32QC. Foremost among these are the various crosshair overlays, seamlessly enhancing gameplay in titles like Call of Duty and Helldivers 2, as well as other first or third-person shooters.
Additionally, there’s the aim assist, effectively reducing motion blur in fast-paced games, though it’s important to note its inoperability if the refresh rate falls below 100Hz or FreeSync is activated. To circumvent the need for aim assists entirely, players can opt to disable in-game motion blur. Finally, there’s the on-screen timer, a boon for speedrunners seeking to optimize their performance.
Gigabyte GS34WQC: Performance
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
PC gamers with lower-to-mid-range rigs should feel more at home with the Gigabyte GS34WQC than more expensive gaming monitors. What the display does well is make good on its native 120Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. Playing fast-paced online shooters like Helldivers 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was a blast in addition to running exceptionally well. Add AMD Freesync Premium into the mix, it’s clear that the GS34WQC can run with the big dogs at similar settings. As mentioned earlier, the monitor is suitable for multi-platform gamers as well considering both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 can deliver a max frame-rate output of 120Hz.
When it comes to image quality, the GS34WQC is wonderful when running in SDR. Colors are bold and crisp with just the right amount of brightness. Blacks are deep and the contrast ratio looks pretty good. Just stay far away from the Black Equilizer which needs to be bumped down considerably. The game assists are supposed to make visuals clearer in darker spaces when playing a game but that can ruin emersion and can simply be fixed through in-game brightness settings. More visually arresting games like Alan Wake II and Cyberpunk 2077 look as well as they perform on the GS34WQC if one’s rig is up to snuff.
Just leave HDR completely alone on this gaming monitor. By default, HDR looks really washed out and flat. The monitor loses a lot of the colorfulness and lushness that SDR provides. Blacks look a bit too bright as well. Even when tinkering with settings, it’s hard to get color accuracy. With that said creatives who use Adobe suite software like Photoshop and Premiere Pro might want to leave HDR alone when using the GS34WQC. It’s simply not good for gaming, creative work, or general computing tasks.
Should I buy the Gigabyte GS34WQC?
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
An 32-inch ultrawide 1440p gaming monitor with a max 135Hz refresh rate at $329 sounds good if you don’t mind missing some extras.
4.5 / 5
Features
There aren’t a whole lot of features on offer here, but what there is works well enough.
3.5 / 5
Design
The design isn’t going to wow anyone but its somewhat easy to set up though the screws alongside lack of USB ports hold it back.
3.5 / 5
Performance
Aspiring competitive gamers or enthusiasts with low-to-mid-tier gaming rigs are going to have much to appreciate here thanks to everything from high refresh rate and 1ms response time to AMD FreeSync Premiere.
4 / 5
Average Rating
For a budget 1440p ultrawide gaming monitor, the Gigabyte GS34WQC is special if expectations are managed.
3.88 / 5
Buy the Gigabyte GS34WQC if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also Consider
How I tested the Gigabyte GS34WQC
During the day, I used the Gigabyte GS34WQC for general computing tasks that revolved around using sites including Google Docs, Hootsuite, and Asana. Now and then, I would have to create graphics and cut video clips as well. There were also times when I took a break to watch videos on YouTube alongside other social media platforms.
For gaming, I tested out the monitor’s performance by playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer alongside the current popular game of the moment, Helldivers 2. To test out overall gaming image quality, Forza Motorsport (2023), Alan Wake II, and others were played. All games played were tested in both SDR and HDR modes, for good measure.
I’ve spent the past several years covering monitors alongside other PC components for Techradar. Outside of gaming, I’ve been proficient in Adobe Suite for over a decade as well, so I know a good monitor when I use one.
Whether you’re a casual exerciser or a seasoned athlete, you probably wouldn’t mind adopting foolproof, healthy hacks to improve your physical abilities. Perhaps you already have a few in your toolkit, such as cross-training and staying on top of your protein intake and hydration status.
Yet there’s one in particular that’s completely free and proven to improve everything from endurance and reaction time to muscle recovery, as well as providing countless benefits for your overall health. In case you haven’t guessed, it’s simply getting enough sleep – and sleeping well, at that (ideally on the best mattress for your sleep requirements).
Read on to discover how the quantity and quality of your sleep can either help or hinder your physical performance and overall fitness regimen.
The relationship between sleep and exercise
A bidirectional relationship exists between sleep and exercise. Not only can exercise improve sleep by helping to regulate your circadian rhythms (aka biological clock or sleep-wake cycles) and assisting thermoregulation to induce sleep, but getting enough shuteye can also benefit your physical performance in a number of ways.
How can sleep improve physical fitness?
According to licensed clinical psychologist and board-certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist Shelby Harris, PhD, good sleep can result in a slew of benefits related to physical fitness, including focus, endurance, and recovery.
“Sleep is very important for muscle recovery, your best cognitive function, and keeping your hormones balanced,” she explains. Logging enough quality sleep, she continues, canallow your body to release growth hormones (which stimulate energy systems that support muscle and cardiovascular function), replenish glycogen stores (to increase your capacity to exercise and offset fatigue), improve concentration and reaction time, increase testosterone levels and enhance confidence and overall physical performance.
A large body of research demonstrates the benefits of improving sleep duration in athletes. A 2017 review published in Current Sports Medicine Reports notes that increases in sleep duration and quality alike are linked to improved performance, competitive success, and a lower risk of injury and illness in athletes. As such, adequate sleep can optimize health, enhance athletic output, and boost participation during training.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
More specifically, a range of studies have investigated the impact of set hours of sleep amongst different types of athletes:
A small 2019 study (of 9 participants) found that cyclists and triathletes maintained better endurance after extending their usual sleep time by 30 percent over 3 nights, concluding that they should sleep more than 8 hours per night to optimize performance.
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A small 2011 study (of 11 participants) found that men’s college basketball players who slept for more than 10 hours a night for up to 7 weeks experienced faster sprint times, improved shooting accuracy, increased vigor, and a stronger sense of physical and mental well-being during practice and games.
A small 2015 study (of 12 male and female participants) found that college tennis players who increased their sleep by approximately 2 hours, to sleep at least 9 hours daily (including naps) for a week, significantly improved their serving accuracy.
By and large, athletes and those who train rigorously will require more sleep than most people, due to their extensive output and subsequent heightened requirements for recovery. Still, these results show just how crucial getting enough quality sleep truly is, when linked to various markers of physical performance and well-being.
How can poor sleep negatively impact physical performance?
Anyone who’s struggled with a lack of sleep and/or disrupted sleep is sure to know that they don’t function at their best the day after. (Perhaps you experience trouble concentrating, stress, irritability, adverse changes in appetite… or a mix thereof.) So it’s no surprise to learn that sleep deficits and poor sleep quality can hinder exercise performance and then some.
“Not getting enough sleep can affect your decision-making during workouts, make physical activities feel more tiring than they generally should be, and make it harder for your muscles to recover,” Dr. Harris explains.
Plus, if you’re seeking specific gains — including, but not limited to, muscle growth and improved personal records for speed or accuracy — both short- and long-term sleep deficits can stack the odds against you. “Overall, bad sleep makes it harder for your body to adapt and get stronger from the exercise you do,” the sleep expert continues.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Frequent sleep issues will take a hit on your health in general, creating a domino effect that can hinder your athletic abilities.
“This could include feeling tired all the time, being more likely to have impaired decision-making and reaction times while working out where you could get hurt, and having trouble with performing at your best both physically and mentally,” says Dr. Harris. “Poor sleep can also disrupt your hormones and weaken your immune system, making it harder for you to get the most out of your workouts and increasing the risk of you getting sick.”
Disturbed sleep can affect everyone from occasional joggers to elite athletes. For instance, a 2022 study published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology investigated 10 NBA seasons’ worth of data to see how jet lag affected pro basketball players’ performance and game outcomes. Home teams subjected to eastward jet lag (i.e., in which they ‘lost’ time and played in direct opposition to their biological clock) were linked to:
Reduced wins
Fewer points scored
Fewer rebounds
Less effective field goal percentages
The researchers concluded that this type of circadian rhythm disruption — which involves impaired sleep quality — may have significant consequences on both game performance as well as recovery.
The bottom line
In short, if you want to improve pretty much any marker of athletic performance as well as facilitate recovery thereafter, it’s imperative to prioritize sleep as best you can. “To stay healthy and perform your best while exercising, it’s important to get enough good quality sleep every night,” Dr. Harris reiterates. Doing so won’t only support the likes of vigor, speed, endurance, and reaction time — but also more generally promote hormonal health, immune function, and physical and mental well-being.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Even one night of poor rest can throw your exercise regimen or sports performance off track. In these cases, it’s best not to exert yourself too much as you may heighten the risk of injury and adverse outcomes. “Getting a bad night’s sleep can make you tired the next day and affect how well you exercise, but an easy fix for this is to make sure you get enough rest that night and the nights following,” says Dr. Harris.
Of course, sleeping well is often easier said than done, namely if you have a history of sleep issues. In addition to following healthy dietary, lifestyle, and sleep hygiene practices, it’s best to consult your physician or a sleep specialist if you struggle with sleep regularly. This will benefit both your physical performance and overall health, helping you to score wins at the gym, during sports, and wherever else life takes you.
Dr Shelby Harris
Dr Shelby Harris is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in White Plains, New York and director of sleep health for Sleepopolis. She is board-certified in behavioral sleep medicine (BSM) and works to improve the sleep of everyone from babies through older adults using evidence-based methods.
You get home from a run and automatically press save on your best smartwatch or best running watch. Before jumping in the shower you check the run has uploaded to Strava and pool over the stats. What was my average pace? Have I bagged a segment course record? What was my maximum cadence and heart rate? How much did I slow down on the hill?
The performance self-analysis begins in earnest and before you know it, you’ve forgotten to stretch, eat something, or reflect on how you actually feel. Instead, you are busy planning how to better your stats on your next run.
Whilst fitness watches are a great way to track your progress and stay motivated, there are also lots of benefits to running ‘naked’. Leaving your watch at home can have mental health advantages and enable you to tap into how your body is coping with the physical stress of running.
“Running to feel is a very important skill, and it can mean you don’t overtrain when you are tired or in need of a recovery run,” says James Rodgers, an expert coach and competitive runner for 20 years. “Usually, if your body is tired, easing off and listening to it is the best way to go. Pushing through and trying to hit a certain pace when feeling that way puts you at risk of overtraining and picking up an injury.”
And yet we are increasingly slaves to our smart watches, heart rate monitors and fitness trackers. According to global data published by ACSM Health & Fitness Journal, wearable technology is the top 2024 fitness trend. Smartwatches (and other wearables such as running pods and the best smart rings) can record movement, speed, distance, and heart rate.
Wearables can estimate calories burned, advise us when to ease off and recover, and monitor the quality of our sleep. Premium models are also capable of navigating via GPS technology, storing music, and receiving calls and texts: not a distraction you always want on runs.
But as with all technology there is also a darker side, with studies suggesting that people with predispositions to eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive exercise may be more drawn to fitness trackers which could potentially fuel or exacerbate their disordered behavior.
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There is also a wealth of evidence that technology anxiety is continuing to rise in younger people. When we’re not glued to our phones, our watches and wearables are pinging us with notifications instead.
Is it best to run without a smartwatch?
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Alexmaster)
With so much connection in our lives, perhaps there is a time and a place to uncouple and try some naked running. Doing at least some runs without a watch can lead to a more social experience to run at a conversational pace and catch up with friends. It also alleviates the social pressure of having to publicly ‘perform’ on platforms like Strava, or having to round up a run to the nearest mile or kilometre.
Taking the pressure off can also help to increase enjoyment in running, says endurance coach Stephanie Holbrook. “It can be a rewarding challenge to set aside your ego and embrace device-free running. It allows you to focus on enjoying running without being distracted by technology. It also alleviates the need to consistently meet precise performance goals, fostering a more laid-back and pleasurable running session.”
Simon James is the founder of Run the Wild, an organization with the mantra “exploring places not running races”. He believes running without tech leads to a more meditative state.
“It helps you to really escape from what’s going on in other parts of your world, and stresses, and brings you into the present moment. Tech detracts us from the moment and takes us away.”
He advocates running on the trails without a smartwatch, headphones, or phone (or phone switched off, if you have to take it) to immerse yourself in your surroundings.
“Literally be silent and put everything away, turn everything off, and just have that moment of being in nature. We just don’t do that in our society anymore. We live in a society where every moment has to be filled with either music or a podcast or something on your phone. Something to distract you. But studies show immersion in green spaces is beneficial for our mental health,” he adds.
The importance of running to feel
(Image credit: Future)
It’s not just about the mental and social benefits. Completely relying on data to tell you how you feel when you wake up and how hard you need to train, takes away the human component of knowing how you feel. Your watch might say you had a poor night’s sleep and need to rest, but you might actually feel strong. Similarly, there are days when recovery is required but your watch is telling you to push yourself because it doesn’t know your legs are aching or that you just received some bad news.
And let’s face it, tech can sometimes fail so it’s important not to be over reliant on it. If it stops working during a race you need to have an idea of how a certain pace feels. “This allows you to continue running without becoming stressed or running too fast, even if the GPS is not working properly,” says Rodgers.
So how can you run naked? Lewis Moses, former GB international athlete and founder of New Levels Coaching says it means running by rate of perceived effort (RPE). Maximum effort like sprinting is 10/10 whilst an easy effort is more like 4/10, with resting 0/10.
“When running an easy effort you should be able to hold down a conversation and your breathing rate wouldn’t be too high, simply because you are running easy. Sometimes simple things like this are much better than always looking at your watch and looking for reassurance.
“It not only gives you a mental break from the splits, it also enhances your ability to run to feel, which can be quite liberating for some runners.”
A new patent from Microsoft has popped up, revealing a concept called Pixel Luminesce for Digital Display technology. This product would, theoretically, allow users to control every pixel on a display, essentially allowing you to selectively dim your display based on preferences and needs.
Though this concept sounds like an accessibility dream for those who suffer from sight issues, light sensitivity, and other disorders, it could also be a case of technology that’s mostly too good to be true.
According to the patent (and reported by Windows Report), individual pixels would be controlled by a part called an EM gate driver. It sends the pixels a signal to control how bright or dim they are, and then a luminance controller tells the EM gate drivers to send another kind of signal called a pulse-width modulated signal to the rows of pixels.
Since the signals could alternate between off and on, it could allow for one part of the display to be brighter while another could be at default brightness or darker. This could also allow other features like color accuracy, refresh rate, and even power consumption to be adjusted as needed.
Dimming technology may not be ready to see the light
However, there are several possible drawbacks to this technology that could severely affect the display. First, the actual benefits would be restricted to LCD monitors since OLED and QLED can already produce true black local dimming. Second, constantly altering pixel brightness could negatively impact the overall lifespan of your display, by decreasing it.
Because of this, if Microsoft were still planning this device, it would be difficult to make it work well enough to justify it, especially for such a limited amount of display types.
There is one bit of good news, and it’s that the Pixel Luminesce for Digital Display can work if you’re willing to be a bit more flexible on what can make proper use of it. Gaming laptop displays are ideal for this dimming technology, as the EM gate driver needs local processing to function. A display with dimming couldn’t use an HDMI connection but instead a USB-C with datastream as well as display throughput. A laptop display, however, completely bypasses this requirement thanks to its local processing.
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This patent isn’t a product set in manufacturing stone, but one that could possibly happen. If it does, though, there are too many setbacks involved when using a separate monitor that would outweigh the positives. Only if it’s reconsidered for a laptop display could the concept succeed, but even then OLED and QLED are already on the market, meaning there’s very little return on investment.
We reached out to Microsoft for comment and will update this article if there is anything new to report.
In a recent interview with CNBC’s Jim Cramer, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang shared details about the company’s upcoming Blackwell chip which cost $10 billion in research and development to create.
The new GPU, which is built on a custom 4NP TSMC process and packs a total of 208 billion transistors (104 billion per die), with 192GB of HMB3e memory and 8TB/s of memory bandwidth, involved the creation of new technology because what the company was trying to achieve “went beyond the limits of physics,” Huang said.
During the chat, Huang also revealed that the fist-sized Blackwell chip will sell for “between $30,000 and $40,000”. That’s similar in price to the H100 which analysts say cost between $25,000 and $40,000 per chip when demand was at its peak.
A big markup
According to estimates by investment services firm Raymond James (via @firstadopter), Nvidia B200s will cost Nvidia in excess of $6,000 to make, compared with the estimated $3320 production costs of the H100.
The actual final selling price of the GPU will vary depending on whether it’s bought directly from Nvidia or through a third party seller, but customers aren’t likely to be purchasing just the chips.
Nvidia has already unveiled three variations of its Blackwell AI accelerator with different memory configurations — B100, B200, and the GB200 which brings together two Nvidia B200 Tensor Core GPUs and a Grace CPU. Nvidia’s strategy, however, is geared towards selling million dollar AI supercomputers like the multi-node, liquid-cooled NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 rack-scale system, DGX B200 servers with eight Blackwell GPUs, or DGX B200 SuperPODs.
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I’ve been increasingly driven to distraction by YouTube’s ever-more-aggressive delivery of adverts before, during and after videos, which is making it a challenge to even get to the bits of a video that I want to see without having some earnest voice encourage me to trade stocks or go to Dubai. Until now I’ve been too cheap to subscribe to YouTube Premium – but that may soon change.
That’s because YouTube is apparently testing an AI-powered recommendation system that will analyze patterns in viewer behavior to cleverly skip to the most popular parts of a video with just a double tap on a touchscreen.
“The way it works is, if a viewer is double tapping to skip ahead on an eligible segment, we’ll show a jump ahead button that will take them to the next point in the video that we think they’re aiming for,” YouTube creator-centric channel Creator Insider explained. “This feature will also be available to creators while watching their own videos.”
Currently, such a double-tap action skips a YouTube video forward by a few seconds, which I don’t find hugely useful. And while YouTube introduces a form of wave pattern on the video timeline to show what the most popular parts of the video are, it’s not the easiest thing to use, and can sometimes feel rather lacking in intuitiveness.
So being able to easily tap to get to the most popular part of a video, at least according to an AI, could be a boon for impatient people like me. The only wrinkle is this feature is only being tested for YouTube Premium users and is currently limited to the US.
But such handy features do tend to get a larger global rollout once they come out of the testing phase, meaning there’s scope for Brits like myself to have access to some smart double-tap video skipping. That’s if I do finally decide to bite the bullet and pay for YouTube Premium.
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You may already be familiar with the brand Anker if you’ve purchased power banks or other battery-charging devices for your favorite electronics in recent years. Did you know that this popular brand for charging smart devices can also power your entire home? Anker’s SOLIX line of portable power stations and accessories are versatile and affordable while providing a higher cost-performance ratio than similar power stations from the competition.
Portable power stations can be useful for providing access to electrical connectivity during camping trips, help you reduce the cost of your utility bills by embracing solar power, or providing potentially life-saving battery backup in emergencies. Anker has a solution to fit your power output needs.
Going off-grid with Anker SOLIX
When we think of going off-grid, most of us think of rugged living in the woods, surviving off the land without modern utilities and amenities. While some of that is true for some off-grid folks, others prefer to keep amenities like hot showers and internet connectivity. Those things require an electrical current, though. The most common way to overcome the need for electricity without shelling out big bucks to join your neighborhood power grid is to utilize solar power.
(Image credit: Anker)
With the Anker SOLIX F3800 portable power station, tapping into the natural resource of sunlight to power your home has never been easier or more affordable. Anker SOLIX portable power stations are designed to be a plug-and-play power solution for your home. When combined with Anker SOLIX portable solar panels, the portable power station is capable of 2400W of solar input, charging from 0 to 80% with as little as 1.5 hours of sunlight. Anker even offers an additional expansion battery, capable of pushing the SOLIX F3800 unit from its standard 3,840Wh up to an impressive 7,680Wh of power for your off-grid home.
Because the Anker SOLIX is portable, it’s also an excellent generation solution for camping trips and RVs. Traditional gas-powered generators are loud and unsafe to use near your campsite. They exhaust smoke and fumes and overall can lessen the enjoyment of a quiet retreat to nature. The SOLIX power station, on the other hand, is significantly quieter when in use, and provides clean, sustainable energy without fumes or reliance on fossil fuels.
Disaster preparedness with Anker SOLIX
Sometimes nature is a wonderful and relaxing escape from the daily grind, but some days nature has an ax to grind. When nature flares up, dangerous storms can cause troublesome power outages that can vary from inconvenient to life-threatening. You’ll want a powerful generator that can take over from the grid and continue to supply your home with the electricity you need to get through the storm. The SOLIX F3800 power station is strong enough to provide all the electricity you need for your entire home. Yes, that even includes your 240v electronics like stoves and dryers.
(Image credit: Anker)
Anker utilizes advanced GaNPrime technology and pairs it with LiFePO4 batteries so that SOLIX F3800 power station is a reliable, long-lasting, and easy-to-use power supply solution when you find yourself in an emergency. With the SOLIX, you are in control and can choose to manually convert to your stored energy when the lights go out. Or, set it and forget it with the powerful and customizable app. The SOLIX F3800 can seamlessly transition between the power grid and backup power solutions during outages.
Buy now and save even more
(Image credit: Anker)
Paired with expandable battery banks and solar power panels, the Anker SOLIX F3800 power station can save you money on your utility bills in the long term. You don’t have to wait to start saving with the SOLIX F3800, however. You can save an additional $100 on your new power backup system by using the code ASSF3800 when you purchase a SOLIX F3800 Portable Power Station from Anker. That makes the price for peace of mind and disaster preparedness security just $2999 with free shipping.
Samsung has released an update to ClockFace, a module for Good Lock that gives you additional options to customize clock face for the lock screen and always-on display over what Android and One UI offer.The update changes the app’s version to 3.1.7 and according to the changelog, it brings three features for phones/tablets running on One UI 6.1 and one improvement for devices running on One UI 6.0.
Let’s start with the three features for phones/tablets running on One UI 6.1. First, the update offers new font options for the clock face. Second, it adds a new weather item. Third, it allows you to add frames to images and GIFs. With the three new options, you can personalize the clock face in an even finer way than before.
As for the one change for One UI 6.0, Samsung says that now when you open ClockFace on devices that don’t support clock style for always-on display, the app will show only the option to customize clock faces for the lock screen. Up until now, it used to show the option to customize clock faces for AOD as well, an option that couldn’t do anything.
We have received the latest update for ClockFace on our Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S24+ in India. So, it looks like the company has made the new version of the app available globally. To get the update, go to Galaxy Store » Menu » Updates. Recently, Samsung also updated Good Lock’s two more modules, Multistar and Wonderland.
If you haven’t heard, Amazon has launched a six-day ‘Big Spring Sale’ event with thousands of deals on tech gadgets, cleaning supplies, clothing, smart home devices, and kitchen appliances. With so many items on sale, it’s hard to weed out the good offers from the bad because not everything discounted is a genuine bargain.
But that’s where I come in. I’m a seasoned deals editor at TechRadar, which means I shop for sales on Amazon for a living. I research price history to bring you the best of the best from Amazon’s Big Spring sale. Today’s stand-out offers include a mix of home items, TVs, vacuums, kitchen appliances, and Amazon’s own smart home devices.
Shop more of my top picks below, and remember that Amazon’s Big Spring Sale ends on Monday. Prices like this might not be available until Prime Day later this Summer.
