The United States is pushing for domestic manufacturing, and by “pushing,” I mean throwing markets into chaos with tariffs against specific countries and products decided seemingly at random. But how much will computer chips, probably the most complex and in-demand general production item on the planet, cost to make stateside? AMD’s CEO has an answer, or at least a guess. Dr. Lisa Su said that chips produced at the new fabrication facility in Arizona will be “more than 5 percent but less than 20 percent” more expensive compared to Taiwan, speaking to AI industry leaders, government officials, and press in Washington DC. Su elaborated that the extra expense is worth it to diversify the incredibly complex supply chain, reports Bloomberg. The Arizona plant is owned by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, TSMC, the global giant of chip fabrication that partners with essentially every major cutting-edge chip designer for at least some of its output. Billions of dollars are being poured into a US push for domestic semiconductor output via the CHIPS Act, with the Arizona fab being the largest. TSMC Arizona Fabs is currently outputting hardware, but won’t be fully completed until 2026. Other American chip fabs are planned for New York, Texas, Idaho, Ohio, and other locations, from corporations including Intel, Samsung, and Micron. 5-20 percent more expensive than the established manufacturing in Taiwan and other countries is a rather general figure…and one that could be easy to fudge for Dr. Su by leaving out some crucial details. Semiconductor manufacturing is a mind-bogglingly complicated business, with new fabrication plants taking years of development, to say nothing of the process of designing, testing, and finally rolling out new chip designs. It’s also a cutthroat competition between corporations and the governments that want to host them. For a full and authoritative breakdown, be sure to check out PCWorld’s recent interviews with Dr. Ian Cutress. At the Hill and Valley Forum, AMD both courted government officials including U.S. president Trump, and tried to put on a brave face to competitors. The biggest of those is undeniably Nvidia, which has rocketed to the top of the tech industry on years of growth selling chips to the AI industry. AMD is also making good on the AI boom, but is notably behind the 800-pound gorilla. Both corporations are trying to create favorable conditions by lobbying US politicians, crucially scoring tax breaks and favorable exceptions to export restrictions for countries like China. Read...

Nope, it’s not just you: Reports of Google Assistant strugglng to perform even basic smart home commands have been surging in recent weeks, and now Google is admitting that something’s amiss.  The lead executive for Google’s Home and Nest division tweeted on X that he’s heard the complaints “loud and clear” and revealed that his team is “actively working on major improvements.”  “I want to acknowledge the recent feedback about Google Assistant reliability on our home devices,” said Anish Kattukaran, the director of product management for Google Home and Nest. “I sincerely apologize for what you’re experiencing and feeling!”  Kattukaran’s assurances come after a steep rise in complaints about Google Assistant on Google’s Nest speakers and displays. Some users have been reporting that their Assistant routines have stopped working, while others say their Assistant-enabled devices have lost contact with smart lights, fail to play Spotify playlists, or can no longer control their Chromecast streaming devices with voice commands.  “We hear you loud and clear and are committed to getting this right – and making sure we have a long-term solution that provides better reliability and capability,” Katturkaran promised.  Kattukaran’s statement on X come during a turbulent time for Google Assistant, which is gradually being phased out to make way for Gemini.  Google kicked off a test of Gemini on Google Nest speakers late last year, before announcing in March that a “new experience powered by Gemini” will soon replace Google Assistant on Google’s smart devices.  In the meantime, Google has been quietly shedding features from Google Assistant and dropping support for some key Nest smart products, including its first- and second-generation Nest Learning Thermostats. Google has also discontinued its Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm and Nest x Yale Lock and handed off the development of further devices in those product categories to third parties.  Of course, Google isn’t the only company facing a difficult transition period for its voice assistants. Alexa is in the middle of a glacially slow rollout of its AI-enhanced Alexa+, with mixed success. Meanwhile, Apple’s rumored smart hub has been reportedly delayed until next year due to speedbumps with Siri’s AI makeover.  In any event, Google has been promising big things for Google Home in the fall, including new devices and—presumably—this “new experience powered by Gemini” that we’ve been heading about. Sounds good, but at the rate things are going for Google Assistant and Google’s Home efforts in general, these promised autumn improvements couldn’t come a moment too soon. Read...

Windows Security is not the same across Windows 10 and Windows 11. Microsoft’s built-in security suite protects against online and offline threats in both operating systems, but Windows 11 gets extra features. Not that most people know about it—few users keep up with the latest additions to background protections. So Microsoft has taken steps to get more use out of a particular Windows 11 exclusive—Smart App Control. Smart App Control screens apps, analyzes them via Microsoft’s cloud security service, and determines if they’re safe. It works broadly across all programs too, whether installed directly by a user or via the Microsoft Store app. As a supplement to the antivirus, firewall, and other protections in Windows Security, it provides an additional layer of defense against compromised executables and malware.  And as of January 2025, Windows 11 can automatically start Smart App Control in an audit mode, where it monitors your usage to see if you’re a good candidate for the feature. (Some developers and gamers run programs that Smart App Control can interfere with.) If all’s well after 30 days, then it will automatically switch on. But this security feature has one wrinkle—only clean installations of Windows 11 behave this way. For most people, that equates to when you initially begin using a new PC. This Windows 11 PC will need to be reset in order to turn on Smart App Control.PCWorld So, if you’ve just bought a laptop or desktop, you should open Windows Security after you first boot up. Head to App & browser control, then verify that Evaluation mode is selected. Pretty sure Smart App Control won’t conflict with your usual apps? You can also jump straight to turning the mode fully on. If Smart App Control is set to off on your PC already, you can still activate it. You must reset Windows—but a full clean wipe isn’t necessary. You can do the version that lets you keep your apps and data. Just make sure to back up your system to ensure you don’t lose any of your files. Microsoft has sound reasoning for allowing only clean installs to use Smart App Control—it better ensures the screening process begins on an uncompromised system. But this decision makes Windows 11 security even more convoluted—and security in general is already a muddle, thanks to the explosion of scams, phishing attempts, malware, and other attacks in the last couple of years. Using a password manager, antivirus, and keeping your software up to date is now very much the bare minimum. Read...

One of the handier features on new cars is the ability to remotely unlock and start them. Microsoft is adding the opposite — the ability to remotely lock your PC — to its Windows toolkit. Windows Central is reporting that it’s seeing an update to the Microsoft Link to Windows app on Android, whose latest update adds the ability to remotely lock your PC, even if you’re not nearby. As the site notes, Windows already allows you to automatically lock your PC when you walk away, so it basically uses your phone’s Bluetooth connectivity as a “fence” of sorts. Go beyond that fence and Windows can lock your PC as a protective measure. If you don’t have that feature turned on, the Link to Windows app update allows you to manually lock your PC, especially if you’re going to be unexpectedly delayed. Windows Central’s tests of the new app show that Microsoft is reorganizing some of Link to Windows’ functions in a more organized interface, too. In general, the interaction between your Android phone and Windows has been relatively one-sided. On a PC, the Phone Link app provides an interface to share files, photos, texts, and more between your PC and the phone. The Link to Windows app has traditionally been pretty rudimentary, simply allowing you to specify whether you want Windows to be able to share certain files or connect to it as a hotspot. Now, it sounds like Microsoft is beefing up its Android app, and the ability to remotely lock your PC sounds like a definite improvement. Look out for version 1.25071.165 or higher in the app to trigger the new feature. Read...

For me, the biggest difference between a “gaming” mouse or keyboard and a regular one is the software. Gaming accessories need a lot more customization options, and preferably a tool that lets you change settings automatically for each game. But mouse maker Endgame Gear distributed a little something extra with its mouse software: a remote access trojan. Upon downloading the official software tool for the OP1w 4K V2 mouse (catchy), directly from Endgame’s website, some Reddit posters discovered that it was packing a remote access trojan that triggered multiple virus scanners, but notably not Windows Defender. Other Reddit users on the Mouse Review subreddit discovered other Endgame installers with different malware packages, as reported by German security site Igor’s Lab. Investigations found that the Endgame site itself had likely been compromised sometime on or after July 2, though clean versions of the relevant mouse software had been replaced by July 17. Endgame Gear has been notably quiet about how malware was posted to its own official download repository. One vague statement on a Discord server after the (apparently correct) file was re-uploaded is all that’s been issued so far, with no public-facing messages on either the company website or the Reddit thread where the problems were first discovered. Endgame customers are, in a word, pissed, and it’s hard to blame them. Igor’s Lab and Reddit users note that if the Berlin-based manufacturer (Pro Gamersware GmbH) has discovered a malware infection with access to user data, it could be in violation of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by withholding full disclosure. “From what I can tell, EndgameGear has not addressed this publicly, which is incredibly irresponsible,” says /u/Admirable-Raccoon597, the original poster. “The malicious ZIP file was silently replaced with a clean version, which clearly shows they were aware something was wrong.” Read...

The secretary-general of Niue Rugby Union says she is committed to advocate for the inclusive growth across smaller Pacific rugby unions. Read...

General Motors said tariffs slashed its second-quarter income by more than US$1 billion, and other companies pointed to import duties to explain smaller profits. Read...

Binance has appointed fintech veteran Matt Poblocki as General Manager for Australia and New Zealand to drive growth in the region’s digital asset market. Read...

Despite a ton of competition from companies big and small, the Steam Deck remains the go-to recommendation for anyone who wants PC games in a handheld form factor—and Windows being a clunky option is a big part of that. But the Lenovo Legion Go S has arrived with SteamOS built in. So, now which one is better? Certified handheld fanatic Adam Patrick Murray breaks it down for us. Specifically, we’re talking about the base model Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS Edition (wow, what a mouthful) with a Ryzen Z2 Go processor. This can be found on sale for around $500 at times, versus the Steam Deck OLED at $550. The first-step upgrade over the $400 version is more directly compatible with the new Lenovo model, with its upgraded screen, battery, and 512GB storage drive. That OLED screen is obviously a big improvement over the cheaper one, but the Legion Go S’s screen is very high-quality for an LCD, and it’s also bigger, sharper, faster, and has a variable refresh rate. So, which one you prefer will likely come down to personal preference (or a need for competitive speed) rather than a flat “this one is better” determination. Will Smith is torn on the options. What about the specs? While these are very similar devices, the biggest differentiator is that the Legion Go S has a much newer processor. The Ryzen Z2 Go isn’t an earth-shattering powerhouse by any means, and it’s got a similar AMD 4-core setup. But its newer Zen 3 architecture means more power and breathing room in the integrated GPU, especially on high-end PC games with that denser screen resolution. The Legion Go S’s 16GB of RAM is the same as the Steam Deck, but it’s slightly faster. The bottom line is that you’re going to get considerably more performance on the Z2 Go version of the Legion Go S, by a margin of about 20 to 40 percent based on games. (The Z2 Extreme version has an even bigger gap, but it’s more expensive.) Crucially, that’s matching the Steam Deck’s 1280×800 resolution. So, if you’re looking for pure performance, Lenovo is winning with the newer hardware. Foundry What about the physical layout of the device and how it feels in your hands? The Legion Go S is bigger and chunkier, mostly thanks to its bigger and taller screen. Adam says that it feels better in the hands, but Will notes that Lenovo goes with just one rear “paddle” button on each side while the Steam Deck has two. The Steam Deck’s two larger trackpads are also much better for general navigation and give you more options in-game. The Legion Go S is heavier, louder, and Adam says the vibration motors aren’t as nice. The Steam Deck has its own downsides, though. Those who are used to Xbox-style controls might not like the unusual stick placement to the inside of the D-pad and action buttons, and those with small hands might find them difficult to reach. Unfortunately, this will be a highly individual distinction, and you’ll want to get your hands on both of them to make the call for yourself. Despite the fact that both are running SteamOS, it’s hard to deny that it’s just a smoother experience on the Steam Deck. And it’s not Lenovo’s fault! Rather, Valve has been supporting the Steam Deck for three years now, whereas the Legion Go is almost brand new by comparison. You’ll just get fewer hiccups in games on the Steam Deck, with things like inputting text or screen resolution options or control customizations, than on the Legion Go S. Software support, specifically in the driver support for Linux-based SteamOS, is still a bit of a question mark. Adam says that despite liking the screen, the increased performance, and the ergonomics, he’d still go with the Steam Deck OLED at the moment. Will is landing at around the same place. For more deep dives into PC gaming, be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube and check out our weekly podcast The Full Nerd. Read...

When it comes to PCWorld’s Amazon Prime Day coverage, it’s my job to handle the monitor segment—and this year, it didn’t escape my notice that, despite a general downward trend in OLED prices, the cheapest one during Prime Day was about 20 percent more expensive than last year. But here’s another AOC OLED monitor that’s now cheaper than it was during Prime Day, currently sitting at a price of $427.69. This AOC Q27G4ZD monitor hits all the same points as the budget OLED mainstays (yes, I know, “budget” is a relative term with OLEDs), with a 27-inch 2560×1440 panel, a speedy 240Hz refresh rate, and a depressing lack of USB-C functionality. You do get three inputs (two HDMI and one DisplayPort) for handling multiple machines or consoles, though, and there are four USB-A ports for connecting a few accessories. But yeah, this doesn’t make a great pairing with a gaming laptop. But as a budget-friendly upgrade for your desktop setup, this is a great choice. AOC offers G-Sync compatibility, a 3-year Dead Pixel warranty (though it doesn’t say anything about burn-in), and VESA compatibility for adding a monitor arm. This is the best price I’ve seen for an OLED monitor in months, and I don’t know how long it’ll stick around, so hop on it if you’ve been waiting. But if it’s not quite what you’re looking for, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best monitors on the market for other options. Get this 27-inch 1440p OLED monitor at its cheapest ever priceBuy now on Amazon Read...