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| PC World - 18 Sep (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
ProsSuper-attractive styling and lightingGood 10Gbps performancePlaystation logoConsOnly 10GbpsExpensiveOur VerdictThe Seagate Game Drive SSD is attractively styled to match the PS4/PS5. It’s also a very good performer, though you pay considerably for the looks and speed.
Seagate theming its external storage devices must pay dividends at the sales counter as the company shows no sign of slacking off the practice. Its latest effort, the Game Drive SSD, is styled to match Sony’s Playstations — logo and all. The drive is also fast, if a bit pricey.
What are the Seagate Game Drive SSD’s features?
The Seagate Game Drive SSD is a 10Gbps USB external SSD, hued and styled to match Sony’s Playstation consoles. It measures around 2.2-inches wide, by 4.13-inches long, by 0.43-inches thick and weighs a mere 2.5 ounces.
The end of the drive with the Playstation logo (it’s officially licensed, if you care) features the Type-C port and the activity light (it’s very subtle in its variance). On the other end with the Seagate name there’s a stylish Playstation-like blue LED bar (see the main photo).
In total, the appearance is very PS4/5 like, and to my mind, very attractive.
Seagate warranties the Game Drive SSD for three years, but there was no mention of a TBW rating (terabytes that may be written). TBW generally mitigates the warranty as miles do on an auto warranty, but there’s little chance of wearing out any SSD within the warranty period.
Note that TBW is a write endurance rating. Occasionally we hear from someone that asks if reaching this limit incapacitates the drive. It doesn’t. You can still read from it, you just can’t write to it. In other words, the data on it is still safe, you just can’t add any.
Further reading: See our roundup of the best external drives to learn about competing products.
How much does the Seagate Game Drive SSD cost?
The Game Drive External SSD ships in 1TB/$130 and 2TB/$220 flavors. That’s definitely on the pricey side, so you’re paying quite a bit for the styling. You’ll have to decide if the drive’s appearance is worth the extra dough, but it’s a looker for sure.
How fast is the Seagate Game Drive SSD?
The Seagate Game Drive SSD (2TB) proved the 5th fastest of the 17 10Gbs USB SSDs I’ve tested to date. It’s fast for its ilk and 10Gbps ports are still far more common than 20Gbps, or USB/Thunderbolt 4. Ergo, it’s fast enough and cheaper than the more recent technologies, if not as much cheaper as I’d like.
It’s a looker for sure.
Note that the Crucial X9 Pro, SK Hynix Beetle X31, and Samsung T7 Shield in the charts are all older models. The Crucial X9 Pro and SK Hynix are also quite a bit cheaper at this point.
The Seagate Game Drive SSD was the fastest under CrystalDiskMark 8 writing with multiple queues of the four drives I tested it against, and not far off in the other tests.
The Seagate Game Drive SSD was the fastest under CrystalDiskMark 8 writing with multiple queues of the four drives and not far off in the other tests. Longer bars are better.
The Seagate Game Drive SSD was the fastest under CrystalDiskMark 8 writing with multiple queues of the four drives and not far off in the other tests. Longer bars are better.
The Seagate Game Drive SSD was the fastest under CrystalDiskMark 8 writing with multiple queues of the four drives and not far off in the other tests. Longer bars are better.
The Seagate Game Drive SSD’s random performance under CrystalDiskMark 8 was outstanding.
The Seagate Game Drive SSD’s random performance under CrystalDiskMark 8 was outstanding. Longer bars are better.
The Seagate Game Drive SSD’s random performance under CrystalDiskMark 8 was outstanding. Longer bars are better.
The Seagate Game Drive SSD’s random performance under CrystalDiskMark 8 was outstanding. Longer bars are better.
While it couldn’t match the Crucial X9 Pro in 48GB transfers, the Seagate Game Drive SSD was still no slouch.
While it couldn’t match the Cucial X9 Pro with 48GB transfers, the Seagate Game Drive SSD was still no slouch. Shorter bars are better.
While it couldn’t match the Cucial X9 Pro with 48GB transfers, the Seagate Game Drive SSD was still no slouch. Shorter bars are better.
While it couldn’t match the Cucial X9 Pro with 48GB transfers, the Seagate Game Drive SSD was still no slouch. Shorter bars are better.
It wasn’t a true barn burner writing our single 450GB file — however, the Seagate Game Drive SSD managed an acceptable performance for 10Gbps USB.
It was not a barn burner writing our single 450GB file, however, the Seagate Game Drive SSD was still average for 10Gbps USB. Shorter bars are better.
It was not a barn burner writing our single 450GB file, however, the Seagate Game Drive SSD was still average for 10Gbps USB. Shorter bars are better.
It was not a barn burner writing our single 450GB file, however, the Seagate Game Drive SSD was still average for 10Gbps USB. Shorter bars are better.
The Seagate Game Drive SSD wasn’t the fastest 10Gbps USB SSD I’ve tested, but it wasn’t far off. Subjectively, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between it and the four 10Gbps drives that placed ahead of it. In other words, performance isn’t a concern.
Should you buy the Seagate Game Drive SSD?
Sure. I’m fairly certain you won’t be disappointed in the Game Drive SSD’s performance or appearance. Of course, if looks and fashion coordination aren’t a concern, you can waltz out of the store with something else for a substantially smaller outlay.
How we test
Drive tests currently utilize Windows 11, 64-bit running on an X790 (PCIe 4.0/5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 4800MHz modules (64GB of memory total). Both 20Gbps USB and Thunderbolt 4 are integrated to the back panel and Intel CPU/GPU graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB of total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a 2TB Samsung 990 Pro which also runs the OS.
Each test is performed on a newly formatted and TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that in normal use, as a drive fills up, performance may decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, as well as other factors. This can be less of a factor with the current crop of SSDs with far faster late-generation NAND.
Caveat: The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped and to the capacity tested. SSD performance can and will vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to shotgun reads/writes across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching. Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report, by all means, let us know. Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | PC World - 18 Sep (PC World)Kensington’s first Thunderbolt 5 dock, the future of PC I/O, is here! Unfortunately, it’s just one part of the equation.
The Kensington SD5000T5 EQ Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station is the first Thunderbolt 5 dock I’ve seen inside PCWorld’s lab. Kensington will begin selling the dock today on Amazon for $399.99, a substantial premium to the majority of Thunderbolt 4 docks already on the market. (One exception is Kingston’s SD5800T, a premium Thunderbolt 4 dock).
Thunderbolt 5, however, offers significant advantages compared to Thunderbolt 4 docks, which have offered the same 40Gbps throughput as the older Thunderbolt 3 docks. Thunderbolt 5 boosts that to 80Gbps, and in certain cases even up to 120Gbps in a single direction. That equates to two 8K, 60Hz displays, or three 4K displays at 144Hz. TB5 should also allow laptops to connect to external GPUs, a feature that Thunderbolt 4 passed over, and USB-C charging up to 140W.
The problem is that laptop docking stations like the Kensington SD5000T5 are part of an ecosystem. It’s not enough to own just a Thunderbolt 5 docking station; you need a laptop with Thunderbolt 5 support and probably high-speed components to connect to. Put simply, Thunderbolt 4 allows connections to a pair of 4K displays at 60Hz; Thunderbolt 5 can connect to two 4K displays at 144Hz, which are considerably more expensive. Those pieces are what I’m lacking here, and what prevents me from writing a “real” review at present.
Further reading: Check out our recommendations for the best Thunderbolt laptop docking stations for more information. Kensington has a solid reputation, and the Kensington Thunderbolt 4 Dual 4K Dock (SD5780T) currently ranks second in our list of best picks.
Thunderbolt 5 is backwards-compatible with Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3, however, so you can buy this dock even if you don’t have a Thunderbolt 5-capable laptop or peripherals. Incidentally, as Kensington’s documents note, this is a Windows-only dock; Apple has not committed to Thunderbolt 5 support at press time. Kensington also says that its dock is officially certified by Intel.
The front of the Kensington SD5000T5 EQ Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station, with a power LED, downstream and upstream Thunderbolt 5 ports, a USB-A port for charging
The front of the Kensington SD5000T5 EQ Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station, with a power LED, downstream and upstream Thunderbolt 5 ports, a USB-A port for charging Mark Hachman / IDG
The front of the Kensington SD5000T5 EQ Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station, with a power LED, downstream and upstream Thunderbolt 5 ports, a USB-A port for charging Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
The SD5000TS falls into what I’d typically call a “hub” category. Instead of dedicated display ports, the dock includes three upstream Thunderbolt 5 connections, which can be used for display, storage, and more. You don’t need to own a display with a dedicated Thunderbolt port to use it with this dock. Kensington supplied a 4K/8K HDMI to USB-C cable for use with this dock, though you will have to purchase something similar.
Otherwise, the front of the dock includes a downstream Thunderbolt 5 port to your laptop, which will supply up to 140W for content-creation PCs or for light gaming. To receive 140W, your laptop must support what’s known as the USB-C PD3 3.1 EPR — you’ll need to dive deep into your laptop’s specs to confirm that’s the case. Otherwise, there’s an additional upstream Thunderbolt 5 port (supplying 60W for charging and DisplayPort 2.1), a 10Gbps USB-A port, and a microSD and SD card slot supporting up to UHS-II/SD 4.0 speeds. There’s also a headphone jack.
On the rear of the dock, there are two more Thunderbolt 5 ports, two more 10Gbps USB-A ports, 2.5Gbps Ethernet, and a power button that lights a small LED on the front of the dock when on. The dock itself measures a fairly chunky 8.9 inches by 3.8 inches by 1.6 inches, and must lie flat on the desk. At 2.15lb, it’s not going anywhere either. The Thunderbolt cable extends by just over three feet.
The rear of the Kensington SD5000T5 EQ Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station, with two labeled 10Gbps USB-A ports, 2.5Gbps Ethernet, two more Thunderbolt 5 ports, and a power switch.
The rear of the Kensington SD5000T5 EQ Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station, with two labeled 10Gbps USB-A ports, 2.5Gbps Ethernet, two more Thunderbolt 5 ports, and a power switch.Mark Hachman / IDG
The rear of the Kensington SD5000T5 EQ Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station, with two labeled 10Gbps USB-A ports, 2.5Gbps Ethernet, two more Thunderbolt 5 ports, and a power switch.Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
How the Kensington SD5000T5 performs in the lab
Unfortunately, my own test bed is set up for Thunderbolt 4 devices. I have a single display capable of 4K144 output, but my multiple displays are primarily 4K60. Though this will undoubtedly change, Kensington representatives told me that there are just two laptops that they know of, as of press time, with the “Barlow Ridge” Thunderbolt 5 chip inside; a version of the Razer Blade and the Maingear ML-17. I have neither, but hope to soon. Nor can I test the other key feature that Thunderbolt 5 offers, the ability to connect to an external GPU.
Eventually I hope to be able to write a more formal review, which this will inform. But for now, we’ll have to call it a hands-on and hope for better in the future.
Kensington didn’t ask me to install any drivers to use the SD5000T5. My existing displays (one 4K60, and the other 4K144 capable) took a bit longer to light up than normal, though that isn’t unusual.
The only error I noticed was that once, after resuming from sleep, my 4K144 display glitched badly, with an indecipherable mess of an image.
That occurred on my daily system, which includes a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports. I was able to connect my other test laptops, with Thunderbolt 4 ports, to the dock and to the two displays — with the 4K144 display lighting up at 144Hz, as expected. (One of the laptops wouldn’t do so until after a Windows update). These all ran stably.
An Acer Swift Edge with an AMD Ryzen 7000 chip inside wouldn’t connect to the dock at all, however. That laptop uses a USB4 interface, which should be compatible with Thunderbolt 5 and its USB4 V2 underpinnings, but it didn’t work. Future updates might change this.
My laptops do not support the USB-C PD3 3.1 EPR spec, so while the Kensington SD5000T5 might support 140W power delivery, my laptop recorded 92W — that’s still not bad at all, especially for light gaming. I recorded the dock providing 56W from the other Thunderbolt ports, absolutely sufficient for fast-charging a smartphone. The USB-A port generated 2.5W.
I streamed 4K60 streams from YouTube and local files without dropping a single frame, which was fun! (Well, that’s not totally true, I flicked the mouse and dropped one).
In my PCMark storage tests using an external SSD, the test returned 131.36MB/s of write speed, or a score of 860. Thunderbolt docks — even Thunderbolt 5 docks — tend to lag their DisplayLink counterparts by about 10MB/s, and that still seems to be the case here. The write score fell to 126.32MB/s while a 4K video was being streamed on another display. (For reference, the SSD writes at 160.67MB/s or a score of 1,042 when directly connected to the laptop).
Copying a folder with a bundle of multimedia files between the SSD and the desktop completed in 1:02.29 or 1:05.40 while streaming in the background. That’s faster than normal, though not by much.
Kensington is one of a few brands I recommend to friends, though their docks aren’t cheap. The SD5800T I reference above has a MSRP of $379.99, though it’s on sale at Amazon for $100 less. I wouldn’t expect the first Thunderbolt 5 docks to hit the sale bin that fast.
So far, the Kensington SD5000T5 seems solid, save for that one visual glitch. Some of the dock’s killer features, will have to wait. I want to try to test it with some additional high-resolution, high-refresh-rate displays soon and maybe even an external GPU dock, too. All of these things make the Kensington SD5000T5 and Thunderbolt 5 a very tempting platform! Just keep in mind that you’ll need more than just this dock.
Editor’s Note: The primary image has been altered to enhance the Thunderbolt 5 logo. Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | PC World - 18 Sep (PC World)The effectiveness of Ring security cameras and video doorbells is determined by more than their image quality; it’s also about how well they detect and respond to motion. Properly configured motion settings can make the difference between a system that enhances your peace of mind and one that overwhelms you with alerts; or worse, fails to notify you of critical events.
Ring’s motion settings are at the heart of this process, determining when, how, and how often you’re notified about activities around your home. Used strategically, they enable you to tailor your security system to your specific needs so that you get the most relevant alerts while minimizing unnecessary disruptions.
While the Ring app makes it easy to enable and disable motion detection and alerts on your Ring device, most other motion settings require a little digging to uncover. We’ll walk you through these features, showing you where to find them in the Ring app, how to configure them effectively, and how to avoid common mistakes that could compromise your Ring experience.
Don’t miss TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best home security cameras.
Camera Motion Zones: Monitor the areas that matter
This is the first motion setting you’ll want to set, because there will be areas in the camera’s field of view–or things in its field of view, such as trees and bushes–that you’ll want to ignore. The idea is to focus monitoring on the areas that matter most to you while, reducing alerts triggered by activity you don’t care about.
There are many practical applications of camera motion zones. Suppose you live on a busy street with lots of vehicle, or a sidewalk in front of your home. In these situations, you can limit your video doorbell or camera’s motion detection to your porch, the walkway leading up to it, your back patio, or your side yard without being peppered with alerts when cars drive by, pedestrians pass in front of your house, or branches sway in the breeze. Alternatively, if you’re concerned about activity around your backyard gate, you can create a zone specifically for that area that excludes motion created by your kids playing in the yard.
In addition to enhancing security, Camera Motion Zones can also help ensure your monitoring doesn’t cross property boundaries. By focusing your camera’s attention on specific areas of your property, you can avoid capturing footage of neighbors’ yards or other spaces where privacy might be a concern.
Camera Motion Zones let you focus on the areas you care about while ignoring the ones you don’t.
Camera Motion Zones let you focus on the areas you care about while ignoring the ones you don’t.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
Camera Motion Zones let you focus on the areas you care about while ignoring the ones you don’t.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
How to add and edit Camera Motion Zones
Open the Ring app and tap on the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner to open the main menu
Tap “Devices” and select the relevant device.
Tap “Motion Settings.”
At the top, tap “Edit Zones” or scroll down to tap “Camera Motion Zones.”
To add a new Motion Zone: tap “Add Zone,” and drag the edges of the zone to resize it. Tap “Save” when you’re done.
To adjust an existing motion zone, tap the zone you want to adjust, then drag the edges of the zone.
Tap “Save.”
Motion Sensitivity: Finding the right balance
While Camera Motion Zones help you control where your Ring device detects motion, Motion Sensitivity determines how much movement is needed to trigger an alert. It’s a crucial tool for customizing your security system to the activity level of your environment.
Motion Sensitivity can be adjusted through the Ring app under the Motion Settings menu. Using a slider, you can calibrate the sensitivity level from low to high. A higher sensitivity will trigger alerts for even the smallest movements, while a lower sensitivity might only react to larger objects with more animated motion, such as people or vehicles, while ignoring small animals, such as squirrels running along the top of your fence.
How you balance motion sensitivity can significantly impact both the effectiveness and usability of your Ring device. If it is set too high, you might find yourself overwhelmed with notifications for even minor movements, leading to notification fatigue. Setting it too low could mean missing important events.
Motion Sensitivity balance impacts the usability and effectiveness of your Ring device.
Motion Sensitivity balance impacts the usability and effectiveness of your Ring device.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
Motion Sensitivity balance impacts the usability and effectiveness of your Ring device.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
You’ll get the best results if you consider your specific environment when adjusting this setting. If your camera overlooks a bustling street, for example, you might want to lower the sensitivity to avoid being bombarded with alerts (don’t forget that you can also use zones to exclude areas such as the road in front of your house). Conversely, if your camera is focused on a secluded area, a higher sensitivity setting might be more appropriate to ensure nothing goes unnoticed.
It’s important to keep in mind that Motion Sensitivity can also affect your device’s battery life. Higher sensitivity settings tend to consume more battery power, as the device is actively processing more motion events. By finding the optimal sensitivity level, you can strike a balance between thorough monitoring and efficient usage. This is less of an issue for cameras that are compatible with a solar panel that will keep your camera’s battery topped off.
How to adjust Motion Sensitivity
Open the Ring app and tap on the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner to open the main menu
Tap “Devices” and select the relevant device.
Tap “Motion Settings.”
Under “Settings,” tap “Motion Sensitivity.”
Use the slider to adjust detection sensitivity to your liking.
Tap “Save.”
Bird’s Eye View motion detection: See the whole picture
Michael Brown/Foundry
Michael Brown/Foundry
Michael Brown/Foundry
Bird’s Eye View is a feature of a limited number of Ring cameras and video doorbells that displays an aerial view of motion events. Using a series of dots overlaid on a satellite image of your home, it shows the path that a person moving in the camera’s field of view followed. The image is displayed in a small picture-in-picture view, overlaid on the camera’s feed, but you can tap on it to swap the smaller and larger images.
The feature is based on radar motion detection, so only a few Ring products can do it; namely, the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro, Wired Doorbell Pro (formerly Video Doorbell Pro 2), Floodlight Cam Wired Pro, Spotlight Cam Pro (Battery, Wired, Solar, or Plug-In), and the Stick Up Cam Pro (Battery, Plug-In, or Solar).
Bird’s Eye View motion detection range is limited to 30 feet, but as with other motion settings, you can create up to three independent, irregularly shaped zones where you want Bird’s Eye View to function.
To set up Bird’s Eye View
Open the Ring app and select the camera you want to work with (if you have more than one)
Click on the “gear” icon in the top right corner
Click on Motion Settings
Tap Bird’s Eye Zones
Click the radio button to enable Bird’s Eye View
Click the Edit Zones button and turn your mobile device into landscape mode
Click the Add Zone button
Customize the shape of the detection zone by dragging the green dots surrounding
Click Done to finish
Optional: Click the Add Zone button if you want to create up to two additional zones covering different areas
Smart Alerts: Reduce notification overload
Ring’s Smart Alerts feature takes motion detection to the next level by filtering out unimportant events and focusing on what you most care about. Unlike standard motion alerts that notify you of any detected movement, Smart Alerts can differentiate between people, packages, and animals, giving you more control over the notifications you receive. The specific types of Smart Alerts available to you will depend on which Ring devices you own. Package alerts, for example, are limited to Ring’s video doorbells as these are meant to be installed at the user’s front porch where deliveries are typically left.
The advantage of using Smart Alerts is that it reduces the number of irrelevant notifications you receive, allowing you to focus on events that require your attention. For instance, if you’re waiting for a package delivery, you can set Smart Alerts to notify you only when a package is detected, rather than whenever someone walks by your front door. You’ll spend less time sifting through unnecessary alerts and more time responding to the pertinent ones.
Smart Alerts can differentiate between people, packages, and animals, giving you more control over the notifications you receive.
Smart Alerts can differentiate between people, packages, and animals, giving you more control over the notifications you receive.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
Smart Alerts can differentiate between people, packages, and animals, giving you more control over the notifications you receive.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
A few important notes. Smart Alerts requires requires a Ring Protect subscription, which currently range from $4.99/month or $49.99/year to $20/month or $200/year. It can also take a little longer to receive Smart Alerts as they require extra processing.
How to enable Smart Alerts
Open the Ring app and tap on the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner to open the main menu
Tap “Devices” and select the relevant device.
Tap “Motion Settings.”
Tap “Smart Alerts.”
Tap “Enable Feature.”
Select the notification options that you want for each type of available Smart Alert. A video camera icon lets you select or de-select recording and a bell icon represents alert notifications.
When you’ve adjusted your settings, tap “Done.”
Motion Schedules: Automate your alerts
While Ring’s motion detection features are powerful, there are times when you don’t want to be bothered with alerts. This is where Motion Schedules come into play. They allow you to define specific times when motion alerts are active, helping you avoid unnecessary notifications during certain periods.
The feature allows you to set up a daily or weekly schedule, specifying when you want motion alerts to be enabled or disabled. For instance, you might want to make alerts active during the day when you’re at work, turned off when you return home in the evening, and on again when you’re asleep.
Motion Schedules are particularly useful for configuring your security system around your daily routines. If you have a regular gardening service, for example, you can temporarily turn off alerts during that time slot to avoid being bombarded with notifications while they work around your property. Conversely, you can make sure that your system is fully active during hours when no one should be around, such as late at night or during vacations.
Motion Schedules allow you to define specific times when motion alerts are active, helping you avoid unnecessary notifications during certain periods.
Motion Schedules allow you to define specific times when motion alerts are active, helping you avoid unnecessary notifications during certain periods.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
Motion Schedules allow you to define specific times when motion alerts are active, helping you avoid unnecessary notifications during certain periods.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
Integrating Motion Schedules with other Ring features, like Modes or Linked Devices, can further enhance your security setup. For example, you can create a schedule that activates outdoor cameras and lights only during specific times, reducing energy consumption while maintaining security and minimizing the need for manual adjustments.
How to create a Motion Schedule
Open the Ring app and tap on the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner to open the main menu
Tap “Devices” and select the relevant device.
Tap “Motion Settings.”
Tap “Motion Schedules.”
Tap “Add Schedule.”
Name your schedule (Night Time, Morning, Evening, Custom).
Tap Select the time frame you’d like pause alerts (e.g. 1-6 a.m.), then tap “Continue.”
Select the days of the week you want to apply the schedule to.
Tap “Save.”
Privacy Settings: How to create privacy zones (and why you should)
While you want to be sure your home is secure, it’s equally important to respect the privacy of those around you. The Ring app helps here by allowing you to create Privacy Zones that actively block out areas you don’t want to monitor, such as a neighbor’s window, gate, or front door, or a public space such as a park.
Privacy Zones are particularly important if you live in an area where houses are close together. By setting up these zones, you can avoid potential privacy disputes with neighbors and take care that your security efforts don’t infringe on others’ rights. Further, Privacy Zones can keep you from running afoul of local video surveillance laws. Some regions have strict regulations about recording public areas or private property that isn’t yours.
Privacy Zones work similarly to Motion Zones—you draw zones on your camera’s live feed—but they tell your Ring device not to monitor within the zone’s boundaries. These zones will appear as blacked-out areas in your footage, ensuring that no video is is visible in those regions.
Privacy Zones block out areas you don’t want to monitor, such as a neighbor’s window or a public sidewalk.
Privacy Zones block out areas you don’t want to monitor, such as a neighbor’s window or a public sidewalk.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
Privacy Zones block out areas you don’t want to monitor, such as a neighbor’s window or a public sidewalk.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
How to set up a Privacy Zone
Open the Ring app and tap on the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner to open the main menu
Tap “Devices” and select the relevant device.
Tap “Device Settings.”
Tap “Privacy Settings.”
Tap “Add Privacy Zones.”
Tap plus (+) to create a new zone and drag the box to cover the area you want to be kept private.
Tap “Save.”
Advanced Settings: Fine-tuning your security experience
For those with battery-powered Ring security cameras and video doorbells, the Advanced Settings menu offers additional customization options. These settings allow you to fine-tune how your devices detect and respond to repetitive patterns of motion.
As mentioned previously, higher motion sensitivity settings and frequent notifications consume more battery power. In the Advanced Settings menu, you’ll find options that can mitigate this issue, such as Motion Verification and Motion Frequency.
Motion Verification helps reduce false alerts by ensuring that only events verified as significant are recorded and notified. It’s an especially useful feature in high-traffic areas where the likelihood of false positives is higher.
Motion Frequency determines how often your device checks for motion events. If battery life is a concern, you should choose a less frequent setting. However, if you want the most comprehensive coverage possible, you can set it to check for motion more frequently.
Customizing these advanced options can improve your Ring system’s performance, especially in unique environments where standard settings might not suffice. For instance, if you have pets that frequently trigger motion alerts, adjusting these settings can help filter out those unnecessary notifications, leaving you with only the most relevant alerts.
Adjust Motion Frequency
Michael Brown/Foundry
Michael Brown/Foundry
Michael Brown/Foundry
You can reduce battery consumption on battery-powered Ring video doorbells and cameras by adjusting how frequently the devices look for motion. Sometimes also referred to as a cooling-off period, the camera will ignore subsequent motion for a short time after it’s triggered.
Open the Ring app and tap on the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner to open the main menu
Tap “Devices” and select the relevant device.
Tap “Motion Settings.”
Tap “Advanced Settings.”
Tap “Motion Frequency.”
Choose Frequently, Regularly, or Periodically.
Tap “Save.”
Choose Frequently if you want no cooling-off period at all, Regularly if you want a short cooling-off period, and Periodically if you want a longer break that will make the battery last longer. But the longer the cooling-off period, the more likely it will be that the camera fails to record a clip and send you an alert. It’s a balancing act.
Enable Motion Warnings
Michael Brown/Foundry
Michael Brown/Foundry
Michael Brown/Foundry
Some Ring cameras and video doorbells (see the list, below) can issue a pre-recorded message when a person enters its field of view and triggers its motion detector. The same female voice you hear when you first set up the camera will say “Hi. You are currently being recorded.”
Here’s how to enable it:
Open the Ring app and tap on the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner to open the main menu
Tap “Devices” and select the relevant device.
Tap “Smart Responses.”
Tap Motion Warnings and then toggle the radio button on the next screen.
This feature is not available on battery-powered Ring devices, even battery-powered doorbells that are hardwired to low-voltage power. You’ll also need to pay for one of Ring’s subscription plans if you intend to use it. Here are the Ring products that do support it:
Stick Up Cam Elite
Stick Up Cam Plug-In (3rd Gen)*
Indoor Cam (1st and 2nd Gen)
Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam
Spotlight Cam Wired
Spotlight Cam Mount
Spotlight Cam Plus Wired/Plug-In
Floodlight Cam
Floodlight Cam Wired Pro
Floodlight Cam Wired Plus
Ring Video Doorbell Pro
Ring Wired Video Doorbell Pro (formerly Video Doorbell Pro 2)
Maximizing your Ring experience
Ring’s motion settings offer a wealth of options to customize your home security experience so that you get the most out of your Ring devices. Whether you’re new to Ring or a seasoned user, taking the time to explore these features can significantly improve your security setup. Experiment with different settings, adjust them based on your daily routine and don’t hesitate to make use of the more advanced options if your situation calls for it. Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | PC World - 17 Sep (PC World)Laptops powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processors are clocking in at about 20 hours of battery life. Ditto for notebooks powered by Intel’s “Lunar Lake” chip. But isn’t that number way, way more than what the average user actually needs?
No. On the contrary, it’s probably one of the most significant advancements in laptop technology in years, and one that will likely save you money by extending the lifespan of your laptop well beyond what it was a few years ago — as well as just letting you work where you want.
Generally speaking, people buy new laptops for several reasons. They fall out of support (Windows 10 expires in October 2025, for example); they physically wear out; they slow down to the point that they’re unusable, or their battery wears out. Customers of popular companies, such as Apple, Dell, and HP, may also refresh their laptops to get the latest and greatest features, according to our sister company, IDC.
You can’t do anything about cracking a screen, of course. And buying a speedy laptop will help put off that slooooow sensation for a few years. But battery life is an issue that’s near and dear to my heart, and the reason that these long-life laptops are so significant. They can even save you serious money over the years.
Further reading: These 5 laptops have the longest battery life we’ve ever tested
Battery life matters, just in a new way
The world’s changed. More of us work at home, with convenient power outlets and desks. One of the traditional reasons for owning a laptop with a long battery life was international travel; now many airlines offer in-seat power, where it’s easy to plug in.
But battery-sipping laptops are still necessary. Recently, I was in Berlin shuttling back and forth across town for press conferences and meetings. I didn’t have access to a wall charger and the venues I was in didn’t provide charging outlets — just rows and rows of chairs. That scenario has become surprisingly common, surprisingly quickly, and I have absolutely experienced “battery anxiety” as I compiled my notes to file a story.
Long battery life doesn’t just mean the ability to work outside on a nice sunny day.
Long battery life doesn’t just mean the ability to work outside on a nice sunny day.Mark Hachman / IDG
Long battery life doesn’t just mean the ability to work outside on a nice sunny day.Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
Maybe you don’t fit into this scenario, but you still use your laptop on battery at least occasionally. That’s where our story begins.
Batteries degrade over time. You know this. Chances are you jump through a number of hoops to preserve your phone’s battery. You charge it to 80 percent or it “smart charges” overnight to present you with a full charge when you wake up. If the battery runs down too far, you buy a new phone.
People don’t do that with laptops! But keeping your laptop hooked to the charger still progressively degrades your battery, even if you use various software utilities (Microsoft’s Surface app for Surface laptops, say) to try and mitigate the degradation. You can check your laptop’s battery life through the Windows Battery Report tool. Just open a command window (Window + CMD) and type powercfg /batteryreport. The report will land in your Windows folder (This PC > Local Disk > Users > [YourName] and can be opened with your web browser.
There, scroll down to the bottom to view the battery life estimates. While they’ll vary, two numbers stand out. In my case, the “full charge” battery capacity on the laptop I use the most frequently — Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio — has diminished from 58,374 mWH in Oct. 2021 to 47,957 mWH in Sept. 2024. Windows estimates of battery life (which can vary, depending on various factors) diminished from about nine hours 56 minutes in 2021 to about five hours 30 minutes of active use in 2024. Even if you don’t agree with the exact numbers, they still have gone down.
While the design capacity — the theoretical maximum battery capacity remains the same, the actual “full” capacity of your laptop’s battery diminishes over time.
While the design capacity — the theoretical maximum battery capacity remains the same, the actual “full” capacity of your laptop’s battery diminishes over time.Mark Hachman / IDG
While the design capacity — the theoretical maximum battery capacity remains the same, the actual “full” capacity of your laptop’s battery diminishes over time.Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
Degrading from ‘great’ battery life to just good
Here’s the point: your battery will degrade, inevitably. If your battery life is already short, it will just continue to get worse.
But if you own a laptop with twenty hours of battery life, it will degrade over time, to, what fifteen at the most? That’s still a massive amount of battery life for whatever scenario you put it in.
Let’s say that long-lasting laptop is your productivity machine. You won’t need the latest and greatest hardware to run Microsoft Word and surf the Web. But with hours and hours of battery life, you won’t feel the need to replace it, either. You can keep your wallet closed and can use those funds for other things. It’s an argument that doesn’t get talked about much!
Why not? Well, that’s probably because Intel and laptop makers would love for you to keep buying the latest and greatest, regardless of how long the battery life lasts. But a laptop with a long-lasting battery will probably be one is just long-lasting, period. That’s a benefit you can bank on.
Microsoft`s latest Surface hit 20 hours of battery life
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8?)
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| | | PC World - 17 Sep (PC World)TL;DR: For $59.99, get a lifetime subscription to XSplit Broadcaster for Windows and step up your streaming game with premium tools.
Looking to upgrade your streaming setup without breaking the bank? The XSplit Broadcaster lifetime subscription is the perfect solution for streamers, gamers, and content creators who want professional-level tools without the monthly price tag.
It’s a one-time $59.99 investment that gives you unlimited access to premium features, so you can focus on what matters — creating and sharing top-tier content.
Whether you’re live-streaming gameplay or running a virtual event, XSplit has you covered. With its intuitive interface, you can manage multiple scenes, add custom overlays, and even mix in audio from various sources with ease. Need to switch between screens during a webinar? No problem — XSplit makes it seamless.
And it’s not just for gamers. This tool is also great for podcasters, educators, or anyone looking to live stream professional content. The lifetime subscription gives you access to advanced production features like background removal and full HD recording, all without worrying about recurring payments.
In a world where content is king, this lifetime subscription to XSplit Broadcaster Premium for Windows for $59.99 offers a solid foundation to help you level up your streaming, without the hassle of constant upgrades or fees.
XSplit Broadcaster Premium: Lifetime Subscription (Windows) – $59.99
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StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | ITBrief - 17 Sep (ITBrief)Tiger Brokers partners with Asia-Pacific universities to give students hands-on trading experience, while expanding globally with innovative features and educational tools Read...Newslink ©2024 to ITBrief | |
| | | Stuff.co.nz - 17 Sep (Stuff.co.nz)The Youth America’s Cup features more teams and fleet races in smaller boats among its variations to the premier regatta in Barcelona. Read...Newslink ©2024 to Stuff.co.nz | |
| | | ITBrief - 17 Sep (ITBrief)Choosing the right cloud ERP vendor is crucial; their reliability can significantly impact your long-term success, not just the software`s features Read...Newslink ©2024 to ITBrief | |
| | | PC World - 17 Sep (PC World)Last week, Microsoft updated a support page that tracks deprecated Windows features with a new announcement: legacy DRM services will no longer be available in Windows Media Player along with Silverlight, Windows 7, and Windows 8.
DRM, short for digital rights management, is a technological measure used to protect intellectual property from infringement. It mainly works by encrypting media (e.g., DVD and Blu-ray discs) in a way that restricts who can access said DRM-protected media.
With this deprecation of legacy DRM services, you will no longer be able to play DRM-protected media of any kind in Windows Media Player, Silverlight, Windows 7, and Windows 8. According to Windows Latest, that also means no more streaming of DRM content to Xbox 360.
Get Windows 11 Pro for cheap
Windows 11 Pro
If you’re still on Windows 7 or Windows 8, you’ll have to upgrade to Windows 10 or Windows 11 to regain the ability to play DRM-protected media. Meanwhile, if you’re still using Windows Media Player, you’ll need to switch to another media player app with DRM support. The most popular alternative the free and open-source VLC app.
Further reading: Hey everyone, it’s time to switch to Windows 11 Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | PC World - 17 Sep (PC World)A gaming laptop that doesn’t cost a small fortune is always a good find, but spotting one with great specs is like spotting a unicorn. Well, this Dell G15 is on sale for $900 at Best Buy, down from its usual $1,150.
If you want a solid gaming laptop with good bang for your buck, this might be the one for you. The Dell G15 starts off strong with an Intel Core i7-13650HX processor and 16GB of RAM, which gives the laptop enough power to run resource-intensive apps and multitask.
But on top of that it has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card. It may not be the latest model, but it’s still great and about as good as you’ll find on a laptop that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
The Dell G15 features a 15.6-inch 1080p LED display, delivering great brightness and good contrast as well as vivid colors.
This laptop is capped off with a 1TB SSD and it comes loaded with Windows 11, so that’s one less worry on your plate. You can just run the setup and then download your favorite games to play.
If you’ve been hunting for a gaming laptop that’s under a grand, this is a good one to jump on. Grab this Dell G15 gaming laptop for $250 off at Best Buy while this deal lasts.
Save $250 on this RTX-powered Dell gaming laptopBuy now at Best Buy Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
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