gshc2020.com

Bitterness aside, battery longevity is not one of the Frame’s strong suits – play Half-Life: Alyx in the headset’s signature standalone mode and it’ll conk out from full after an hour. Faster recharging, even just when the Frame is off or sleeping, should go a ways towards easing that pain point. Conversely, I can’t say I’ve encountered the "garbled audio" microphone bug myself, though am now curious as to how it sounded – I like to think it resembled the deep, underwater warbling of the Board in Control, though that might just be recency bias.

Here’s the full patch notes:

General

• Substantially faster charging while unit is off / sleeping
• Improved controller tracking while haptics are active
• Improved system stability and reliability under high load
• Fixed "garbled audio" microphone bug

UX

• Fixed per-app Motion Smoothing -> "Force Always-On" setting (was getting ignored)
• Improved motion smoothing behavior in Alyx
• Added VR Settings control for "Game dimming when dashboard is visible"
• VR Settings -> Play Area no longer auto-shows bounds

Developer

• Change Playable performance criteria to allow any resolution (was: 1440p)
• Vulkan layer fixes for increased game compatibility
• Multiple improvements to overall system / OS performance
• Multiple improvements to graphics performance (Mesa)

Valve have told us, numerous times, that they plan to continue updating and expanding the featuresets of their 2026 hardware output, much like how the Steam Deck got a bunch of added tools and tricks after it launched in 2022. And, in fact, continues to receive them today, at least by virtue of sharing an operating system with the newer Steam Machine. The Frame also runs SteamOS, and a few of its own game compatibility aids besides, though as a VR headset will naturally require a more specialised approach to future enhancements. %!s()

On, a new entrant in the soccer market, announced Friday that it will be working with Mbappé to design high-performance footwear and apparel. The French player, who has been associated with Nike since childhood, chose not to renew his deal with the sportswear giant.

On also announced that retired player and commentator Thierry Henry would join as its new director of football and FC Barcelona player Sydney Schertenleib would help develop and test its soccer apparel.

"Of course, I had 20 amazing years with Nike, I can only say thanks to them," Mbappé said in a joint interview alongside On's co-CEO David Alleman, with CNBC's Carolin Roth on Monday.

Mbappé on Nike: 'It was the time to change'

"But I think, as a person, as a player, it was the time to change... and after we started to talk, and after every discussion, I was a little bit more convinced about the fact that I have to be part of the family, I have to be part of the project, to be part of the journey with On and the football," he added.

"You need to feel at one with your shoes," Mbappé continued in the CNBC interview. "As a player, you need to feel a special connection with your boot, with the ball, with the pitch, with the evolution of the game. Now you play 60 games in a season. You train every day. The intensity is high. You need to feel comfortable in your shoes."

On was founded in 2010 and is known for its running and tennis apparel, which incorporates technologies such as CloudTec and LightSpray.

CloudTec is On's cushioned midsole technology for running, while LightSpray is a robotic manufacturing process in which a robot sprays a filament to create the shoe's performance upper.

Highlights of the interview with Mbappé and On's co-CEO David Alleman will be broadcast on CNBC's "Squawkbox Europe" on Tuesday. %!s()

On Monday the DPC said its investigation found Google had processed data in a manner that was not "lawful", "fair" or "transparent".

The inquiry concerned Google's processing of location data in three specific features - Web & App Activity, Location History and Location Accuracy between 25 May 2018 to 4 February 2020.

Location data is any kind of data which can be used to infer a person's location.

It can "reveal a significant amount of information about an individual, including information that is inherently private", said DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle in a statement released on Monday.

The report said Google's practices "infringed" General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - legislation that came into effect on 25 May, 2018, creating strict data privacy and security law within the European Union (EU).

Doyle added: "The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) provides a high level of protection of personal data throughout the EEA (European Economic Area), and requires that the processing of personal data must be carried out in a lawful, fair and transparent manner."

He continued: "As a result of Google's failures... individuals could have been unaware that their location was being used to, for example, influence them with ads or to infer their interests, and could lose control over their personal data.

"The retention of users' location data for longer than necessary aggravated this loss of control."

In addition to being fined, Google has also been ordered to bring its data processing into compliance within six months. %!s()

Sidecar: the built-in option for Mac

Sidecar is the simplest route, but there are a few requirements you need to meet. The most important one is having a Mac. Windows users are out of luck here, although there are alternatives in that case. If you already have a Mac, you're ready to go. From there, both devices need to be on the same iCloud account. It won't work if you use different accounts on your devices, so check your iPad Settings before continuing.

If your iPad and Mac are already signed in to the same account, using Sidecar is easy. On your Mac, open Control Center — it's the icon with two toggle switches in the Menu Bar. Look for Screen Mirroring, the two overlapping squares, in the list. Choose your iPad, and it turns into a secondary display for your Mac. From there it acts like any external display with full resolution and adjustable placement. You can even go to the Display settings under System Settings to rearrange the iPad's screen however you like.

iPad and Mac users also have access to Universal Control. Instead of turning the iPad into an external display, the idea is to use inputs from one device to control the other. Move the Mac's cursor onto the iPad's screen, send input the other way or even drag and drop between the two devices. Like Sidecar, both devices must be on the same iCloud account. Two-factor authentication has to be on, too. It works with pretty much every Mac and iPad released in the last few years. 

If that doesn't work for you for some reason, try manually enabling Universal Control in the Screen Mirroring settings in Control Center. Look for Display Settings. Click "+" and select your iPad from the Link Keyboard and Mouse list.

Alternatives for Windows users

There are apps that replicate Sidecar's features on Windows too. Duet Display is one of the most popular ones, and it offers even more controls than Apple's Sidecar. It also runs on Mac, useful if your Mac and iPad aren't on the same Apple ID. But while Sidecar is completely free, Duet Display requires you to pay for a license. Also, you need to install the app on both your PC and iPad. It's an extra step Mac users skip, but a minor one. Open the app on both devices and you're set.

Luna Display, for Mac and Windows, works differently. It relies on a companion dongle that you plug into your computer first. This dongle handles the wireless transmission and makes it more reliable. Plus, Luna doesn't require a subscription — you pay $79 for the dongle, and that's it. It's good for those who hate being tied to a recurring subscription. Another big plus over other solutions is that Luna Display has a "headless mode." Plug the dongle into a Mac mini and use it directly with your iPad. No monitor needed.

Duet Display, Luna Display and Sidecar let you control macOS using the iPad's touchscreen. You can even use your Apple Pencil for navigation and drawing, turning your iPad into a graphics tablet. The Mac's own mouse and keyboard keep working the whole time. The experience is largely seamless, though glitches do turn up now and then. Keep in mind using a wired connection can help reduce these issues. Also, having the right iPad accessories — like a nice stand — can take your Sidecar experience to the next level. %!s()

If you're running out of Ethernet ports, that doesn't mean you need another router. If your Wi-Fi coverage is already working well, an Ethernet switch is the simpler option to connect additional PCs, game consoles, TVs, network-attached storage and other wired devices.

However, shopping for an Ethernet switch gets complicated quickly. There are five-port and eight-port models, Gigabit and multi-gig options, and managed switches with settings that most people will never use. Buying the one with the most numbers on the box doesn't mean it will be the best for you. The best approach is picking a switch that will accommodate your existing network and leave room for future devices.

Start with the number of Ethernet ports and their speed

Emvat Mosakovskis/Shutterstock

The port count is the simple part, though there is a catch. Typically, you'll use one port to connect the switch to your router, leaving four ports for other devices on a five-port switch. If you need four more ports right now, an eight-port switch (with room for seven devices) gives more breathing room for future devices.

Speed takes a little more thought. If your internet connection, router and wired devices all max out at Gigabit speeds, then a 1GbE switch is perfectly reasonable. If you have multi-gig internet, a newer PC with 2.5GbE or a fast NAS with multi-gig networking, then a 2.5GbE switch makes more sense. It also avoids jumping up to pricier 10GbE hardware if you don't really need that.

What's vital is that the switch shouldn't become the bottleneck. If the router has a 2.5Gbps port and the switch is limited to 1GbE, the traffic between the router and switch will be limited to 1GbE. The same applies at the other end: plugging a device with a 1GbE port into a 2.5GbE switch doesn't magically make it faster.

Internet speed isn't the whole story, either. Two 10GbE-capable devices connected to the same 10GbE switch can move files across your local network much faster than your internet plan allows, which can matter for large NAS backups or video files. And 2.5GBASE-T can run over existing Cat5e cabling, so moving beyond Gigabit doesn't necessarily mean rewiring the house.

Most homes don't need a fully managed switch

pratan/Shutterstock

For a lot of homes, an unmanaged switch is all you need. These add more ports without requiring any configuration. Just plug one into your router, hook up your devices and get on with your life. You can even use methods to wire in more devices without Ethernet.

Managed and smart switches typically cost more and provide you with greater control. Features can include virtual LANs (VLANs), traffic monitoring, quality-of-service controls and other device separation or management tools. These can be useful if you're creating a complex home network. But if you don't need these features, there's no reason to pay extra for a settings page you never visit.

Another feature to consider is Power over Ethernet (PoE). PoE can transmit power and data over the same Ethernet cable, which is especially helpful for security cameras and Wi-Fi access points. But you have to do more than only counting the PoE ports. Switches have an overall PoE power budget, meaning that a model with multiple PoE ports may not have sufficient wattage to operate all devices at their maximum power simultaneously. Check what your devices need, what each port can provide and the total budget available across the switch.

The boring physical details matter as well. A small fanless switch will blend in next to a TV or on a desk, while larger models with active cooling make more sense tucked away with the rest of your networking gear.  %!s()