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CheckMag Visual effects (VFX) in film have long sparked debate. While some argue for the realism of physical sets and props, others favor the limitless potential of computer-generated VFX. Regardless of preference, VFX has really revolutionized the film industry. This article highlights five key moments that have significantly changed our perception of VFX.

CheckMag The Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse can do things that most mice can't while looking just as exquisite as similar-priced competitors. It is also a bit too large for small to medium size hands, and the clicks sound loud and "dry" to the point of being annoying.

CheckMag From simple and deeply touching to more complex and impactful, stories in indie games are diverse and unique. If you're looking forward to playing a game with a great story that might stay with you even after the credits roll, you're in the right place.

CheckMag Steam's Autumn Sale is back for 2023, and it features a number of spectacular real-time strategy games at steeply discounted rates. Raid your enemies in Northgard or seize control of the most valuable resource in the universe in Dune: Spice Wars, with up to 70% off the best RTS games around.

CheckMag The iPhone and Android smartphones have more in common than ever before, but from a certain perspective, they still differ in features. If the Android operating system had these features from iOS, it would become more perfect than ever. Below are 3 interesting features that the Android operating system should 'copy' from iOS to enhance its capabilities.

CheckMag Sleek design and unrivaled performance make these compact smartphones worthy contenders in a market saturated with large-screen mobile phones. In this article, we explore the compact, pocket-sized marvels packed with advanced capabilities, innovative features, and seamless integration of cutting-edge technology.

CheckMag If you are a frequent traveler, some smartphones are better suited for that trip than others. Choices will depend on a multitude of features, including camera equipment, battery life, and cellular connectivity. Here are 3 of the best smartphones for travelers.

CheckMag Ever since Intel launched its Extreme Edition Core i7 CPUs like the i7-965 in 2008, the High-End Desktop (HEDT) market has been in Intel’s firm grasp. The year 2017 came along with the launch of AMD's Zen CPU microarchitecture which brought the Threadripper line of CPUs into the HEDT market. Six years have passed and what legacy did Threadripper leave behind for consumers?

CheckMag Notebookcheck has reported on numerous fantastic deals this past week. However, these three have stood out, and they are still available at discounted prices. The LG G3 Series OLED TV delivers 65-inch viewing delight, while gamers can check out the powerful Lenovo Legion Pro 5i laptop with RTX 4070 dGPU onboard and smartphone fans should look at Google’s Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro price cuts.

CheckMag Apple's iPhone 15 series comprises of four models: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Despite their similarities, they differ in capacity, processing technology, and display. Discover the key differences and similarities between the four flagship iPhone 15 models.

CheckMag November 2023's top 5 Android games deliver a mix of horror, strategy, and adventure, each game standing out with its unique narrative and immersive gameplay. Perfect for gamers seeking new worlds to conquer and stories to experience.

Google introduced the Tensor series of chips with the Pixel 6 series in 2021. It was meant to usher in a range of chips specially tailored by Google to keep up with its class-leading AI-based software features. Just three Tensor chips in, and many of Google’s new AI features need to be off-loaded to the cloud for processing.

CheckMag Even before rumours started circulating about Apple creating its own electric vehicle, some of Apple's business practices shared a lot in common with electric vehicle manufacturers. While not uncommon in the tech industry, they set a worrying precedence for both the way business is conducted and products purchased in the future.

CheckMag Most gaming laptops have extravagant and eye-catching designs, something that isn't necessarily welcome in the workplace. If you want one single laptop for gaming and taking to the office, the 16-inch Lenovo Legion Pro 5 might just fit the bill thanks to its discreet looks and powerful components.

CheckMag If you own an iPhone running the iOS operating system with its many outstanding features, then the following games are perfect choices for you. This guide is tailored to introduce you to some of the best free games for iOS, offering the most satisfying gaming experiences on the iPhone.

CheckMag The gaming handheld space has gotten pretty exciting lately, and there's no better time to get in on the excitement than now. But with quite a few good options available for the casual mobile gamer, making a choice on which one to buy may not be an easy decision.

CheckMag If you're aiming to protect your phone battery from wear and tear and want to maximize its longevity, it's important to remember to follow a set of key practices. Maintaining the health of your phone's battery is vital for its long-term performance and efficiency. By implementing these 5 helpful tips, you can significantly extend the life of your battery and ensure your phone remains reliable over time.

CheckMag Electric cars were conceived as a more environmentally-friendly form of transport. With the effectiveness of EVs being called into question more and more, it's time to address the elephant-sized trucks and SUVs in the room. Super-sized trucks and cars exacerbate everything that's wrong with electric vehicles.

CheckMag A graphics card is the soul of every gaming PC. A strong card with efficient cooling is essential for smooth gaming and conquering the virtual world. Below is a list of the top 4 most worth-buying graphics cards for gamers in 2023.

CheckMag Some people compare Windows on ARM with Windows RT, declaring its death. But such proclamations may be a tad early. Arguably, Windows on ARM is more alive now than it has ever been since the 2016 Qualcomm/Microsoft partnership announcement, as it is getting ready for a busy year 2024.

CheckMag As November approaches, we look forward to the Thanksgiving holiday and Black Friday, the most unique sale of the year. Restful holidays wouldn't be complete without moments of relaxation. Below are the top five PlayStation 5 games that offer great family entertainment.

CheckMag If you've upgraded to the new M3 MacBook Pro or a Lenovo X1 Carbon, take a look at some of the options for repurposing your old hardware instead of selling, recycling or sending to landfill. Repurposing old hardware can be a rewarding adventure that forms a core part of your home network.

CheckMag The wide and ultrawide camera lenses seem to be the default setup for any phone that falls below the flagship tier. Who do we have to thank for this and are there any alternatives? If you aren't looking to spend top tier prices you might be out of luck.

CheckMag By recognizing the signs of mobile phone tracking, you can determine whether your iPhone is being monitored. Below are 7 warning signs your iPhone may be tracked, which range from unexpected Apple ID login alerts to unusual data usage patterns that could indicate the presence of tracking software or malicious activity.

CheckMag Of the 10 ARM-powered laptops we tested in 2022 and 2023, just 1 comes with Windows on ARM - all the rest are Apple MacBooks. Apparently, laptop makers do not see much point in using ARM chips; worse still, software developers do not appear to be very interested in creating/maintaining dedicated ARM versions of their products, either.

CheckMag Lumion has been the quintessential rendering software used by university students and professional architects to visualize buildings and interiors etc. We are finally at version 12 and the developers of Lumion have decided to add Ray Tracing support for GPUs.

What was once considered "big" in smartphone terms is now the norm in the industry. But one feature seems to be tied specificially to the size of the screen. If you don't like big phones, don't expect to be on the cutting edge of photography. Long zoom cameras are reserved for those with deep pockets and big hands only.

CheckMag For a quarter of the price of an Apple iPhone 15, Motorola's Moto G54 delivers very good shots, 5G compatibility, a sharp screen with no PWM flickering, good looks, strong performance and stock Android experience. A few quirks such as the lack of stereo speakers are not nearly enough to detract from what is a highly successful budget phone.

CheckMag A lot can change in less than a month. New iMacs, MacBooks, and M-series chips might have been announced, but don't let that distract you from the fact that Cupertino's new non-Lightning Pencil – its first in half a decade – is arguably its dumbest.

CheckMag A good expansion can turn a poorly received videogame into a darling, or elevate a good one to legendary status. Good expansions build upon and shape the base game they originated from – and the best can introduce innovations that influence the whole industry.

CheckMag Foldable or flip phones allow users to fold their phones in half or use them as a tablet. These devices have come a long way, surviving the thick and thin of the technology sector. They quickly gained customer attention, but the cons hinder their significant spot in the market.

CheckMag The launch of Apple's first home-grown CPU design in late 2020 has sparked an arms race with x86 giants such as AMD and Intel. The M2 Ultra has a total of 24 CPU cores in which 16 are performance cores and 8 are efficiency cores. Does the extra 4 efficiency cores that the M2 Ultra has over the M1 Ultra mean that Apple is finally able to entice workstation users?

CheckMag Before Samsung finally settled on making only Android smartphones, it experimented with other operating systems, one of which was Bada OS, a proprietary OS that powered some of Samsung's phones for a brief period.

CheckMag The Schenker Vision 14 is a very good laptop that fully deserves more spotlight. With no PWM, no coil whine and no significant throttling to speak of, the product is in several ways ahead of many Dells and HPs tested by us this year.

CheckMag In our review, we called the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 8 16IRX8 the best Legion that money can buy, and that's not just because of its US$4,399 price and built-in water cooling. The Legion 9i Gen 8 earns its praise with an astonishingly-bright mini-LED display with DCI-P3 support, and, of course, killer gaming performance.

CheckMag When getting a laptop with a Gig+ Wi-Fi card such as the AX200, consumers know they are getting at least 900 Mbps in either direction. In contrast, download/upload rates smartphone chip makers such as Qualcomm mention in media releases just keep becoming more ridiculous and misleading; the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and its X75 5G modem represent the latest instalment in that sad series.

CheckMag Alan Wake 2 is one of the most anticipated games of 2023. The minimum specifications were so high they had the PC community up in arms. But does it work on a Steam Deck? The short answer: Yes. But there are some fairly significant caveats. Read on to find out more.

CheckMag Since 2006, CUDA has been consistently gaining ground in the workstation and gaming market. In recent times AMD has introduced Pro Render and other features to entice workstation users.

At best, many reviews of the Pixel 8 Pro don’t distinguish between when AI tasks are performed on device by the Tensor G3 and when they are off-loaded to Google Cloud for processing. At worst, some assume that all of the AI models are being processed by the Tensor G3, which is far from ideal for consumers seeking out accurate advice on what phone to buy.

CheckMag Don't have a Steam Deck to hand? Waiting for Apple to release Resident Evil on the iPhone 15 Pro? Here are 3 Android and iOS games that offer PC and console class gaming on your device today. Just make sure you pair it with a decent mobile controller.

CheckMag The Huawei Band 8, the Huawei Watch Fit SE and the Amazfit Band 7 are the lightest fitness trackers and smartwatches that we have tested over the course of the last 10 months. In this short piece, we briefly revisit their features, their strong sides and their shortcomings, of which there are many.

CheckMag Does measuring features differently to the competition make a product better? Is Apple "Thinking Different" or hoping branding will sell more devices? There certainly seems to be some convenient favouritism shown by Apple in regard to the iPhone camera specification.

Notebookcheck has received written confirmation from Google that it deliberately blocked the installation of benchmarks on its Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro devices during the review embargo period. It confirms our earlier report on the issue while raising questions about the company’s practices.

CheckMag Warframe's Abyss of Dagath update just went live, bringing with it a number of big changes that may make the game more friendly to both new and old players alike. Here are four Abyss of Dagath highlights, including immortal companions, a new planet, and a substantial shield rework.

Between the atmospheric horror platforming of Artificial and the expansive, fantastical exploration of Europa, the Steam Next Fest previewed some of the most visually-pleasing indie adventure games coming to Valve's platform.

CheckMag So, another game comes out. It’s packed with battle passes, a cosmetic store, and an intolerable grind carefully designed to inflate playtime until you give up and spend money on it. It’s not made to be fun, it’s made to drive engagement. You know the story by now...

CheckMag The Gazelle Esprit C7 HMS's low standover height, combined with quality Shimano components, makes for enjoyable rides and trouble-free day-to-day use. The 418 Wh battery allowed us to ride 70 km (43 miles) in the Alpine foothills before giving up. The product is available in green and in black colorways.

CheckMag Music lockers have always been curious creatures. Amazon, Google and Apple promised they would bring legacy music collections forward into the cloud age – but all three pivoted to streaming services as they saw the way the wind was blowing, leaving only a few of these rare beasts still surviving today.

Samsung leads the premium Android tablet market with its Galaxy Tab Ultra, and its ultraslim design and fast, bright Dynamic AMOLED 2X display are just some highlights of the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra's features that impressed us in our review.

CheckMag The titanium credit card Apple launched in 2019 was set to conquer the world, according to easy-to-excite types. The hype was so abundant that Samsung followed suit shortly out of fear of missing out. It's Q4 2023 and Apple Card's future looks bleak, as if the company has somehow forgotten about this little project.