Razer makes some of the best keyboards you can buy in 2024. And while we've seen plenty of great keyboard deals this summer, this one has to be one of our favorites, as it takes a massive 55% off one of the brand's top-end keyboards. The Razer Huntsman not only delivers a typing experience that's great for everyday use, but it's also perfect for gaming too.

Sometimes it works but sometimes it just doesn't. Maybe it has something to do with gravity or drag?

using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;

public class BirdScript : MonoBehaviour
{
    public Rigidbody2D myRigidbody;
    public float flapStrenght;

    // Start is called before the first frame update (plays ony once)
    void Start()
    {
        gameObject.name = "Roger";
    }

    // Update is called once per frame
    void Update()
    {
        if (Input.GetKeyDown(KeyCode.Space) == true) 
        {
            myRigidbody.velocity = Vector2.up * flapStrenght;
        }
    }
}

I am translating a video game into German, and I am wondering about the keys listed for the controls in the settings. On an American keyboard we have QWE, AD, and ZXC forming a square that the player can easily use with their left hand, so those are default controls. But on a German keyboard the Z and the Y have switched places, so do I need to put a Y in place of the Z for the translation? Can I assume that German-speaking people are not using the American keyboard setup?

The UP Squared 7100 is a palm-sized computer board from AAEON Technology, with an Intel Alder Lake-N low-power processor, up to 16GB of LPDDR5 memory and up to 128GB of eMMC storage. It also has plenty of expansion options including two M.2 slots: one for storage and another for a wireless card, support for dual displays, […]

The post UP Squared 7100 is a 3.5 PC board with Alder Lake-N, 2 M.2 slots, and 40-pin GPIO headers appeared first on Liliputing.

The Banana Pi BPI-WiFi6 Mini is a tiny computer board designed for use as a DIY wireless router with support for open source software. It features the same processor and wireless chip found in the larger BPI-WiFi6 router that launched earlier this year. But, as the name suggests, the new “mini” model packs those components into […]

The post Banana Pi BPI-WiFi6 Mini is a cheap, tiny router board with WiFi 6, Gigabit Ethernet, and optional 4G or 5G support appeared first on Liliputing.

Steam store – Official website – Wikipedia entry

Some game genres are so rare, it’s a miracle when a new game releases in that style. I personally call this genre: stealth tactics. The actual genre is Real-Time Tactics, but I find that name doesn’t really cover this (sub)genre. If you have ever played games like: Commando’s, Desperados, Robin Hood – The Legend of Sherwood or Shadow Tactics… You know what sort of game I’m talking about. A game features a rag tag group of heroes. Each hero has unique abilities. They must get through big groups of enemies. They do this one by one to progress the group’s goals. The game I want to talk about today is called Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew. This was the last game by the studio Mimimi. Is this game the swansong to close down this studio, or is it a game that’s better left forgotten? Before that, I invite you to leave a comment in the comment section down below. A comment with your thoughts and/or opinions on the game and/or the content of the article.

Promises of amazing treasure

In this game, you play as the crew of a special pirate ship named the Red Marley. Each main member of the crew has a black pearl in their chest, granting them unique supernatural abilities. These unique abilities come at a cost of being cursed to a sort of undead status.

The Red Marley’s captain fell in battle, and now the Inquisition is after the biggest treasure of the ship. Now, the Red Marley’s crew doesn’t want this to happen. So they do everything in their power to avoid this from happening.

The story in this game doesn’t take itself too seriously. The story is written like it’s a Saturday morning cartoon. A story arc can be contained in one or a handful of episodes, but always has an ending. While almost everything in the story ends well for the main cast, the story and writing never looses its charm. I felt like I was transported back into the time I woke up for the weekly Pokémon episode. I knew that the main problem of that week’s episode would resolve by the end. Still, I kept rooting for the heroes.

One of the biggest reasons I kept rooting for the main characters is because of the voice actors. Their performances are extremely well done. They bring a lot of personality and life to each character. They make the characters stand out like real, actual people. This script must have been immense, since the characters sometimes react on the actions you preform with other characters. There are 8 main characters, and more if you buy the DLC packs. If you start counting how many unique voice lines that bring to the table… And that’s the tip of the iceberg. The enemies for example, when they come together also have unique dialogue between them.

It’s possible to write an article by itself about the world building, story and voice acting in this game. I can also assure you that when I write this article, I’ll keep gushing about it all. A great example is how the save & load function fits into the story. It enhances the world of this game. Yes, you read that correctly. When you save, you store a memory in the Red Marley. When you load one of your saves, the Red Marley uses its powers to restore that memory. Your characters also respond to your saving and loading action and this brings even more charm to this game.

In these types of games, the replay value is quite high. Especially since you tackle all missions in various ways and each playthrough is going to be different. In this game, it’s taken even a step further. You can choose the order to revive your crew. You can also choose the order to finish the missions of that chapter. I can assure you that your playthrough will look nothing like mine.

The main quest is quite enjoyable to play through. I actually became really immersed in the world of this game. At the moment, I’m playing through the final missions of the game and the DLC missions. I’m having a blast. Thankfully, I can easily start a new playthrough of this game. Then I can experience it all of it over again and take a totally different route. And maybe I can do the little side quests and pirate tales as well. Since, that’s content, I haven’t gone into too much yet.

Your playthrough of this game will take you somewhere between 27 to 37 hours. That is, if you want to beat the main story and DLC’s. But, if you want to fully finish this game… Oh boy, then you’ll have a game that’s close to 80 hours on your hands. I already mentioned the crew tales. But there are also mini-challenges you can go for during the missions to earn badges. Let’s not forget the achievements you can earn. Well, most of the achievements are related to the main campaign.

Now, I have one complaint about the badges in this game. Earning some of these badges is extremely tricky. Sometimes, you don’t get all the information you expect to. For example, there is a badge on each map for using all the landing spots of that map. But guess what, there is no easy way to see if you already used a landing spot or not. It’s a shame that some badges work like that. Especially since some of these badges make you go out of your way to play in an unique way. A more challenging way to spice up your normal routine.

Apart from bragging trophies, these medals don’t really add up to much. But, I honestly don’t really mind that. Since, it’s fun to gather these medals and have some bonus challanges during my playthrough. It keeps me on my toes and it’s really enjoyable.

Mindblowing abilities

I’m still quite impressed at how balanced this game is. Each character has their own unique abilities. It’s best that you always have a character with an ability that can move guards from their position. If you don’t have that, the game will actually warn you. You are going to make it extremely challenging for yourself.

Personally, I’m playing through this game on the normal difficulty setting and your decisions actually matter. Before starting each mission, study the map well. Try to remember each map as well as you can. Since you are going to revisit each map at least once or twice. It’s extremely important to choose the correct landing position.

You would think that the game will be a bit boring if you always bring the same crew into missions. But, the game rewards you using different characters for missions. You gain more vigor if you play with certain crew members during certain missions. If you earned enough vigor, you can upgrade one of the unique abilities of your characters. This upgrade will give you more and better tools in your arsenal. Now, these upgrades can make the game much easier. You can always turn off the upgrades while on the Red Marley.

In the introduction paragraph of this article, I quickly explained how this game works. So, let me tell you the gist of it. In this game, you go from mission to mission, completing various goals in each one. These goals can range for example from rescuing an informant or stealing an artifact. In each mission, there are various enemies patrolling the area. Your goal is to find the weakspots in their patrols and dispose of the enemies without getting spotted.

Now, getting spotted isn’t the end of the world in this game. Depending on where you are spotted, it’s possible to escape and hide somewhere. You just have to avoid taking damage, since your health is limited, and you can’t heal during the mission. If you aren’t careful, it’s easy to get swamped or overwhelmed with guards. Especially when a guard with a bell spots you, the traces you leave behind or sees a dead body. When this happens, you have a limited amount of time to kill that guard before the bell is rung. When the bell is rung, more guards will emerge from nearby barracks and swarm to the location.

On top of that, there are also some unique enemy types outside your regular patrol goons. The first type I want to talk are the Kindred. These annoying buggers bring something quite unique to the table in this genre. Kindred are always connected with each other. If you don’t kill these all at the same time, they will revive each other. But, this is only the start of your troubles.

You also have Prognosticar. And let me tell you, these are even more challenging. To defeat these enemies, you need to have two units ready. One unit needs to be spotted or attack the Prognosticar. Since as soon as that happens, your unit gets trapped. This trap will go on and damage your unit until the unit either dies or is rescued. When the Prognosticar is using his trap, he can be attacked and killed. But do it quick. The trap is damaging your unit. You are also stuck in place. This situation is dangerous.

It also matters if the mission is taking place during day or night. The big difference is that in the daytime, the enemies have a bigger field of view. During the nighttime, some enemies will carry a torch on their patrol. This gives more light to other units. They can spot you sneaking by if you aren’t careful. There are also various torches dotted around the map, and you can put them out. The enemies can’t stand torches that are put out and will go out of their way to light them again.

It’s also important to know if an enemy stops in their patrol to talk to another enemy. Since if you kill one of them, the other enemy will start looking for them. They will start running around and if you weren’t careful, will find your tracks and spot you.

Learning those little mechanics is essential in this game. Never forget the tools you have in this game! This ranges from the abilities of each character to how for example view cones work. There is something called view cone surfing. If you want to dash to another place past some enemies… Understand that a full color in the view cone means they will spot you right away. Stripped sections of the view cone will cause you to be unseen if you crawl by. Also, it takes a few moments of you being spotted and the alarm being raised. You can run quickly enough past an enemy. Alternatively, you can run from view cone to view cone. It’s possible to get past unseen.

If you are afraid that you will get overwhelmed by all the information of all the little mechanics, don’t worry. The difficulty curve in this game is perfect. This game also has solid character tutorials. Each character tutorial guides you through 2–3 rooms, teaching you the abilities of each ability and their unique use cases. At the end of each character tutorial, you get a puzzle room. Putting to the test if you can use that character correctly. During the game, you can always open your logbook from the pause menu, where all tutorials can be watched again.

This brings me to the abilities of your characters in this game. If you have played similar games, you’ll recognize certain abilities and others will be quite new and unique. Now, some of these abilities will have a unique spin to it. For example, your sniper only has one shot. But, when you retrieve your sniper bolt… Your sniper can shoot again.

There are also extremely unique mechanics, like your Canoness has very fun abilities. She can pick up dead bodies in her canon to launch them at enemies to knock them out. But, you can also pick up allies. You can fling them over a group of enemies. This will give them a better hiding spot. Or your Ship Doctor, she can create one hiding spot out of thin air. Or your navigator, she can stop time for one enemy, allowing you to easy sneak by. And your ship cook can throw a special doll. This doll allows him to teleport to that location. He does this as soon as you click the button. Oh, and if you place that doll on an enemy, it sticks to that enemy.

You might be annoyed that I somewhat spoiled things in the above paragraph. But I have only told the tip of the iceberg here. I have left out several characters in that little summary and they have mindblowing abilities as well. Each map is created in such a way that it doesn’t really matter which characters you take into battle. Since you can finish it using any of your characters.

The Swansong of Mimimi

When Klamath and I started streaming Commandos, I wanted to play a similar game. One I haven’t played through. Since I first started playing through Desperados III again, and that was beaten in a few days. Since, I really enjoyed Desperados III, I bought the next game from the studio.

As somebody who enjoyed Desperados III quite a lot, I was happy to see things return in this game. I can’t tell you how much I love the speed up button. While I wish you can adjust the speed of it… The slow wait can be annoying. Sometimes, you have to get an enemy right where you want them. On top of that, you also have the showdown mode. With the press of a button, you can stop time and plan out your units their next move. Once you press the enter key, either still in showdown mode or not, the actions will be executed. It still feels amazing when you execute a well timed attack to take out difficult set of enemies.

Something that’s extremely useful is how you can rotate the camera in this game. Sometimes an enemy walks behind a building or some rocks… So, if you can’t rotate the camera, you wonder from where you are taking damage. Also, the ability of outlining the enemies, ladders and hiding spots help with that as well. As you can see from my screenshots, I always play with that feature enabled.

Sadly, there are a few ladders that don’t get an outline. Most likely since the developers forgot to put a certain tag on them. I remember one in Angler’s Grave, at the top right. It’s not too far from one of the mission objectives, the informant. Thankfully, these very minor oversights rarely happen. Overall, this game is extremely solid and blast to play through.

The controls are extremely solid. I had to get used to one thing. To execute certain actions, I had to hold the left mouse button instead of just clicking. This sometimes tripped me up but a quick reload fixed that problem. I only have one minor complaint about the controls. Depending on the camera angle, there were rare moments where your character refused to go to a location. I suspect it has to do with where you click. Your unit always wants to look for the shortest way to reach where you click. Sadly, this trips something up in the pathfinding and your unti refuses to go to their destination. Thankfully, a quick camera movement can fix these moments. And also, I’m glad that these moments are quite rare.

Something that’s even more rare are some minor visual bugs that can happen sometimes. Sometimes an UI-element refuses to dissapear. I had that happen twice, when I shot an enemy holding down an exit rift with the Canoness. The stars indicated that the enemy was dizzy. They hovered above the enemy’s head after the rift opened. Even after I killed the enemy, these stars remained visible. There are sometimes minor visual bugs happening like that. Thankfully, they are extremely rare and sometimes are quite funny. One time, one of my units was standing perpendicular on a ladder when I stopped it going up the ladder. The only annoying bug was that I couldn’t retrieve two bodies. They lay in a remote part of Angler’s Grave. It was almost impossible to get rid of two bodies. Maybe, it’s possible. I don’t know, I honestly gave up and earned the badge of hiding bodies on a later revist.

In such a big game it’s to be expected that sometimes things can go wrong. But it surprises me how little goes wrong and how polished the overall game is. Scrolling through the patch notes of this game, I noticed that the developers fixed many issues. They also added a lot of new content to the game. The last update to the game was even a modding tool for this game. These mods go from chaging your character models to adding new maps. I think I’ll play around with the mods after I have fully beaten the game. I’m extremely close, since I’m in the final missions of the game.

Now, earlier I talked about the UI. The UI is quite easy and helpful. There are several unique icons to inform you where certain things are. For example, where you left the paper doll when using the ship cook. There is only one thing in the UI I dislike. And that’s the list of save games. You get a little screenshot of the location of the save and a time stamp. And that’s it. You can’t give a special name or note to them. So if you are looking for a certain save… you either need to make notes OR just go through all them until you het it.

It’s the only real complaint I can give about this game. There is just a lot that this game does right. Like how you can scroll to zoom in or out. When you scroll again at the max zoom level, you see a live map. This map shows where all the enemies are. The only minor complaint I have about the map is that ammo chests aren’t marked on there. Also, quick note on the ammo chests… Almost every character has the same visual for their gun. Now, if another visual appears above the ammo chest, it doesn’t matter. The ammo chests are never character specific.

Visually, this game looks breathtaking. The attention to detail in this world gets a big thumbs up from me. The world really feels alive and somewhat real. The little animation details for example when an enemy stops at a prison cell to talk to inmates… This is just amazing. The immersion level is even higher with that.

The soundtrack is very catchy and a joy to listen to. It made certain moments in the game even more thrilling. The music has been created by Filippo Beck Peccoz, he also created the music for Desperados III. The soundtrack really fits the game like a glove. I’m so glad I bought the soundtrack DLC,. Now I can add the music to my music library to play while I’m at my dayjob.

This brings me to the sound design of this game. The sound design of this game is amazing. I’m playing this game with a good headset and I don’t think this game is playable without sound effects. A great example is, when you get spotted. You not only get a great visual hint of a yellow line turning red of the enemy spotting you… You also get some sound effects informing you that things are about to go down. On top of that, the sound effects add so much extra impact on taking down enemies. This makes it even more rewarding when you finally take down that one pesky enemy.

One thing I haven’t talked about yet is how flexible this game is. I have touched upon that by talking about how you can only choose three out of 8 characters per mission. And you are encouraged to experiment with different combinations. Now, when you open the options menu, you’ll be blown away. You can change almost everything. The controls like the shortcuts for abilities can be tweaked to your liking. You have quite a lot of control to tweak the volumes, the controls, the visuals… Even tweak certain game mechanics to your liking. Don’t like the save reminder? You can turn that off.

There is still another thing that boggles my mind that was added in this game. You can create a custom difficulty. The only complaint I have there is that the UI fails to explain the differences. I find it challenging to understand all the settings. You get a short explaination about the setting, and then you have a slider you can set. But, what’s the difference between 1 and 2 on the slider? That’s something the UI doesn’t really tell.

When I was writing this article, I kept looking at my notes and thought: “Oh, I forgot about that.”. There are just so many things in this game. The fact that in some missions, you must kill enemies in unique ways. In one mission, you have to lure enemies to a certain location. You need to do this 4 times. You do this instead of killing them. It’s a breath of fresh air. You’d think that having only a handful of maps would make this game boring and repetitive, but no. The maps are not only large but also used in extremely interesting ways. Revisits of a map make it easier to start, but each area is used in a mission. So, there is still a lot of challenge in the revisits.

Oh, there is one more thing. The question if you should buy the DLC’s or not. Let me just tell you this, I bought the game on sale with the DLC’s included. I’m so happy I did! Since the additional content in the DLC’s adds so much more to this game. They come highly recommended.

Now, I have left out a few things for you all to find while playing this game. This article is already getting quite long. I want to leave some things as a surprise for people interested in playing this game. I think it’s high time to wrap up this review and give my conclusion and final thoughts on this game.

Conclusion of this treasure hunt

The negatives:

-Unable to add notes to quick saves.
-Some minor (visual) glitches can happen. Thankfully, they are rare and rarely/never gamebreaking.
-The UI of custom difficulty could have been executed better.

The positives:

+ A masterclass in it’s genre in terms of gameplay.
+ Extremely flexible with options.
+ A modding tool.
+ A love-able cartoony story.
+ Amazing voice over work.
+ Superb soundtrack.
+ …

Final thoughts:

When I started playing Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, I had extremely high expectations. Mimimi blew me away with the amazing Desperados III. With this swansong of a game, they not only met my expectations, they blew them out of the water. This game showcases the achievements of passionate people. These individuals are dedicated to creating the game they love.

It didn’t take long before I fell in love with the cast of this game. The charm drew me into the world of this game. Apart from some minor things, it’s hard to find things to critique about this game. The only thing I can critique are small bugs that barely impact the gameplay of this game. This game really feels like a finished product and it’s a thrill ride from start to finish.

If you really want to find things this game does wrong… You’ll either need to be extremely nitpicky or just have the game not clicking with you. If you find this game too easy or too difficult, just tweak the setttings to your playstyle and voila.

If you enjoy games like Commandos or Desperados… You’d do yourself a disservice to not check out this game. Give the demo of this game a try, and see what you think. I wouldn’t be surprised that this game sinks it’s hook into you like it did with me.

It’s a shame to see that this game studio closes. Thank you to everybody who worked on this amazing title and I hope to meet your work in other games. This final game you all created together is a real piece of art. It’s a masterclass in game development and shows how well you know the community for games like this. I’m so happy that this game exists. Since it wouldn’t surprise me that I’ll play through this game several times now.

Before I ramble on and on about this game, I think it’s high time I wrap up this article. Otherwise, I’ll keep praising this game to high heavens and back. So, with that said, I have said close to everything I wanted to say about this game. I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope to be able to welcome you in another article, but until then… Have a great rest of your day and take care!

Score: 100/100

A technical paper titled “Substrate Embedded Power Electronics Packaging for Silicon Carbide MOSFETs” was published by researchers at University of Cambridge, University of Warwick, Chongqing University, and SpaceX.

Abstract:

“This paper proposes a new power electronic packaging for discrete dies, namely Standard Cell which consists of a step-etched active metal brazed (AMB) substrate and a flexible printed circuit board (flex-PCB). The standard cell exhibits high thermal conductivity, complete electrical insulation, and low stray inductance, thereby enhancing the performance of SiC MOSFET devices. The standard cell has a stray power loop inductance of less than 1 nH and a gate loop inductance of less than 1.5 nH . The standard cell has a flat body with surface-mounting electrical connections on one side and direct thermal connections on the other. The use of flex-PCB die interconnection enables maximum utilization of source pads while providing a flexible gate-source connection and the converter PCB. This paper presents the design concept of the standard cell and experimentally validates its effectiveness in a converter system.”

Find the technical paper here. Published May 2024.

A. Janabi et al., “Substrate Embedded Power Electronics Packaging for Silicon Carbide MOSFETs,” in IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, doi: 10.1109/TPEL.2024.3396779.

Related Reading
Big Shifts In Power Electronics Packaging
Packages are becoming more complex to endure high power, high temperature conditions across a variety of applications.
Power Semiconductors: A Deep Dive Into Materials, Manufacturing & Business
Premium Content: How these devices are made and work, challenges in manufacturing, related startups, as well as the reasons why so much effort and resources are being spent to develop new materials, and new processes.</

The post Power Electronic Packaging for Discrete Dies appeared first on Semiconductor Engineering.

Ctrl-Alt-Speech is a weekly podcast about the latest news in online speech, from Mike Masnick and Everything in Moderation‘s Ben Whitelaw.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Pocket Casts, YouTube, or your podcast app of choice — or go straight to the RSS feed.

In this week’s round-up of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Mike and Ben cover:

• Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms (New York Times)
• The Surgeon General Is Wrong. Social Media Doesn’t Need Warning Labels (The Daily Beast)
• Anthropic calls for AI red teaming to be standardized (Fortune)
• How small claims court became Meta’s customer service hotline (Engadget)
• Pornhub to block five more states over age verification laws (The Verge)
• New York Outlaws ‘Addictive’ Social Media Feeds For Teen Users (PC Mag)
• Meta Oversight Board’s Helle Thorning-Schmidt: ‘Not all AI-generated content is harmful’ (Financial Times)

This episode is brought to you with financial support from the Future of Online Trust & Safety Fund.

The LuckFox Pico Ultra is a single-board computer designed for headless computing applications (there’s no HDMI or DisplayPort video output). It measures just 50 x 50mm (2″ x 2″) and features USB Type-C and Type-A ports, an onboard microphone, a 10/100 Ethernet port with an optional Power Over Ethernet (PoE) module, optional support for WiFi 6 […]

The post LuckFox Pico Ultra is a micro dev board with PoE and a Rockchip RV1106 ARM/RISC-V chip appeared first on Liliputing.

Not everyone is looking to spend hundreds of dollars on a great keyboard and mouse setup. Some folks are just looking for something that's good and affordable. Now, if you're someone in the latter category, we've found a fantastic deal on a wireless keyboard and mouse combo that you won't want to pass up.

The UP Xtreme i14 from AAEON is a 120 x 123mm (4.7″ x 4.8″) computer board with support for up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 H-series Meteor Lake processor, support for up to four displays, four M.2 slots for NVMe storage, AI accelerators, wireless cards, and other add-ons, a SATA connector, and a 40-pin GPIO header. […]

The post UP Xtreme i14 board lets you build your own Intel Meteor Lake mini PC (or industrial computer, or whatever) appeared first on Liliputing.

Earlier this year Chinese chip maker SpacemiT announced plans to launch several new products powered by the company’s RISC-V processors, including the SpacemiT Muse Book laptop, Muse Box mini PC, and MUSE Pi single-board computer (SBC). Now the Muse Pi is available for purchase for $199 from DeepComputing… although I suspect that you may be […]

The post SpacemiT Muse Pi is a single-board PC with SpacemiT M1 8-core RISC-V processor appeared first on Liliputing.

I've been making a small experience within Roblox Studio recently and wanted to add crouching into the game. I used my (already functioning) code for sprinting and modified it to make a crouch button that only makes you crouch while the button is held.

When I tested this out for the first time, I tried pressing A to move left while crouching. Instead, this activated the shortcut for selecting all children within the Workspace, Ctrl+A. The same situation occurred when moving right with D; it instead thought I was trying to duplicate instances with Ctrl+D.

I have no idea why it does this or how I could fix it, how could I solve this problem? (Other than just... rebinding crouch to a different button. I know I can do that, but I still want to know why this even happens.)

I'll provide the code if requested, but since it works just fine on any key other than left Ctrl. I don't think it's a problem.

In a past article SemiAccurate mentioned the Altera Max 10 FPGA seen on Intel Birch Stream boards.
Read more ▶

The post Why is there an Altera FPGA on QTS Birch Stream boards? appeared first on SemiAccurate.

When SemiAccurate saw the Birch Stream boards at MWC, there was something we noticed.
Read more ▶

The post Intel Birch Stream Boards Speak From The SIde appeared first on SemiAccurate.

I'm getting these error messages when I try to use Unity's new Input System package:

Cannot read value of type 'Vector2' from control '/Keyboard/w' bound to action 'CharacterControls/Movement[/Keyboard/w,/Keyboard/a,Keyboard/s,/Keyboard/d]' (control is a 'KeyControl'

InvalidOperationException while executing 'performed' callbacks of 'CharacterControls/Movement[/Keyboard/w,/Keyboard/a,Keyboard/s,/Keyboard/d]'

Here is the code I'm using:

using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
using TMPro;
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.InputSystem;


public class PlayerMovement : MonoBehaviour
{

    private CharacterController _charactercontroller;
    [SerializeField] private Vector3 _walkDirection;
    [SerializeField] private Vector3 _velocity;
    [SerializeField] private float _speed;
    Animator animator;

    int isWalkingHash;
    int isRunningHash;

    PlayerInput input;

    Vector2 currentMovement;
    bool movementPressed;
    bool runPressed;

    void Awake()
    {
        input = new PlayerInput();

        input.CharacterControls.Movement.performed += ctx =>
        {
            currentMovement = ctx.ReadValue<Vector2>();
            movementPressed = currentMovement.x != 0 || currentMovement.y != 0;
        };
        
        input.CharacterControls.Run.performed += ctx => runPressed = ctx.ReadValueAsButton();
    }

    void Start()
    {
        animator = GetComponent<Animator>();
        _charactercontroller = GetComponent<CharacterController>();

        isWalkingHash = Animator.StringToHash("isWalking");
        isRunningHash = Animator.StringToHash("isRunning");
    }

    void Update()
    {
        handleMovement();
    }
 
    void handleMovement()
    {
        bool isRunning = animator.GetBool(isRunningHash);
        bool isWalking = animator.GetBool(isWalkingHash);

        if ( movementPressed && isWalking) {
            animator.SetBool(isWalkingHash, true);
        }
        if (!movementPressed && !isWalking)
        {
            animator.SetBool(isWalkingHash, false);
        }
        if((movementPressed && runPressed) && isRunning)
            {
                animator.SetBool(isRunningHash, true);
            }
        if((movementPressed || !runPressed) && isRunning)
            {
                animator.SetBool(isRunningHash, false);
            }
        
    }

    private void OnEnable()
    {
        input.CharacterControls.Enable();
    }

    private void OnDisable()
    {
        input.CharacterControls.Disable();
    }
}

In a past article SemiAccurate mentioned the Altera Max 10 FPGA seen on Intel Birch Stream boards.
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The post Why is there an Altera FPGA on QTS Birch Stream boards? appeared first on SemiAccurate.

When SemiAccurate saw the Birch Stream boards at MWC, there was something we noticed.
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The post Intel Birch Stream Boards Speak From The SIde appeared first on SemiAccurate.

We’ve seen a number of projects recently that repurpose the keyboards from BlackBerry smartphones to create portable computers. But the BlackBerry Pi may be one of the most Cyberpunk DIY projects I’ve seen in a while. Rather than focusing on a slim, pocketable design, this DIY handheld stuffs a complete Raspberry Pi computer with full-sized ports […]

The post BlackBerry Pi is a DIY project that turns a Raspberry Pi into a chunky BlackBerry-style handheld computer appeared first on Liliputing.

You can spend all the time and money you want putting together your dream PC, but you're not going to get the best experience and will be left wanting for more without the right peripherals. Think of your PC like a high-performance sports car, which is armed to the teeth to handle the tracks. But you're not going to have the best experience, or even the confidence to drive and push it to its limits without the right tires and things like a comfortable seat.

The Singleboard Alpha is a tiny portable computer that’s… built around a single board (you probably guessed that from the name. But unlike some of the so-called single-board PCs we’ve seen in recent years (I’m looking at you Raspberry Pi), this little computer has a built-in keyboard, display, and battery connector. In other words, you can use it […]

The post Singleboard Alpha is an ESP32 pocket computer from the creator of Arduboy appeared first on Liliputing.

Digital Chinese-language keyboards that are vulnerable to spying and eavesdropping have been used by 1 billion smartphone users, according to a new report. The widespread threats these leaky systems reveal could also present a concerning new kind of exploit for cyberattacks, whether the device uses a Chinese-language keyboard, an English keyboard, or any other.

Last year, the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab released a study of a proprietary Chinese keyboard system owned by the Shenzhen-based tech giant Tencent. Citizen Lab’s “Sogou Keyboard” report exposed the widespread range of attacks possible on the keyboard, which could leak a user’s key presses to outside eavesdroppers. Now, in the group’s new study, released last week, the same researchers have discovered that essentially all the world’s popular Chinese smartphone keyboards have suffered similar vulnerabilities.

“Whatever Chinese-language users of your app might have typed into it has been exposed for years.” —Jedidiah Crandall, Arizona State University

And while the specific bugs the two reports have uncovered have been fixed in most instances, the researchers’ findings—and in particular, their recommendations—point to substantially larger gaps in the systems that extend into software developed around the world, no matter the language.

“All of these keyboards were also using custom network protocols,” says Mona Wang, a computer science Ph.D. student at Princeton University and coauthor of the report. “Because I had studied these sort of custom network protocols before, then this immediately screamed to me that there was something really terrible going on.”

Jedidiah Crandall, an associate professor of computing and augmented intelligence at Arizona State University in Tempe, who was consulted in the report’s preparation but was not on the research team, says these vulnerabilities matter for nearly any coder or development team that releases their work to the world. “If you are a developer of a privacy-focused chat app or an app for tracking something health related, whatever Chinese language users of your app might have typed into it has been exposed for years,” he says.

The Chinese keyboard problem

Chinese, a language of tens of thousands of characters with some 4,000 or more in common use, represents a distinct challenge for keyboard input. A range of different keyboard systems have been developed in the digital era—sometimes called pinyin keyboards, named after a popular romanization system for standard Chinese. Ideally, these creative approaches to digital input enable a profoundly complex language to be straightforwardly phoneticized and transliterated via a compact, often QWERTY-style keyboard format.

“Even competent and well-resourced people get encryption wrong, because it’s really hard to do correctly.” —Mona Wang, Princeton University

Computational and AI smarts can help transform key presses into Chinese characters on the screen. But Chinese keyboards often involve many interchanges across the Internet between cloud servers and other assistive networked apps, just to make it possible for a Chinese-speaking person to be able to type the characters.

According to the report—and an FAQ the researchers released explaining the technical points in plain language—the Chinese keyboards studied all used character-prediction features, which in turn relied on cloud-computing resources. The researchers found that improperly secured communications between a device’s keyboard app and those external cloud servers meant that users’ keystrokes (and therefore their messages) could be accessed in transit.

Jeffrey Knockel, a senior research associate at Citizen Lab and the report coauthor, says cloud-based character prediction is a particularly attractive feature for Chinese-language keyboards, given the vast array of possible characters that any given QWERTY keystroke sequence might be attempting to represent. “If you’re typing in English or any language where there’s enough keys on a keyboard for all your letters, that’s already a much simpler task to design a keyboard around than an ideographic language where you might have over 10,000 characters,” he says.

Chinese-language keyboards are often “pinyin keyboards,” which allow for thousands of characters to be typed using a QWERTY-style approach.Zamoeux/Wikimedia

Sarah Scheffler, a postdoctoral associate at MIT, expressed concern also about other kinds of data vulnerabilities that the Citizen Lab report reveals—beyond keyboards and Chinese-language specific applications necessarily. “The vulnerabilities [identified by the report] are not at all specific to pinyin keyboards,” she says. “It applies to any application sending data over the Internet. Any app sending unencrypted—or badly encrypted—information would have similar issues.”

Wang says the chief problem the researchers uncovered concerns the fact that so many Chinese-keyboard protocols transmit data using inferior and sometimes custom-made encryption.

“These encryption protocols are probably developed by very, very competent and very well-resourced people,” Wang says. “But even competent and well-resourced people get encryption wrong, because it’s really hard to do correctly.”

Beyond the vulnerabilities exposed

Scheffler points to the two-decades-long testing, iteration, and development of the transport layer security (TLS) system underlying much of the Internet’s secure communications, including websites that use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) protocol. (The first version of TLS was specified and released in 1999.) “All these Chinese Internet companies who are rolling their own [cryptography] or using their own encryption algorithms are sort of missing out on all those 20 years of standard encryption development,” Wang says.

Crandall says the report may have also inadvertently highlighted assumptions about security protocols that may not always apply in every corner of the globe. “Protocols like TLS sometimes make assumptions that don’t suit the needs of developers in certain parts of the world,” he says. For instance, he adds, custom-made, non-TLS security systems may be more attractive “where the network delay is high or where people may spend large amounts of time in areas where the network is not accessible.”

Scheffler says the Chinese-language keyboard problem could even represent a kind of canary in the coal mine for a range of computer, smartphone, and software systems. Because of their reliance on extensive Internet communications, such systems—while perhaps overlooked or relegated to the background by developers—also still represent potential cybersecurity attack surfaces.

“Anecdotally, a lot of these security failures arise from groups that don’t think they’re doing anything that requires security or don’t have much security expertise,” Scheffler says.

Scheffler identifies “Internet-based predictive-text keyboards in any language, and maybe some of the Internet-based AI features that have crept into apps over the years” as possible places concealing cybersecurity vulnerabilities similar to those that the Citizen Lab team discovered in Chinese-language keyboards. This category could include voice recognition, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and generative AI tools, she adds.

“Security and privacy isn’t many people’s first thought when they’re building their cool image-editing application,” says Scheffler. ”Maybe it shouldn’t be the first thought, but it should definitely be a thought by the time the application makes it to users.”

This story was updated 29 April 2024.

Manufacturer: Keychron URL: https://www.keychron.com Price: $219 The crossover between makers and mechanical keyboard enthusiasts is significant. Makers’ innate drive to bend technology to their will and customize hardware to their specific needs makes them prime candidates for the deep levels of customization afforded by the mechanical keyboard hobby. And many a mech-head has gone “full maker” in the […]

The post Review: We’re Stuck On This Magnetically-Enhanced Keyboard From Keychron appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

In a past article SemiAccurate mentioned the Altera Max 10 FPGA seen on Intel Birch Stream boards.
Read more ▶

The post Why is there an Altera FPGA on QTS Birch Stream boards? appeared first on SemiAccurate.

When SemiAccurate saw the Birch Stream boards at MWC, there was something we noticed.
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The post Intel Birch Stream Boards Speak From The SIde appeared first on SemiAccurate.

It looks like someone was showing off the Birch Stream boards early at MWC 2024.
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The post QTS Shows Off Birch Stream boards at MWC appeared first on SemiAccurate.

If you haven't been inducted into the PC gaming community yet, you might have some doubts about what exactly constitutes "gaming PCs". After all, isn't every PC fundamentally the same? Well, in many ways, yes. But, there are also a lot of differences between gaming PCs and regular PCs, right from the kind of components used to the considerations involved when building a gaming PC.

Once you've narrowed down the best CPUs to the best Ryzen chips, and finally landed on the 8700F, you'll still have some important decisions to make. Whether to splurge on a super premium motherboard is a personal choice, but considering the 8700F isn't necessarily a super premium chip, you may want to save some cash, unless you plan on upgrading in the future.

Manufacturer: Keychron URL: https://www.keychron.com Price: $219 The crossover between makers and mechanical keyboard enthusiasts is significant. Makers’ innate drive to bend technology to their will and customize hardware to their specific needs makes them prime candidates for the deep levels of customization afforded by the mechanical keyboard hobby. And many a mech-head has gone “full maker” in the […]

The post Review: We’re Stuck On This Magnetically-Enhanced Keyboard From Keychron appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

In a past article SemiAccurate mentioned the Altera Max 10 FPGA seen on Intel Birch Stream boards.
Read more ▶

The post Why is there an Altera FPGA on QTS Birch Stream boards? appeared first on SemiAccurate.

When SemiAccurate saw the Birch Stream boards at MWC, there was something we noticed.
Read more ▶

The post Intel Birch Stream Boards Speak From The SIde appeared first on SemiAccurate.

It looks like someone was showing off the Birch Stream boards early at MWC 2024.
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The post QTS Shows Off Birch Stream boards at MWC appeared first on SemiAccurate.

Chinese mini PC maker CWWK’s X86 P5 mini PC is a small fanless computer powered by an Intel Alder Lake-N low-power processor and featuring two 2.5 GbE LAN ports, and two HDMI 2.0 ports. It first launched in late 2023 and is available from AliExpress or the CWWK website for around $149 and up. Now […]

The post CWWK X86 P5 Dev Board is an Alder Lake-N router board (4 x M.2 2280 slots optional) appeared first on Liliputing.

The developers behind OpenWrt have been offering an open source, Linux-based operating system for routers and other embedded devices for two decades. So far the team has primarily focused on making software that can be installed on existing hardware. But earlier this year developer John Crispin announced that the team was considering releasing the first […]

The post Say hello to the first OneWrt One prototype (Router board from OpenWrt and Banana Pi) appeared first on Liliputing.

Most of Hardkernel’s single board computers, development boards, and handhelds are powered by ARM-based processors. But the company has been selling x86 models with Intel processors under the ODROID-H brand since 2018. And now Hardkernel has launched its highest-performance ODROID-H series computers to date. the new ODROID-H4, H4+, and H4 Ultra are 120 x 120mm (4.7″ […]

The post ODROID-H4 is a mini PC board with Intel Alder Lake-N that sells for $99 and up appeared first on Liliputing.

When SemiAccurate saw the Birch Stream boards at MWC, there was something we noticed.
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The post Intel Birch Stream Boards Speak From The SIde appeared first on SemiAccurate.

It looks like someone was showing off the Birch Stream boards early at MWC 2024.
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The post QTS Shows Off Birch Stream boards at MWC appeared first on SemiAccurate.

The publisher wrote in an email to me, “I am very excited to officially ruin your productivity for the rest of the week and provide you with a key for Balatro.” And ruin my productivity it did, because quite simply, Balatro is a digital drug. This unassuming game, where you make poker hands into order to beat a set score, is addicting as hell. It’s like an onion, the deeper you go, the more layers you find. Balatro will get a Must Play with a ten back-end score. This will sit with site luminaries like Tux and Fanny and Army of Ruin, and it deserves it. But why? Why is a glorified poker game worth that score? Read on, and you shall see.

Balatro’s Unassuming Front

Above is Balatro’s game screen and it tells you all you need to know, at first. You get dealt eight cards, and you can either play, or discard up to five of them, If you play, you get scored based on the hand type, from High Card and Pair, to Four of a Kind and Straight Flush. Each card has an assigned value that should be familiar to people who play blackjack. Then the card score gets multiplied by a certain number based on the hand type. You get a certain number of hands and discards. It is game over when you run out of hands and you haven’t met the blind value. If you win, you win cash that can be used in the shop between rounds.

Balatro is divided into eight antes of three rounds each. Small Blind, Big Blind and Boss Blind. The boss blinds have special conditions, like clubs or spades are worth nothing. Or all cards played in the ante up until them or worthless. Or it could be a really high blind value(as you’ll see). In between each round, you get a shop, where you can purchase all kinds of special cards which do a whole range of things, that the next section will be devoted to. Now, if you lose, you start over from scratch. However, depending on the number of cards “discovered,”and other prerequisites, you unlock new deck types, vouchers and jokers.

The Onion

Now the special cards in Balatro, there are several types. There are 150 jokers, and you can have five at any time. Most of them effect the scoring somehow. One joker might raise the multiplier if you play odd value cards. Another, very powerful, Joker jacks up the multiplier if you have only it and no other jokers. But wait, there’s more. There are tarot cards, which do special things, like change card suits or create other cards. Planet cards raise the base value of individual hand types, and are very important to use early on, imo. Finally, spectral cards do interesting things and are relatively rare. One transform cards into special cards that do special things themselves. Foil raises the chip value, holographic raises the multiplier. There’s even a spectral card that copies a joker and destroys the rest.

But wait, there’s even more to Balatro: In the shop, you can buy packs of cards or all types even standard cards, as seen above. They come in regular size, jumbo size and mega sizes. The number of cards you select varies based on card type. You can also buy vouchers that do things like give you extra hands and discards and are permanent until you lose. You can skip the small and big blinds and get special tags that do special things, like create jokers and give you $15 if you beat the boss blind. Finally, you can peek at your deck at any time, and do card counting, which is pretty much required later on.

Goodbye Productivity!

Now add the previous section together, and you get one deep experience and countless strategies. However, one misplayed hand or discard could mean the end and starting over.But you’ll come back to Balatro, over and over again. One more round. One more ante. I stayed up late playing this game, and so will you. If I have to name a complaint, the price is a little steep at fifteen dollars, but considering Balatro will take over your life for a bit, it is well worth the money. Hats off to the one man development team, you created something great!

Overall: Balatro is an unassuming game that steals so much time, it is a crime. Absolutely amazing!

Verdict: Must Play

eShop Page

Game provided for free by the publisher!

The post Balatro Switch Game Review appeared first on The Game Slush Pile.

I have warmed up to the Pretty Girls series over the years, first being negative and then over time warming to them. I realized I love anime boobs, and as an anime boobs lover, I came to love the series. I own all three Pretty Girls collections, which brings the nudity. Well, there has been a 9 month gap in Pretty Girls titles, and one has finally showed up, Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire PLUS. It is the sequel to Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire. Well, the game play hasn’t changed at all. It’s Klondike Solitaire, it comes free with Windows. You know what you are getting here. The reason you want this game isn’t the solitaire, there’s plenty of those games. You want Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire PLUS for the giant boobs, and yes, it has plenty of giant boobs.

You have eleven lovely ladies with giant hooters to choose from in Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire PLUS. Each lady has 3 difficulty levels. Beat a level, it unlocks something for the dressing room. Easy unlocks the outfit they are wearing for the dressing room. Medium unlocks the background they are in. Hard unlocks them in a bathing suit. New to the series is the fact you can have multiple ladies in the dressing room at once, as seen below. They don’t interact with each other, but at least the series is moving forward in one respect.

In the end, with Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire PLUS, you know exactly what you are getting with this title and why you are buying it. You want to see giant anime boobs, well you get giant anime boobs. The Klondike Solitaire is just game play to justify the title’s existence. It’s fine for what it is and so it’ll get a Recommended with an 7 back-end score. If for just want Klondike, there’s 1000 other titles for you. If you want Klondike with boobs, you go with this.

Overall: Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire PLUS is Klondike Solitaire with anime girls with giant hooters. You know why you’re getting this.

Verdict: Recommended

eShop Page

Game received for free from the publisher

The post Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire PLUS Switch Review appeared first on The Game Slush Pile.

Google has spent the last few years pushing RCS as the future of instant messaging, thanks to support for features that are missing from SMS such as typing notifications, read receipts, high-res photo sharing, and support for sending messages over WiFi as well as cellular networks. But… many Google Messages users recently noticed that they […]

The post Lilbits: Google Messages blocks RCS on rooted phones, HDMI Forum blocks AMD’s open source high-res/refresh rate drivers appeared first on Liliputing.

Google Lens is one of the more useful apps on a smartphone, using your mobile camera for text recognition, object searches, and more. Now, one of the best Lens features is coming to Gboard.

9to5Google reports that Google is now bringing a so-called Scan Text feature to Gboard. We can indeed confirm seeing this feature in the beta version of Gboard.

You likely know the processor in your PC, but identifying the motherboard might be a bit unclear. Under normal circumstances, many PC users don’t really ...

The post Decode Your PC’s DNA: A Guide to Identifying Your Motherboard appeared first on Gizchina.com.

The Chinese PC makers behind that build-your-own NAS motherboard with an Intel Alder Lake-N processor and a lot of networking and storage options are back, and this time they’re selling a higher-performance model powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor and featuring support for even more storage. The Topton N11 mini-ITX motherboard is available now from AliExpress for […]

The post This mini-ITX motherboard has a Ryzen 7 7840HS processor, four 2.5 GbE LAN ports, and up to 9 SATA drives appeared first on Liliputing.

After launching the Asus Tinker Board 3N single-board computer last summer, Asus is expanding this line of 100mm x 100mm (3.9″ x 3.9″) PCs with Rockchip RK3568 processors. The new Asus Tinker Board 3N Plus and Asus Tinker Board 3N Lite are the same size and shape as the original, but have key differences in their I/O […]

The post Asus expands its single-board computer lineup with Tinker Board 3N Lite and 3N Plus appeared first on Liliputing.

The prices for building a gaming desktop PC have improved over the past few months, but they might still be too high for you. In fact, they even be so high that you consider purchasing a gaming laptop instead. As the name suggests, a gaming laptop is a laptop made with gaming in mind; big companies like Razer, Dell, and MSI make lots of these nowadays. These laptops can be attractive options for more on-the-move, lower-budget, and/or younger players as they tend to be a little cheaper and a lot more portable than desktop alternatives.

In this article, I will explore if this is a viable alternative to building your own desktop. I’ll be covering a selection of important topics, starting with those that favor the laptops and transitioning toward those that favor the desktops.

This comparison will be mainly aimed at people wanting to play games on their system. You could also use this comparison for picking a system for similar workloads like video editing or 3D rendering, but the article is written with gaming in mind. Now, let’s get to it!

Cost of Laptops vs Desktops

The first topic is cost, and gaming laptops tend to be cheaper (especially after factoring in the computer itself, the operating system, and the monitor and keyboard).

Let’s compare the current ‘very good’ tier from our main chart against a laptop that is getting sold for the similar figure of 949 USD as a sample:

You can see from this test that laptops can sometimes be cheaper, despite not suffering too much in the performance department. The laptop has worse (but reasonably comparable) specs and a lower price tag. When you factor in that the ‘very good’ tier PC does not include an operating system, a screen, a keyboard, or a mouse/trackpad—the prices diverge considerably wider. Now, the laptop is only going to achieve its peak gaming performance when the system is plugged in, which hampers the portability I’ll be covering below, but for now we’ll set that aside.

This better bang-for-the-buck performance-wise is caused by multiple things. Obviously, there’s that list of bundled features. But within the device, the core components are usually soldered to the motherboard, which means that the motherboard doesn’t need to have unnecessary ports, slots, or devices. Laptop parts can also be built with one certain situation in mind, which gives companies room to strip down unused functions. Less features on each component often means that the production price is lower.

But it’s not all peaches and cream with the lower cost. Aside from the smaller storage, single-channel RAM, core spec differences, etc—there are a number of conventional compromises involved to achieve the lower price:

The operating system of a laptop is almost always cluttered with an array of bloatware programs that were pre-installed due to a marketing arrangement between the software publishers and the laptop manufacturers. Motherboards, RAM, and other unexciting components like the power supply tend to be not just lacking features but also of lesser quality in laptops (although directly comparing laptop and desktop motherboards and PSUs is slightly unfair, because of the different requirements for those parts). And you also have to keep in mind that the screen of a laptop is  physically smaller and often has a lower refresh rate than desktop monitors.

Portability of Laptops vs Desktops

Laptops are more portable than gaming desktops. Obviously. Moving your desktop setup from A to B is a bigger task than moving your laptop (and maybe a mouse) from A to B. This might actually be the main selling point of laptops for the vast majority of users.

You won’t have to carry these around! Well, at least not the keyboard…

This is a nice feature for people that are always on the move, for work or school for instance. You can also use this to take your gaming setup with you on holidays or long flights. Lastly, this means that you can utilize your system in casual spots like cafés, if you have the confidence. It gives you quite some freedom when you are able to play your favorite games wherever you want.

Prepare for more obviousness: the reasons laptops are more portable are because they are much thinner and lighter than desktops, have all functional peripheral needs integrated into them, and can run on battery power for a while. Unless you’re planning to drag a generator around in addition to your tower, you’re probably not going to be able to run a desktop with ease away from a wall outlet.

The only real complication for this otherwise oh-so-straightforward section is, as noted above, that gaming performance tends to suffer on battery (as system components are throttled to preserve power), and that gaming drains the battery at a considerably higher rate than other ways of using a computer.

Up-front Work of Laptops vs Desktops

The last primary advantage of buying a laptop instead of building your own PC is that your system is already built for you. Laptops don’t require any assembly, and most ones can be booted up out-of-the-box (when plugged in of course, since they tend to not be fully charged). The fact that they don’t require any assembly means that you will save time, and that you will be protected from making any system-breaking mistakes. And component compatibility is obviously not even the remotest concern for a laptop user.

There are even some minor additional virtues along these lines. For example, you don’t have to keep a lot of boxes around of all your components just in case you have to RMA a product (just a laptop box). And the operating system is pre-installed and pre-configured, making the system plug-and-play.

Now, I’ve already mentioned earlier that the pre-installed OS is a double-edged sword—as it usually comes crammed full of versions of Candy Crush, desktop applications for services that work fine as websites (like Twitter), redundant and bothersome virus protection software, and other junk. But that’s not the only caveat here. It’s also worth pointing out that some of the work being avoided, such as installing an OS, takes 20 minutes at most. And it being a small pre-assembled device also means upgrades and customization are harshly limited, moreso even than prebuilt desktop PCs… but that will be discussed more in a bit.

Still, though: not needing to build, however easy we believe building a PC to be, will be a strong enticement for many.

Heat and Noise of Laptops vs Desktops

The chance of this happening is somewhere around zero. But a hot, loud laptop is something that most laptop users are used to.

So, a laptop wins in all of the foregoing sections… but not here. One major downside of a laptop is the fact that a mobile device is far more likely to overheat. Not just sometimes—most of the time when it is under full load. Now, overheating won’t destroy your laptop unless something is seriously wrong with it (or the ambient temperature is extremely high). In fact, nowadays there are a lot of systems that will automatically shut down the laptop if temperatures reach a dangerous level, though that isn’t the best thing.

More commonly, if the temperatures are high, the laptop will simply switch priorities to cool itself off. The performance of the CPU, GPU, and/or other parts will be capped to below max, and the laptop fans will spin very fast (making a loud noise). This is something that most laptop users will just have to accept. Whenever you put it under full load, or boot it up, it will drop in gaming prowess and it will be really loud.

This can really be a downside if you want to play recent hard-to-run titles, or just want to game without headphones. Playing games mixed with loud fan noise isn’t a great experience, and no one likes their system to be regularly running below peak performance.

Of course, there are fixes, like buying a laptop cooler, or just preemptively limiting the hardware so that it never runs hot, but those ‘fixes’ may be worse for most users than the problems they’re intended to address. After all, a laptop cooler reduces portability, and hardware limiting directly lowers framerates (as well as being an arguable a waste of money, since you still paid for the components’ full abilities). In the end, playing on a laptop often means having a hot, loud gaming session.

Upgrades and Customization of Laptops vs Desktops

The second major disadvantage to a gaming laptop is upgradability. A laptop is barely upgradeable. When you want to get more performance, you often have to buy an entire new system. Laptops are not built to be upgraded. The GPU and CPU are soldered to the motherboard, and often there aren’t even any free RAM slots or space/ports for extra storage.

This chip has been soldered to the board.

This can be a big downside for many, since it is usually far more expensive to buy a new laptop than to just upgrade one, two, or three components. The impact of this disadvantage will differ from person to person. If you plan to play the same games for the foreseeable future, you won’t need better hardware next year or the year after that (unless those games become increasingly performance-heavy). If you plan to play the newest games every year, you will have to upgrade more often, and this downside of not being able to upgrade will hit you harder.

There are upgradeable laptops out there, but they tend to be extra-expensive, and your upgrade choices will still be very limited. And you can simply employ external hard drives for extra storage space, though that again counts as a limitation on the portability of a self-contained laptop system.

Screens of Laptops vs Desktops

Seeing detail on a small screen can be tough.

The last disadvantage of note is that the screen size of a laptop is… small. You will most surely get a bigger screen when you use a desktop and buy a stand-alone monitor. Laptop screens are often in the range of 14-17 inches (for 1080p screens, that is). 1080p desktop monitors tend to be within 21-27 inches. If you like to have a bigger screen to see everything better, laptops are not for you.

A smaller screen makes it more difficult to see certain details, so games where you need, for instance, to look for enemies in the distance—might be less fun on a laptop. And if you want to use your laptop for workstation tasks in addition to gaming (like 3D rendering, photo editing, or video editing), it may also be annoying to have to zoom in to see the details that you are working on.

Moreover, as mentioned earlier, refresh rates tend to be lower on laptops than desktops; this has been less true in the last couple years than it was previously, but it’s still fairly conventional to see 60 Hz or 75 Hz monitors on gaming laptops. So, even in situations where the laptop is overcoming its potential specification and heat disadvantages to pump out high frame rates, the effort may be going largely wasted on a low-refresh-rate screen.

Conclusion

In conclusion, laptops can certainly be a viable alternative to a desktop system—even for gamers.

This, however, depends on what you need and what you want. You have to ask yourself a few questions to find out what best suits your needs: Is saving money high on your priority list? Does your system need to be portable? Do you want to build your own system? Are you okay with a loud system? Does your system need to be upgraded in the future? Would a small screen be a problem for you, or is that not particularly important?

I think that you can come a lot closer to knowing what the best option is for you by reflecting on and answering those questions. Gaming laptops can be a great option, but they do have drawbacks that interested gamers should bear in mind. I hope that this article cleared things up and helped you with the choice between a gaming laptop or building your own desktop. And feel free to share you thoughts in the comments below!

As an avid computer user, having a high-quality keyboard is essential for your productivity and comfort. While mechanical keyboards are renowned for their superior tactile feedback, durability, and customization options, many models can be quite expensive. However, you don’t need to shell out a lot of money to experience the benefits of mechanical keys. There are affordable options that provide an excellent typing experience without breaking the bank.

We’ve compiled a list of the best cheap mechanical keyboards that deliver premium quality at budget-friendly prices. Whether you’re looking to upgrade from a stock keyboard or want to try out a mechanical option for the first time, you’re sure to find a great pick on our list for under $100. Keep reading to discover some of the best Mechanical Keyboards on the market today.

What I Look in Mechanical Keyboard Before Buy:

When shopping for an affordable mechanical keyboard, there are a few factors Which I consider:

Durability and Build Quality

I go and Look for a keyboard with a sturdy plastic or aluminum chassis and high-quality mechanical switches rated for at least 50 million keystrokes. These ensure longevity and a premium feel. Popular, durable switch options include Cherry MX Reds, Browns, or Blues.

Key Layout and Size

Choose between a full-size keyboard with a number pad, a tenkeyless model without a number pad, or a compact 60% or 75% size. A smaller footprint means more desk space but fewer keys. Make sure all the keys you need for productivity or gaming are present.

Programmable Keys and Backlighting

If customization or gaming in low light is essential, look for a model with programmable macro keys to map custom commands and adjustable backlighting. RGB backlighting offers millions of colour options to match your setup.

Ergonomics

For extended use, an ergonomic and adjustable keyboard is best. Look for one with a slight slope for a natural wrist position, padded palm rest, and height adjustment options.

Additional Features

Consider media controls, USB passthrough, detachable cable or wireless connectivity based on your needs. Braided, detachable USB-C cables are durable and make storage easy.

With some research, you can find a high-quality yet budget-friendly mechanical keyboard with all the features that matter most to you. Your hands and wallet will thank you!

Redragon K552 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Hardware Platform: PC
Item Weight: ‎1.34 pounds
Colour: ‎WHITE
Country of Origin: China

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The Redragon K552 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is our top recommendation for those seeking an affordable yet high-quality mechanical keyboard. At under $50, this keyboard provides exceptional value without compromising performance.

Redragon is a reputable brand that produces durable, dependable mechanical keyboards at budget-friendly price points. The K552 features custom mechanical switches that provide a tactile bump and audible click with each keypress, resulting in a satisfying typing experience for many. The keys have a lifespan of up to 50 million keystrokes, so this keyboard should last through years of regular use.

With 87 conflict-free keys, the K552 is compact yet includes all standard keys as well as 12 dedicated multimedia keys. The minimalist design allows for more space for your mouse. Backlighting on each key allows for use in dim environments, with adjustable brightness settings. The keyboard is also spill-resistant, with channels that divert small liquid spills away from internal components.

For the money, the Redragon K552 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard simply can’t be beaten. Whether for work, play, or both, this keyboard provides a premium feel and essential features at an affordable price point. For budget-conscious consumers seeking a high-performance mechanical keyboard, the K552 should be at the top of your list. With a proven brand and build quality, as well as overwhelmingly positive customer reviews, this keyboard is a safe, smart choice.

Havit Mechanical Keyboard Wired 89 Keys Gaming Keyboard

The Havit Mechanical Keyboard Wired 89 Keys Gaming Keyboard is a compact, budget-friendly mechanical keyboard ideal for gamers looking to experience the tactile feel of mechanical switches without breaking the bank.

Item Weight: 2.42 pounds
Manufacturer: Havit
Package Dimensions: 15.86 x 6.93 x 2.2 inches
ASIN: B08WH9L32S

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High-Quality Switches

This keyboard features Kailh blue switches, a Chinese clone of the popular Cherry MX blue switches. Kailh switches provide a satisfying clicky feel and audible feedback when pressing the keys. The 50g actuation force and 4mm travel distance result in a responsive keypress suitable for fast-paced gaming. While not quite as smooth as genuine Cherry switches, Kailh switches perform reliably for their low cost.

Minimal Design

With a tenkeyless 89-key layout, the Havit Mechanical Keyboard has a small footprint that frees up desk space. Its minimal black design with red LED backlighting has an understated style suitable for any setup. The keyboard does not have dedicated media keys, macro keys or wrist rest. However, its compact size, detachable USB cable and lightweight build make it highly portable.

Programmable Keys

Although the Havit Mechanical Keyboard lacks dedicated macro keys, it allows you to program macros, remap keys and create profiles through its software. The keyboard has onboard memory to save up to 5 profiles that can be switched on-the-fly. Its reprogrammable keys provide more customization options for both gaming and productivity use.

For budget PC gamers wanting an affordable entry into the world of mechanical keyboards with clicky, tactile Kailh blue switches, the Havit Mechanical Keyboard Wired 89 Keys Gaming Keyboard is a solid, compact choice. While basic in features, its high-quality switches, minimal and portable design as well as programmable keys cover the essentials for enhancing your typing and gaming experience. Overall, an excellent value mechanical keyboard for the money.

Redragon K552-N Kumara Mechanical Keyboard

The Redragon K552-N Kumara is an excellent budget-friendly tenkeyless mechanical keyboard option. Tenkeyless keyboards lack a number pad, freeing up desk space while still including arrow and function keys.

Product Dimensions: 13.94 x 4.86 x 1.46 inches
Item Weight: 0.01 ounces
Manufacturer: Redragon
ASIN: B07D3GR1MK
Item model number: K552W-N

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Compact yet Durable Design

The K552-N Kumara features a compact yet sturdy plastic chassis and plate-mounted keys. It measures 14.9 x 7.2 inches, small enough to fit in most backpacks. The minimalistic design is ideal for minimal desktop spaces and gamers who prefer more room for mouse movement.

Despite its small size, the K552-N Kumara feels solidly built. The plate-mounted mechanical keys have a tactile bump and audible click for satisfying feedback with each keypress. The keys are rated for up to 50 million keystrokes, ensuring durability for both gaming and typing.

Customizable Backlighting

The K552-N Kumara comes with red backlit keys and 9 different lighting modes, including reactive, wave and ripple effects. The backlight brightness is adjustable to suit your preferences. The red backlighting also complements the keyboard’s black chassis for a stylish gaming esthetic.

Programmable Keys

Although tenkeyless, the K552-N Kumara provides programmable keys for added functionality and customization. The FN key allows access to media controls, lighting effects, and can be programmed to launch applications or execute macros. Gamers will also appreciate the Windows key lock option to avoid accidentally minimizing games.

For budget PC builders and gamers seeking a compact yet customizable mechanical keyboard, the Redragon K552-N Kumara is a solid choice at an affordable price point. Its small footprint, plate-mounted keys, and programmable backlighting offer great value without compromising performance or durability. Overall, the K552-N Kumara punches well above its weight class.

RK ROYAL KLUDGE RK61 Wireless 60% Mechanical Keyboard

The RK ROYAL KLUDGE RK61 is an affordable 60% mechanical keyboard that delivers a high level of customization for the budget-conscious.

Brand: RK ROYAL KLUDGE
Compatible Devices: Gaming Console
Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth
Special Feature: Ergonomic, Backlit, Wrist Rest
Colour: Brown, Yellow

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Programmable Keys

The RK61 allows you to program all 61 keys for custom macros and function layers using the keyboard’s firmware. This means you can set up shortcut keys for commands you frequently use, create layers for specific programs or games, or simply remap keys to your personal preferences. Programming the RK61 does not require any special software and can be done directly on the keyboard.

For additional customization, the RK61 comes with Cherry MX-compatible key switches in your choice of linear red, tactile brown, or clicky blue. The hot-swappable PCB means you can easily swap between different key switches to find what feels and sounds best for your needs. Keycaps are also interchangeable, so you can customize the look of your keyboard with aftermarket keycap sets.

Wireless Connectivity

The RK61 can connect either over a wired USB-C connection or Bluetooth wireless for cable-free use. The built-in rechargeable battery provides up to 10 hours of use over Bluetooth. Switching between wired and wireless modes is seamless and can be done with the press of a function key.

For the budget-conscious looking to dive into the world of mechanical keyboards, the customizable RK ROYAL KLUDGE RK61 is an excellent place to start. With hot-swappable switches, programmable keys, and wireless connectivity, this 60% keyboard allows you to tailor a premium typing experience without paying a premium price. At under $50, the RK61 delivers features generally found in keyboards costing significantly more. If you’re looking for an affordable mechanical keyboard that doesn’t compromise on customization, the RK ROYAL KLUDGE RK61 should be at the top of your list.

Conclusion

With technology advancing so rapidly, it can be easy to get caught up in the latest flashy gear and overspend on devices that will quickly become outdated. However, for something as simple yet essential as a keyboard, tried-and-true often makes the most sense. Mechanical keyboards have endured for good reason.

They provide an unparalleled typing experience that boosts speed, accuracy and comfort. While mechanical keyboards were once cost-prohibitive for most, many budget-friendly options have emerged that deliver premium quality without the premium price. For under $100, you can equip your workstation with a durable keyboard that will improve your productivity and typing enjoyment for years to come. So save your funds for the tech that really matters, and invest in a solid mechanical keyboard that gets the job done. Your fingers and wallet will thank you.