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Tech News and Commentary
Dave and the team discuss Netflix and gaming, Ford’s F-150 reservations, antitrust lawsuits against Google, Musk after his own social media platform, advertising in Lyft cars, retired astronauts as mission commanders, Netflix’s ads, new stores opening, and more.
David in Starkville, Mississippi asked: “I have Windows 8.1 Pro on my Acer. Wondering if I should go to Windows 10 or should just I wait until I get my next PC?”
David, Windows 8.1 will be past its end-of-support date after January of 2023, from that point on you wont get security updates anymore, which makes using your laptop far riskier.
If your computer can manage it, upgrading to Windows 10 would be a good idea, you can even look into Windows 11 but the odds of it not meeting requirements get lower there.
Overall, Windows 10 was far more popular than Windows 8 and even Windows 8.1 and generally considered a worthy upgrade, so you may actually like it better.
It was also compatible with the majority of Windows 7 computers when it was originally released, so its likely that your Windows 8 machine can handle it well.
One thing to keep in mind is that the official free upgrade period has already lapsed, so you may have to pay to upgrade to Windows 10, at that point it may be worth looking at computers that are similar to yours. If yours is high-end then an upgrade is likely worth it, if its more basic, upgrading the computer itself may be a better move.
Cameron in Hattiesburg, Mississippi listens on SuperTalk Mississippi and asked: “I was wondering what you would recommend for the best wireless charger device.”
Cameron, the best charger will depend on what phone you have.
A small consideration will be MagSafe if you have an iPhone. MagSafe chargers can hold the iPhone in place, which means that youll find some chargers that will put the phone at eye level, or hold it tighter but allow you to reposition the phone.
Its not a huge advantage, its just an option. If youre interested in MagSafe (and your phone is an iPhone 12 or newer), then you can obviously look at Apples own chargers, but there are also plenty of other options. For example, Anker sells a 2 in one charger for an iPhone and an Apple Watch for about $40.
The main thing that will determine which charger is best for you is the power of the charger and the power that your phone can take advantage of. For example, if your phone can use it, a 20w charger will charge your phone faster than a 10w charger.
The difference in prices based on wattage will be less than the difference based on brands. For example, a 10w Belkin charger is going for around $35 right now, as are Apples own MagSafe chargers online, while a generic two-pack from YooTech is selling for $25, and a generic 20w charger is selling for $14.
The technology behind all of the chargers is standard, so you can go with a cheaper option and it will work, but it may not deliver the power its supposed to deliver or it may not come with a power adapter, or may come with one rated for less power, so paying a little extra for a brand name may actually help you out in this case.
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