Home Articles Contact Me
TechSpot •

How Apple Pay Works

Paying for your morning coffee by tapping your phone against a terminal has become so routine that it's easy to forget how much happens behind the scenes during those two seconds.

Apple Pay launched in 2014, enabling users to make contactless payments without ever handing over their actual credit card number. It works wirelessly at compatible point-of-sale terminals using an iPhone or Apple Watch, and also on Macs with Touch ID when checking out on supported websites.

For most people, the paym...
TechSpot •

So... You Want to Become a Penetration Tester?

Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing and evolving field with a wide range of subfields and specializations. One of these is penetration testing, a discipline within what's known as "red teaming," which seeks to actively find and exploit vulnerabilities within computer systems (with permission, of course).

It's an exciting and rewarding career, and I'll show you how to become a penetration tester.

Before I continue, however, let me be transparent about my own experience. While I have about three...
TechSpot •

TechSpot | Tech Enthusiasts, Power Users, Gamers

About
Ethics Statement
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Manage Ad Consent

TECHSPOT : Tech Enthusiasts, Power Users, Gamers
TechSpot is a registered trademark and may not be used by third parties without express written permission.
TechSpot is represented by Future PLC. Learn about advertising opportunities.
© 1998 - 2025 TechSpot, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About
Ethics Statement
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Manage Ad Consent

TECHSPOT : Tech Enthusiasts, Power Users, Gamers

TechSpot is...
TechSpot •

Are Passwords Dead? What Are Passkeys, and Why Everyone's Talking About Them

We've all been there. You try to log into your bank account with your username and password only to be met with a generic "incorrect password" error. You double-check your password manager, try a few variations, but after too many failed attempts, the system locks you out. Now you're funneled into a tedious re-authentication process involving security questions you barely remember and a password reset form that smugly informs you, "New password can't be the same as the old one." You proceed to t...
TechSpot •

Communities is a Discord-like space for YouTube creators

Why it matters: YouTube Communities allows creators to form mini-social networks on their respective channels. While third-party sites like Patreon and Discord are safe for now, one could see YouTube beefing up this feature to compete more directly with those sites.
YouTube held its annual "Made on YouTube" event and announced several new features for 2024. Chief among those is Communities, a feature that may provide mild competition to Discord.Communities is a space for YouTube creators and th...
TechSpot •

Lenovo's crazy "Auto Twist" PC can turn and face you automatically

Forward-looking: Whether we like it or not, computer manufacturers are going all in on "AI PCs." While they have consisted of less than groundbreaking Copilot keys and generally generic AI software integration, OEMs will undoubtedly continue to innovate to make their products more useful, relevant, and unique. Lenovo's latest proof of concept is a case in point.
Lenovo unveiled a new concept laptop that can use AI to automatically track where the user is and even unfold into different modes via...
TechSpot •

The most popular programming languages in 2024: What does it mean for your learning journey?

In brief: Learning a programming language can be tricky, especially for someone new to coding. However, knowing the most popular languages may help some make a critical decision. This choice could make the difference between landing a job or being left back.
Learning to code has been one of the more popular ways to gain a foothold in the tech space. Web development, data science, and especially artificial intelligence have driven interest in the software engineering field. However, while hundre...
TechSpot •

Google Photos is getting a major Gemini AI feature called 'Ask Photos'

What's new: Google is bringing its Gemini AI model to many of its services. Google Photos is getting a boost called "Ask Photos." This feature allows users to use natural language queries to conduct complex and context-aware searches in their photo library.

Artificial intelligence was undoubtedly the star of the show at Google I/O today. The company announced a slew of AI features, including one for Google Photos called "Ask Photos." Ask Photos allows users to search across their photos and ask
TechSpot •

Microsoft rolls out a new way to install Windows Store apps from the web

Why it matters: Installing Windows Store apps from the web can be a hassle for some folks. Microsoft acknowledges that and is rolling out a slightly more user-friendly way to install Windows Store apps. It could also make it easier for developers to distribute their software without relying solely on the native Windows Store.

Microsoft has unveiled a new way of installing apps from the Windows Store via the web. Instead of using "deep links," the company will instead use an "undocked" version o
TechSpot •

Microsoft introduces game hubs for PC gamers

Why it matters: Microsoft game hubs provide a way to consolidate information about PC games (at least on the Xbox side). They will soon offer some consolation to PC gamers worried that Microsoft's push to multi-platform gaming may leave them somewhat shorted.

Microsoft is rolling out a "game hubs" feature for Windows PC users. Game hubs centralize data about different games in one spot, eliminating the need to search the internet for specific information (e.g., completion times, achievements, a
TechSpot •

GeForce Now cloud gaming gets G-Sync, Day Pass option - also: G-Sync Pulsar tech introduced

Bottom line: GeForce Now has emerged as a reasonably attractive option for those who either lack a gaming PC or wish to experience Nvidia's top GPU offerings without a significant financial commitment. The addition of G-Sync to the service enhances its value, allowing gamers to utilize high refresh rate monitors they already own.

The Consumer Electronics Show is in full swing, and in addition to new Super GPUs, Nvidia has announced new features for the GeForce Now cloud gaming service. The comp
TechSpot •

Meta Quest owners can now play Xbox games on their headsets

Bottom line: Good news for owners of the Meta Quest 2, 3, or Pro headsets. Meta is adding support for Xbox Cloud Gaming for those who are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The app is currently in beta, but is downloadable from the Meta Quest Store. Xbox Cloud Gaming is a huge value-add to existing Quest owners, further legitimizing the Quest 3 as a formidable player in the mixed reality market.

One of the most popular features in recent Quest headsets is the "Passthrough" ability to displa
TechSpot •

A new internet standard called L4S aims to lower latency, bring more speed to the web

Forward-looking: A new internet standard is being developed to drastically reduce network latency, boosting applications such as gaming and video streaming. While the standard can provide a measurable difference, many consumers may not even realize it's there.

For most people with decent Internet connection speeds, latency isn't usually that big of an issue... until it is. Trying to stream your favorite movie or play that critical match in Fortnite can be an exercise is futility if there's a lo
IGN •

Apple to Allow Alternative App Stores on iPhones in EU

Apple has long since prevented third-party apps from being installed on their mobile devices unless it came through their official App Store. However, new European Union regulations have prompted Apple to begin overhauling its services to allow outside app stores.

According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple's software engineering and services teams are making massive changes to Apple's platform to allow "alternative" app stores. This would allow customers to download applications to thei
Digital Trends •

Cooler Master CK720 review: a keyboard enthusiast's paradise

There are some who prefer keeping things simple when it comes to keyboards. They just prefer a no-frills, well-built keyboard that gets the job the done.

Then, there are those who want maximum customizability with the ability to make every part of the keyboard an expression of their creativity and personality. If the latter describes you, the Cooler Master CK720 is a mechanical keyboard that deserves serious consideration.

The CK720 is a 65% keyboard that is refreshingly compact, yet robust. I
Digital Trends •

Apple launches unprecedented price cuts to MacBook Pros

Apple’s top of the line MacBook Pro 16-inch and 14-inch models are some of the best laptops the company has ever made — but they’re extremely expensive machines that rarely come down in price.

However, Apple has quietly dropped the price on these sought-after laptops with some surprising price cuts.

Spotted by MacRumors, Apple slashed pricing on the refurbished 14 and 16-inch models with both the M1 Pro and Max variants. Specifically, the prices have been reduced by about 15% off the regular p
Digital Trends •

Das Keyboard 6 Professional review: for the typists

We review many keyboards, with a good bit of them being gaming keyboards. What if you’re not a gamer and primarily use your keyboard for work and productivity? Sometimes a well-made keyboard that excels at the basics is best.

The Das Keyboard 6 Professional is one of the best keyboards I’ve used and adds a few quality of life features that make it an outstanding choice. However, the $200 price tag might be a bit much to swallow when there are other outstanding mechanical keyboards available for
Digital Trends •

Corsair K100 Air Wireless review: too expensive to recommend

Smaller 60% or tenkeyless gaming keyboards have become popular in recent years, but there will always be room for a full-sized gaming keyboard that gives you every button or key you could ever need.

The Corsair K100 Air Wireless is an excellent mechanical keyboard in that vein, boasting superb performance and a slick design. At $280, though, it’s too high of a price to pay, especially when it’s missing some features we’ve come to expect at that price.

From a design perspective, the Corsair K10
Digital Trends •

Meta made DALL-E for video, and it's both creepy and amazing

Meta unveiled a crazy artificial intelligence model that allows users to turn their typed descriptions into video. The system is called Make-A-Video and is the latest in a trend of AI generated content on the web.

The system accepts short descriptions like “a robot surfing a wave in the ocean” or “clown fish swimming through the coral reef” and dynamically generates a short GIF of the description. There are even three different styles of videos to choose from: surreal, realistic, and stylized.
Digital Trends •

Alienware Aurora R15 updates to RTX 4090, Intel 13th-gen

Alienware is unveiling a bevy of gaming-centered devices that are sure to please quite a few PC gamers out there. The Aurora R15 is a powerful gaming desktop that includes Nvidia’s new 40-series GPUs and 13th-gen Intel Raptor Lake chips, while the AW420K is a tenkeyless (TKL) gaming keyboard for those who prize desk space.

Let’s start with the updated Aurora R15, a fully updated desktop for those who prefer a prebuilt gaming machine. Dell says the Aurora R15 has a new thermal strategy by means
Digital Trends •

Here are all of the games that will support Nvidia DLSS 3

Nvidia has unveiled its next-generation RTX 4080 and RTX 4090. With that announcement came a new version of Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) upscaling technology.

The company announced More than 35 games (some of them being Nvidia demos or game engines) that will support DLSS 3, with more sure to come.
• The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Nvidia’s new DLSS 3 differs from previous iterations by implementing a new algorithm called Optical Multi Frame Generation that predicts whole frames
Digital Trends •

The rumors about the Surface Pro 9 may have been true

Details of Microsoft’s upcoming Surface Pro 9 have finally emerged via documents the company submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It looks like it may be a successor to the ARM-powered Surface Pro X, complete with 5G capabilities.

Spotted by Windows Central and Notebookcheck, the FCC documentation references a “portable computing device.” The filing itself doesn’t contain any specific specs, but Windows Central believes it may be the Surface Pro 9 5G.

There are references
Digital Trends •

Intel just proved how powerful Thunderbolt 5 really is

Intel just demoed its next-generation Thunderbolt 5 technology during a Technology Tour in Israel. The demo seems to confirm that Thunderbolt will be capable of 80 Gbps speeds and it marks the first time that Intel has publicly shown off the speed.

This recent demo didn’t seem to show any additional features of the new Thunderbolt 5 other than the speed. However, we do know a little bit more based on pictures posted by former Intel exec Gregory Bryant.

Bryant tweeted out since-deleted pictures
IGN •

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro Models: What are the Differences?

Apple has finally unveiled the new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. The Apple cynical may think that there probably isn't a huge difference between them. Indeed, many components are the exact same between the two, but the Pro models have a few nifty features that set them apart from the base models announced at Apple's event.

Let's start with the exterior of both models. Apple kept it simple and kept the "smaller" iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro at 6.1-inches screens and the larger iPhone 14 Plus and 1
Load More