Author: batteryforpc

Chrome OS 84 was a relatively substantial update for Chromebook users and until now, we haven’t seen any major issues or bugs in the software. Unfortunately, a rather nasty glitch has recently popped up and it is preventing users from logging into their Chromebooks. While most of us have misspelled our password and had Chrome OS tell us it is invalid, this new bug is throwing the error even when the password is correct or updated.

When I open my chromebook I try to log in but it tells me the password is invalid or unrecognised, even though the same p/w allows me to open my gmail okay when I go on as a ‘guest’. I’ve tried changing the password once inside my gmail but the chromebook still doesn’t accept it.

Chromebook Support Forum

The forum thread now has dozens of “me too” comments but it appears that Google’s developers have found a workaround to get things back up and running while a more permanent fix is in the works. Keep in mind, these “fixes” do require powerwashing your Chromebook which will result in the loss of any local data you may have saved. If you’re like me, that’s a non-issue. I keep my stuff in the cloud but I understand that the average user doesn’t switch or reset devices all the time like we do. That said, there are two methods to overcome this issue and both of them will require a powerwash. If your content deleting whatever local data you have, you can go with method number one which is powerwashing from the lock screen. Here’s the official walkthrough from the Community Manager.

Powerwash

Powerwashing your device erases all the information on your Chromebook’s hard drive, including all the files in the Downloads folder. For more information, you can visit the Reset your Chromebook to factory settings help center article. If you have all your files backed up to Google Drive or an external storage device, please follow the below steps:

Press and hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift + r.

Select Restart.

In the box that appears, select Powerwash > Continue.

Follow the steps that appear and sign in with your Google Account. Note: The account you sign in with after you reset your Chromebook will be the owner account.

2-day Wake

Save your files by first keeping your Chromebook awake for 48 hours. If you have files in your Downloads folder, files that are not backed up to Google Drive or an external storage device, please follow the below steps: 

Ensure your charger or adapter cables are completely plugged in, both to your Chromebook and the wall. Sign in as a guest on your device that is experiencing this issue. Update your Settings:

On the left, select Device.

Select Power.

Under “When idle,” next to “While charging” and “While on battery,” choose Keep display on.

Under “Sleep when cover is closed,” toggle to off 

Keep your device awake with the lid open for 48 hours without powering off.

Once 48 hours has passed, please exit guest mode and login into your account. Once you login, ensure you have backed up all of your files: 

Press Ctrl + s.

At the bottom, enter a name for your file.

In the left column, choose where you’d like to save your file, such as Google Drive.

Select Save.

Factory reset your Chromebook and ensure your Chromebook’s operating system has been updated to the latest version.

SHOP BEST CHROMEBOOKS OF 2020 SO FAR ON CHROME SHOP

This fix feels a bit hacky for sure but my guess is that this is the quickest, least-intrusive way for users to get back on track while developers get the final fix pushed out. Seeing that step two points out that you should ensure your Chromebook is updated tells me that the fix may already be in place and you just have to reset to implement it. It is a bit inconvenient to leave your Chromebook in the awake state for 48 hours but it’s better than the alternative of losing important files. If you follow these procedures and are still having issues, developer can use your feedback. To send feedback and share system info, press Alt+Shift+i or press and hold your power button and click feedback. In the description, included #M84Login so the report will get filtered quickly to the proper developers. Chrome OS devs take login issues very seriously and this particular bug was given the highest level of priority because of that very reason.

Beelink is a known quantity to our readers; we’ve reviewed quite a few of its devices over the past few years – including the T4, M1, L55 and A1 – all of which show this up-and-coming challenger is not afraid to innovate.

The Beelink GTR Pro, a mini PC built around the AMD Ryzen 3550H CPU, may well be its most ambitious piece of kit to date.

There are a few of very good reasons Beelink chose this particular processor. It has a high base frequency (2.1GHz), a relatively low TDP (35W) and an 8-core Radeon Vega 8 GPU with Freesync support.

Despite its relatively small volume (168 x 120 x 47mm) and entry-level price tag (less than $350), the GTR Pro packs two exciting features that all PC manufacturers should copy.

First, there’s a standalone fingerprint reader – an excellent feature for anyone after a business PC. Second, Beelink engineers have managed to embed Samsung’s Dex functionality, which allows a compatible smartphone to connect to the display and be controlled by the input peripherals. It’s essentially an embedded KVM and could potentially be used to control other computers too (although we haven’t yet checked).

The rest of the spec list shows that the Beelink GTR Pro really is…the bee’s knees. It supports Wi-Fi 6 and has two GbE connectors, two 4K-capable HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, one USB Type-C with DP Alt Mode connectivity, two M2 SSD slots, a pair of microphones, and two DDR4 memory slots. All in all, that’s a total of almost 20 ports.

There’s even a CLR CMOS button that allows you to revert to default settings, just because.

Bear in mind

While global delivery is available, if the Beelink GTR Pro is shipped from the Chinese warehouse, it may take a month to arrive in either the UK or US (and potentially more). You may be levied a tax either directly or through the courier.

If you’ve managed to get hold of a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we’ll tip our hat to you.

Intel is all set to launch its first discrete gaming graphics cards based on the Xe GPU architecture in 2021. Aimed at the enthusiast gaming market, the next-generation Intel Xe discrete graphics cards will feature all the goodies that one can expect within a modern gaming-oriented GPU such as ray tracing and tons of horsepower for 4K enthusiast tier performance.

Intel’s Xe-HPG GPU Powered Discrete Graphics Cards For Enthusiast Gaming Launching in 2021 – HW Accelerated Ray-Tracing, GDDR6 and Massive Amounts of Cores on 10nm Process

The bomb was dropped by none other than Videocardz who has reported that Intel is planning to launch its first discrete graphics card lineup specifically for the enthusiast gaming segment. It looks like Intel will be directly competing against AMD’s RDNA 2 and NVIDIA’s Ampere lineup which will be launching this year.

According to the leak, Intel’s gaming graphics card lineup will be powered by the Xe-HPG GPU. This specific GPU is another category within the Xe micro-architecture family. It falls between the Xe-LP and Xe-HP and is targeted primarily at the gaming audiences. The Xe-HPG GPU is expected to use a single tile and assuming that a single tile consists of 512 EUs, we are looking at up to 4096 cores on the flagship chip.

Based on our exclusive report and from what Intel has talked about in regards to its Ponte Vecchio chip, it looks like Intel is all onboard the MCM train with each chip consisting of several Xe GPU tiles that will be interconnected together to form a monster of a GPU. Here are the actual EU counts of Intel’s various MCM-based Xe HP GPUs along with estimated core counts and TFLOPs:

Xe HP (12.5) 1-Tile GPU: 512 EU [Est: 4096 Cores, 10.6 TFLOPs 1.3 GHz, 150W]

Xe HP (12.5) 2-Tile GPU: 1024 EUs [Est: 8192 Cores, 21.2 1.3 GHz, TFLOPs, 300W]

Xe HP (12.5) 4-Tile GPU: 2048 EUs [Est: 16,384 Cores, 42.3 TFLOPs 1.3 GHz, 400W/500W]

Of course, Intel can opt for a higher EU count on its Xe-HPG gaming-specific GPUs but that remains to be seen until the final specifications are disclosed. As for the gaming-specific features, the Intel Xe-HPG powered graphics cards will feature hardware-accelerated ray tracing and feature GDDR6 memory to optimize performance and value whereas the Xe-HP lineup which is aimed at the data center market will opt for HBM memory.

The leak also talks about an Intel Xe-LP product known as SG1 which is a graphics card aimed at the server market. Little details are known of this part but it is expected by the end of 2020. Raja Koduri has already teased three massive GPU dies in ‘BFP’ (Big Fabulous Package) flavors which include all three Xe-HP variants. There’s no doubt that one of these chips shares the same design principles as the Xe-HPG which is based on the 1-tile design as the most entry-level Xe-HP part.

All Intel Xe GPUs are expected to be fabricated on the 10nm process node but by an external foundry as the leaked information points. A likely candidate would be Samsung as it’s 10nm process has been in mass production for a while now.

Intel recently gave us the first demo of its Xe LP GPU inside its upcoming Tiger Lake CPUs which is proving to be a major leap in integrated graphics performance for Intel as seen in the demonstration. Expect more information on the Xe HP & Xe HPC GPUs in the coming months.

Apple has just released iOS 13.6.1 and iPadOS 13.6.1 for all users, just one month after the release of iOS 13.6. The update fixes some known issues related to the Exposure Notifications and another one that could make the displays exhibit a green tint.

iOS 13.6 was released in July with Car Key, a digital key that will work for locking, unlocking, and starting supported vehicles. The update also introduced Apple News+ Audio with professionally narrated audio stories curated from the Apple News team to your device. And now Apple is rolling out iOS 13.6.1 and iPadOS 13.6.1 for all users.

One noteworthy aspect of today’s update is that it fixes a problem that could cause a notable green tint on the screen of some iPhone models, as reported here in June. According to Apple, this problem was caused by a thermal management failure and is now fixed with iOS 13.6.1.

iOS 13.6.1 and iPadOS 13.6.1 are now available for all Apple devices that are compatible with iOS 13 and iPadOS 13. Users can install the latest update on their iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad through the Software Update menu in the Settings app. Make sure you are connected to a Wi-Fi network with at least 50% of battery power.

Check out the full release notes of iOS 13.6.1 below:

iOS 13.6.1 includes bug fixes for your iPhone.

Addresses an issue where unneeded system data files might not be automatically deleted when available storage is low

Fixes a thermal management issue that caused some displays to exhibit a green tint

Fixes an issue where Exposure Notifications could be disabled for some users