Thanks to the AI-driven chip shortage, prices for phones, computers, and consoles are sky-high--and still climbing. If you're in the market for anything with a memory chip in it, now might be the time to snag it. Another round of price increases for consumer electronics seems to be underway. In June, Apple announced increased prices for its MacBooks and iPads . Xbox consoles are also getting more expensive starting in August.

PCWorld explains Windows Secure Boot as a critical security feature that acts like a checkpoint, verifying software before Windows loads to prevent bootkit malware infections. The 2011 Secure Boot certificates are expiring by 2026, requiring updates to 2023 certificates for continued protection against startup attacks and future Windows compatibility. Users should check the Windows Security app's Device Security section for warning indicators and update UEFI/BIOS if needed to maintain robust system security. Most people don't spend time thinking about Secure Boot.

Is the war entering a new phase? The overpriced gas Anatoly has been buying in recent weeks in Moscow will ruin his white Kia's engine. "It's low-quality," the taxi driver told Al Jazeera withholding his last name for security purposes. "The engine already sounds like a sick heart The government allows a'temporary decrease in quality,' but what am I to do when I need new spare parts" that are barely available because of Western sanctions, he asked rhetorically. They don't knock, they kick the door," said the 49-year-old with a three-day stubble and bloodshot eyes. Russia's top military brass has not commented on Ukraine's assaults. But even the Kremlin's most outspoken supporters have changed their once-triumphant tune. "We have to get ready for hardships and self-sacrifice," Vladimir Solovyov, a popular talk show host on the Rossiya 1 television network, said in mid-June. Solovyov has a penchant for aggressive, loud monologues and military-style attire. He once urged the Kremlin to "erase" Ukrainian cities with nuclear strikes and said that Kyiv and its Western allies "serve the prince of darkness." Military bloggers are even more pessimistic because of their proximity to the frontline. One of them, Prizrak Novorossii (The Ghost of New Russia), wrote on Telegram in late June that the Kremlin should conduct a massive mobilisation campaign because Russians already "foresee big changes and possible cataclysms because of, to put it mildly, the unfavourable dynamics of hostilities." The reason is simple - outmanned Ukrainians use "an asymmetrical tactic of long-range drone strikes with technological solutions that Russia is only catching up on," he wrote. "So, the question isn't about whether or not to have mobilisation, but about how to conduct it," the blogger concluded, adding that recent events "inspire little optimism." 'I'm afraid my son will be drafted' "I'm afraid my son will be drafted, but we don't have money to send him abroad," Kseniya, a mother of two from the western city of Tula, told Al Jazeera. She withheld her last name and personal details for security purposes. "We've been told a thousand times that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin brought stability, and instead, we see total chaos.

PCWorld tested numerous USB-C cables using a Treedix tester and found half performed poorly, with many offering only basic USB 2.0 data or limited power delivery despite appearing high-quality. Testing revealed significant performance variations between cables, helping identify which ones support fast charging speeds like 100W-240W and high-speed data transfer capabilities. The audit process helped declutter cable collections, improve charging efficiency, and promote eco-friendly disposal of unusable cables through proper recycling. USB-C has been one of the best innovations for convenience and compatibility, but it also means that my bag of cables and plugs is now a tangled mess of confusion. I don't know which ones are for data, which are for charging, or how fast each one is.

Image caption, Artist's impression of the Swift observatory which was built to study the cosmos A Nasa-funded spacecraft has been sent into space to catch a falling telescope. The Swift observatory detects some of the most powerful explosions in the Universe - but is at risk of crashing back to Earth in the coming months. The small space telescope will be intercepted by the LINK craft, which will attempt to grab it with three robotic arms, and try and lift it back to a safe orbit. The rescue mission, launched on Friday, has never been attempted before, and Dr Simeon Barber, a space scientist, has said it is high risk. But Nasa obviously thinks it's worth a go.

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Is the war entering a new phase? Ukrainian officials say at least four people have been killed and 10 injured in the latest Russian attacks, a day after Moscow hit Kyiv in the deadliest series of attacks this year. In the bordering Sumy region, two women, an elderly man and a toddler were killed and three others injured after a Russian drone hit a residential apartment building, Oleh Hryhorov, head of the regional military administration, said on Friday. Two of the injured women remain in hospital, said Vilkul, adding that nine apartment blocks, a school building, a company, several shops, garages and about 10 vehicles were damaged. Two residential buildings were also cut off from the gas supply.

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