Review

Taiwanese-based GIGABYTE Technology has long been well-known for its motherboards and video cards. The AERO 15 OLED is among its brand new laptops for 2020 and gamers, creative professionals and software developers would do well to give it a good look.

GIGABYTE's expertise in key components has also positioned GIGABYTE to manufacture its own high quality, yet reasonably priced, laptops. It's been doing this for some years and the new AERO 15 OLED continues to demonstrate GIGABYTE's engineering excellence exuding performance from every socket with alacrity.

GIGABYTE is targeting the unit to gamers and creative professionals, with an impressive set of specifications, listed below. Gamers will immediately appreciate the DDR4 RAM, Nvidia 2000-series GPU and SSD, but there's a serious side to the AERO 15 too.

In fact, GIGABYTE says the AERO series is the world's first PC laptop designed specifically with creative professionals in mind. To this end, GIGABYTE says the AERO features unparalleled colour accuracy, stunning OLED displays, and a fully calibrated, high-powered digital creation experience designed specifically in mind. That's the core raison d'être of the series, and the AERO 15 lives up to its promise with a brilliantly crisp 4K screen, Nvidia's stunning real-time ray-tracing capable video card, a bevy of sockets and more.

The term creative professionals typically brings to mind artistic work, whether photography, illustration, video, audio or other. I genuinely believe another audience is the software developer running Visual Studio, SQL Server, emulators, virtual machines and more as they cut their code.

10 years ago I owned a gaming laptop myself; it was a powerful 17" monster. I developed applications, ran networks and oh, even managed a bit of gaming. Yet, it weighed over 4kg and only ran for one hour on battery. Thankfully, technology has improved. The AERO 15 outpaces my old laptop in every way, at a far more comfortable 2kg and over four times the battery capability.

The full set of specifications are:

15.6" Thin Bezel Samsung 4K UHD 3840x2160 AMOLED display

Intel Core i9 8-core CPU

Samsung DDR4 2666MHz DRAM, up to 64GB, starting at 8GB

Mobile Intel HM370 Express Chipset

Intel UHD Graphics 630

Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 or 2080 GPU with GDDR6 8GB

2x 2W speaker

Nahmic 3 3D audio

Customisable per-key RGB keyboard lighting

3x USB 3.1

USB-C

HDMI 2.0

DP 1.4 and USB-C

Ethernet socket and Killer Ethernet E2600

Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650

Bluetooth v5.0 + LE

Headphone/microphone combo jack

UHS-II SD card reader

2x M.2 SSD type 2280 slots

HD front-facing camera with privacy slider

Li Polymer 94.24Wh battery

Firmware-based TPM supporting Intel Trust Technology

356mm wide x 250mm deep x 20mm high

2kg weight

Reading the specs you know this is a laptop of power that wants to be utilised for good. When using it, you also know it wants you to feel good doing it. You won't mistake the AERO for an ultrabook, its weight and fans reminding you, but you will truly love the tremendous screen, and you can't help but enjoy the RGB keyboard.

Individual keys can be programmed to be their own colour or groups of keys, and they can be animated, and different keyboard configurations can be triggered when you launch or switch to, specific applications.

For example, selecting your favourite action game might illuminate the WASD movement keys one colour, and various other keys different colours, to help you find them swiftly in the heat of action.

Or, perhaps you might elect to highlight the important keys for the Adobe Creative Suite or your favourite IDE because, to emphasise again, this is a serious workhorse and not a gamers-only device. It's been certified as an RTX Studio Laptop by Nvidia for its support for 8K video, real-time ray-tracing, AI-assistance and other features creative minds can use to unlock possibility.

Alternatively, you can program the keys to one of many presets that see colours gently fade in and out as the laptop 'breathes', or that mimic a wave coming past or many more. Or, you might set the keys to a single, solid colour and leave it at that.

As with most things in life you must make trade-offs between raw performance and fan noise and battery life. The AERO 15 OLED provides the usual power plan tools, but intriguingly, it also comes with a pre-loaded GIGABYTE app leveraging Microsoft Azure AI to optimise performance. This tool adjusts CPU, fans and other items dynamically based on the application or workload in use. It relies on Microsoft's servers to collect and analyse telemetry information from computers all around the world.

Obviously, this application transmits anonymous telemetry data about your computer usage. If this is a concern to you, you can simply disable or uninstall the app. However, GIGABYTE's testing states the AI provided performance improvements in productivity applications like Adobe Premier as well as games like Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Microsoft says the Azure AI will improve over time as it collects more and more data and feeds it into its machine learning algorithms.

Could the laptop be better? Sure, the power cable inserts into the left-hand side so this isn't always ideal depending on where you sit in relation to a power point. The fan noise can be noticeable when they start working hard. Also, there are two RAM slots only so if you want to keep your upgrade options open be sure to get the largest RAM chip you can afford to begin with. However, these are not onerous grievances, and nor are they unique by any means. Ultimately, for me, the GIGABYTE AERO 15 is surely the most impressive laptop release for 2020 to date and a definite contender for any purpose you have in mind.

More information is at GIGABYTE's website and pricing begins at $2399 online.

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Round Rock ISD prepares for at-home learning with laptop pick-up

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — School districts across Central Texas are adjusting to the new normal of online education with a learning-at-home environment doled out by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two of the largest school districts in Central Texas, Round Rock ISD and Austin ISD, will begin at-home instruction led by teachers on Monday, April 6.

Last week, Round Rock ISD offered a laptop pick-up through Friday for students that don't have the necessary electronic devices at home. As evidenced by the video above, the lines were rather long outside of Cedar Ridge High School for laptop pick-up on Wednesday.

Round Rock police officer were outside of the school and at nearby intersections to control traffic. The district encouraged parents to pick them up on Wednesday ahead of the rainy weather.

On Friday, AISD announced that it is closing all schools indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Copyright 2020 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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How to connect your computer to your TV

If you're getting bored or annoyed with your laptop's tiny screen during the coronavirus lockdown, maybe you should try using your big TV as a monitor instead. It's great being able to sit back on your sofa and surf the web, play PC games or stream video from apps not available on your TV. Or maybe you just want a bigger view for video chat while you're stuck at home.

Using your TV as a monitor has downsides too. Text might be too small to see, input lag might ruin your gaming scores, and while the couch may seem comfy, it may turn into a neck ache when put into service as an office chair. And then there's the mouse, trackpad and keyboard to worry about. But going PC-to-TV works well in many situations, and the best part is that it's cheap (or free) depending on what gear you already have.

Read more: How to cast and mirror an Android phone screen to a TV

Mirroring vs. extending

Mirroring means putting the same content on both your laptop's screen and the TV. It's more common and generally easier than screen extending -- where you see different content on both, making the TV an extension of your laptop's screen. Extending is useful for things like having a YouTube video running on the TV while you're working on a spreadsheet on your laptop. It's a bit more involved but still possible depending on your equipment. Mostly we'll be talking about mirroring in this article.

The easiest way: Wired HDMI

The most basic PC-to-TV connection consists of running a wire from your computer to the HDMI input on your TV. If you have an older TV and an older laptop, there are options like VGA, but that's basically the Dark Ages at this point.

Laptops and PCs have a bunch of different connections, so which wire or adapter you'll need to run depends on what computer you have. If you're not sure, check the manual or Google the model to determine its specs. Here's the rundown.

Full-sized HDMI: If you're lucky, your laptop has a full-sized HDMI output, so you can use a standard HDMI cable to run to your TV. 

Mini- or micro-HDMI: These smaller versions of HDMI just need an adapter, or a cable that has a regular HDMI at the other end, to connect directly to your TV. 

Thunderbolt, DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort: All of these usually work with HDMI as well. Thunderbolt is found on older Apple computers and uses the same physical connection as Mini DisplayPort, so Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI cables or adapters should work for Apple or so-equipped Windows PCs. Full-sized DisplayPort is common to Windows PCs. Again, you'll need an adapter or cable with this type of connection on one end and HDMI on the other. 

USB-C port: Many modern laptops have only this kind of connection. Usually you'll just need an adapter (USB-C to HDMI) and it will work fine, but sometimes it might not work at all. MacBooks from the last few years should work, as will Microsoft Surface laptops and many others. Note that USB-C uses the same physical connection as Apple's Thunderbolt 3.

More wired tips: There are so many varieties of laptops out there, we can't make a blanket statement that a particular adapter will work for your PC. If you're not sure, Google your brand and model before you buy any kind of adapter.

Also, in some cases the quality might be diminished. You also won't likely get HDR or 4K resolution, for example, so if you want the best image quality for videos, you should use a different method to get the videos to your TV, like a Roku or Blu-ray player.

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1:25

Wireless connections

There are a few options to skip the wires completely. Again, it depends on what computer you have, as well as the capabilities of your TV (or the streaming device connected to your TV).

If you have an Apple computer: The easiest way is to use AirPlay. But you'll need a device that supports it, namely:

If you have a Windows PC: There's something called Miracast, though it's not as widespread as "all recent Apple products" like AirPlay. Your Windows 10 laptop should have the tech built-in. On the TV side, devices that support Miracast include:

If you have a Chromebook: Computers that run Google's Chrome OS can send content to a TV wirelessly too. To use it you'll need:

Casting from a Chrome browser: If you don't have a TV device with AirPlay or Miracast compatibility you can still mirror your screen from the Chrome browser on any laptop. It works with any of the devices from the Chromebook list above. Only content on the browser will be visible, and certain websites won't work.

You can also "cast" content from a variety of mobile apps, like Netflix or YouTube, to most smart TVs. This isn't screen mirroring, but if you're just looking to get some content from your phone to a bigger screen, this is an easy way to do it.

If your intention is to play games, the lag from a wireless connection is probably going to prohibit any fun with games that require fast and accurate clicking, like with first-person shooters and racing games.

Accessories

If you want to up your game a bit, consider a few optional accessories. A wireless keyboard or mouse can go a long way toward making your PC-on-TV experience easier. Here's a couple inexpensive options.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Put your laptop someplace to charge, and just keep a small, light keyboard on your lap. We like the Bluetooth Logitech K380 not least for its long battery life, but also its ability to toggle between devices, like from your laptop to your tablet.

Logitech

There are a lot of wireless mouse options, but I like this one because it's comfortable, and more importantly, quiet. Instead of click-click-click, it sounds more like a light tapping on a table. 

Settings tips

Your TV and your laptop's screen are probably different resolutions. In theory this won't be an issue, but if you're finding text hard to read, or overall the image looks poor, make sure the laptop's output matches your TV's resolution. 

It's easy to do on both Windows and Mac. If you're also trying to send audio, that might need to be switched on as well, either by clicking the speaker button in the lower right on Windows, or in System Preferences on Mac.

On the TV side, make sure you disable your TV's overscan. It might be disabled automatically, but if the edges of your desktop are cutoff, dig deep into your TV's menus for something like "size" or "zoom." If you're gaming, also see if your TV has a game mode. This should help reduce input lag, the delay between you pressing a button and that action showing up on screen. It's also a good idea to lower the sharpness control. I mean, in general this is a good idea, but here specifically it should help you make out fine details better, like text.

Speaking of text, if you're trying to work from your couch it's likely that despite the extra screen size, text is still too small. If that's the case, you can adjust text size on Windows and Mac. You can also use the zoom controls in certain apps, like Chrome browsers.

If you're not getting an image on screen at all, try unplugging the HDMI and plugging it back in (with the TV on), and if that doesn't work, leave it all plugged in but turn the TV off then on. This is trite advice for a reason: it solves so many issues.

Good luck, and if you have any favorite PC-to-TV tips, let us know in the comments.

Got a question for Geoff? First, check out all the other articles he's written on topics such as why you shouldn't buy expensive HDMI cables, TV resolutions explained, how HDR works and more.

Still have a question? Tweet at him @TechWriterGeoff, then check out his travel photography on Instagram. He also thinks you should check out his best-selling sci-fi novel and its sequel.

How to Connect Laptop to TV using HDMI - Easy & Fun

How to Make Phone Calls From Your Computer

In our new reality, plenty of us are having to get used to working from home, and that often means making and taking calls, depending on your job. If you don't want to have your phone pressed to your ear all day, or you'd rather keep your work on your work machine and your actual life on your phone, you can get those calls done on your laptop or desktop.There are a slew of ways to call someone from your computer, from video-conferencing software like Zoom to a messaging app like Slack, but here we're going to concentrate on calling actual cell or landline numbers from Windows or macOS (and receiving calls, too, in some cases, though that's not always possible).The hardware you needA computer is required, obviously, but it doesn't matter if you use Windows or macOS, a laptop or a desktop. If you're using a Mac and an iPhone, then you know those devices already play together very well, but there are some other options you should know about, too.You can make calls using your computer's built-in mic and speakers, but it's not usually the best experience, with the voices of friends, family, or colleagues booming out and shaking the walls. (Dramatic? Maybe. But it's loud.) The pros use a headset with a mic, which makes your calls sound better and gives you more privacy, too.Any business or gaming headset will do for phone calls. You could buy something like this headset from Amazon for example, or the Elite Pro 2 gaming headset from Turtle Beach, or even a pair of Apple AirPods. For best results, you want a wired USB or 3.5mm audio jack connection, but Bluetooth will work as well, if you're OK with adding some unpredictability into the mix.It's a good idea to make sure your headset of choice is working as intended before you start making important work calls. On Windows, open the Start menu, click the cog icon on the left, then choose System and Sound. You can make sure the right input and output devices are selected, change the volume levels, and test your microphone. Click App volume and device preferences if you want the volume in your calling app to be different from the other apps on your system.If you're using macOS, open the Apple menu, then System Preferences. Click Sound, and on the Input and Output tabs you'll be able to select your headset, check the volume levels, and even adjust the balance of the sound. Pay particular attention to the microphone volume level, because you don't want to deafen the people you talk to.None of this is difficult, and it's worth checking your settings in advance rather than trying to figure them out on a call. To be absolutely sure everything is working correctly, you can always do a test recording via the Voice Recorder app on Windows and QuickTime Player on macOS.The software you needYou a have a lot of options when it comes to making phone calls. If you've got a Mac and an iPhone signed into the same Apple ID, just load up FaceTime for macOS. You can place an audio call to any number from the desktop FaceTime app through your iPhone by typing it in and clicking Audio (or just pick the name of a contact from the list).If you're on Windows, the Your Phone app that's now part of Microsoft's operating system can make calls through a linked Android phone. It's almost as smooth as macOS and an iPhone. Launch the app from the Start menu, switch to the Calls tab, then follow the instructions (you'll also need to get this app on your Android phone).If you don't want to route calls via your phone, Skype is a reliable option, with desktop clients for Windows and macOS. Click here for prices for calling mobiles and landlines; a variety of subscription options are available, and you get 60 calling minutes a month if you're an Office 365 subscriber. Just tap out the number you want to call in the app (head to the program settings and you can set a Caller ID as well).Keku is similar to Skype but runs inside a web browser—again, you can just tap out any number to ring it, and set your Caller ID as needed. Calls to the U.S. are included in your $5/month subscription package, and you can click here to check rates for international calls. Call recording is available, too, if that's something you'd find useful.Google Voice is still around, and if you've signed up for the service then you can make calls to cell phones and landlines through the web interface. Click here to check out international calling rates, or call numbers in the U.S. for free. Aside from being able to make calls from your computer, Google Voice also offers automatic voicemail transcription.Then there's TextNow, which is available through desktop clients for Windows and macOS as well as mobile apps for Android and iOS. You get a free phone number to use, and calls made to landlines and cell phones in the U.S. are free (click here for international rates). Upgrade to a subscription package for more features, including voicemail transcription and the ability to bring your existing cell number over.

Microsoft Your Phone App - Make Cell Phone Calls From Your Desktop or Laptop

Nvidia RTX Super GPUs supercharge gaming laptops: Here's the list so far

Nvidia has taken the covers off of a slew of gaming laptops that come with the "Super" version of the graphics giant's GeForce RTX GPUs. 

Both the GeForce RTX 2080 and GeForce RTX 2070, Nvidia's most powerful graphics cards for laptops, have had the Super treatment, which gives them a performance hike over their vanilla counterparts. Super variants of desktop GeForce RTX graphics cards have been around since last July, bringing more powerful ray-tracing performance to Nvidia's GPU lineup. And now, laptops from the likes of Asus, Razer, Acer and Gigabyte have access to the boosted RTX graphics. 

One of the most interesting laptops to come with a GeForce RTX Super card is the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15, which not only sports a powerful GPU, but also comes with Intel's new 10th Gen H series processors and two displays. But be prepared to pay for that, as the top-of-the-line model with an RTX 2080 Super will cost a hefty $3,700. 

Speaking of expensive, the next of the standout RTX Super-sporting laptops is the Razer Blade 15. Razer has given its 15-inch, slim, MacBook Pro-esque laptop a refresh, which adds in not only the Super Nvidia graphics in Max-Q guise and Intel's new processors, but has also given the laptop a physical nip-and-tuck. 

The keyboard layout has been changed to improve its arrow key placement, and the 'Advanced' model can be specced with a 300 Hz refresh rate LCD display. (Content creators can opt for an OLED panel instead.) The refreshed Razer Blade 15 goes on sale in May, with prices starting at $1,599. 

Acer has also given its Predator Triton 500 the RTX Super treatment, with its chunky-yet-powerful mainline gaming laptop getting access to the GeForce RTX 2080 Super and the RTX 2070 Super in Max-Q configuration. Again, Intel's 10th generation core processors are part of the mix, along with a 300 Hz refresh rate IPS display. The Predator Triton 500 will be available in May, and will start at $2,199. 

A whole raft of other gaming laptops are also getting the GeForce RTX Super and Intel 10th Gen series spec refresh, including a range of ASUS ROG Strix machines, MSI's GS66 Stealth and GE66 Raider laptops, the Lenovo 7i, and Gigabyte's Aorus 17X, 17G and 15G machines. 

But GeForce RTX graphics can also be harnessed by content creators. As such, Nvidia also revealed that laptops like the Gigabyte Aero 15 will get access to the new Super graphics. MSI's Creator 15 and Creator 17, along with Acer's ConceptD 7 Ezel and Eazel Pro convertible machines, will also incorporate the RTX Super GPUs. 

Expect more gaming and content-creation laptops to come with access to the GeForce Super graphics cards as the year advances. We wouldn't be surprised to see Nvidia announce a Geforce RTX 2060 Super for laptops before too long, as well as reveal its next-generation Nvidia graphics. 

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Lou Cartier: Connecting under stress Part 2 — aligning effort with goals key to working remotely

Greetings, fellow remote workers. 

How are you doing, balancing challenges of the job AND your important relationships? If you are not totally satisfied with your performance or effectiveness, have you gained a foothold?

As noted last week, many of us are engaging co-workers, clients, and group projects from home. We are becoming tech literate, if not fast enough for impatient types like yours truly. 

But we can download the necessary apps, tune into an audio or video conferencing platform from our phone or home computer, and know whom to call if (when) we get stuck, yes?    

If reading this column online, do you recall Paige Cohen's home office adventure with her scene-stealing dog? If not, take a moment right now, for who doesn't learn better when more relaxed and less uptight?  (For newsprint readers, make a note to Google "Harvard Business Review, working from home" and log on later). 

Last week, Aims faculty linked arms to bolster the path along our shared remote adventure, preparing for students coming off extended spring breaks. Hearts and minds are being steeled to engage "online only" teaching and learning through the end of the spring semester … and very likely summer school, as well.

Withal, whether our professional arena be business, education, government, or non-profit enterprise, our collective challenge is to think outside the box, to prioritize. Despite limited time, energy, cash, and self-confidence, we nevertheless must "connect under stress." We must do what we can do.

To work effectively with others, can we acknowledge the difficulty of getting people to pay attention at ANY MEETING, especially tough now that we're not in the same room? "Let's face it," write corporate trainers Justin Hale and Joseph Grenny in a recent HBR article, "most meetings have always sucked because there's often little to zero accountability for engagement."

So how can I — as meeting host or participant — foster greater accountability? 

Let's look at their five rules: 

The 60 second rule

In the first minute of your meeting (or conference call), help participants experience the problem you want them to solve by sharing statistics, anecdotes, or analogies that dramatize the issue … Make sure the group empathetically understands the problem (or opportunity) before you try to solve it. People must know what is expected of them. 

The responsibility rule

The biggest threat to engagement in virtual meetings is allowing team members unconsciously to remain bystanders. Rather than being an "observer," as in a theater, you will be an "actor," as in a gym. Opportunity for everyone to take meaningful responsibility, to stay present, mentally and emotionally, is important. This shows respect, a mark of professionalism.

The nowhere to hide rule

To avoid "diffusion of responsibility," define a highly structured and brief task participants can tackle in small groups (as you might in physical space). Provide a medium to communicate with one another (video conference, Slack channel, messaging platform, audio breakouts). After a short period, have the groups report out.  

The MVP rule

"Nothing disengages a group more reliably than assaulting them with slide after slide of mind-numbing data organized in endless bullet points … if your goal is engagement, you must mix facts and stories." Reduce your Power Point deck ruthlessly, the fewer slides the better.   

The 5-minute rule

Never go longer than five minutes (or so) without giving the group another problem to solve or task to tackle. Expect sustained meaningful involvement so participants do not retreat into an observer role. "When that happens, you'll have to work hard to bring them back."

Can we do it?

The business and popular press increasingly report on best practices in remote conferencing, such as distributing an agenda and necessary materials (links) in advance … designating a facilitator, tech support, and note taker … knowing how to mute your audio (to cough or admonish the dog) and your video (bad hair day, and to conserve precious bandwidth).  Good enough, so long as perfection does not become the enemy of the good.

In the physical classroom, I am a stickler about starting and ending on time, so the Tribune's "free-flowing chat" (among news staff on stories under development) that remains alive in the background even when individual reporters are not directly engaged with it intrigues me. 

"People can come and go as they please and get caught up when they return" explains Bobby Fernandez, Growth and Development reporter, "with a 'new messages' indicator for chat messages that other users have sent since I last opened the Zoom application. It's a permanent group chat, so there is no need to recreate the chat each day."

Hmmm.  Stay tuned, students.

Lou Cartier is an adjunct instructor at Aims Community College, independent consultant, and chair of the Local Government and Business Affairs Committee (LGBAC) of the Greeley Area Chamber of Commerce. The views and opinions in this column are solely the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of the College or the Chamber.

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