At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros GPS and magnetic mount Very good front captures up to 1944p (4:3) Interior captures with infrared Supports roll-your-own LTE for remote monitoring with optional module Cons Interior captures are a bit grainy at night Our Verdict The Vantrue Nexus X2 is an affordable front/interior dash cam with good to very good captures, GPS, and the ability to add LTE cloud capabilities (your account) down the road via an adapter. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Vantrue Nexus 2X dash cam Retailer Price $149.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The Nexus 2X is a dual-channel (front/interior) GPS-enabled dash cam with very good front captures and good interior cabin video. It comes ready for LTE connectivity for remote viewing and tracking via an auxiliary module (only available in the Americas) that Vantrue sells as an option. You must provide the SIM card and the service, which means slightly more hassle than with some LTE dash cams, but a lot more choice. What are the Vantrue Nexus X2’s features? The Nexus X2 is a 4.5-inch long, roughly cylindrical (with several squared faces) entity that’s about 2.5-inches at it’s deepest (the forward lens body). The interior camera is captive but rotates roughly 45 degrees up and down so you can adjust the interior coverage. The left side of the camera is home to the Type-C power connector (with captive auxiliary port power cable) and an SD/TF card slot. The right side is bare. I was expecting a separate connection for the LTE, but the LTE unit connects to the power cable and passes through to the main camera. It too features a sticky mount so you can affix it near the dash cam. If your not familiar, LTE-enabled dash cams allow you to check the status and location of your vehicle remotely, via the GPS and feed from the camera. Basically, it turns the unit into a GPS-enabled web/earth cam. The obvious power/save button, the 2-inch display, and the rotatable interior camera of the Nexus 2X. The Nexus 2X features a 2-inch color display on board with four buttons underneath for activating features and changing settings. It’s not touch, but the menus and options are logically laid out and generally easy to access. There’s also an orange power (long press)/lock video(short press) button obviously situated to the side. The color and location make the button very easy to spot and access when you’re in a hurry. I prefer it to the red that many vendors use, which is often so dark as to not stand out properly. Of course, you could also simply make use of the Nexus 2X’s voice control and utter the phrase “Vantrue, lock video.” Easy-peasy. The Nexus X2’s sticky mount is one of, if not the best in the business. It’s beefy and solid-feeling, mates easily with the dash cam magnetically, and adjusts in all directions. Not by a lot, mind you, but easily enough to obtain the perfect orientation for the front camera. Both the forward and cabin cameras use a Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675 sensor. The front sports 165 degree field-of-view opticals, and 150 degrees in the interior. Maximum resolution for the front camera is 1944p (the default, which we used, is 1440p) and 1080p for the interior. The Nexus X2’s sticky mount is one of, if not the best in the business. The Vantrue LTE module for use with GSM in the Americas. The Nexus 2X features integrated GPS, which worked well once it engaged. It took about a minute to hook up, and unlike the recently reviewed Wolfbox X5 — didn’t automatically set the time zone and time. Vantrue’s been around long enough to learn this trick. Come on now… On the other hand, connecting via Wi-Fi was quick and painless (it’s not always!). The Vantrue app is handsome, and found the camera right away (after I chose the type). Oddly enough, I was also able to connect to the Vanture Nexus 2X using Viofo’s app, which I confusedly opened the first time. Hey, there are too many dash cam vendors whose name starts with “v” — give me a break. The Vantrue app connected to the Nexus 2X showing the album, settings, and live view page. Other features include a parking mode (all cameras have this these days), time lapse (low frame rate) video, audio noise reduction, and the ability to sync time from your phone. That’s nice, but of course if Vantrue would just read the darn GPS info, it wouldn’t be necessary. Gripe aside, Vantrue allows you to tailor the Nexus 2X experience pretty much to taste. How much is the Vantrue Nexus 2X? The Nexus 2X by its lonesome is listed at $219.99, but sells on Amazon for $199.99. That’s not half-bad for a classy dash cam with very good captures and LTE capability. The LTE module itself lists for $149.99, but Vantrue currently sells the complete camera-and-module package for $269.99. Of course, you also need to factor in the cost of your LTE subscription. As mentioned, the Nexus 2X currently supports GSM services only in North and South America. How are the Vantrue Nexus 2X’s captures? The short answer is that the Nexus 2X delivers very good day and night front captures, and good interior day and night captures. There’s a noticeable difference between the external 1440p and the internal 1080p, but the latter is still of high enough quality to grab some detail out my MX-5’s small back window. Uniquely for Vantrue, the Nexus 2X didn’t seem to need the polarizing filter that improves the daytime capture quality of many of its dash cams. Vantrue sent one, but I never used it. The downside to polarizing filters can be darkening night time video, forcing you to remove it or basically wear your sunglasses at night. There’s a bit more detail available in the optional 1944p mode (the second image to follow), but it has the same horizontal 2560 resolution, which works out to a squarer 4:3 aspect ratio. Some may prefer the 2560x1444p shown below, which offers the more modern 16:9 ratio we’re all accustomed to. The 16:9, 1444p front video that the Nexus 2X defaults to. Here’s that 4:3, 1944p video I spoke of. You’ll need to scrutinize it to see the very slight uptick in detail. The 1440p front night capture below shows very good detail and largely true color. Yes, there’s a light nearby (which appears far brighter than it was), but my headlights weren’t on at this point. This is a very good capture for the circumstances. A Nexus 2X night capture at 1440p. Detail is excellent. I’m a study in concentration in this 1080p interior day capture as I head around the corner of our local “Slow” street — San Francisco’s dubious attempt to put pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles all on the same band of asphalt. And people do walk down the center. So why exactly did they invent sidewalks? The interior night capture below shows enough detail to suffice for legal purposes. Should I be so foolish as to ride-give in a two-seater. Overall, I was more impressed with the Vantrue’s video than I expected. It’s not as detailed as the 4K/5K dash cams we’re starting to see, but it’s darn good for 1440p and 1080p — and for once a Vantrue didn’t need the optional polarizing filter. Zero complaints. Did I mention the color was good, the stabilization excellent, and artifacts minimal? It also handled headlight flare very well. Enough said. Should you buy the Vantrue Nexus 2X? If you want good captures, and LTE connectivity that lets you choose your own service — the Nexus 2X is a good choice. Actually, it’s the only roll-your-own-LTE dash cam I’ve tested, so put it at the head of that category for sure. Even without LTE it’s a worthy choice, if not quite as good as the Miofive S1 Ultra. Read...

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AMD will launch its next-gen PC GPUs with RDNA 5 technology in early 2025, AMD chief executive Dr. Lisa Su said Tuesday. They will be part of what she called the strongest PC portfolio in the company’s history. Su delivered the roadmap update during prepared remarks to analysts, describing the company’s results during the third quarter of 2024. Roughly half of AMD’s revenue comes from its data-center products, so Wall Street analysts focused most of their attention on that part of the business. AMD’s GPUs fall within its Gaming business, where revenue fell 69 percent to $462 million. That’s because the segment also includes AMD’s GPUs for gaming consoles, and Microsoft and Sony alike decreased the amount of inventory they had on hand. PC graphics also declined, as card makers and PC vendors began holding off, as well, anticipating AMD’s next-gen products. “In addition to a strong increase in gaming performance, RDNA 4 delivers significantly higher ray-tracing performance and adds new AI capabilities,” Su said. “We are on-track to launch the first RDNA 4 GPUs in early 2025.” An AMD representative confirmed that this was the first time AMD had stated the early-2025 timetable for the new GPUs. Although AMD hasn’t confirmed it, reports indicate that the chip will be known as the RX 8000 GPU, otherwise known as Navi 48 or Navi 44. Instead of attacking the “top of the stack” in terms of performance, they’ll likely be aimed at midrange price and performance points. Given that AMD is publicly confirming that they’ll arrive in early 2025, however, we’d expect to see them at the CES 2025 show in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, AMD has already announced a launch date for its next gaming/content-creation GPU, the Ryzen 9000X3D, on Nov. 7. Revenue already grew 29 percent year-over-year on strong demand for AMD’s latest Ryzen 9000 desktop and Ryzen AI 300 notebook processors, Su said. AMD’s Consumer business is usually strongest in the second half of the year, Su said. But with the combination of AMD’s existing Ryzen parts, plus the upcoming X3D chip, Su said she expects AMD to perform even better. “So I think the combination of those two have given us, let’s call it a stronger than the normal second half of the year,” Su said. “I think the main point is, this is the strongest PC portfolio we’ve had… in our history, I think, across desktop and notebook,” Su said. That momentum should continue into 2025, she added, with expectations that the PC market will grow in the mid-single digits. It will be helped, in part, as consumers migrate out of Windows 10, which ends support in October 2025. What does all this mean? A crazy, crazy CES 2025. Nvidia is already expected to announce its next-gen “Blackwell,” or RTX 5000, cards at the show. Add to that AMD’s own rival GPUs, plus whatever is in store on the CPU front, and 2025 will begin with a bang. Read...

Digital and telco services company Spark is selling its stake in the Connexa towers business and considering the sale of other non-core assets, as it looks to offset weak consumer spending and business investment. Read...

An Australian mining chief executive took a top spot at CHOGM`s business plenary to talk about how his company is going `real carbon zero` by 2030. Read...

The European Union can be a tough regulatory arena, especially for American tech megacorps. But according to a Microsoft lawyer, Google has been manipulating regulators by creating an “astroturf” group of cloud providers to lobby against Microsoft specifically. It’s a brazen and surprising accusation, directly from one corporation to another. In a lengthy blog post on Microsoft’s official site, the company’s deputy general counsel Rima Alaily accused Google of enticing smaller European cloud computing companies to create a lobbying group “directed and largely funded by Google for the purpose of attacking Microsoft’s cloud computing business in the European Union and the United Kingdom.” Or at least that’s what Microsoft claims it was told by one company that was approached by Google but declined to join the group. The Open Cloud Coalition (PDF) is the group in question, which Microsoft says is essentially a front for Google to attack its competition via regulatory lobbying. Citing the unnamed company that turned Google down, Microsoft accuses Google of essentially starting, funding, and recruiting for the Open Cloud Coalition, hiring third parties for lobbying and communication with the intent to present itself as a minor participating member. The group’s goal, Microsoft alleges, is to undermine Microsoft’s cloud computing and cloud storage offerings in the EU and UK. The blog post stops short of accusing Google of paying other companies to join, but definitely hints at the possibility: “It remains to be seen what Google offered smaller companies to join, either in terms of cash or discounts.” Microsoft points to Google’s recently publicized €470 million offer to CISPE (another European cloud service industry group) to continue its antitrust complaint against Microsoft, which ultimately failed as the parties reached an out-of-court settlement. Alaily goes on to outline Google’s efforts to use courts and regulators against Microsoft in the United States and elsewhere: “We understand Google is a main funder of the U.S.-based Coalition for Fair Software Licensing… The organization is run by a well-known lobbyist for Google in Washington DC, but Google’s affiliation isn’t disclosed publicly by the organization.” Directly accusing a competitor of funding and organizing shadowy lobbying groups is a pretty big stone to throw for Microsoft, and its glass house is pretty vulnerable. According to OpenSecrets, Microsoft and its subsidiaries have spent over $10 million on lobbying every year for the last three years in the US alone, and they’re on track to do so again in 2024. Make no mistake, Microsoft is not above weaponizing political influence against its opponents. But Microsoft is accusing Google of “shadowy campaigns” that obfuscate its involvement and direct influence, and doing so as a result of being under increased regulatory scrutiny in markets around the world. “By our count, there are at least 24 antitrust investigations against Google in the leading digital markets around the world. At a time when Google should be focused on addressing legitimate questions about its business, it is instead turning its vast resources towards tearing down others.” (Here I’ll point out that Microsoft accused Google of being under antitrust scrutiny is not without a bit of historical irony.) The accusations in the blog post don’t quite include anything that could put the company in danger of a civil lawsuit from Google. And even if Google’s involvement in the Open Cloud Coalition is being heavily exaggerated, the former would probably avoid litigious action just as a matter of damage control. But this bit of legal saber-rattling shows that both companies are willing to fight hard — in the conventional market, in lobbying and regulatory circles, and in the court of public opinion — to gain any advantage in the lucrative cloud market. Read...

Running a small business is tough. There are so many tasks that need your attention; campaigns to plan, keeping up to date with your brand messaging, all while ensuring your data is secure. It can feel overwhelming at times, but Google Workspaces has a fully-featured set of tools that can take some of the burdens off your back and let your business flourish. Now, with the latest and improved integration and capabilities of Gemini AI available, there’s never been a better time to upgrade your productivity by working smarter not harder. How Google Workspace and Gemini can help Three of the most important elements of a small business are productivity, communication and security. If any of these three pillars fail, then it can spell disaster. Gemini for Google Workspace can help ensure that doesn’t happen, with powerful features that will speed up work and improve its quality. Productivity Google recently announced that the standalone Gemini app is now part of all Google Workspace Business, Enterprise and Frontline plans. So, you can start experimenting with how this clever technology can make previously time-sapping jobs into ones that take only minutes. Gemini helps with creating task lists, researching subjects, generating images for your presentations, plus much more. Google Thanks to a new Gemini for Google Workspace add-on, those who want the most comprehensive set of AI-tools can get them directly within apps like Google Docs, Gmail, Google Drive, Sheets, and Slides. This makes it even easier to access the features, as you simply click on the Gemini icon to open the side panel and you can use the AI-assistant within a document, presentation, spreadsheet or anything else you’re working on. Say you need blog posts for your website or social media channels, but don’t have time to research and write them. Simply tell Gemini what kind of content you want, how you’d like it laid out and who it’s aimed at. The software will quickly generate ideas and structures which you can look through and ask for adjustments or the inclusion of new ideas or themes. When you’re happy, Gemini can expand the text into full articles that you can use immediately. If you need accompanying images, then Gemini can create those too. There’s also the ability to drag and drop documents you have already created so that Gemini can create presentations or reports using the information. You can add links to YouTube videos that Gemini will then summarise, ask it to research potential new clients, or even help with the planning of a sales campaign for your new services or products. With Gemini for Google Workspace you have an AI-powered assistant that’s always on-hand to make light work of difficult tasks. In fact, recent surveys conducted by Google found that working with built-in Gemini AI across apps such as Gmail, Docs, and Drive, saved users an average of 105 minutes per week, with 75% of daily Gemini for Google Workspace users saying it improved the quality of their work. So, not only were they more productive, they actually created better content. Communication Gemini for Google Workspace can also be a valued addition when it comes to communicating with customers. For example, if you’re approaching a new client and want to get off on the right foot, you can ask Gemini to research the company, products or services, then generate a marketing strategy that explains why you’d be a great fit with them. Google With its Gmail integration, Gemini can also draft introductory letters to new clients, write marketing emails, or create responses to customer service enquiries that avoid you using standard templates that can feel cold and impersonal. With all of these you also have the ability to change the tone and style with just a click. Save the hours that you’ve previously spent dealing with emails and social media duties by handing the bulk of it over to Gemini for Google Workspace. Security Security is at the heart of Gemini for Google Workspace, as Google understands how valuable your data is to your business. To help with the constant pressure of keeping cyberthreats at bay, there’s now a new Security Advisor toolkit that can analyse potential weaknesses in security and offer guidance on how to protect against them. It’s like having a security expert in your organisation that’s always looking for ways to improve the safety of your data. Basically, it’s security made simple. Google You can also use the admin console to decide how Gemini handles your data, with the promise that it will never use the information to train or improve Gemini’s models. Your data is your data, and it always will be. To illustrate this, Gemini for Google Workspace is one of the first generative AI solutions to be awarded SOC 1/2/3, ISO 27001, and ISO 27701 certification, which represent some of the highest industry standards for security and privacy. Make your business more productive with Gemini for Google Workspace today There’s no need to spend any more time struggling under the pressure of running your business, instead head over to the Gemini for Google Workspace page and sign up for a trial today. You’ll instantly have access to powerful tools that can improve productivity, quality and the professionalism of your content. With the new security suite, you’ll also know that your data is safe and how to keep it that way. There’s practically no learning curve either, as Gemini integrates with Google’s hugely popular apps, of which you and your team will already be familiar. Perhaps the best asset that you get with Gemini for Google Workspace though isn’t one you’ll find in the spec sheet, as it’s simply time to think and breathe. Precious stuff. You can try the new Gemini AI tools today, with prices starting at $20 per user per month, and make your business smarter and safer without blowing your budget. Read...

TL;DR: Learn Excel from beginner to advanced with 16 courses — for one low price of $29.97 through October 27. If learning Excel has been sitting on your to-do list, now’s the perfect time to dive in. This Microsoft Excel training bundle offers 16 full courses that walk you through everything from building your first spreadsheet to mastering financial forecasting. Whether you’re a complete newbie or already comfortable with Excel, this bundle has something for everyone — hurry and grab it for $29.97 before this sale ends on October 27. This bundle is packed with hundreds of video lessons and exercises that will make you an Excel whiz in no time. You’ll learn how to use Excel for business analysis, create interactive dashboards, and even automate repetitive tasks with VBA macros. And if you’re looking to get into more advanced functions, there are courses that cover dynamic arrays, PivotTables, and even Power Query to transform your data like a pro. From freelancers to seasoned professionals, anyone looking to expand their Excel skills will find value in these courses. With expert instructors who have over 40 years of combined experience, you’re in good hands. Until October 27 at 11:59pm Pacific, get lifetime access to this Microsoft Excel course bundle for $29.97.   The 2024 Ultimate Microsoft Excel Training Bundle – $29.97 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...