Home

Category: Electronics

  • Russian BTC-e Suspect Ordered to France, not America

    Russian BTC-e Suspect Ordered to France, not America

    Russian national Alexander Vinnik has been ruled to be sent to France in connections to crimes related to Bitcoin. Vinnik is suspected to be the mastermind behind the BTC-e bitcoin exchange, a high-profile exchange that was preferred by criminals. The court that ruled him to go to France was a lower Greek court in Thessaloniki, which contradicted an earlier ruling. Previously, the Greek Supreme Court had ruled that Vinnik should be sent to America, where an indictment of him is ongoing.

    Russia’s Response

    Russia, a country known for its diplomatic tact, was rather candid when assessing the situation. Regarding Vinnick’s potential extradition, the Russian Foreign Ministry had this to say. According to them, sending Vinnick to France would “continue to complicate [Greece’s] relations with Russia” and that Russia wouldn’t “leave these actions unanswered.” Well, that sounds ominous and threatening.

    Mt Gox, BTC-e and Vinnik

    American prosecutors have connected Vinnik to the criminal bitcoin exchange BTC-e. In their indictment of him, they stated this. “BTC-e was an international money-laundering scheme that, by virtue of its business model, catered to criminals and to cybercriminals in particular.” They elaborated, “Through VINNIK’s efforts, BTC-e emerged as one of the principal means by which cybercriminals around the world laundered the proceeds of their illicit activity. BTC-e facilitated crimes, including computer hacking and ransomware, fraud, identity theft, tax-refund fraud schemes, public corruption, and drug trafficking.”

    Vinnik has also been connected by prosecutors in the theft of bitcoin from the exchange Mt Gox. Mt Gox, a Japan-based bitcoin exchange, was one of the most popular exchanges early in the currency’s history. However, following the theft, the exchange went into a downward spiral and eventually went under. If Vinnik is connected to that case, his involvement would solve a long-standing injustice in the bitcoin community.

    Vinnik’s Fate

    Where Vinnik will ultimately be sent is up to the Greek minister of justice. Vinnik will either be sent to America, France, or back to Russia, depending on what the minister thinks is the best course of action. The country he is sent to will likely have huge repercussions in the ongoing case against him.

    Feature Image Credit: CBS News

  • Best 5 Laptops Under $500 in 2018

    Best 5 Laptops Under $500 in 2018

    Laptops are very essential these days- for school, work, or just personal use. The price of a premium new laptop can cost up to $1,000, which is pricey for anyone. Numerous companies have made laptops more affordable while keeping the quality and capabilities of more expensive laptops.

    You don’t have to feel like you’re settling when shopping for a laptop under $500. There are value-priced notebooks that include full-HD displays, solid performance and long battery life, plus all the ports you need. We picked all the best all-purpose laptops in $500 price range which we think are best laptops to suit the wide range of requirements of people. Here is a list of the best five laptops under $500!

    1. Dell Inspiron i3567 Laptop

    The latest version of this Dell laptop has a powerful system in place with 8GB of memory and a 128GB hard drive and a Intel Core i3-7100U 2.4GHz processor. It has a professional feel in it’s all black look with a 15.6-inch laptop with a screen resolution of 1366 x 768. The operating system runs smoothly with Windows 10 and is backed with a 12 month warranty, with 12 months of tech support.

    • A new, powerful hardware system
    • Has many ports and slots to use your external devices
    • 8 GB Ram
    • 7th Gen Intel Core i5 processor
    • It is not backlit enabled
    • Battery life up to 5 hours

    2. Acer Aspire A515-51-50RR Laptop

    The Acer Aspire 5 is one of the best budget full-size laptops you can find in stores today. It checks most of the right boxes: well built, slim and fairly light, gets a decent keyboard, an IPS screen and modern hardware, performs well, runs cool and quiet and lasts for a long while on a charge. This slim and sleek laptop is a great all round performing laptop, especially for the price. The visuals are spot on with vivid, bright colors.

    • LCD display and is backlit
    • 2.50 GHz Intel Core i5-7200U processor
    • Storage: 1TB hard disk
    • Intel HD 620 graphics
    • Battery life up to 7 hours
    • All-plastic chassis

    3. HP 15-ay191ms Laptop

    The HP 15-ay191ms, a signature edition laptops that comes with a seventh-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB DDR4 system memory, 1TB of storage and a touchscreen, but still remains insanely affordable. It’s one of those laptops you’d buy without a second thought if you find inexpensive chromebook attractive, but really, really need Windows. If you love touchscreen, this one’s for you! This laptop contains the Kaby Lake processor which makes this laptop consume little power. Apps are not an issue here, they all run very smoothly.

    • Touchscreen
    • Intel Core i3-7100U processor
    • 8GB RAM
    • 1TB hard drive
    • Lag-free performance
    • Battery life up to 6 hours

    4. Dell Inspiron i3567-5185BLK Laptop

    Yet another Inspiron made this list! This version comes in different color options and a textured finish.  Packed with a large 15.6 Inches display and a decent 7th Gen Intel Core i5-7200U up to 3.1GHz CPU processor. This Dell laptop model would work well for portability with its 4.85 Pounds lightweight design and sleek black look. Great for school work or the family computer. A huge bonus with this laptop is it doesn’t heat up much!

    • 2.4 GHz Intel Core i3-7100U processor
    • 8GB RAM
    • TB hard drive
    • LED display with a built-in webcam and mic
    • Battery life is up to 6 hours

    5. ASUS Chromebook Flip

    This is one of the best convertible laptops on the current market. The Asus Chromebook Flip C302 is worthy of its premium stature with a gorgeous screen, tactile keyboard and a classy design that’s equally as comfortable to use in tablet mode or as a traditional laptop. The screen is a full HD touchscreen and can be converted from a laptop to a tablet by turning the screen. A top pick for a college student!

    • Intel Core m3 processor
    • 4GB RAM
    • 64GB of SSD storage
    • Battery life of up to 10 hours

  • Rumor Mill: Microsoft Working on New Operating System

    Rumor Mill: Microsoft Working on New Operating System

    While the paint has barely dried on Windows 10, rumor has it that Microsoft has something up its sleeve. Synaptics, a company involved with AMD, has released a statement regarding their work on state-of-the-art biometric security measures. According to Synaptics’ press release, the system will be for use in “enterprise/commercial and consumer notebook PCs based on next-generation AMD Ryzen Mobile platform and Microsoft’s next-generation operating system.” Well, that’s pretty on-the-nose, huh?

    New Operating System

    Synaptics’ press release even mentions Windows Hello by name, calling the new OS a “forthcoming biometric security OS including Windows Hello”. This lends some credence to the idea that the upcoming system might be for use in handheld or tablet devices. Since personal home computers aren’t generally as unsecure as handheld devices, it would make sense if this new biometric-focused OS was for products like the Surface tablet.

    This is all guesswork, of course, as there are no hard details from Microsoft. However, there are a few conclusions that can be rather definitively drawn. For one, Windows 10 hasn’t been out for very long, so it seems unlikely this new OS would be replacing it. Further, Microsoft has been fighting tooth and nail to break into the mobile market. Windows phones, the Surface line of tablets and the newest initiative, “Always-Connected PCs” are all evidence of that. It seems likely that this new OS would be aimed primarily at this market.

    While Apple has perfected face-scanning biometric unlocking with the iPhone X, other companies are a bit behind schedule on that technology. Fingerprint scanners remain common, and for most cases, the most secure. However, some new smartphones have tried to experiment with face-unlocking, to hilariously mixed results. Notably, some Android phones have been unlocked by print-outs of their owners faces. Not exactly model security functions.

    In fact, Microsoft’s own face-unlocking software, Windows Hello, was fooled by this exact same technique recently. As such, it makes sense that they’re working with Synaptics and AMD to shore up their security efforts.

  • Best 5 Laptops Under $500 in 2018

    Best 5 Laptops Under $500 in 2018

    Laptops are very essential these days- for school, work, or just personal use. The price of a premium new laptop can cost up to $1,000, which is pricey for anyone. Numerous companies have made laptops more affordable while keeping the quality and capabilities of more expensive laptops.

    You don’t have to feel like you’re settling when shopping for a laptop under $500. There are value-priced notebooks that include full-HD displays, solid performance and long battery life, plus all the ports you need. We picked all the best all-purpose laptops in $500 price range which we think are best laptops to suit the wide range of requirements of people. Here is a list of the best five laptops under $500!

    1. Dell Inspiron i3567 Laptop

    The latest version of this Dell laptop has a powerful system in place with 8GB of memory and a 128GB hard drive and a Intel Core i3-7100U 2.4GHz processor. It has a professional feel in it’s all black look with a 15.6-inch laptop with a screen resolution of 1366 x 768. The operating system runs smoothly with Windows 10 and is backed with a 12 month warranty, with 12 months of tech support.

    • A new, powerful hardware system
    • Has many ports and slots to use your external devices
    • 8 GB Ram
    • 7th Gen Intel Core i5 processor
    • It is not backlit enabled
    • Battery life up to 5 hours

    2. Acer Aspire A515-51-50RR Laptop

    The Acer Aspire 5 is one of the best budget full-size laptops you can find in stores today. It checks most of the right boxes: well built, slim and fairly light, gets a decent keyboard, an IPS screen and modern hardware, performs well, runs cool and quiet and lasts for a long while on a charge. This slim and sleek laptop is a great all round performing laptop, especially for the price. The visuals are spot on with vivid, bright colors.

    • LCD display and is backlit
    • 2.50 GHz Intel Core i5-7200U processor
    • Storage: 1TB hard disk
    • Intel HD 620 graphics
    • Battery life up to 7 hours
    • All-plastic chassis

    3. HP 15-ay191ms Laptop

    The HP 15-ay191ms, a signature edition laptops that comes with a seventh-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB DDR4 system memory, 1TB of storage and a touchscreen, but still remains insanely affordable. It’s one of those laptops you’d buy without a second thought if you find inexpensive chromebook attractive, but really, really need Windows. If you love touchscreen, this one’s for you! This laptop contains the Kaby Lake processor which makes this laptop consume little power. Apps are not an issue here, they all run very smoothly.

    • Touchscreen
    • Intel Core i3-7100U processor
    • 8GB RAM
    • 1TB hard drive
    • Lag-free performance
    • Battery life up to 6 hours

    4. Dell Inspiron i3567-5185BLK Laptop

    Yet another Inspiron made this list! This version comes in different color options and a textured finish.  Packed with a large 15.6 Inches display and a decent 7th Gen Intel Core i5-7200U up to 3.1GHz CPU processor. This Dell laptop model would work well for portability with its 4.85 Pounds lightweight design and sleek black look. Great for school work or the family computer. A huge bonus with this laptop is it doesn’t heat up much!

    • 2.4 GHz Intel Core i3-7100U processor
    • 8GB RAM
    • TB hard drive
    • LED display with a built-in webcam and mic
    • Battery life is up to 6 hours

    5. ASUS Chromebook Flip

    This is one of the best convertible laptops on the current market. The Asus Chromebook Flip C302 is worthy of its premium stature with a gorgeous screen, tactile keyboard and a classy design that’s equally as comfortable to use in tablet mode or as a traditional laptop. The screen is a full HD touchscreen and can be converted from a laptop to a tablet by turning the screen. A top pick for a college student!

    • Intel Core m3 processor
    • 4GB RAM
    • 64GB of SSD storage
    • Battery life of up to 10 hours

  • LG Cinebeam 4k Projector Truly Beams

    LG Cinebeam 4k Projector Truly Beams

    The latest tech from the South Korean manufacturer LG is set to embrace the Ultra-HD revolution in its LG Cinebeam 4k Projector, specifically the all-new HU80KA 4K Projector that we saw at CES earlier this year: LG has just released that the portable projector starting at  $2,999.

    The Great

    • Bright
    • Light
    • Beautiful Picture
    • Ultimately Portable
    • Best Value for 4k Screen Size

    The Not

    • Limited Light Lifetime

    The Conclusion

    The LG Cinebeam 4k Projector is LG’s brightest projector yet, able to display a 150-inch picture at 2,500 lumens, while its HD projectors top out at 2,000 lumens. To take advantage of this extra brightness, the HU80KA also supports high dynamic range via HDR10, though unfortunately, Dolby Vision doesn’t appear to be supported. Two built-in 7-watt speakers provide enough audio power in case you’re bringing the projector with you, but you can easily connect it to an external speaker system or sound bar using the optical output, HDMI, or wirelessly via Bluetooth.

     

    The LG Cinebeam 4k Projector is a versatile and beautifully glorious black box. Spunky one-two 7 W speakers that you can choose to hook up to external speakers and sound bars via optical or Bluetooth. Size and weight, this compact package comes in at about 14 pounds, but delivers far above its competition with a stunningly sharp laser engine that projects up to 2,500 lumens, allowing crisp viewing even in bright conditions. Coupled with LG’s innovative Trumotion Technology, the compact box paints an amazing 150″ screen (74″ by 132″) on your wall from 14.1 feet. Do the math, and a screen 70″ or greater can be projected directly on the ceiling. Makes it Nice for viewing in bead but also just adding a nice Star light canopy or thunderstorm right above your bed.

    LG Cinebeam 4k Projector 77 Inch OLED

    Even a mammoth 77-inch OLED is dwarfed by a 150-inch picture, and that’s exactly what the new LG Cinebeam 4k Projector UHD projector brings to the table. Even better, the CineBeam is available now for a price that is close to what you’d expect to pay for a 75-inch 4K TV — not bad for what promises to be one of the best home theater projectors around.

    Not only can the LG Cinebeam 4k Projector deliver a huge picture, but it does so in a compact, portable form that doesn’t require you to find a table or stand for setting it at the exact right height. LG Says, as the projector’s mirrorless I-shaped engine allows the projector to display without problems whether it’s mounted on the wall, hung from the ceiling, or placed on the floor.

     

    The Final Thought

    Will the projector outclass OLED in terms of black levels? Probably not – especially without the aid of more advanced HDR formats like Dolby Vision or HDR10+. But, that said, its portability and price may help LG’s latest beamer beat out the competition in its design class.

  • Microsoft Surface Go Early Impressions

    Microsoft Surface Go Early Impressions

    The Microsoft Surface Pro is easily one of the finest two-in-one tablets in the world. As such, it’s surprising that Microsoft has struggled to create a smaller version of the tablet that impresses. The Surface Pro is pretty big, all said, coming in at nearly 13 inches. The new Microsoft Surface Go, due out on August 2nd, seeks to take what makes the Pro great and just put it in a smaller package. Does it succeed where others have failed, or is it the device Microsoft’s been trying to make?

    Pricing and Unboxing

    First things first, let’s talk price. The Surface Go starts at $400 for a configuration with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. That’s a big more expensive than the iPad, which comes in at $329, and both tablets come without a keyboard or a stylus. The lack of the Surface Pen and Type Cover in the box isn’t surprising, but it’s still disappointing.

    That said, the Surface Go has a pretty big leg up over the iPad: USB-C. Apple has stubbornly stuck to the Lightning Cable, eschewing the industry standard. As such, they’ve left their tablets and phones in the past as every other device makes the switch. Not to mention, the Surface Connect port gives you a way to connect to external displays while charging your device. This is something Apple doesn’t seem to be bothered by: if you want to charge and send a signal, you need a dongle to split the single Lightning port.

    Design

    The Surface Go is really just a smaller Surface Pro. That’s not supposed to be funny: it’s almost uncanny. Microsoft has managed to scale down the exact tablet they’ve had for years into a more compact size. Of course, there’s a slight dip in performance that you would expect from a smaller device. However, the features and apps are all still intact, just running on a smaller screen.

    This newer, smaller tablet is also a bit softer, design-wise. The corners are rounded, and the feel is generally more appealing. It seems that the smaller Surface has been designed with students in mind primarily. The tablet fits into a bag easily and feels great in one hand. The optional Type Cover and Surface pen make it even better, as it can be converted into a laptop-like configuration. Taking notes with either the keyboard or the pen is easy and intuitive.

    Microsoft Surface Go Early Impressions

    While it’s early yet, it seems like the Microsoft Surface Go is an ample competitor with the iPad. Not only that, it’s a worthy inheritor of the Surface name, and a great buy for the money. If you’re looking for an affordable tablet that can convert into a laptop, this is a great option. However, it is somewhat lacking in regards to power, but it makes up for it in usefulness.

  • Finney Phone: Cryptocurrency-Centric Phone

    Finney Phone: Cryptocurrency-Centric Phone

    Sirin Labs, the company behind this odd new phone, is aiming to make cryptocurrency commonplace. How will they do so? With the Finney Phone, or so they hope. While adoption of the odd new style of currency has been less than enthusiastic by the public, Sirin aims to change that. Many consider cryptocurrency an unusual, hard-to-understand technology that resembles a Ponzi scheme. Sirin wants their phone to be for the average Joe as well as the Bitcoin Billionaire. How will they do that?

    Sirin Labs’ Goal

    The company’s co-CEO, Zvika Landau, had this to say about the phone. “Most people are afraid of cryptocurrencies, and don’t know where to start. The user experience we want is one that is so simple, you won’t need to understand how blockchain technology works, you won’t need to understand how to sign a transaction, or what happens in the background at the time.”

    This makes sense, if they’re looking to incorporate a mass-market. Many are wary of cryptocurrency, unsure if it’s safe and unwilling to bet their money on it. Younger people, especially, are generally leery of sinking their money into platforms they fear are unstable. It’s mirrored in most millennials lack of interest in the stock market. Sirin aims to hold a number of events and seminars to help people get started.

    Finney Phone: Cold Storage Wallet for Crypto

    The Finney Phone has a second screen built into the phone. That screen is the display of your crypto wallet: it’s completely isolated from your phone. What that means is, the crypto tokens stored on your phone are safe and secure behind a layer of security. Without the authentication key from your phone’s crypto screen, your coins can’t even be used.

    The other feature that Sirin hopes will set the Finney Phone apart is the token conversion built into the phone. The phone will start by hosting Sirin’s own SRN coin, which can be converted into whatever your coin of choice is afterwards. However, it seems that Sirin is more interested in its cryptocurrency taking off than its phone: the phone is simply a means to and end. If people are more comfortable with cryptocurrency, it makes the crypto market more stable.

    The Risks

    The risks associated with cryptocurrency aren’t cured by this one phone, though. As it stands, cryptocurrency is still very young, and largely unproven. There is no central agency to ensure security, and there is no way to use the currency in normal transactions. You can’t go into a grocery store and buy your weekly groceries with Bitcoins, and a phone won’t change that. As it stands, cryptocurrency is used for investing in online endeavors and purchasing things of dubious legality. That’s hardly a glowing review, but we’ll withhold judgment until we see the phone in action.

    The Finney Phone is set to release in November and will retail for $1,000. We’ll see how fast people are to adopt the odd handset then.

  • New Galaxy Watch and What We Know

    New Galaxy Watch and What We Know

    The Samsung Gear was lackluster and not a commercial hit. The adoption in comparison is dismal to the iWatch’s success. Samsung is looking to change that with its next Galaxy Watch. While its name, its OS, and its features are pretty much still in flux, which, at the very least, makes it sound a bit more exciting.

    What We Know

    Very little Im afraid. There have not been alot of details released yet. Lets start with what we know. It will be round for starters, they will not be adapting to Apples square face. Bixby will be a huge and integral part of this watch.Although Bixby has been out for more than a year now, Samsung’s homegrown AI assistant has not descended on any of the current smartwatches. That will change with the Galaxy Watch. Oh yeah,  Presumably we also have a name, ,A registered trademark on “Galaxy Watch” has been leaked.

    Its Safe To Assume

    While we don’t have any confirmation its safe to assume the next line in the Galaxy Watch will be a big upgrade from previous models. For it to compete with the legendary and most popular watch on the planted, the iWatch, it will have to be something special. Look for vast strides in the ai and voice control aspect. Bixby will do things Siri just cant and hasn’t even though of yet. It will be much easier to use and that in turn will give this the commercial appeal all of android is been lacking since the dawn of time, or 2010.

    What Would Be Cool in the Galaxy Watch

    This is the part of these articles I like the most. This is where we get to throw in all the stuff my little heart could desire in a new Galaxy Watch. What do I want, I want battery. Battery Life, I can not stress this enough. A watch I  don’t have to worry about charging for a week. Use that cool Rolex kinetic energy technology they have been using since the beginning of watches to recharge my smartwatch. A big face, 52-54mm. Make is glorious and a true fashion and status statement, like a watch should be. Holograms? ummm yes please. a bit better speaker, just to make taking a phone call on your watch actually viable. Last but not least, lets change Bixby to Sam. Sam, short for Samsung seems like a friendly guy I would like to chat with. The name is also very gender neutral and could easily pair with a nice female voice.  Plus we get the added feeling of being Dick Tracy and talking to Sam back at the station.

    The Final Thought

    Whats left to say? Well plenty. We will have more solid info when these details emerge. My industry sources tell me look for a Note release in late Aug for this new Galaxy Watch.

  • Apple Music Control Update for Sonos Speakers

    Apple Music Control Update for Sonos Speakers

    Finally. Finally, Finally. Up until now when using our Sonos Speakers you had to use the Sonos app to control the music. The app was not as intuitive, extensive or as viable as the iTunes music app built in to you phone. You had to create your playlist through the Sonos app and it was clunky and not very easy not to mention you couldn’t load existing playlist in. Well now out troubles are over. Sonos has announced the AirPlay 2 has arrived. This makes compatible Sonos speakers the first third-party AirPlay 2 speakers to hit the market, and support is being added retroactively through a free software update.

     

    Whats This Mean Really For Your Sonos Speakers

    Yes, this means you can use Sonos speakers to play audio from iTunes on the Mac and all iPhone and iPad apps including Music, TV, YouTube, and Netflix. Sonos speakers can also be used for multi-room audio playback with HomePod and Apple TV, and Siri can control Apple Music and Podcasts playback from iPhone, iPad, HomePod, or Apple TV. Great right?

    We are told AirPlay 2 works with the newest Sonos speakers (recognizable by their touch controls instead of hardware buttons) which includes Sonos Beam, Sonos Playbase, Sonos One, and the second-gen Sonos Play:5. Sonos customers can update compatible speakers through the software update section of the Sonos controller app today. For iOS users, start by updating the Sonos controller app in the App Store, then look for the new software update within the Sonos app for compatible speakers.

    The Final Thought

    While I got very excited for this at first. I soon realized all my Sonos Speakers are not going to be compatible. Tear. I have been hesitant to grab the Homepod because of my existing 4 speaker Sonos system. Now a change may soon be in order.  I like the group playlist functionality of Sonos that you cant get really get anywhere else. When I throw a dignified cocktail party everyone can sync in and que up songs or add to the party’s playlist. This adds a social element I have truly come to enjoy. Now I have convinced myself, my Sonos system will get a overhaul.

  • Retrospective Round-up: The App Store

    Retrospective Round-up: The App Store

    The App Store is ten years old. It’s hard to believe that the iPhone launched in 2007 without it, to be honest. When you think of the start of the smartphone revolution, you think of apps. “There’s an app for that” was such a ubiquitous slogan that you heard it everywhere in those days. When it launched in 2008, the App Store redefined what, exactly, a smartphone could do. With that said, let’s take a look back in time and round up the ways the App Store shaped the modern smartphone market.

    Attack of the Clones

    The first and most obvious impact of the fantastically popular App Store is the legion of clones it inspired. Of them, the Google Play Store is the most notable and the only other successful platform from the era. Truth be told, the success of the iPhone can be largely attributed to support from app developers. Blackberry’s decline can be certainly chalked up to the lack of support from those same developers.

    Gaming

    The App Store reshaped handheld gaming. Where Nintendo and Sony were battling with their traditional handheld gaming consoles, Apple did something unthinkable. Something that Nokia had tried a few years prior with the N-Gage. They made smartphones gaming devices. Nintendo hasn’t been muscled out of the gaming space, but they also couldn’t exactly push Apple out either. It’s impossible to fight just how big of an install base that smartphones have as a gaming platform. Nearly every adult has a smartphone; the same can’t be said of Nintendo’s 3DS.

    The impact of the app store on gaming is nearly immeasurable: the early 2010s were marked by a flood of “freemium” games. Games that would have previously found no audience could now reach a large demographic. Since they were free to start, these games could get into your device, and your head, easily. Then, once you were invested, you would spend a few bucks here and there on power-ups. This business model proved insanely lucrative and persists to this day. Thankfully, traditional game design is still alive and well in the core market.

    Phones Became Omnitools

    Before the App Store, phones were phones. After its launch, phones were damn near everything. Some apps make your phone a GPS, while others make it a video streaming device. Other apps might make your phone a banking portal, while others make it a music playback device. Nearly any functionality you could imagine was suddenly rolled into your phone. And all of that is thanks to this one software platform. It’s been a long decade, and a lot has changed. But here’s to the next ten years, and the changes they bring.