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The notorious Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is finally heading to a junkyard upstate. This error message has been a key part of the Windows experience for almost 40 years. Microsoft has been teasing this change for years, but now we know the crash screen will be removed in an update to Windows 11 that’s coming later this summer.

Windows computers are still going to crash, so there needs to be some sort of error screen. Microsoft is transitioning to a Black Screen of Death instead. This new crash screen will be black, as the name suggests, and there will be no cutesy frowny face and QR code. It’ll just be a black screen with a short message that tells users they need to restart.

The new BSOD recalls the black screen shown during a Windows update, but it will list the stop code and system driver that contributed to the crash. This should make life easier for IT admins.

“This is really an attempt on clarity and providing better information and allowing us and customers to really get to what the core of the issue is so we can fix it faster,” David Weston, vice president of enterprise and OS security at Microsoft, said in an interview with The Verge. “Part of it is just cleaner information on what exactly went wrong.”

The new BSOD will debut alongside the Quick Machine Recovery feature. This tool is designed to restore machines that won’t boot. These changes are being made in the wake of last year’s CrowdStrike incident that crashed over 8 million Windows devices. That massive outage impacted banks, airlines and major corporations.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/windows-is-finally-kicking-the-blue-screen-of-death-to-the-curb-172011343.html?src=rss 

Insta360’s new gimbal isn’t quite “Pro,” but its pricing isn’t, either. The Flow 2 includes many of the features from the Flow 2 Pro while costing $50 less.

The Insta360 Flow 2 ticks most of the boxes that its Pro sibling does. (The more expensive gimbal launched earlier this year.) Like that model, the Flow 2 features a built-in selfie stick and a tripod. It supports advanced subject tracking, golden ratio subject framing and a built-in spotlight. Also carrying over is NFC one-tap pairing and teleprompter mode.

But if you’re an iPhone user, there’s one big omission. The Flow 2 doesn’t support Apple DockKit, which enables seamless control of motorized docks. You can make up for much of that with Insta360’s AI tracker accessory. However, it costs extra. At that point, your total price will creep closer to that of the Pro model. So, it would be wise to break down your specific needs before making a decision.

There are a few other differences. The standard model also lacks the Pro’s selfie mirror, which lets you check your framing and appearance on the fly. Its tracking mobility is more limited than the Pro model’s 360-degree version. There’s no Free Tilt mode either. (That’s the feature that lets you angle your phone in unique and creative ways.) Nor is there a tracking ring light on the standard gimbal.

If none of those omissions affect your workflow, the Flow 2 could help you save a few bucks. The Insta360 costs $110. The company also offers a bundle with the AI tracker accessory for $130. (Otherwise, the AI tracker is a separate $40 purchase.) The gimbal is now available from the company’s website and retailers like Amazon.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/insta360-has-a-cheaper-flow-2-gimbal-for-the-masses-130016631.html?src=rss 

After going through a controversial branding change that eliminated the beloved XPS name, Dell has launched its replacement. The new Dell 14 Premium and Dell 16 Premium Windows 11 laptops represent the high end of Dell’s business lineup and offer features like Intel Core Ultra 9 16-core CPUs, NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPUs and battery life up to 27 hours. 

The XPS name may be gone but last year’s design largely remains. Both models keep the simple and elegant wedge-like form from before, with slightly bigger (16.3 and 14.5 inches), largely bezel-free displays coated with Gorilla Glass 3. Dell promises top-notch craftsmanship and a new thermal design that allows for a thin and light design, maximal airflow and minimal noise. Just as it did with the branding, Dell has followed Apple with the two available colorways: Platinum and a darker Graphite. 

New 3.2K and 4K 16:10 120Hz OLEDs are now available on the high-end models (14.5- and 16.3-inch, respectively) and 2K LCD 120Hz versions (1,920 x 1,200) in the base models. The OLEDs are certified DisplayHDR 500 with 400 nits of brightness and 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, while the LED models average around 500 nits. Audio also looks solid with Dolby Atmos, “studio-quality tuning,” quad speakers, a dual microphone array and a universal headphone jack with head tracking.

Dell 14 Premium laptop in Platinum

On the performance front, Dell is wedded to Intel’s latest power-efficient Core Ultra 7 255H and 256H 16-core processors, along with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H 16-core version on the Premium 16 only. Those offer up to a 33 percent performance boost over the previous XPS models (18 percent on the 16 Premium), along with a 2.4x boost in AI performance. 

However, the main benefit is much boosted battery life with up to 20 hours of Netflix streaming on the 14 Premium and 27 hours on the 16 Premium. Those figures are with the 2K LCD displays and drop to 11 and 9 hours on the higher resolution 3.2K OLED (14.5-inch model) and 4K OLED (16.3-inch model) respectively. 

The Premium 14 and Premium 16 differ the most in terms of GPU options, with support for NVIDIA’s new RTX 5050 GPU, along with the RTX 5060 and RTX 5070 on the 16.3-inch model, but just an NVIDIA RTX 4050 on the Premium 14. Opting for one of those, particularly the RTX 5070, should make them solid gaming and graphics machines but you’ll be paying more and sacrificing some battery life. Otherwise, you’ll be getting Intel’s Arc 140T GPU on the 14 Premium and 16 Premium base models, designed mostly for business and entertainment.

Dell 16 Premium Graphite

Other key features include WiFi 7, extra security for business users, up to 64GB of LPDDR5x dual channel 8400 MT/s memory, encryption ready SSDs, up to 4TB storage and a FHD webcam. They’re now on sale at Dell.com starting at $1,650 for the base 14 Premium (Core Ultra 7 255H CPU, 16GB memory, 2K LCD display, Intel Arc 140T graphics). The same model with an NVIDIA RTX 4050 GPU, 32GB of memory and the 3.2K OLED display is $2,350. 

The Dell 16 Premium, meanwhile, starts at $2,700 with a Core Ultra 7 255H CPU, 32GB of memory, 2K LCD display and NVIDIA RTX 5060, while a version with the 4K OLED display and Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU is $3,050. Other options aren’t yet available on Dell’s online store. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/dell-announces-new-premium-replacement-for-the-xps-line-130018315.html?src=rss