Nvidia's GPUs are considered second to none in the enthusiast PC space, and there are plenty of convincing reasons to go with Team Green for your next build. XDA Developers highlighted a few of those reasons to consider an Nvidia GPU over an AMD one recently, going over things like DLSS and the raw performance of RTX GPUs. AMD graphics cards, however, have also come a long way, and they aren't trailing too far behind in 2023.

In fact, there are some good reasons to consider them over Nvidia's options, and you certainly can't count them out of the race. If you are in the market to buy a new graphics card and are split between AMD and Nvidia, then here are a few reasons why you should consider an AMD GPU for your build.

OK, admittedly two of the reasons are related, so this could be more of two good reasons. I did opt to go with an AMD Ryzen 7 for my last CPU I bought (my first non-Intel in decades), and I've been very happy with that choice. I only realised a month later, after I'd bought an Nvidia GPU, that I never really took a serious look at the AMD GPUs.

I'm certainly going to do so next time I buy a GPU (I don't buy them with every PC upgrade I do). In my case, too, I'm using Linux, so I really don't get to use some of those additional extra Nvidia Windows-only features. I have way less to lose, actually.

A GPU comparison for Linux users would be quite interesting to see, where it compares head-to-head on open source as well as OEM proprietary drivers.

See https://www.xda-developers.com/reasons-ditch-nvidia-for-amd/

#technology #GPU

While texting is great for asynchronous conversations, calls are still the way to go if you want real-time conversation.

That's not an option for people who are hard of hearing or have speech difficulties. RTT or Real-time text solves this issue by allowing people to text in real-time. In this guide, Android Police explain the RTT feature, how to activate it on Android smartphones, and how to use it in different situations.

One benefit of RTT over text messaging is that it allows you to connect to businesses, government agencies, and emergency services. To connect to emergency services using RTT, all you do is dial 911 (in the USA) in RTT mode.

This feature makes emergency services accessible to people with hearing or speech disabilities and allows everyone to connect to emergency services without speaking. If you are in a situation where speaking out loud can be detrimental to your safety, use the RTT feature to connect to 911.

To connect to government agencies or businesses, you can use the Relay service. People who are hard of hearing or have speech impediments can connect to the relay service by dialling 711 (probably also USA). An operator picks up their call and connects them to the desired service.

See https://www.androidpolice.com/what-is-rtt-calling/

#technology #disabilities #accessibility

A hardware security key makes your online accounts even more secure. When you sign in, you'll have to plug in your key and press a button---or touch it to your phone. They work on websites like Google, Facebook, and many more.

If you've been on the internet, then you've probably heard of two-factor authentication, usually abbreviated as 2FA. Typically, 2FA involves receiving a code you have to insert after you enter your password correctly. You can receive this code either through an SMS message, an email, or an authenticator app.

These solutions can have problems though, especially since SMS messages can be intercepted through SIM-swapping attacks, emails can be broken into with social engineering, and authenticator apps lose their value if your phone is stolen or you forget it somewhere.

This is where security keys come in. Using Multi-Factor Authentication, or MFA for short, means using more than just one authentication vector, so 2FA is part of MFA.

Where physical security keys shine is that they don't have the issues stated above regarding interception or breaking in. Of course, they can be stolen, but some keys have biometrics in them or require another PIN, making it a true MFA key so that even if it's stolen, people can't hack into your accounts.

The linked article goes into a bit more detail about what to look for in a hardware key, and it provides some comparisons of what the most popular keys offer. I did not even know about the open source option one.

Because security is a bit more serious with the hardware key option, you can (hopefully) expect the service not to just issue a new password reset via e-mail if you lose your key. For this reason, it is vitally important you note down any backup codes for that key - preferably also written on a piece of paper and stored in a safe. I do this not only for me to regain access to any accounts, but also in case anything happens to me, that my family can access it in a usable form.

See https://www.howtogeek.com/785677/best-hardware-security-keys/

#technology #2FA #security