A Smart Social Security Move You Can Make Right Now - The Motley Fool

For many retirees, Social Security benefits make the difference between enjoying a comfortable retirement and struggling to make ends meet. Roughly 20% of married couples and close to half of unmarried beneficiaries rely on their monthly checks for at least 90% of their income, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA), so that money can be incredibly important in retirement.

Because your benefits could make up a significant portion of your income in retirement, it's crucial to ensure you're doing everything you can to maximize them. And there's one easy move you can make right now that will help set you up for retirement success.

Image source: Getty Images.

A little preparation goes a long way

When it comes to retirement, the more you prepare, the better off you'll be. The same is true for Social Security, and when you know what to expect in terms of benefits, the better you'll be able to prepare financially.

One of the easiest things you can do to get ready for retirement is to check your Social Security statements online to see how much you're expected to receive in benefits. It only takes a few minutes to create a my Social Security account and check your estimated future benefit, yet less than half of Americans who have an account have logged in to see their statements, according to the SSA.

Checking your future benefit is helpful for a couple of reasons. First, it gives you a realistic sense of how much you can rely on your benefits in retirement. If you're expecting Social Security to cover all your living expenses, seeing your statements can be a reality check if you won't be receiving as much as you think. And second, it can help you plan how much you need to save on your own to make sure you'll have enough income in retirement.

Say, for instance, you estimate you'll need around $50,000 per year to cover your expenses in retirement. If you check your Social Security statements and learn you'll be receiving $20,000 per year in benefits, that means that only $30,000 per year will need to come from your savings (assuming you don't have any other sources of income in retirement). The earlier you have this information, the easier it will be to plan for retirement. If you simply wing it and hope that your savings and benefits are enough to cover all your costs, you may need to make some big sacrifices in retirement if that money isn't enough.

How the age at which you claim affects your benefits

When you check your benefits online, it's important to keep in mind that the actual amount you'll receive depends on the age you begin claiming. To receive the full benefit amount you're entitled to, you'll need to wait to claim until your full retirement age (FRA) -- which for those considering benefits now is either 66, 66 and a few months, or 67, depending on the year you were born. If you claim before your FRA, your checks will be reduced by up to 30%. On the other hand, if you wait until after your FRA to claim, you'll receive a little extra money each month on top of your full benefit amount.

If you're expecting to rely on your benefits for a good portion of your retirement income, it's extra important to make sure you're claiming at the best age for you. Sometimes it might be smart to delay benefits and earn those bigger checks if you have little to nothing saved. Or if you have a healthy retirement fund and can survive on smaller checks, claiming early may be the way to go. Regardless of your decision, make sure you've thought about how the age at which you claim will affect the size of your monthly checks.

Social Security benefits may be a significant part of your retirement, so it's a good idea to make sure you understand what you're expected to receive when you begin claiming. Checking your online statements only takes a few minutes, but it can help you create a much more thorough retirement plan.

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New hardware store set to open; Bubbs will own Riverside True Value in Westporte Center - Middletown Press and Journal

The husband-and-wife team that owns and operates the new Riverside True Value Hardware store at Westporte Centre in Middletown have a combined 27 years of experience in the retail hardware business.

Actually it’s 34 years, if you count from when Lisa Bubb was 10 years old following around her father in the hardware store he co-owned in Lemoyne, before Bubb started officially working in the store at age 17.

Ryan and Lisa Bubb met each other through the hardware business, as Ryan started working for Lisa’s dad John Hepfer when he was in high school.

The Bubbs, who live in Duncannon with their 7-month old son Larson — named after Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich — plan to open for business Thursday, Jan. 2, with a grand opening to be held in the spring.

Their space in Westporte Centre on West Main Street was last occupied by Dollar Express, which closed in June 2017.

The hardware store carries the True Value name but it is not a franchise arrangement, according to Ryan.

“We have the ability to use their name as long as we purchase a certain amount of inventory every year,” he said.

The store is also what Bubb called a “destination True Value store,” modeled in design, decor and color scheme after True Value’s model store in Chicago. True Value also supports the store with merchandising and advertising.

Otherwise, the store is independently owned and operated by the Bubbs, he said.

Ryan Bubb, 30, has worked for True Value in one capacity or another for the last 13 years. He intended to go to college after working at Hepfer’s True Value store in Duncannon but “kind of got hooked on hardware and never looked back.”

Hepfer had a few True Value stores in Duncannon and Bubb managed the stores for six or seven years, before getting a job with True Value as a project manager at the corporate level.

“I just traveled all over the country doing this,” he said. “I’d set up a store, get them going and then I’d leave and do another one.”

“I did that for almost four years until he came along,” Ryan said, pointing to Larson. “I had to come home and get off the road and then this opportunity popped up.”

Lisa, 31, said her father has owned hardware stores for almost 50 years.

She and Ryan both enjoy the experience of taking care of customers.

An independent small-town hardware store means “we are expected to be experts on the products we sell,” Ryan said. “We’ve owned our own home for five years now. Most of the products in the store I’ve used and know how to use. I get enjoyment out of helping somebody else who might not know how to use something and teaching them how to do it and making sure they get the right thing. … I don’t care if you buy the most expensive can of paint. I want you to get the right can of paint.”

The store will have a large plumbing department, and electrical. Paint will be a big part of the store, as well as lawn and garden and seasonal merchandise for outside your home.

With Penn State Harrisburg right across the street, the store will stock items catering to a college student living in a dorm room, such as storage containers, totes, shelves and small appliances.

Ryan said the Bubbs were attracted to the space because they see “great opportunity” in Middletown as a growing community.

Nearly 50 percent of all housing in Middletown is rental, a reflection of Penn State Harrisburg being second only to University Park in terms of being the largest campus in the Penn State system. The Bubbs hope to tap into the market of landlords working on their properties in the borough.

Middletown has had a hardware store in town since 2015, when Street Stores Hardware opened at 115 E. Main St.

Nevertheless, “I just think it is an underserved market” when it comes to hardware, Ryan said of the Middletown area.

The Bubbs are interviewing prospective employees. By spring they hope to add up to five more full-time employees, and six to eight part-timers.

“We’re excited to get started here,” Ryan said, noting he and Lisa had originally hoped to open in August.

The Bubbs’ first choice of a name for their hardware store was West End, but that was taken in Pennsylvania, so they settled on Riverside to reflect Middletown being “a river town,” Ryan said.

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Hall girls best IC, bring home holiday hardware - LaSalle News Tribune

AMBOY - The Hall Lady Red Devils brought some new hardware “home for the holidays” in the form of a third-place trophy from the Amboy Girls Holiday Tournament, earned with a 52-36 win over the Indian Creek Timberwolves on Monday night.
Hall went 3-1 during the tourney, with their only loss to Lena-Winslow, 42-31, on Saturday.
“Yeah, it was a rough one on Saturday,” Hall coach T.J. Orlandi said, “so it was nice to come out and play like that tonight and turn things around a bit … (On) Saturday, I thought we played good defense and that kinda held us in the game, but we didn’t shoot that well. We had looks but couldn’t get shots to fall. We did tonight.”
Adding to the hardware were medals for Lady Devils Hanah Hart and Jaclyn Cinotte, honored for being named to the all-tournament team.
Hart led Hall in scoring with 21 points, including perfect 11-for-11 free throw shooting. Next was Cinotte with 16 points.
“It feels nice (making the all-tourney team), I’m glad I got it,” Hart said, “but I just want to win.”
The Lady Devils were in the driver’s seat from the beginning of the game, jumping out to an 8-0 lead and ending the first period ahead 14-6.
“One thing that was good, what that got us going, was getting the ball out in transition and getting some easy layups,” Orlandi said. “That helped us get some confidence, and then some outside shots started falling for us, so that was nice.”
Hall started off the second period with a 7-0 run that contributed to their 25-14 advantage at the half.
Another big help to Hall on both sides of the ball was junior Taeja Foster (seven points), who made her presence known in the paint.
“It was a little tough, but I think we locked down on defense,” Foster said. “We were tough. I chipped a tooth (laughs), but I’m okay now.”
The Hall defense was strong enough that only one of the Timberwolves, Brooke Heiman, achieved double figure scoring, but that was a game-high 22 points.
“We knew she was their best shooter, and had to get up in her face,” Cinotte said. “We maintained the press pretty well, kept finding the open looks, but most of all we just kept running and didn’t give up.”
The closest the Timberwolves got was within eight points, 35-27, at the end of the third period, but they were outscored by Hall 17-9 in the fourth to keep the game out of their reach.
“It was a team effort for sure,” Orlandi said. “I liked how in the second half when they (IC) chipped away at our lead and got it to single digits, we didn’t panic … They put on a press and we broke it pretty well, kept our composure. Even in the fourth (period), by just running through our high-low offense against the man, we bled out a lot of clock and weren’t rushed.”
Orlandi added that it helped that his Lady Devils had already faced a similar scenario earlier this season.
“We’ve had two tournaments now where we had a rough third game. We did it at Oregon and we did it here,” he said. “It was good to see us rebound in the fourth game, finish with a winning record in both tournaments and get a third place.”

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Hall girls best IC, bring home holiday hardware - LaSalle News Tribune

AMBOY - The Hall Lady Red Devils brought some new hardware “home for the holidays” in the form of a third-place trophy from the Amboy Girls Holiday Tournament, earned with a 52-36 win over the Indian Creek Timberwolves on Monday night.
Hall went 3-1 during the tourney, with their only loss to Lena-Winslow, 42-31, on Saturday.
“Yeah, it was a rough one on Saturday,” Hall coach T.J. Orlandi said, “so it was nice to come out and play like that tonight and turn things around a bit … (On) Saturday, I thought we played good defense and that kinda held us in the game, but we didn’t shoot that well. We had looks but couldn’t get shots to fall. We did tonight.”
Adding to the hardware were medals for Lady Devils Hanah Hart and Jaclyn Cinotte, honored for being named to the all-tournament team.
Hart led Hall in scoring with 21 points, including perfect 11-for-11 free throw shooting. Next was Cinotte with 16 points.
“It feels nice (making the all-tourney team), I’m glad I got it,” Hart said, “but I just want to win.”
The Lady Devils were in the driver’s seat from the beginning of the game, jumping out to an 8-0 lead and ending the first period ahead 14-6.
“One thing that was good, what that got us going, was getting the ball out in transition and getting some easy layups,” Orlandi said. “That helped us get some confidence, and then some outside shots started falling for us, so that was nice.”
Hall started off the second period with a 7-0 run that contributed to their 25-14 advantage at the half.
Another big help to Hall on both sides of the ball was junior Taeja Foster (seven points), who made her presence known in the paint.
“It was a little tough, but I think we locked down on defense,” Foster said. “We were tough. I chipped a tooth (laughs), but I’m okay now.”
The Hall defense was strong enough that only one of the Timberwolves, Brooke Heiman, achieved double figure scoring, but that was a game-high 22 points.
“We knew she was their best shooter, and had to get up in her face,” Cinotte said. “We maintained the press pretty well, kept finding the open looks, but most of all we just kept running and didn’t give up.”
The closest the Timberwolves got was within eight points, 35-27, at the end of the third period, but they were outscored by Hall 17-9 in the fourth to keep the game out of their reach.
“It was a team effort for sure,” Orlandi said. “I liked how in the second half when they (IC) chipped away at our lead and got it to single digits, we didn’t panic … They put on a press and we broke it pretty well, kept our composure. Even in the fourth (period), by just running through our high-low offense against the man, we bled out a lot of clock and weren’t rushed.”
Orlandi added that it helped that his Lady Devils had already faced a similar scenario earlier this season.
“We’ve had two tournaments now where we had a rough third game. We did it at Oregon and we did it here,” he said. “It was good to see us rebound in the fourth game, finish with a winning record in both tournaments and get a third place.”

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Microsoft Seizes 50 Domains Used by North Korean Hackers - Tom's Hardware

Microsoft revealed yesterday that it received permission to seize 50 domains used by Thallium, a threat group believed to operate from North Korea, via a court order issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia earlier this year.

The company said that its Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) and the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) have been "tracking and gathering information on Thallium" for some time. During that time, the group established a network of "websites, domains and internet-connected computers." Microsoft explained:

"This network was used to target victims and then compromise their online accounts, infect their computers, compromise the security of their networks and steal sensitive information. Based on victim information, the targets included government employees, think tanks, university staff members, members of organizations focused on world peace and human rights, and individuals that work on nuclear proliferation issues. Most targets were based in the U.S., as well as Japan and South Korea."

Thallium reportedly used a variety of spear-phishing attacks conducted via emails sent from the domains that have since been seized by Microsoft. Those emails contained links to websites that asked victims to sign in to their Microsoft Account. The attackers then used those credentials to access the accounts themselves.

Microsoft said Thallium could "review emails, contact lists, calendar appointments and anything else of interest in the compromised account." The group was also said to have created "a new mail forwarding rule in the victim’s account settings" that "will forward all new emails received by the victim to Thallium-controlled accounts."

That mail forwarding rule would allow Thallium to monitor their victim's email even if they lost access to the Microsoft Account itself. Some people might change their passwords to protect themselves, but how many would also go through their mail forwarding rules to make sure their messages weren't being sent elsewhere, too?

Microsoft's seizure of 50 domains used by Thallium won't totally disrupt the group's activities. It could always set up more domains, and it would likely take Microsoft a while to notice they were in use, let alone receive another court order to take them down. Actions like this interrupt threat groups; they don't actually end their efforts.

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Can a $30 pair of wireless earbuds actually be any good? - TechCrunch

TechCrunch ist jetzt Teil der Verizon Media-Familie. Wir (Verizon Media) und unsere Partner benötigen Ihre Einwilligung, um auf Ihr Gerät zuzugreifen, Cookies zu setzen und Ihre Daten einschließlich Ihres Standorts zu nutzen, um mehr über Ihre Interessen zu erfahren, relevante Werbung bereitzustellen und deren Effektivität zu messen. Verizon Media stellt Ihnen zudem relevante Anzeigen auf den Produkten unserer Partner zur Verfügung. Lernen Sie hier mehr darüber

Wie Verizon Media und unsere Partner Ihnen bessere Werbung anbieten

Um Ihnen insgesamt ein besseres Nutzererlebnis zu bieten, möchten wir relevante Anzeigen bereitstellen, die für Sie nützlicher sind. Wenn Sie z. B. nach einem bestimmten Film suchen, nutzen wir Ihre Suchdaten und Ihren Standort zur Anzeige von Kinos in Ihrer Nähe. Zudem nutzen wir diese Daten, um Ihnen Werbung für ähnliche Filme zu zeigen, die Ihnen vielleicht auch gefallen könnten. Wie bei Verizon Media zeigen Ihnen unsere Partner eventuell auch Werbung, von der sie annehmen, dass sie Ihren Interessen entspricht.

Erfahren Sie mehr darüber, wie Verizon Media Daten erfasst und verwendet und wie unsere Partner Daten erfassen und verwenden.

Wählen Sie „OK“ aus, damit Verizon Media und unsere Partner Ihre Daten verwenden können, oder „Optionen verwalten“, um unsere Partner und Ihre Auswahlmöglichkeiten anzusehen. Tipp: Melden Sie sich an, um Ihre Auswahl zu speichern, damit Sie diesen Vorgang nicht auf allen Geräten einzeln durchführen müssen. Sie können Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit im Datenschutzcenter aktualisieren.

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The Worst Mistake Aurora Cannabis Investors Can Make Right Now - Motley Fool

Aurora Cannabis' (NYSE:ACB) stock is down more than 75% in just the past six months. While all pot stocks have been performing poorly, Aurora has still been one of the worst stocks to own during this stretch. Rival Canopy Growth (NYSE:CGC) declined 52% over the same period, which is close to how the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF performed. It's a troubling time for investors as things continue to go from bad to worse for the cannabis industry.

However, Aurora investors can make one mistake today that could put their portfolios in even more harm's way.

Don't assume the stock has reached bottom

Currently at a $2.1 billion market cap, Aurora still has a relatively high valuation. The reason it still looks expensive is that Aurora remains dependent on the Canadian market, which, according to research company BDS Analytics, might only be worth $5.2 billion in 2024. While Aurora has operations in other parts of the world, those markets will be even smaller pieces of the pie, and they are still in their very early stages. Only two countries have legalized recreational pot thus far: Canada and Uruguay. While there may be greater long-term potential outside of Canada, for now, it remains one of the best legal markets for cannabis today.

There's also no shortage of competition in the Canadian cannabis market, with Canopy Growth, HEXO, and Aphria among the bigger names in the industry right now. More companies could exist by 2024, making it even more difficult for Aurora to dominate the market. And that's what it would have to do in order to justify being worth about 40% of the market four years from now.

Image Source: Getty Images.

That's why the possibility that Aurora will continue falling in value is a very real one. Although the stock lost more than half of its value in 2019, that doesn't mean that it's become a good buy or that it's only a matter of time before things turn around. That kind of thinking could lead to investors incurring even greater losses as the stock continues to sink in value.

Why further decline could be around the corner

Investors should not forget Aurora missed its own sales estimates in Q4 2019. A big earnings miss can always send a stock down even lower, and there's little reason to believe that Aurora will turn things around anytime soon. The company burned through 218 million Canadian dollars from its operations over the past 12 months, so it could have a pressing need to issue more shares to keep the lights on. As of Sept. 30, Aurora had just CA$153 million in cash and cash equivalents.

If Aurora issues more shares, its stock price will plummet even further. The danger is that the more it stock falls, the more shares will need to be issued to raise the same level of cash it would have needed prior to the decline. That can put the stock into a dangerous spiral.

What should investors do?

Investors should consider selling their shares to salvage what they have today. It's not an easy decision since it locks in your losses, but if conditions improve and Aurora starts producing better, more consistent results, you can always buy back in at a later point. There's no guarantee that the stock will turn around from where it is today, and that's why it's important to consider the risks of holding on to shares of Aurora.

While the temptation might be to buy more shares of the company to average down your costs, it's a dangerous move that could leave you even more exposed to a crashing stock price. In a situation like this, investors are better off taking the advice of billionaire investor Warren Buffett: "The most important thing to do if you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging."

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IoT Market by Connectivity, Hardware, Software, and Applications in Industry Verticals 2019-2024 - GlobeNewswire

Dublin, Dec. 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "IoT Market by Connectivity, Hardware (Devices, Electronics, Things, Components, and Infrastructure), Software, and Applications in Industry Verticals 2019-2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is anticipated to have a $7.5 trillion global economic impact in 2020, growing rapidly to approximately $13 trillion by 2025. The economic impact of the IoT market will be in the form of increased global corporate profits, which are estimated to be in the range of a 20% incremental improvement by 2025. These impacts may be viewed as five categories, which are: utilization, employee productivity, supply chain and logistics, customer/citizen experience, and innovation revenue.

Collectively speaking, the aforementioned areas represent the perceived value of the IoT in terms of generated goods and services, the value of work opportunity in IoT domain, and value of cost reduction from manufacturing processes, other industrial areas, as well as enterprise automation. The cumulative direct and indirect IoT economic impact will be equivalent to 5% of the entire global economy by 2025. Much of this impact will be due to solving problems in a much more efficient manner, such as improved asset tracking, control, and overall management. Significant longer-term benefits will rise from completely new products and services as well as new lifecycle support models.

This report evaluates the technologies, players, and solutions involved in realizing IoT applications and services. It includes forecasts for all major areas from 2019 through 2024. The report includes analysis by network connectivity, infrastructure (platforms, hardware, software, and related services), devices, and the things that IoT is intended to support. This includes embedded IoT with analysis of IoT within the semiconductor arena such as chipsets.

Target Audience:

• Cloud companies
• IoT infrastructure providers
• Managed services providers
• Systems integration companies
• IoT apps and services companies

Companies Mentioned

• Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
• Amazon Inc.
• Analog Devices Inc.
• ARM Limited
• Atmel Corporation
• Ayla Networks Inc.
• Cisco Systems
• Cumulocity GmBH
• Cypress Semiconductor Corp
• Echelon Corporation
• Enea AB
• Express Logic Inc.
• Fujitsu Ltd.
• Gemalto N.V.
• General Electric
• General Vision Inc.
• Google Inc.
• Helium Systems Inc.
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise
• Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.
• IBM Corporation
• Intel Corporation
• Juniper Networks, Inc.
• Kaspersky Lab
• Losant IoT Inc.
• MediaTek Inc.
• Microchip Technology Inc.
• Micron Technology
• Microsoft Corporation
• Nokia Corporation
• NVIDIA Corporation
• NXP Semiconductors N.V.
• Oracle Corporation
• Pepper
• PTC Corporation
• Qualcomm Incorporated
• Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Robert Bosch GmbH
• Rohm Semiconductor
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.
• SAP
• SAS Institute Inc.
• Semtech Corporation
• SparkCognition Inc.
• STMicroelectronics
• Symantec Corporation
• Texas Instruments Inc.
• Thethings.io
• Wind River Systems Inc.
• XILINX Inc.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/htkp6b

About ResearchAndMarkets.com
ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com
Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager
press@researchandmarkets.com
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Top Five PC Hardware Launches To Watch Out For In 2020 - Forbes

Bruce Arians says Buccaneers can win with QB other than Jameis Winston - ESPN

4:55 PM ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- One day after Jameis Winston became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said little to inspire confidence that Winston will be back next year.

When asked Monday if he believes the Bucs could win with another quarterback, Arians responded, "Another quarterback? Oh, yeah. [If] we can win with this one, we can definitely win with another one too. We're going to have this defense."

Arians came out of retirement, in large part, for the opportunity to coach Winston. They have known each other since Winston attended Arians' camps in Birmingham, Alabama, years ago.

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And while Winston did become just the eighth quarterback in NFL history to pass for 5,000 yards in a season, he struggled with turnovers, which put significant strain on the Bucs' young defense. Opponents scored 112 points off Winston's turnovers this year -- the most in the NFL.

Arians said the Bucs weren't in position to bench Winston because of injuries and that he was given more slack despite his mistakes. Arians also indicated that should Winston return, he would be given less leeway.

"A big part of it was [backup] Blaine [Gabbert] getting hurt, and we had to find out [if] this was the franchise [quarterback]. We had to find out," Arians said.

Winston, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2015, has completed his rookie contract. No immediate decision will be made on Winston's future, but Arians will meet with general manager Jason Licht and Bucs ownership in the coming weeks. Arians wants to spend time reviewing all 16 games. One of the things he'll do is determine who's at fault for every interception.

"It will be a while," Arians said. "I would think in a few weeks we will have a decision on which way we want to head. Will we let it out? Probably not. Because you lose your leverage on that one too. So it's 'stay tuned.'"

Arians said a big part of the decision will hinge on who's available in free agency and in the draft. He said it would not be an issue if he had to bring in another quarterback to learn his system. The Bucs are slated to select 14th overall in the NFL draft. They're also projected to have nearly $89 million in salary-cap space -- third most in the NFL.

The big priority will be keeping the Bucs' defensive front seven together. The Bucs' sack numbers jumped from 38 in 2018 to 47 in 2019. The team would like to keep both Shaq Barrett -- who registered a league-high 19.5 sacks this year -- and Jason Pierre-Paul.

"Free agency -- who's available? What's behind Door No. 2? I think that's the first question," Arians said. "And as you evaluate for the draft, that's another question. Are they better than what you have? And then you evaluate and that's when you make your decisions."

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Company Says Secure Doors Can Turn Classrooms into Safe Rooms - NBC Southern California

As districts, educators and law enforcement grapple with ways to protect school communities from the peril of active shooter situations, one company is proposing security doors to transform classrooms into safe rooms.

"The idea of a safe room can be implemented everywhere," said Omer Barnes, founder and CEO of REMO Security Doors. The doors are resistant to gunfire, forced opening and explosive blast, Barnes said testing has shown. "The idea is kids can be safe. There is a safe place to be -- a safe place to hide."

The New Jersey based company has installed its doors in a public school in Harrington Park, as well as a number of private schools and religious facilities in the metropolitan New York area, Barnes said. In some cases, where the door is not the only possible point of entry, other precautions have to be taken to create safe room protection.

The doors cost approximately $2,500 apiece, which Barnes said is in the same range as many traditional classroom doors without special reinforcement.

Staff and administration at the Harrington Park school agreed with Barnes that having a safe retreat can provide reassurance to students, especially during lockdown safety drills in class.

"How to make it the safest it can be, but still a loving, nurturing environment. It's a no-brainer for us," Adam Fried, Harrington Park Superintendent, told WNBC at the time the Remo doors were installed in 2018.

The doors are manufactured in Israel, where Barnes grew up and became accustomed to safe rooms as a standard precaution. Even the manufacturing floor has access to safe rooms, Barnes noted.

In California, doors in some classrooms built prior to 2012 do not even have inside locks. Legislation that went into effect in 2019 requires inside locking to be added when state-funded improvements are made. But AB 3205 does not set any standards for the strength of the door. Those decisions are at the district's discretion.

Barnes acknowledged there are situations -- such as an attack erupting inside a safe room -- that can compromise its effectiveness, but not affect the protection afforded students and teachers harboring in other safe rooms.

REMO has reached an agreement for a demonstration installation of security doors early next year in a school in a major southern California district, according to Barnes, who said he is not yet authorized to identify the district.

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Here's why Sharon Stone can't get a date - New York Post

Sharon Stone was shocked Sunday night when her online dating profile was deleted — while the world was stunned to learn the “Basic Instinct” star can’t find a date.

“I went on the @bumble dating sight [sic] and they closed my account,” Stone groused on Twitter.

Sharon Stone in 1992’s “Basic Instinct.”©TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Ever

“Some users reported that it couldn’t possibly be me!” she added.

Who can blame them? The notion that Sharon Stone, bona fide Hollywood sex symbol, can’t find love seems ridiculous.

But it’s true, the 61-year-old “Total Recall” actress says. A few years ago, she told a magazine that she “never gets asked out.”

Stone’s stone-cold dating life isn’t all that surprising to celebrity matchmakers, who say being in the spotlight makes finding a partner even harder.

“It’s not easy for celebs to just meet quality people on their own because they are surrounded by leeches and users and people who aren’t sincere,” said Amy Laurent, a New York City-based celebrity matchmaker and relationship expert. “They are tired of meeting people in their same industry.”

She added that actresses such as Stone often get stuck meeting “all D-bags” at industry parties.

“She’s not going to date Harvey Weinstein’s brother for goodness sakes,” Laurent said.

Sharon Stone at the GQ Men of the Year Award show on November 07, 2019.Getty Images for GQ Germany

It’s also difficult for celebrities to meet regular folks outside their tiny bubble world.

“If you’re on set, or in a recording studio 10 to 12 hours a day, you’re not out and about meeting people,” said Michelle Frankel, owner of NYCity Matchmaking. “With celebrities, you want someone who wants to fall in love with you, not with your job.”

At the end of the day, Frankel said, celebrities are “just looking for someone to go home with and snuggle.”

Stone — who has three adopted sons and won a Golden Globe for her role as “Ginger McKenna” in 1995’s “Casino” — is no stranger to dating outside of Hollywood. In 1998, she married the executive editor of The San Francisco Chronicle, Phil Bronstein, but they divorced in 2004.

Stone on February 28, 2019.Getty Images

During that time, she also went through a major health scare when she suffered a brain hemorrhage that affected her speech, hearing and walking and nearly took her life in 2001.

“I was alone,” she told reporter CBS’ Lee Cowan in 2018 of her mysterious hiatus from Hollywood. When asked about dating, she admitted her trouble finding someone.

“If I wanted a man in my life it would be for partnership. It wouldn’t be an arrangement,” she said. “It would be an actual relationship. Since those are pretty hard to come by.”

Bumble, a site where women have to make the first move, is now eating humble pie and hoping to lure Stone back.

“Looks like our users thought you were too good to be true,” Bumble tweeted in response to Stone Monday. “We’ve made sure that you won’t be blocked again.”

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Bruce Arians says Buccaneers can win with or without Jameis Winston as their quarterback - CBS Sports

Bruce Arians brands himself as a quarterback whisperer after having worked with Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck and Carson Palmer before coming to Tampa Bay in 2019 to help get the most out of Jameis Winston. 

While he set career highs with 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns this season, Winston also threw a league high 30 interceptions as Tampa Bay finished the 2019 season with a 7-9 record. His final interception of the season was a pick-six in the Buccaneers' overtime loss to the Falcons this past Sunday. Following Sunday's loss, Arians offered several candid comments with regard to Winston, who is slated to become a free agent this offseason. 

"It doesn't help, that's for sure," Arians said when asked if Winston's final pick-six hurts his chances at returning next season. "There was a lot of good things, there was a great two-minute drive before the half. There was a lot of things to evaluate, and we'll take our time in evaluating it."

On Monday, Arians again fielded questions about Winston and his future with the team. And while Arians and the organization have not made a final decision on Winston, Arians made it clear that he believes the Buccaneers can win with or without Winston. 

"(Win) with another quarterback? Oh yeah," Arians said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. "If we can win with this one, we can definitely win with another one, too." 

On Sunday, Arians was asked if it's hard to evaluate a season that saw Winston lead the NFL in passing yards but also in interceptions? 

"There's so much good, and there's so much outright terrible," Arians responded. "We gotta weigh that, and see what happens." 

Does he think Winston did enough to bring him back for the 2020 season? Arians, who said Monday that he believes the team will make a decision on Winston "within a few weeks," said he wouldn't know the answer until he evaluates Winton's entire body of work during the 2019 season. 

"We'll just go back and look at the entire season, like we do with everybody, how many (interceptions) were him, how many were somebody else," Arians said. "But there's a lot more that goes into it than just interceptions. But it will be a full evaluation, like we do every year." 

Arians didn't need to look at the film when assessing Winton's final interception of season. Arians was asked if the pick was the result of a bad decision by his quarterback. 

"It sure looked like it. He was covered. It was his favorite guy, but he was covered." 

Arians said that what quarterbacks will be available in the draft and in free agency will help determine whether or not the team brings back Winston in 2020. Arians also said he isn't sure if Winston is "fixable" while adding that that will be one of the things he hopes to find out during his evaluation of the soon-to-be 26-year-old quarterback. 

Winston, following Sunday's season-finale, was asked if it's hard to enjoy the success he enjoyed in 2019 given his high turnover rate that contributed to Tampa Bay's losing record. 

"It just gives you ambition and desire to get better," said Winston, whose previous high for interceptions in a season was 18 in the 2016 season. "I know the areas that I have to fix, and I know the areas that I'm highly successful at, but you gotta fix them and you got to find a way to eliminated them." 

Winston was asked if he has a feeling -- one way or the other -- about his future with the Buccaneers. 

"I don't know," he said. "I know I'm confident in my abilities. I know I'm going to fix my mistakes, I know that for a fact. But it's in God's hand and it's in their hands."

Does he want to continue his career in Tampa Bay?

"Absolutely," Winston replied, "but it's not my decision." 

Regardless of who is his quarterback next season, Arians is hellbent on his team not beating themselves during his second season in Tampa Bay. 

"You're going home when you lead the league in giveaways," Arians said. "You're never gonna play in the playoffs, unless you're playing for the Steelers in the mid-70s. 

"We will not beat ourselves next year." 

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NIO’s new SUV can’t save the company from its current problems - The Verge

NIO, China’s leading EV startup, announced its third production vehicle this past weekend, a small and sporty all-electric SUV called the EC6. The Tencent-backed automaker also announced it has developed a new battery pack that will enable all three of its production models to travel well over 300 miles on a full charge.

But neither of these new products will arrive until late 2020, meaning they offer almost no direct help to NIO when it comes to fixing the troublesome financial situation the startup is currently in. NIO announced Monday that it finished the third quarter of 2019 with just $274 million in cash, and also told its shareholders the company will only survive if it rapidly raises new funding.

“The Company’s cash balance is not adequate to provide the required working capital and liquidity for continuous operation in the next 12 months,” NIO wrote deep in its third-quarter press release Monday. “The Company’s continuous operation ... depends on the Company’s capability to obtain sufficient external equity or debt financing.” NIO said it is “working on several financing projects” at the moment, but did not offer any information about what stages those projects are in, or how much money they might bring the company.

One thing keeping NIO alive at the moment is the company’s second production model, the ES6. This five-seater SUV is more affordable than its larger sibling, the seven-seater ES8 SUV, which was NIO’s first production model. NIO started selling the ES6 in June and the pace of deliveries has steadily increased in the months since. The startup said Monday that it shipped 4,196 ES6s in the third quarter of 2019.

NIO has only sold more ES8s than that in the final quarter of 2018, which was the company’s best quarter to date. Since then, ES8 sales have plummeted thanks to a combination of factors, like the Chinese government’s decision to reduce some subsidies on expensive electric vehicles, an overall slowdown in the country’s economy (and especially its automotive sector), and a battery fire recall that impacted nearly 5,000 ES8s.

The ES8’s struggles dragged down NIO’s business in 2019. The startup indefinitely delayed plans for an electric sedan, and abandoned a plan to build a factory near Shanghai in favor of continuing to have a contract manufacturer produce its cars. NIO even sold its team in Formula E, the all-electric racing series.

As a result, NIO also spent all year undergoing a major cost-cutting effort, which has resulted in more than 2,000 layoffs worldwide. The bulk of those cuts were made to the company’s workforce in China, but NIO’s North American headquarters was hit hard this year, too. NIO performed three rounds of layoffs at its Silicon Valley outpost in 2019, during which it ultimately cut around 300 of its 600-plus employees and closed an office in San Francisco.

NIO started the year with nearly 10,000 employees around the globe, but said Monday it will end 2019 with a headcount of under 7,500. Through these cuts and other cost-saving measures, the company was ultimately able to reduce its operating expenses from $396 million in the second quarter to $306 million in the third quarter.

Still, the combination of the ES6’s early success and the cost-cutting efforts weren’t enough to stop NIO from losing $353 million this past quarter. That’s despite receiving a $200 million lifeline from founder and CEO William Li and early investor Tencent in September, too. In total, NIO has now lost $6 billion since its founding in 2014. Whatever financing projects it’s working on now will likely need to be very big in order to help staunch the bleeding.

NIO believes it can keep treading water as long as ES6 sales keep increasing. The company said Monday it expects to deliver nearly 7,000 ES6s in the fourth quarter of 2019.

“I understand there are many concerns about NIO’s operations, but you can see NIO is developing in a very healthy way, and this is mainly because of our products’ competitiveness, and the word of mouth from our users, and the strong execution from our teams,” Li said on a conference call Monday.

Despite the uncertainty, NIO unveiled big plans for 2020 over the weekend at its third annual “NIO Day” event in Shenzen. The headliner is the company’s third production vehicle, the EC6, which is sportier and more compact than either of the two models NIO currently sells. It features a panoramic glass roof, and will come in two different dual-motor performance configurations, and could be considered a somewhat direct competitor to Tesla’s forthcoming Model Y.

The EC6 will also use a newly-developed 100kWh battery that NIO announced this weekend, which the startup says should provide up to 615 kilometers of range, or about 382 miles (though that’s based on the outdated New European Driving Cycle testing method, meaning it will likely have less range in real-world use). NIO will release more details about the EC6, including pricing, in July 2020.

That new battery pack is not just for the EC6, though. NIO designs all of its vehicles with the ability to easily swap battery packs at designated stations, so owners will presumably be able to pay fpr upgrades to the bigger pack once it’s widely available in late 2020.

NIO also announced this past weekend that it plans to release a revamped version of the ES8 in April 2020. The updated ES8 will be more powerful and will use the new 100kWh battery pack, and it will also be outfitted with new displays and other technology throughout the cockpit.

This whole pitch — the new products, the ES6’s momentum, and the results of NIO’s cost-cutting measures — certainly seemed to convince Wall Street on Monday. NIO’s stock price jumped as much as 80 percent, reaching its highest level in seven months and adding more than $1 billion to the startup’s market capitalization.

But by NIO’s own admission, the key to its survival is raising more money — soon — as it continues to scale up deliveries. Unless that happens, the new products NIO revealed over the weekend may never get the chance to see the light of day.

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End a Call with the iPhone's Power Button and Other Hardware Button Tricks - The Mac Observer

The hardware keys on your iPhone may seem like one of the more uninteresting parts of your device. However, they can perform a variety of extra functions.

End a Call With The iPhone Power Button

Obviously, a call can be ended with the red hang-up button on-screen. However, you can click the hardware power button on the side of your iPhone and that hangs up the call too.

Silence or Reject Calls With a Hardware Button

We all have those moments when you just do not want to take a call and you need to silence your phone ASAP. A quick way to do this is by pressing any hardware button on your iPhone, i.e. the power or volume keys. Furthermore, pressing the power button twice quickly when you have an incoming call rejects it. The caller is sent to voicemail or whatever other rejected all settings you have setup.

User the Volume Keys as a Camera Shutter

For most of us, our iPhones’ are our cameras. Instead of using the software button to take a picture, you can press the volume keys. Not only can this sometimes be more convenient, but it also makes it feel like you’re using an old-school camera, not a smartphone!

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Bruce Arians: Buccaneers 'can definitely win' with QB other than Jameis Winston - USA TODAY

Lorenzo Reyes USA TODAY

Published 2:30 PM EST Dec 30, 2019

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a decision to make on their future at quarterback.

Just one day after Jameis Winston completed an inconsistent season in which he led the league with 5,109 yards but became the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 30 touchdowns (33) and at least 30 interceptions (30), coach Bruce Arians addressed the team’s evaluation of the passer, who has now completed the final year of his contract.

One question came up during Arians’ season-concluding news conference: can the Buccaneers win with a different quarterback other than Winston?

Arians, known for making witty remarks, had a pointed response.

“With another quarterback?” Arians said Monday, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “Oh yeah. If we can win with this one, we can definitely win with another one, too.”

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The co comes just one day after Arians said "there's so much good and so much outright terrible" about Winston's play.

Winston just completed his fifth season in the NFL and has not been able to overcome turnover issues. He now has thrown 121 touchdown passes with 88 interceptions in his career, and his 111 total turnovers are the most of any player since he entered the league in 2015.

He also set an NFL record Sunday for most interceptions returned for a touchdown in a single season with seven. His pick-six in overtime against the Atlanta Falcons ended Tampa’s season in a 28-22 loss.

Winston was playing on his fifth-year option and, unless the team uses the franchise tag on him or signs him to an extension, will become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year commences in March. Winston, 25, was the team’s No. 1 overall selection in the 2015 NFL draft.

The Buccaneers will now discuss Winston’s potential future with the team and evaluate their options.

"I would think in a few weeks, we'll have a decision on which way we want to head,” Arians said of the timeline on Winston, according to the Athletic. “Will we let it out? Probably not. You lose your leverage on that one, too. Stay tuned.”

Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes.

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International sex symbol Sharon Stone can go back to using Bumble to find dates - The Mercury News

LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 11: Sharon Stone attends the 75th Annual Golden Globe Nominations Announcement on December 11, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

In “Basic Instinct,” Sharon Stone showed that she had the brains, beauty and panty-free panache to get an interrogation room full of men interested in getting to know her better.

But maybe being a high-profile screen goddess means that Stone moves in such exalted circles that her dating pool has become seriously limited.

In any case, the 61-year-old Golden Globe winner has begun looking for romantic prospects on Bumble, the popular female-driven dating site. She made this big reveal by going on Twitter Sunday to complain that her account had been blocked after some users reported that it must be fake.

Yes, go figure: Some people had a hard time believing that Sharon Stone of all people would need to find dates online.

“I went on the @bumble dating sight and they closed my account,” Stone wrote. “Some users reported that it couldn’t possibly be me! Hey @bumble, is being me exclusionary ? Don’t shut me out of the hive.”

Fortunately, hours after Stone called out the dating site, Bumble responded and announced it had restored her account.

“There can only be one 👑 Stone,” the company wrote on Twitter. “Looks like our users thought you were too good to be true. We’ve made sure that you won’t be blocked again. We hope that everyone in our community takes a sec to verify their profiles.”

The company then referenced her “Basic Instinct” character by saying, “(Catherine Tramell from Basic Instinct gets a pass today!)”

There can only be one 👑 Stone. Looks like our users thought you were too good to be true. We’ve made sure that you won’t be blocked again. We hope that everyone in our community takes a sec to verify their profiles. (Catherine Tramell from Basic Instinct gets a pass today!)

— Bumble (@bumble) December 30, 2019

Bumble Editorial Director Clare O’Connor added, “You can get back to Bumbling! Thanks for bearing with us and hope you find your honey.”

AHA! @sharonstone, we at @bumble found your account, unblocked you, and ensured this won't happen again. You can get back to Bumbling! Thanks for bearing with us and hope you find your honey.🐝

— Clare O'Connor (@Clare_OC) December 30, 2019

The news that Stone was using Bumble to get dates left some fans bereft.

“Umm, if you’re on @bumble. There’s no hope for the rest of us!” tweeted one. “#YouveGotToBeKidding”

Another fan, though, said it’s not surprising that men would be intimidated by a smart and successful woman like Stone.

“Let’s see here. Overly successful woman who is revered beyond her personal accolades can’t find a man secure enough to date her while constantly being in her shadow,” tweeted another. “I’m shocked. #malefragility.”

But judging by some other responses on Twitter, there are a few men who are not the least been intimidated.

One would-be suitor wrote, “if youre ever in buffalo and kinda dig fat guys with mustaches my dms are open also own a car so willing to drive (up to 25 miles) even if ya just close by.”

The “Casino” star was previously married to producer Michael Greenburg from 1984 to 1987 and to former San Francisco Chronicle executive editor Phil Bronstein from 1998 to 2004. She shares a 19-year-old son with Bronstein and subsequently adopted two more sons, now teenagers, as a single parent.

Last year, Stone explained in an interview with Grazia magazine that she had high expectations for the men in her life.

“I was just not that girl who was told that a man would define me,” Stone explained. “I was told that if I wanted to have a man in my life, it wouldn’t be an arrangement, it would be an actual partnership. And those are hard to find.”

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3 Things That Can Go Wrong for Netflix Stock in 2020 - Motley Fool

It may seem as if Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) has had a rough year. Between the onslaught of new services and falling short of its subscriber guidance (twice), 2019 might look like one to forget for the streaming service's investors. Reality has been far kinder than the headlines, however. Netflix stock has soared 23% this year with a pair of trading days left to go.

Netflix has historically been volatile, so there will always be ups and downs. Let's go over some of the things that can trip up the longtime market darling in the year ahead if they should rear their ugly heads into the frame.

Sandra Bullock in the Netflix movie Bird Box. Image source: Netflix.

1. Missing guidance three quarters in a row 

Netflix stunned the market when it tacked on just 2.7 million subscribers in the second quarter, a little more than half the 5 million net additions that it was targeting. It justified the miss by pointing to a springtime price hike that helped boost average revenue per member, but it wasn't the end of the misses. The nearly 6.8 million global net additions that it served up in the third quarter were 3% shy of its earlier outlook. 

It would naturally be brutal if it fell short for the third time in a row when it posts its fourth-quarter results in a few weeks. The price-hike scapegoat has left the stable. It was shocking to see a company that has never missed more than one quarterly forecast in any given year prove mortal twice. But thrice, and it's time to reconsider CEO Reed Hastings' optimism. If Netflix can't read its own near-term churning trends more efficiently, it will be hard to trust what used to be lowball forecasts. 

2. Rivals can leave a mark

There has always been a lot of great content to stream online, but the marketplace is getting pretty crowded. Netflix is used to losing Emmy nods to original programming on Hulu and Prime, but Disney's (NYSE:DIS) bold foray into this niche last month has made it a force to watch. 

Disney+ topped 10 million subscribers by the end of its launch day, and that was before The Mandalorian became the service's first exclusive-content blockbuster. If Netflix was falling short of its subscriber guidance before Disney+, how will it hold up with Disney's massive content vault now available for roughly half of Netflix's cover charge?

The pipeline is also loaded with potential disruptors. HBO Max and NBC's Peacock have springtime rollouts planned, and the latter may disrupt the value proposition of streaming platforms by offering a free ad-saddled version. Netflix has more than a dozen years of streaming data in its arsenal, but there are a lot of hungry rookies out there vying for your limited viewing time. 

3. A price cut can dent valuations 

A big key to Netflix's monster stock gains in recent years is its surprising pricing elasticity. It has been able to push through four price hikes since early 2014, bumping up the cost of its most popular streaming plan by 63% along the way. There aren't too many entertainment platforms with that kind of pricing power, and people generally aren't mad about it the way that they typically are with much smaller hikes by cable and satellite TV providers. 

Things may be different now for Netflix. A price of $12.99 a month for its common streaming offering may not seem like much, but Disney+ at $6.99 is tugging the value proposition of a premium platform lower. Disney's own bundle that matches Netflix's price point by offering Disney+, ESPN+, and its ad-supported Hulu is another product that will keep Netflix in check. Pricing pressures will only get worse, naturally, if the economy takes a recessionary turn. 

Netflix was already stretching the limits of its pricing elasticity before the mid-November launch of Disney+. We know this is a problem because of how badly Netflix misjudged churning activity following its last increase.

However, Disney offering discounted annual plans has to leave Netflix at least thinking about either following suit or finding ways to bang out a more competitive plan. Wall Street loved the price hikes, and it's fair to say that the Street will not like it if and when things go the other way. 

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My top PC hardware and accessory picks of 2019 - Windows Central

Source: Windows Central

2019 is in the books, and all told it has been a strong year for PC fans. We've seen such a remarkable amount of incredible hardware and accessories launched, be that high-end Ultrabooks, gaming laptops, mice, keyboards, headsets, even software.

The Windows Central team has already collaborated on an outright best of the year round-up, and all of those are worthy picks. But amid the mound of stuff that's come across our desks this year, my own favorite products from 2019 look a little different. All of the picks below are things that I, personally, have enjoyed using the most this year.

AMD Ryzen 5 3400G

Source: Windows Central

AMD has been on fire for the last couple of years, and 2019 will go down in the books as one where the red team did bring the fight to Intel. But, amid the launch of Zen 2 chips and 7nm GPUs came the Ryzen 5 3400G APU. On paper, it shouldn't have impressed me as much as it did. After all, it's a mild update on the 2018 model and is still based on the older architecture.

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But here's the thing. For $150, you're getting combined CPU and graphics that are capable of actual gaming, like, console-class gaming in a lot of cases. The 11 Vega GPU cores are incredibly powerful, and they're also unlocked, so it's easy to get even more performance from them.

For budget PC builders, gaming or otherwise, there's such a strong argument to go for an AMD APU. The CPU part has four cores with hyperthreading as well, making this single-chip exceptional value for all kinds of PC builds.

Budget beast

AMD Ryzen 5 3400G

Awesome performance, affordable price

The combination of the Zen+ CPU and Vega GPU makes the Ryzen 5 3400G a brilliant buy for entry-level gaming builds, no graphics card required, and you'll still have a good time.

Razer Viper

Source: Windows Central

I've never been shy about my love for the Razer DeathAdder Elite, a mouse I've been using for several years and always said I could never see myself replacing. All that changed when the Viper came along, which is quite simply the best mouse I've ever used.

Designed alongside some top pro-gamers (something I definitely am not), the Viper is almost unnaturally light without following the awful trend of cutting holes in the body to get the weight down. The new sensor is absurdly accurate, and the optical switches respond instantly.

The Viper isn't quite as ergonomic as the DeathAdder, but it's still very comfortable to use, especially given the ambidextrous design. The drag-free cable makes it feel wireless (though there is also now a wireless version), and the price for all this awesomeness is actually very reasonable.

Outstanding

Razer Viper

The new king for competitive gamers

The Viper is magnificent, almost impossible to fault, and packed with thoughtful design elements and amazing performance that makes it impossible not to recommend to any PC gamer.

AMD Radeon RX 5700

Source: Windows Central

It's easy as both a gamer and as someone who covers gaming hardware for a living to get bogged down in the highest of the high-end gear. This year I switched back to using Radeon graphics in my rig and ultimately settled with the new RX 5700.

Based on AMD's new 7nm Navi architecture, the RX 5700 is 100% a mid-tier graphics card. It's not supposed to give the RTX 2080 Ti a run for its money. Instead, it's here to provide a first-class 1440p gaming experience.

And it delivers handsomely. The RX 5700 XT is a little better, but the RX 5700 is plenty for my needs and more besides. It can match or outperform the previous generation Vega 64 while running cooler, quieter, and drawing less power, and all for around $350.

Incredible value

AMD Radeon RX 5700

The new champ in the mid-range

With Vega 64-esque performance at 1440p and without the heat and power draw, the RX 5700 is an extremely attractive GPU.

Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0

Source: Windows Central

Upgrading my gaming PC to a Ryzen 3000-based system with an X570 motherboard meant I could also take advantage of PCIe 4.0, and one of the new breed of superfast SSDs.

I've actually been very impressed with Sabrent's other SSDs this year as well, with the PCIe 3.0 version of the Rocket delivering exceptional value, but it's the new NVMe 4.0 model that's now at the heart of my PC.

The speed this SSD is capable of is utterly insane, and despite being the most affordable PCIe 4.0 SSD around, it's still based on high-quality Toshiba NAND. It also comes with a great warranty and is a nice little bonus to having an AMD system!

Budget performance

Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0

Excellent performance at a low price

The future is here, now, and even though this is the most affordable PCIe 4.0 SSD, it delivers performance in spades.

Huawei MateBook D

Source: Windows Central

Having grown tired of toting around a heavy, old gaming laptop, I decided to grab a new, thinner, much lighter machine and ultimately settled on the Huawei MateBook D.

It comes in two versions, one with AMD and one with Intel, and ultimately the AMD version won out for a couple of key reasons. The first is the size, the MateBook D with Ryzen is 14-inches, and the second was the price. When I snagged one during the summer, the discount made this version much better value.

Whichever you get though, the MateBook D is a superb budget laptop. It's all-metal, charges over USB-C has a nice looking screen and decent battery life. It looks like a much more expensive laptop and is a solid example of how good the Windows laptop ecosystem is as we close out 2019.

Best mates

Huawei MateBook D

Huawei's MateBook D with AMD Ryzen is affordable, pretty powerful, and looks like a far more expensive laptop. Toss in USB-C charging, and you've got a perfect on-the-go companion.

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

Source: Windows Central

I didn't need to upgrade the CPU in my PC this year, but I did anyway, and I'm happy I made that choice. The Ryzen 5 3600X is AMD's new 6-core, 12-thread CPU based on the 7nm Zen 2 architecture, and it's a staggeringly good thing.

Gaming performance surpasses that of my old Ryzen 7 2700X, and even in multi-core benchmarks, it's not as far behind as you might expect with two fewer cores.

It's got a low TDP at 65W, runs cool, and supports PCIe 4.0. And like the rest of the Ryzen lineup, it represents incredibly good value, and it's a perfect CPU to recommend to anyone building a new gaming PC.

New king

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

The best CPU around

A third-gen six-core Ryzen processor that doesn't cost much more than the older Ryzen 5 2600X, but comes rocking many benefits. This beast is unlocked, comes with a good stock cooler, and even supports PCIe 4.0.

Xbox Game Pass for PC

Source: Microsoft

It's not all about the hardware, and Microsoft had the best gift of all for PC gamers this year. I've used and loved Game Pass on console since it first arrived, but its arrival on PC was a momentous day.

More so when you combine it in Game Pass Ultimate, which is quite simply the best package in gaming right now, the PC catalog has grown and has such a big selection. There are so many games to try that you might otherwise ignore.

And with titles like Metro Exodus and Rage 2 now in the mix, only a fool would ignore it.

On demand

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Games a la carte

Game Pass expanding to PC brings Windows-based gamers into the mix, and the catalog boasts a strong variety of titles, including some big hitters from major publishers.

ASTRO Gaming Mixamp Pro TR

Source: Windows Central

I've been using ASTRO's Mixamp for some time as both a way of having better control over my console game audio, but as an external sound card for my PC. Being able to combine the two sources into one headset is ultra-convenient.

I didn't need to upgrade to the new Mixamp, but I'm glad I did. The design is better, for one, and it doesn't slide about on my desk nearly as much as the old one did. The ports are now almost entirely on the back, making for neater organization.

The sound engine has been given an upgrade too, and it comes with a Dolby voucher in the box. It's everything I always loved about the Mixamp, but a little bit better.

Quality sound

ASTRO Gaming Mixamp Pro TR

A great sound card for gamers

Great as an external sound card, as well as having control over your in-game audio, the latest Mixamp Pro TR is easily the best yet from ASTRO.

Looking ahead to 2020

The fun never stops, and 2020 will be on us before we know it, especially since CES kicks off in the first full week of the year. It's going to be exciting to see what happens in the desktop CPU space, with Intel's 10th Gen desktop chips surely on the way, and who knows what AMD has up its sleeve.

Laptops will get more powerful, GPUs will get more powerful, and there's sure to be a solid 12 months of things to get giddy about. Until then, happy new year!

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