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28 Nov 2024

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MSI’s giant 49-inch OLED gaming monitor is cheaper than ever
Damn, it’s hard to stop myself from buying some of these OLED gaming monitors as we head into Black Friday. I’m trying to hold out for another year, but it’s not easy with bigger and bigger discounts coming in every day. Take this 49-inch MSI OLED ultrawide, for example: it’s just $799.99 on Amazon, a solid THOUSAND BUCKS less than some other 49-inch OLEDs. The MPG 491CQP is a dual-QHD design, probably using the same 49-inch, 5120×1440 panel as Gigabyte’s alternative. At 144Hz refresh and .03ms response, it’s a little less zippy than some similar OLED monitors, but if you’re pushing that much resolution I doubt you’ll be maxing out its framerate on any 3D game released in the last few years. Funnily enough, this monitor has exactly twice the resolution of the cheapest 27-inch OLED in our Black Friday monitor roundup, and it’s exactly twice the price. Neat! It’s also cheaper than a 45-inch LG model that has a far lower resolution. Its connections are impressive, too. On top of the usual DisplayPort and double HDMI, you get USB-C with 90 watts of charging — that’s more than enough juice even for a beefy gaming laptop. The monitor also includes tow USB-A ports and a KVM switch for quickly swapping between multiple machines or even game consoles. But the best part of the spec list might be MSI’s 3-year warranty on the OLED panel. This monitor is $300 off the retail price, and unlikely to stay that way after Black Friday. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Amazon ran out of stock — you can try buying it from Best Buy (pickup available in some stores) or direct from MSI if it does. Get a 49-inch OLED for $800 at AmazonView Deal

Firefox 133 adds privacy-boosting ‘bounce tracking’ protection
The release of Firefox 133 brings further improved privacy protection through bounce tracking protection. A number of fixed vulnerabilities improve security. Firefox ESR, Tor Browser and Thunderbird also receive updates. Mozilla’s security report 2024-63 lists 17 fixed vulnerabilities for Firefox 133. Mozilla classifies two of the vulnerabilities as high risk: CVE-2024-11691 only affects Mac computers with Apple’s M processors (“Apple Silicon”). Here, certain WebGL operations can lead to exploitable memory errors. CVE-2024-11699 concerns summarized, internally discovered vulnerabilities. These could potentially be exploited to execute arbitrary code. Several of the vulnerabilities categorized as medium risk only affect Android. What’s new in Firefox 133 The biggest new feature in Firefox 133 is privacy protection. The new anti-tracking function, called Bounce Tracking Protection, recognizes bounce trackers by their redirection behavior. Bounce trackers are designed to trick anti-tracking measures. Firefox regularly deletes associated cookies and website data. The prerequisite is that you have selected strict mode in Settings > Privacy & security > Improved protection against activity tracking. GPU-accelerated Canvas2D is now enabled by default on Windows computers, which should improve performance. Like WebGL, the Canvas API is used to draw text, images and shapes. Updates for Firefox ESR, Tor Browser and Thunderbird Mozilla has updated its long-term versions Firefox ESR 128 and ESR 115 and also eliminated vulnerabilities. Nine vulnerabilities have been fixed in Firefox ESR 128.5.0 and two in Firefox ESR 115.18.0. The updated Tor Browser 14.0.3 is based on Firefox ESR 128.5.0, but the Tor developers state that they have also ported security improvements from Firefox 133. An update for Tor Browser 13.5 to 13.5.10 is also available if you are running Windows 7 / 8.1 or macOS 10.13 / 10.14. Firefox ESR 115 and the Tor Browser 13.5 based on it will be supported at least until March 2025. The update to Thunderbird 128.5.0esr fixes nine vulnerabilities and some bugs. In contrast to Firefox, Thunderbird no longer supports older operating system versions – version 115.16.2 is the end of the line for Thunderbird 115. Thunderbird 133 (without “esr”) is currently only available for testing purposes (troubleshooting). Thunderbird for Android has now been released and is available as version 8.0 without beta status on Google Play. Mozilla plans to release Firefox 134 at the beginning of January.

Buying a monitor on Black Friday? You’ll need these 10 accessories too
So, you’ve bought, or are planning to buy, a new monitor during the Black Friday sales, now what? While most monitors are fairly simple to set up, if you want to personalize your monitor further, you’ll need a few extra addons. I’m talking about things like a surge protector, screen cleaning kit, and USB hub. Getting the right cable for your monitor (HDMI or DisplayPort 1.4) is a big consideration too. A monitor arm is a worthwhile investment as well — it’s going to let you view your monitor at exactly the angle you want so that you don’t have to strain your neck. You could buy these things later on or snap them up now, while they are top of mind, and while some or all of them are discounted for the holidays. If you decide to snap up a bargain, here’s a list of the top 10 items to go for. Essential extras for a new monitor Surge protector: You’ll want a surge protector to divert excess voltage away from your monitor to prevent damage to its hardware. This SUPERDANNY Power Protector gives you 18 power outlets as well as 4 USB ports (2x USB-A and 2x USB-C), which is great value for what you pay. It’s just $27 on Amazon. Screen cleaning kit: Generic cleaners can damage a monitor’s sensitive screen but with a specialized screen cleaning kit you can clean your monitor’s screen without any nasty aftereffects. This 4-piece cleaning kit from Altura includes everything you need to maintain a clean monitor and as a bonus it comes with a gel to clean your keyboard. It’s currently 25 percent off on Amazon. USB hub: By leaving your monitor and peripherals plugged into a USB-C hub at the home or office, you can then choose when you want to plug in your laptop to turn it into your workstation. Anker’s 555 8-in-1 USB Hub has a great mix of ports to accommodate all your devices including an HDMI, USB-C and USB-A ports, Ethernet slot, SD card reader, and microSD card reader. Pick it up for $50 on Amazon. External speakers: Even if your monitor comes with inbuilt speakers, you’re likely going to get better sound quality with external speakers. The Creative Pebble V3 is a sure bet for clear, well-defined sound. Pick it up for $35 on Amazon. HDMI cable: If your monitor requires a premium high-speed HDMI cable, or you like the idea of outputting content at 1080p / 240Hz, 1440p /144Hz or 4K /60Hz, then you need a HDMI cable. The Monoprice HDMI comes with HDMI certification which not all HDMI cables have, which is a guarantee that it will work with all devices requiring an HDMI. Get it on Amazon for $18. DisplayPort 1.4 cable: One of these is recommended over a HDMI cable if you’re going to be using a monitor with a high refresh rate (over 144Hz). A Monoprice DisplayPort 1.4 cable can confidently handle data transfer at 32Gbps and at resolutions up to 8K@60Hz UHD with 30 bits/pixel RGB color and HDR or 4K@120Hz with 30 bits/pixel RGB color and HDR. A 6ft cable is $7.50 on Amazon. Monitor arm: Whether you’re looking to maintain maximum desk space, or you want more freedom of movement in your display, a monitor arm provides that. The Huanuo Single Monitor Mount is a great introduction to the concept, being both easy to install and eminently affordable. Get it on Amazon for $38. Webcam: If your monitor doesn’t have a built-in webcam, you’ll need an external webcam for video conferencing, live streaming, online meetings, or for recording videos. If you want a great quality 4K picture but your budget isn’t great, the EMMET C960 4K webcam which works with Zoom, Teams, Skype, and Google Meet is a great buy at $60. It’s available at Amazon. Privacy filter: A filter that covers your monitor screen can make it harder for people to see your sensitive data or personal information and therefore help protect your privacy. Sightpro privacy screens are highly rated and come in a range of different sizes to fit your monitor’s dimensions. Browse the range on Amazon. Cable management clips: Management clips keep your cables confined so that they don’t get tangled, don’t take up excess space or get in the way and cause a tripping hazard. These clips we found online are self-adhesive and come in three sizes: small, medium and large to accommodate your cables. A 60-piece pack costs just $7.50 on Amazon (with 25 percent off). If you’re shopping for more tech bargains this Black Friday, be sure to check out our other helpful guides to accessorizing your laptop, desktop computer, smartphone, and tablet. Happy shopping!