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1 Aug 2025

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AOC’s newest monitors hit an ultra-fast 610Hz refresh rate
I’m not sure my puny human eyes could tell the difference between, say, 360Hz and 500Hz. But the sweatiest, most competitive of PC gamers say they can, and I’m not about to call them liars (especially if they’re teamed up with me in Fortnite). Said gamers might want to check out a pair of new monitor designs from AOC, which hit an incredible 610Hz speed. The Agon Pro AG246FK6 might not stand out in a crowd, what with its relatively small 24-inch 1080p panel. A TN panel, no less, which is generally restricted to the cheapest monitors. But while TN LCDs don’t have the best color accuracy or viewing angles, they can’t be beaten for speed. The panel operates at 600Hz natively, with a tiny overclock to hit 610Hz, with a 0.5 millisecond response time and motion blur reduction. Other gaming features include adaptive sync (which I guess is a thing, even at these speeds), HDMI 2.1 support, and RGB lighting on the rear. You also get a slide-out headphone holder on the left side. The Agon CS24A is almost identical with a couple of extra features… and yeah, that “CS2” in the model number is no coincidence. It’s branded with Counter-Strike 2, leaning into what is perhaps the most competitive of competitive shooters. While this version of the monitor uses the same panel, it drops the response time down to just 0.3 milliseconds and adds in official Nvidia G-Sync support. Plus, the stand is an incredibly tacky gold color, with a CS logo and a silhouette of a shooty dood. It even has a “CS2 mode” that allegedly sets it up perfectly for the game, with “sharper visuals, optimized gamma, reduced input lag, and ultra-smooth motion.” Which raises the question, if all these things are good for Counter-Strike 2, wouldn’t they be good for every game? Why not just call it “game mode?” Ah well, I’m not a marketer. KitGuru reports that the standard and CS2 versions will cost the same, 599 GBP (approximately $790 USD) when they release in August and September, respectively.

Proton launches its own free 2FA app with a native desktop version
Swiss technology company Proton—known for its privacy-centered software solutions and services—just launched Proton Authenticator, a new open-source two-factor authentication (2FA) app. Proton Authenticator is very much like the other 2FA apps you’ve probably used in the past, including Microsoft Authenticator, Google Authenticator, and third-party options like Authy. Proton’s version stands out for being open-source and offering best-in-class security and encryption, plus zero ads or tracking. Proton Authenticator is launching with apps for all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. (That desktop availability is also a unique selling point, as not even Microsoft nor Google offer desktop versions of their 2FA apps.) And if you have a free Proton Account, you can stay synced between all platforms. This is great news for privacy-conscious users who want to move away from megacorporations like Microsoft and Google, and it’s also great news for anyone who wants a desktop 2FA app. Proton offers a range of other privacy-focused solutions, including Proton Mail, Proton VPN, Proton Drive, and Proton Pass. Further reading: How to lock down your accounts with 2FA properly

Black Caps on top of Zimbabwe despite batting collapse, bowler’s injury blow
New Zealand took a 158-run lead over Zimbabwe despite losing 42-5 at one stage, while Nathan Smith was forced to retire hurt after playing a crucial innings.

Dropbox is shutting down its password manager. Export your data ASAP
Earlier this week, Dropbox announced that it will be shutting down its password manager app, Dropbox Passwords, just five years after it first launched. The service shutdown will occur in several phases. Starting August 28th, Dropbox Passwords will become read-only in both the mobile app and browser extension, and auto-fill functionality will be discontinued. In other words, you’ll still be able to view your stored passwords and details, but you won’t be able to add new entries and you won’t be able to conveniently auto-fill anymore. Starting September 11th, the Dropbox Passwords mobile app will stop working altogether. You won’t even be able to launch the app or view your stored details via the app, though you’ll still be able to view all your stored details via the browser extension. Starting October 28th, Dropbox Passwords will be completely discontinued. The browser extension will no longer work and you’ll no longer be able to access any of your details. Your saved data will be securely and permanently deleted from Dropbox’s servers. If you’re still using Dropbox Passwords, we advise exporting your data and migrating to another password management solution as soon as possible. The announcement post has instructions on how to export your Dropbox Passwords data. Not sure where to go? Check out our roundup of the best password managers we’ve reviewed. Further reading: Here’s what you should store in your password manager other than just your passwords

Adobe releases Windows on Arm beta versions for 4 more apps
If you’re running the Arm version of Windows—most notably on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ laptops—then you’ll be pleased to know that four more apps from Adobe’s arsenal have now been optimized for the platform, reports The Verge. The apps in question include Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and Media Encoder, for which you’ll now find beta versions of their Arm editions. Unfortunately, these beta versions still lack some of the features in their non-Arm counterparts, and expect some bugs as well. For example, the current beta version of Premiere Pro’s Arm edition lacks support for third-party extensions, the ProRes raw video format, and hardware-accelerated playback and exporting of H.264 and HEVC in MP4. It’s the same story for After Effects, Audition, and Media Encoder. The good news is, the big missing features will come in a later release. That said, Arm support was added to Photoshop nearly five years ago, so it makes you wonder why Arm support was delayed for so long with these apps and why it’s taking so long to catch up.