Technology

Nikon’s new $2,500 Z6 III has the world’s first partially stacked CMOS sensor

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2024

Nikon’s new ,500 Z6 III has the world’s first partially stacked CMOS sensor

At the beginning of a recent photo walk with a Nikon representative, I was told it was only a matter of time before I became a “birder”. Because eventually every photographer runs out of things to take photos of and is left with only one subject to master: birds. Which, because of advancements in sensor technology, have become a much easier target.

The Nikon Z6 III has an articulating back screen that is typical of hybrid photo / video cameras.

It was on this same photo walk that I got a few hours with the new $2,500 Nikon Z6 III. And the big news in this camera is its 24.5-megapixel partially stacked CMOS sensor. This is the first camera, ever, to employ this technology. Instead of the circuit parts and pixel area both stretching the full corner-to-corner dimensions of the image sensor and sitting on top of each other, as in the more expensive Nikon Z9 or Nikon Z8, or not being stacked at all, as in the previous Nikon Z6 II, the Z6 III’s circuit parts are stacked as bars on the top and bottom of the pixel area.

It results in higher continuous shooting rates, faster autofocus, higher video frame rates, and less rolling shutter effect than the previous Z6 II, with its BSI CMOS sensor in e-shutter mode. But it also means that the Z6 III is not as speedy as the more premium Z8 or Z9 with their fully stacked sensors. In simple terms, partially stacking the sensor allows Nikon to keep this camera’s price below that of the Z8 and Z9 while also much improving the performance of it over the previous generation.

The other important updates are the Z6 III’s incredibly bright electronic view finder that can reach a peak brightness of 4,000 nits and the cameras ability to film 6K RAW video at up to 60fps and 4K RAW up to 120fps. Nikon is also promising Z8 level build quality, which means the camera is dust and moisture sealed and rated for operation down to 14°F/−10°C. Simply put, Nikon builds very resilient cameras that don’t skimp on specs. And also cameras that can turn any photographer into a birder.

The handgrip on the Nikon Z6 III is deep enough for long-term comfort.

I chose the Staten Island Ferry for my photo walk with the Z6 III because of its endless opportunities for people watching and incredible views of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Match that with the boat’s iconic orange color and you are guaranteed at least a few great shots. What I had never paid much attention to before were all of the birds using the boat’s slipstream to move across the harbor.

While the Z6 III does not have a dedicated bird focus mode, Nikon claims that its autofocus is 20% faster than the Z6 II and has an extended range down to -10EV, meaning it is more sensitive even in lowlight conditions. And while on the back of the ferry, it had absolutely no trouble locking onto birds. Within minutes of taking off from Lower Manhattan I was whipping the Z6 III from left to right attempting to capture seagulls. Eventually I smartened up and framed One World Trade Center and waited for a bird to cross my frame. And as soon as a bird would enter the camera locked right the moving object that was a seagull. Within minutes I had shot well over 100 photos.

Photos taken with the Nikon Z6 III + Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR Lens

There of course then came the moment I thought “what the hell am I going to do with all these photos of birds”. Which is why I would like to thank you all for clicking through the above slideshow and giving my new found passion for bird photography a reason to exist.

Much like the Z8 and Z9, Nikon increasingly makes cameras that are so responsive and intuitive that you no longer have to spend as much time thinking about problems such as focus, hand shake, or shutter speed. You can quickly point the camera in any direction and it will capture something in focus.

That being said, there is only so much I could test in my few hours with this camera. I didn’t have a low light environment to test the ISO ranges or low light autofocus, I didn’t have multiple subjects to test skin tone representation on, and I didn’t have ND filters in order to get a proper video exposure for testing 6K RAW. So while I had a lot of fun, and am now a certified “birder” there is certainly a lot more testing that needs to be done on this new partially stacked sensor technology. But in my short time with it, I can confidently say that in no way did it feel like a step back. The Z6 III will be available starting today for $2,500.

Technology

Intel and LG Display may have beaten Apple and Qualcomm with the best laptop battery life ever

Published

1 hour ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Intel and LG Display may have beaten Apple and Qualcomm with the best laptop battery life ever

Just how little power might it consume? Notebookcheck has tested a version of the laptop with that LG Display screen and a new Intel Panther Lake chip — and it appears to be the most efficient laptop that’s ever gone through its Wi-Fi web browsing test. At idle, the Core Ultra 325 laptop drew as little as 1.5 watts, and lasted nearly 27 hours of web browsing despite only housing a 70 watt-hour pack. That’s well shy of the 99.5Wh Dell has sometimes crammed into its 16-inch models.

That’s more battery life than Notebookcheck has gotten out of any MacBook or MacBook Pro, and apparently more than all but two other laptops since it started running this test in 2014. And of those two laptops, one relied on a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chip, a larger 84Wh battery, and a mere 60Hz screen — while the other had two batteries for a total of 149Wh and a 60Hz screen as well.

I should caution you that we typically see much less battery life in an actual workday than we do in fixed battery life tests. But compared to other laptops, this Dell + Intel + LG Display combo seems like the new battery life champ. Note that Dell also sells it with a higher-res tandem OLED screen, though. To get the best battery life, you’ll need to settle for 1920 x 1200, no OLED, and no touchscreen.

While Dell may deserve a lot of credit as the system integrator, this tech may not be exclusive to Dell for long. LG Display announced that it’s become the first in the world to mass-produce a 1–120Hz laptop LCD panel (which it’s branding as Oxide 1Hz), and plans to mass-produce an OLED version in 2027. Intel, too, isn’t just working with one display vendor: last October, it announced it was working with Chinese panel maker BOE on 1Hz refresh rate computers too.

Technology

Spring clean your digital footprint: Why retirees are scam targets

Published

2 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Spring clean your digital footprint: Why retirees are scam targets

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Every spring, many of us follow the same routine. We replace the batteries in our smoke detectors, clean out the garage and organize paperwork while reviewing finances. These habits exist for a reason. Regular maintenance helps prevent small risks from turning into bigger problems.

However, there is one area most people rarely check: their digital exposure. Just like a home, your online presence collects clutter over time. If you do not clean it up regularly, it becomes much easier for strangers to find and use your personal information.

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DO YOU KNOW THE TRUE COST OF IDENTITY THEFT?

Your personal information can quietly spread across dozens of people-search and data broker websites without you realizing it. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Where your personal information appears online

Think about how many places your personal information exists today:

Public property records
Utility and service databases
Marketing lists
People-search websites
Data broker profiles.

Each time you move, sign up for a service or update a subscription, that information may get copied and resold across multiple databases.

Over time, dozens, sometimes hundreds, of websites may end up listing details such as:

Your home address
Phone numbers
Past addresses
Names of relatives
Property ownership records.

For retirees and homeowners, these details can make you particularly visible online. And unfortunately, scammers know exactly where to look.

Why does tax season increase personal data exposure

Spring is a major data collection season. During tax season, financial institutions, service providers and government agencies process enormous amounts of information.

That includes:

Address confirmations
Income reporting
Property and mortgage updates
Retirement account activity.

Much of this data eventually becomes part of public records or commercial databases. Data brokers actively monitor these updates. When new information appears, they refresh and rebuild personal profiles. That means your digital footprint can quietly grow — even if you haven’t shared anything new online.

How data brokers update your personal profile

The first quarter of the year is one of the busiest periods for data brokers. Why? Because many major databases update around the same time:

Property records are updated after year-end filings
Utility and service provider records refresh
Marketing databases ingest new consumer lists
Public records from courts and local governments get indexed
Data brokers purchase or scrape this information and add it to existing profiles. In other words, your profile isn’t static. It’s constantly evolving.

THE EMAIL TRICK THAT REVEALS YOUR HIDDEN ONLINE ACCOUNTS

Each move, subscription or public record update can add new details to your growing digital footprint. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Why data broker opt-outs often don’t last

Many people start the year with good intentions. They search their name online, find a few people-search websites and submit opt-out requests. That is a great first step. However, many people later discover a frustrating reality. Manual opt-outs often do not last.

There are three main reasons.

Data brokers continuously collect new records: Even if a broker removes your information today, new public records may appear next month when their system refreshes, and your profile can be rebuilt automatically.

Multiple brokers share and resell data: If one company deletes your listing, another broker may still have it—and may resell it back into the ecosystem. Your information spreads like copies of a document.

Some opt-outs expire: Certain websites only remove data temporarily. Months later, listings quietly reappear. Unless you check regularly, you may never notice.

Why retirees are especially visible online

Retirees often have several characteristics that make their information easier to locate:

Long address histories
Property ownership records
Public professional biographies
Retirement community listings
Estate and probate filings.

None of this is inherently unsafe. But when it’s aggregated across dozens of data broker platforms, it becomes a detailed personal profile.

Scammers use these profiles to identify potential targets for:

Investment scams
Fake government calls
Medicare or benefits fraud
Home repair schemes
Identity theft attempts.

The more complete the profile, the easier it is to craft a convincing story.

Why protecting your online privacy requires ongoing cleanup

Just like home safety, privacy protection works best as an ongoing habit.

Think of it this way: You wouldn’t replace smoke detector batteries once and assume they’ll work forever. The same logic applies to your online data.

Information gets copied, refreshed, and redistributed constantly. That means protecting your digital footprint requires regular monitoring and cleanup.

How to reduce your online exposure

A few simple habits can help reduce your risk:

Periodically search for your name online
Limit sharing of personal details on social media
Be cautious with unsolicited calls or investment offers
Remove your information from people-search sites when possible.

Regularly cleaning up exposed data helps reduce the personal information scammers can use against you. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How data removal services help clean up your online data

The challenge is that there are hundreds of data brokers, and each has its own removal process. Doing it manually can take hours, and the process often has to be repeated. That is why many people turn to automated data removal services.

These services help by submitting opt-out and deletion requests to hundreds of data brokers and people-search websites on your behalf. Instead of contacting each company individually, the service handles the process and continues monitoring databases for new listings that may appear over time.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Spring-cleaning usually focuses on physical spaces. We organize garages, review paperwork and replace smoke detector batteries. But your digital footprint deserves the same attention. Personal information spreads quietly across public records, marketing databases and data broker websites. Over time, these pieces of information can form detailed profiles that strangers can easily find online. For retirees and homeowners, those records often go back decades. Property filings, address histories and public records can make it easier for scammers to identify potential targets. The good news is that protecting your digital footprint does not require advanced technical skills. Simple habits like checking what appears about you online, limiting what you share publicly and regularly removing your information from data broker sites can significantly reduce your exposure. Just like maintaining your home, digital privacy works best as an ongoing habit. A little attention today can prevent much bigger problems tomorrow.

Have you ever searched your name online and been surprised by how much personal information appeared? What steps have you taken to protect your digital footprint? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Woot is offering over 20 percent off Switch 2 controllers and games today

Published

13 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Woot is offering over 20 percent off Switch 2 controllers and games today

Woot is running a day-long sale coinciding with the start of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. Many products across multiple tech categories are discounted, including dozens of video games and accessories. What’s more, you can get an extra 20 percent off through 12:59AM ET on March 26th when you use code SAVETWENTY. Also, if you’re a Prime member who links their Amazon account, you’ll get free shipping.

Of the grab bag of products, the Nintendo Switch 2-related discounts stood out the most. For instance, you can get the physical version of Mario Kart World at Woot for $52 ($28 off). If your Switch 2 didn’t already include a digital copy of the exclusive, World is a must-have racing title that’s fun to play alone or with others (my colleague Andrew Webster called it “the perfect launch game” in his review). It includes an open world chock-full of challenges — a series first — or you can race through different course-filled cups, just like in the old days.

Additionally, 8BitDo’s fantastic Ultimate 2 and Pro 3 controllers — both compatible with the Switch 2 and other platforms — currently cost $36 and $37.60, respectively. Considering that both gamepads typically cost over $50 each, the savings are steep enough to consider getting more than one gamepad. The Ultimate 2 and Pro 3 have a similar set of features — rumble, motion controls, TMR joysticks, customizable back paddles, an extra shoulder button, and adjustable triggers — but their button and stick layouts cater to different gamers.

While the Ultimate 2 is arranged like a Switch 2 Pro (which itself is an Xbox-style layout), the Pro 3 is more akin to a PlayStation controller, with sticks close together in the middle. One neat feature of the Pro 3 not found in the Ultimate 2 is the ability to pull off its magnetic buttons and swap their positions, which is handy if you’re switching platforms. Both models also feature a 90-day Woot warranty. Read our Pro 3 review.

If you already own Mario Kart World — or don’t own a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 — there are also plenty of other great deals to choose from, including titles for both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S.

Here’s a smattering of favorites: