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 When U.S. President Donald Trump levied 145 percent tariffs on goods imported from China, Apple CEO Tim Cook started working to score Apple an exemption that would keep iPhone costs down.
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At PCWorld we've had experience using tons of USB-C cables and can say with confidence that not all of them are the same. There can be big differences in the quality of a cable's construction and how it performs, whether you're talking about charging or transferring data.
My hands-on evaluation of numerous cables — ranging from the biggest, most-recognizable brand-names to the cheapest of the cheap — has revealed some clear winners.
Why you should trust me: PCWorld has been testing hardware since the 1980s and I've been poking and prodding PC components since I cracked open my Commodore VIC-20 in junior high school to see why it stopped working (who uses aluminum-coated cardboard that frays as an RF shield? Commodore, that's who). I've also been a professional journalist for more than three decades and started my stint at PCWorld as an intern in 1993.
For my USB-C cable reviews, I don't trawl consumer reviews like some "reviewers" — I purchase the cables retail and personally test each one, examining the resistance, how they are physically wired, and the accuracy of the embedded eMarker (if it has one). I then performance test them where appropriate for charge rates, transfer rates, and display support. My picks of the best USB-C cables below are separated into two groups: those cables that are best for charging, and those best for both charging and fast data transfer.
Best USB-C cable for charging
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These services also include cloud-based DVRs, so you can record your favorite shows (not to mention skip through the commercials when you play them back). In many cases, they provide the only means of watching specific pay TV channels without cable.
All that said, live TV streaming services have been getting more and more expensive, and in some ways they won't be exactly like what you had with cable or satellite. Our top picks will help you avoid overpaying and get the TV features you most care about.
Why you should trust us
As TechHive's resident cord-cutting expert, I've been reviewing live TV streaming services ever since the launch of Sling TV back in 2015, and I've been a cord-cutter myself since 2008. Beyond just product reviews, I write a weekly column about streaming and over-the-air TV for TechHive, and my Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter has more than 30,000 readers.
The TV streaming services TechHive recommends
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 In iOS 18.4, Apple added a new Shortcuts action to open a specific conversation in the Messages app. This means it's now possible to open a chat thread with someone important to you straight from your Lock Screen, for example. Keep reading to learn more.
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More details about Mario Kart World, the big first-party Nintendo Switch 2 launch title, were shown during a dedicated Direct on Thursday. The 17-minute presentation showcased some of the game's courses, such as the canal-based Salty Salty Speedway and spooky Boo Cinema, and revealed that some classic, reimagined courses will be dotted around the game's open world.
Beyond regular races and the new Knockout Tour elimination mode, there are a bunch of other ways to play Mario Kart World. Team-based races will see you compete in squads of between six and 12, and you can test yourself in time trials. The classic Balloon Battle mode is here, and in Coin Runners, you'll compete to collect the most coins.
Nintendo
New tricks include a charge jump and a wall-riding option that was highlighted in the reveal trailer. A nifty Re
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German site HardwareLuxx reports that Synology Plus NAS hardware released in 2025 will not have full support for third-party drives. Though they'll still work if you install them, only Synology's hard drives—or those certified by Synology—will get access to the most advanced features, including hard drive health reports, volume-wide deduplication, lifespan analysis, and automatic firmware updates. Third-party drives that aren't Synology-approved will get a warning in the user interface.
Synology has already rolled out this requirement for enterprise-grade network-attached storage devices, but now the same standard is being applied to new consumer and prosumer models releasing in the future. The company claims that it needs the extra layer of hardware scrutiny in order to deliver the best performance and reliability.
Of course, as Tom's Hardware notes, Synology doesn't actually manufacture its own hard drives. Reviewers and enthusiasts have determined that the Synology-branded drives being sold since 2021 are made by
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Xbox's Spring Sale is live, with big discounts on old and new classics and plenty of forgotten gems. But the deals aren't limited to Xbox console games; there's plenty on tap for PC, too. (You can filter by platform under the "Play with" option in the sidebar.)
Some of the standouts in the Xbox sale include 75 percent off
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Google is now offering Gemini live video and screen sharing to just about every Android user who wants them — totally free. The announcement comes just a couple weeks after Google first rolled out the features. They have been available to all Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 owners and through a Google One AI Premium plan for other Android users with the Gemini app. Now, Google says that "great feedback" has motivated the company "to bring it to more people."
Gemini live video and screen share allows you to ask Gemini about anything on your screen or directly in front of you. For example, you can take a picture of an item of clothing and get info about its materials. You can also ask it about something you've found on the internet, like a word in a story that you've never heard before.
Starting today and over the coming weeks, we're rolling it out to *all* @Android users with the Gemini app. Enjoy!
PS If you don't have the app yet,…
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The Tapo C120 captures footage in crisp 1440p resolution (2560×1440), sometimes called 2K, with all the details you need—more than gets captured on other home security cams in this price range with their lesser resolutions. At night, the camera captures full-color images with its integrated starlight sensor, with night vision that reaches up to 30 feet.
On top of that, it provides free smart AI detection, able to tell apart cars, pets, and people, sending you notifications accordingly. It also has two-way audio so you can chat with whoever is visiting you, whether that's a friend or the delivery person. You can store footage on the cloud or on a 512GB microSD card directly slotted in (sold separately).
And did I mention it's easy to install? It has a magnetic base, so you can plop it right onto your fridge, your shed, your frames, your railings. It goes anywhere inside or outside, and it'll be fine because it has an IP66 rating against rain, dust, and weather.
Don't miss this chance to grab an indoor/outdoor security camera for just $25 on Amazon. You might as well grab a couple and place them all around your house for maximum peace of mind.
Save 38% on this versatile 2K
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Whether you're a true cord-cutter or you just want to watch the next season of Stranger Things when it (eventually? maybe?) drops, everyone's on the lookout for streaming deals nowadays. Plenty have chosen VOD and live TV streaming services over traditional cable in recent years, but the savings that choice got you just a few years ago have somewhat evaporated now. Companies like Netflix, Disney, Max and others have been consistently raising prices to the point where you may question if streaming is even worth it anymore.
We at Engadget still think so, for many reasons, but you can (and should) be smart with your money at the same time. Streaming deals are an option, even if they don't come around with the same regularity as discounts on AirPods do. If you're looking to save money and still stream all of the content you want, Engadget can help by laying out the best streaming deals you can get right now, how you can save with bundles and everything you should know before paying for yet another streaming service.
Best streaming deals
True streaming deals can be hard to come by. Most often, they'll pop up during the Bla
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 Best Buy this week kicked off a new Spring Sale, including major discounts on computers, TVs, headphones, smartphones, video games, LEGO sets, and much more. This also includes a collection of Apple product discounts on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iPad Pro.
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 Apple will not be exempt from tariffs after all, with U.S. President Donald Trump working on new semiconductor levies that will likely impact Apple devices, chips from companies like Nvidia, and other electronics.
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