But right now, you can get one of these bad boys for an even better price of just $606.39 after discounts on eBay. Snatch it quick if you're in the market because this deal is going to go fast.
Two things to know before you check out: first, this is a refurbished laptop. But it isn't your usual roll-of-the-dice-when-buying-refurbished piece of hardware! This one is sold directly by Acer (via the company's official eBay account) and it comes with a two-year Allstate warranty included in the price. That's about as good as it gets for a refurb deal.
Second, you'll need to apply a coupon code (as spotted by users on SlickDeals) to get the full discount off its $757.99 list price. Apply the FALL20OFF promo code (that's a zero in 20, followed by a capital O in OFF) when you check out to get an extra discount, bringing the price down to $606.39 with free shipping. Sweet.
With an Intel Core i7-12650H processor, an Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM, this laptop should be able to deliver medium settings for 3D games at the 15-inch screen's 1080p resolution and maximum 144Hz refresh rate. Storage is a little pokey at 512GB, but since the Nitro V is big and roomy, you can upgrade both the storage and the RAM with cheap off-the-shelf components and a screwdriver.
It's a great machine for college students and gamers on a budget, so long as you don't mind hauling it a
If you're feeling totally lost, don't worry-we did the hard work for you. The laptops below have been personally tested and vetted by members of the PCWorld team, so you know you're getting a good machine. Just note that laptop prices can fluctuate, so our picks below may occasionally go over $1,000. For more recommendations on gaming laptops, see our roundup of the best gaming laptops across all prices, or take a look at our roundup of the best laptop deals.
Why you should trust us: Hey, it's in our name! PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We've been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 70 laptops every year. All of the picks below have been personally tested and vetted by our experts, who've applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards. We're also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget.
Updated September 19, 2024: We have a new Best Overall recommendation: the Acer Nitro
The Verge reports that YouTube is rolling out advertisements that show up when you pause videos, continuing experiments that the company started a year ago. A YouTube representative confirmed that the practice will now become commonplace "as we've seen both strong advertiser and strong viewer response."
I can't argue with that, but I'll point out that retching up your Subway sandwich in response to salmonella poisoning is also a "strong response." While the nebulous engagement metrics probably show YouTube that there's a lot of information being passed on to users, the initial response on social media seems to be universally negative. YouTube isn't the first video service to pull this move, but it's absolutely the largest.
The representative said that advertising on paused videos is designed to create a "less interruptive" experience. But as The Verge notes, that doesn't necessarily mean we're going to see a drop in the increasing load of obnoxious and often unskippable advertising on YouTube. And since I'm seeing more and more creators pack their videos with sponsorships, I somehow doubt that the people making YouTube's content are going to get a bigger slice of the advertising pie.
"We estimate we can sell up to 80 percent of an individual's visual field before inducing seizures," said the fictional CEO (of a company that bears more than a passing resemblance to Google) in Rea
Like seemingly every large tech company these days, LinkedIn is injecting generative AI into its platform. (You may have already spotted it on prompts that "help" users write posts or messages.) But the Microsoft-owned website is now scraping its user data to train its artificial intelligence systems. Naturally, you're opted into sharing your data with LinkedIn's AI for free, without any kind of message or alert. (Unless you're in the EU, where this kind of sneaky behavior is illegal.)
In fact, LinkedIn started using your data before updating its often-intentionally-nebulous Privacy Policy, as spotted by 404 Media. The policy has subsequently been updated to include legalese:
And now's a great time to grab one because the GoPro Hero9 Black is down to $260 on Amazon, which is 26 percent off its usual $350.
This tiny action camera is everything you could want, capable of recording video at up to 5K resolution. Yep, that's right — you'll be able to capture stunning high-res videos in up to 5K with fantastic detail.
But the GoPro Hero9 Black can also shoot 20MP photos, which is likely better than your phone camera (unless you have a next-gen flagship). And you don't want to wave your phone around during outdoor activities, right? Plus, the SuperPhoto feature is there to choose the best image processing option available to deliver great results every time.
If you're interested in livestreaming your adventures, the GoPro Hero9 Black can help you do that, too. This action camera can stream content live at 1080p, making it ideal for any wild festivals or rad surfing sessions you're planning on attending.
The cool thing about the GoPro Hero9 Black is that you don't even have to wait until you're back at your laptop to create share-worthy videos. The TimeWarp mode lets you create time-lapse videos on the move.
And don't worry about damage. GoPros are designed to withstand weather, water, and physical trauma. This camera's rugged build allow it to survive any tumbles as well as you can.
Right now, this Anker USB-C Docking Station is on sale for $200 at Amazon, and that's a great price considering that other USB-C docks — without the cool extra features — can cost more than twice that.
Note: You'll see this dock is listed as $250, and that's because the special deal price of $200 is only for Prime members. If you don't have Prime, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial right now and score this discount pronto.
First things first, this thing is a USB-C dock. That means it connects to your laptop via USB-C and allows you to connect all sorts of other peripherals (e.g., monitors, keyboards, mice, etc.) to your laptop through the dock.
This particular dock is packed with ports. On the outside, you have two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, one SD and one microSD port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. On the underside, you have the USB-C port that connects it to your laptop, plus a DC input port, another USB-A port, an HDMI (4K@60Hz) port, and an Ethernet port.
All of the USB-C and USB-A ports can handle 10Gbps data transfer speeds, and as long as the dock is driven by a powerful enough wall charger, it can charge your laptop at 100W while also charging other connected devices at 45W, 7.5W, and 4.5W (depending on which USB ports they're charging through).
What is Arc?
So far, challengers such as Brave, Firefox, and Tor Browser have focused primarily on privacy issues, as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are notorious for their surveillance. Arc also promises to respect privacy, but the focus is on ease of use.
Arc looks different from other browsers. The tabs and menus that used to be at the top have been moved to the side, which Arc says gives a better overview. It's also easy to split the browser window down the middle, so you can have two sites open at once.
Another smart tool called Space lets you create different workspaces. For example, you can have a private space and a professional space — allowing you to use different bookmarks and settings.
Does Arc have AI support?
Arc also has a built-in AI feature called Max. The most interesting part is that you can ask questions and have a conversation about the website you are currently visiting. Instead of searching for the information yourself, you can ask a question and get an answer in plain text using artificial intelligence. This is of course mainly interesting for sites that contain a lot of information.
That's why I really like the Logitech Brio 101 webcam, and right now it's on sale for a mere $25 on Amazon. That's a smooth 38 percent off.
This Logitech Brio 101 webcam has a 1080p resolution, which means your video feed will look clear and professional. It also has the ability to automatically adjust brightness levels and reduce shadows in low light conditions, ensuring that you really do look your best at all times.
This webcam's built-in microphone is nothing special, but you don't need a cutting-edge mic for work meetings, do you? It's more than adequate to transmit your voice clearly and with minimal interference, and it's especially nifty if you don't have a separate headset or microphone.
But if there's one thing I really like, it's the privacy shutter. Never again will you be caught doing something embarrassing because you thought your camera was off. Simply keep the shutter closed between calls. (It's also a solid measure against webcam hacks, so you'll have peace of mind knowing that no one can ever spy on you through it.)
Setting up this webcam is extremely easy because it's plug and play. No special settings to tweak, and it'll work right out of the box whether you're on Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, Slack, Discord, etc.
If you need a webcam for work or school, it's hard to do better than this one in this price range.
There's a reason for this. Drop shipping, the practice of opening a "store" that's basically just passing along mass-produced generic items to shoppers through a unified online storefront, is now a massive and inescapable practice. Drop shipping has become a modern replacement for the middleman who used to sell items to local department stores by the millions, including white-box items that would be re-branded a dozen times over with store brands or other labels.
However, there is more to this than the standard configuration. For example, various functions that pose a security risk under certain circumstances can be deactivated.
If you've been thinking about leveling up your gaming experience, now's the time. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you get access to hundreds of games on your Xbox and PC — but here's the real kicker: you can buy up to 5 codes at once, giving you a total of 15 months of non-stop gaming.
It's perfect for both new and existing users, so whether you're trying Game Pass for the first time or already enjoying it, this deal stacks up in your favor.
Dive into the latest titles, multiplayer favorites, and even day-one releases without breaking the bank. Plus, it's not just for Xbox — you can use it on your PC, too. Just make sure to redeem your codes within 7 days of purchase, and you're set for over a year of gaming.
For musicians, creators, and tech enthusiasts alike, Supermusic AI Pro brings the power of music production right to your fingertips — no musical background required. With this lifetime subscription, you can dive deep into AI-generated music and customize everything from genre to mood, all within an intuitive interface designed for Mac and PC.
Supermusic AI's customization features are where it truly shines. Unlike many other AI music generators that offer pre-made tracks with minimal tweaking, Supermusic gives you control over your track. Whether you're crafting a jazz tune or an electronic beat, you can select from multiple genres and tailor the mood to your exact specifications.
But in another positive move, Microsoft is showing that they're paying attention to performance on a broader scale — in this case, we're about to see performance improvements to the Microsoft Store.
According to the company's dev blog, Microsoft is introducing a new path for app developers to migrate their UWP apps to .NET 9 and Native AOT (which stands for Ahead-of-Time compilation).
Why you should trust us: It's in our name. PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We've been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 70 laptops every year. All of the picks below have been personally tested and vetted by our experts, who've applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards. We're also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget.
Looking for sweet discounts? Check out our regularly updated roundup of the best laptop deals available right now. By the way, since we're in the thick of back-to-school season, make sure you check out PCWorld's back-to-school coverage.
Updated September 18, 2024: We replaced the Best Budget Gaming Laptop with the recently reviewed Acer Nitro V 16 ($1,099.99). You're getting a big display with a high refresh rate (perfect for action games!), and the RTX 4060 GPU has enough horsepower to run most games on the High graphics preset. We've also updated our list of recent laptop reviews, so b
Not only does this monitor have a large 32-inch curved display that provides an immersive experience with movies and TV shows, it sports a 4K resolution for crisp and captivating visuals. The 60Hz refresh rate might exclude this one for serious gamers, but that's no reason to skip over it if all you're going to do is work, browse, and watch.
Connectivity is good with two HDMI 2.0 ports and a DisplayPort 1.2 port, with two USB-A 3.0 ports for connecting peripherals and devices. That all makes this monitor a versatile addition to your workstation setup, and you can even charge your phone through it if needed.
This Dell monitor comes with a height-adjustable stand with a helpful tilt feature, so you can angle it however you want. Coupled with its anti-glare coating, you'll find it comfortable for day-to-day use.
It's a good price for a great monitor, so grab this 32-inch Dell 4K monitor at Dell.com while you still can and save a cool $80.
Save now on this 32-inch 4K monitor by DellBuy now at De
But the online shopping titan is currently facing headwind for its pricing policy. A class action lawsuit alleges that the company advertises with "fake discounts" to entice customers into making purchases.
The Ramirez v. Amazon lawsuit (PDF) was filed by lead plaintiff David Ramirez at the Western District Court in Washington. It calls out Amazon's alleged practice of using fake list prices that aren't suitable for use as genuine comparative values for advertised discounts.
Deceptive practices in Amazon deals
The claim states that list prices on Amazon may not be older than 90 days. However, Amazon allegedly used older prices as comparative values to make current discounts appear significantly better.
One example mentions Fire TV models, which are produced by Amazon and were offered at a discount. Comparative prices from 2023 were allegedly used to conceal the fact that Fire TVs had been cheaper to buy in the past, but that would've made the offer less attractive.
In addition, Amazon allegedly labeled the deals as limited-time offers, which in reality were not limited at all. According to the lawsuit, this helped to push potential customers to buy.
Paul Thurrott sniffed out the release date on this Microsoft post, which "aligns" a new feature in Copilot with the "the annual Windows 11 feature update release," or Windows 11 24H2. It appears that Windows 10 may receive its annual feature release, known as Windows 11 24H2, a month later in October.
"The shift to the Microsoft 365 app as the entry point for Microsoft Copilot will align with the annual Windows 11 feature update release," the post says. "Changes will be rolled out to managed PCs starting with the optional non-security preview release on September 24, 2024, and following with the monthly security update release on October 8 for all supported versions of Windows 11. These changes will be applied to Windows 10 PCs the month after."
As the post notes, you'll have the option of accepting Windows 11 24H2 "early," on Sept. 24. You can do that by going into the Windows Settings menu, navigating to Windows Update, and toggling on the option to "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available." Otherwise, the update will be pushed to your PC beginning on October 8.
Ironically, Windows 11 24H2 has been officially out for months — but not for everyone. Microsoft shipped a "final" version of Windows 11 24H2 with the launch of the latest Surface Laptop (7th Edition) an
And right now, the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 is on sale for $21 at Amazon, down from its $30 MSRP. It's a good time to snag a few!
I recently got some of these Galaxy SmartTag2 trackers myself. A couple of them went onto dog collar holders for my pups and the others hitched rides on my keychains. (Yes, I keep misplacing my keys…)
I love that these are water- and dust-resistant with an IP67 rating, so if the dogs get into puddles on their walks or if I drop my keys in water — yes, it's happened before — the trackers won't die on me.
You'll need a Samsung Galaxy device to pair to these trackers, which use Bluetooth and ultra-wideband tech to help you locate them. Just use the free app to spot each tracker on a map or force a given tracker to make a beep. (And if you're too far for Bluetooth, the tracker can still ping off nearby Samsung devices to get you its location.)
It's a small price for peace of mind. Grab a Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 for just $21 at Amazon and never lose your keys again.
This tiny Samsung smart tracker is 30% offBuy now on Amazon
Logitech recently announced that every mouse in its G series with a Hero 2 sensor will be boosted to its maximum possible resolution — a staggering 44,000 DPI (dots per inch) — with a software update that's planned for October this year.
That's according to PC Gamer, reporting from Logitech's Logi Play conference. At the time of writing, only three mice use the Hero 2 sensor: the Pro X Superlight 2, the newly-announced Pro X Superlight 2 Dex (which is almost identical but with an 8K polling rate and a grippier shape), and the older ambidextrous Pro 2 Lightspeed. (Good grief, Logitech! You need better names for your gaming mice.)
While the Hero 2 sensors in the older Pro 2 Lightspeed and Pro X Superlight 2 are identical to the one in the Pro X Superlight 2 Dex, they're running at lower 32,000 resolutions out of the box. That gives the new Pro X Superlight 2 Dex and its previous stablemates the highest DPI of any gaming mouse on the market. For sake of comparison, Razer's flagship Viper V3 Pro mouse has "only" 3
Our favorite for this sort of thing is the SK Hynix Tube T31, and right now the 1TB version is on sale for $70 on Amazon. That's back down to the best price it's ever been, almost half off its $135 retail price.
When we reviewed the SK Hynix Tube T31 earlier this year, we gave it an outstanding 4.5-out-of-5-stars rating as well as our Editors' Choice award. Our review expert appreciated this tiny SSD's ultra-fast performance that reached speeds of up to 1,000MB/s.
And it's not just a performance king — the Tube T31 is small enough to be confused for a flash drive, making it extremely portable and widely compatible. It'll work with laptops, desktop PCs, and even gaming consoles (including the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One).
The SK Hynix Tube T31 comes with 1TB of storage capacity, and that's ample enough to house all your documents, photos, videos, and games with room to spare. It'll be a while before you fill it out.
This is the ideal storage drive for anyone who wants speed in pocket-sized form. Don't miss this chance to
Fortunately, there's a tiny bit of good news to balance that out: the gaming-focused communication platform is now rolling out end-to-end encryption for audio and video calls.
In the announcement post, the company refers to it as the DAVE protocol — short for Discord's Audio and Video End-to-End Encryption — and it will be implemented across all audio and video calls in direct messages, group chats, voice channels, and Go Live streams.
What this means is that call data is encrypted on your end before it's sent to receivers, and then decrypted by receivers. Only the participants in a call know the per-sender keys needed for decryption — not even Discord knows, which means the content of your audio and video calls will now be shielded from Discord itself once the rollout completes. Discord claims that the encryption process will not affect call quality.
For an in-depth breakdown of how it all works, check out the post. Or you can dig even deeper into Discord's whitepaper on the DAVE protocol as well as the open-source library behind the DAVE prot
Last week a trailer for Flappy Bird was posted to YouTube by "The Flappy Bird Foundation." The one-minute video is chock full of ridiculously epic orchestral music over news footage and web video covering the initial sensation, and the shocking decision by solo developer Dong Nguyen to de-list the lucrative game from mobile app stores.
The original game is being rebooted and re-released, complete with all the trappings of a slickly produced mobile game a decade after the 2013 original. There will be multiple levels. There will be cosmetics. There will be a Mario-style overworld.
Though it wasn't indicated in the trailer, there will almost certainly be in-app purchases. The newly revamped game is billed as "AN EPIC ADVENTURE," and it's not clear whether that's ironic or entirely sincere in describing a title with a single one-tap game mechanic.
In case it wasn't obvious, the new Flappy Bird isn't coming from the original developer
A report from OALabs observes this novel attack vector for stealing Google credentials. It's really a combination of two techniques.
First, a Windows program loads up a dummy Google login page in Chrome and then activates Kiosk Mode. This is a UI feature that shows a page in full screen and won't let you navigate to other programs — exactly the sort of thing you'd see at a self-service retail kiosk. Even advanced users might have trouble getting around this because it disables some inputs (like F11 to exit full-screen mode).
But the only thing you can do on the dummy page is put in a Google login and password. Once you do, another program grabs said login data and squirrels it away to a remote hacker. In the worst-case scenario, the hacker then changes your password, immediately locking you out of Gmail and any other accounts associated with that information, including third-party services that use Google's login platform.
It's a devious little one-two punch for identity thieves. While the tool has been observed going after Chrome specifically, it's capable of using other browsers with similar implementations of Kiosk Mode to do the same.
Savvy Windows users might be able to circumvent the login prompt — the good ol' Ctrl Alt Delete keyboard shortcut should still ge
We've separated the recommendations below by best laptop deals under $500, best home use laptop deals, best gaming laptop deals, and best premium laptop deals, to make it easier to find a notebook that fits your budget and needs. For more options, check out PCWorld's roundup of the best laptops available right now.
Best laptop deals (at a glance)
Lenovo Flex 3 Chromebook, $328.99 ($150.01 off at Best Buy)
HP Envy x360, $569.99 ($379.01 off at Adorama)
HP Victus, $599 ($380 off at Walmart)
But shopping for a graphics card can be madness. You have to navigate between Nvidia, AMD, and Intel, then sift through each one's product offerings. You'll struggle to discern between models like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 and the RTX 4070 Ti. And even after you've decided on a model, that model might have numerous variations — like a reference version and a factory overclocked version.
Honestly, it can be overwhelming. Should you pay up for those special GPU versions? What do you actually get for what you pay? Is it worth the stress or can you just ignore all of the noise?
Well, if you ask me, I'm going to say: don't fret over any of it. You shouldn't be paying extra for factory overclocked GPUs. To understand why, though, we have to first understand why all of these different GPU versions exist in the first place. Let me take you through it.
What's a reference GPU?
For any given graphics card, you have to start with a baseline foundation. In industry talk, this baseline version is called the reference. (Nvidia's reference cards are dubbed Founders Edition, but it's the same thing.)
The three primary GPU manufacturers — Nvidia, AMD, Intel — release their own reference cards, and these reference cards are released with standard designs a
The NPU is a computer component designed to accelerate AI tasks in a power-efficient manner, paving the way for new Windows desktop applications with powerful AI features. That's the plan, anyway.
All PCs will eventually have NPUs, but at the moment only some PCs have them. Here's everything you need to know about NPUs and why they're such a hot topic in the computer industry right now.
What is an NPU?
NPU stands for neural processing unit. It's a special kind of processor that's optimized for AI and machine learning tasks.
The name comes from the fact that AI models use neural networks. A neural network is, in layman's terms, a vast mesh of interconnected nodes that pass information between them. (The whole idea was modeled after the way our own human brains work.)
An NPU isn't a separate device that you buy and plug in (as you would with a GPU, for example). Instead, an NPU is "packaged" as part of a modern processor platform — like Intel's Core Ultra, AMD's Ryzen AI, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus. These platforms have a CPU along with an integrated GPU and NPU.
NPU vs. CPU vs. GPU: What's the difference? Explained
For many years now, computers have been running tasks on either the central processing unit
The NPU is a computer component designed to accelerate AI tasks in a power-efficient manner, paving the way for new Windows desktop applications with powerful AI features. That's the plan, anyway.
All PCs will eventually have NPUs, but at the moment only some PCs have them. Here's everything you need to know about NPUs and why they're such a hot topic in the computer industry right now.
What is an NPU?
NPU stands for neural processing unit. It's a special kind of processor that's optimized for AI and machine learning tasks.
The name comes from the fact that AI models use neural networks. A neural network is, in layman's terms, a vast mesh of interconnected nodes that pass information between them. (The whole idea was modeled after the way our own human brains work.)
An NPU isn't a separate device that you buy and plug in (as you would with a GPU, for example). Instead, an NPU is "packaged" as part of a modern processor platform — like Intel's Core Ultra, AMD's Ryzen AI, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus. These platforms have a CPU along with an integrated GPU and NPU.
NPU vs. CPU vs. GPU: What's the difference? Explained
For many years now, computers have been running tasks on either the central processing unit
In addition, users who use the classic Outlook can switch to the new Outlook at any time using a slider in the top right-hand corner. As a Windows 10/11 user, you can use the new Outlook free of charge if you have a license for Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365. Here's what you need to know about it.
Managing PDFs can be a pain, especially when you're stuck scrolling through endless pages to find what you need. Enter Afirstsoft PDF Editor, a tool that does more than your average editor — it uses AI to make your life easier.
With advanced features like AI-powered information extraction, this software can automatically pull out key points from your lengthy documents, saving you hours of manual searching. For a limited time, lifetime access is on sale for $49.99.
What makes Afirstsoft stand out is its interactive PDF experience. Forget aimlessly scrolling through pages. Instead, you can "chat" with your PDF to ask for specific info. Need to find that one statistic buried in a 50-page report? Just ask, and it will pinpoint
If you're tired of juggling monthly fees for cloud storage, it's time to consider FileJump's 2TB lifetime plan. Instead of recurring charges, you'll make a single payment and get long-term, secure cloud storage that you can access from anywhere. No more subscriptions, just a simple, one-time deal for $89.
With 2TB of space, you can back up everything — documents, photos, videos, and more — all without worrying about running out. FileJump also makes storing and sharing files easy with its drag-and-drop interface, built-in media previews, and sharing tools that let you collaborate effortlessly.
And when it comes to security, your data is in good hands. FileJump uses 256-bit AES encryption to keep your files safe, whether you're syncing them across devices or sharing them with others. Plus, with no limits on downloads or speeds, you'll never feel restricted.
But today you can get the best of both worlds for cheap. Dell is currently selling a fast 27-inch IPS gaming monitor for just $170. (That's over 40 percent off its MSRP of $300!)
We've featured the Dell G2724HD monitor before — in fact, it scored an Editors' Choice in our review. With a 27-inch 2560×1440 screen that refreshes at an impressive 165Hz, it's great for showing off extra detail in new 3D games without breaking the bank.
And as I said, the high-quality IPS panel means it's great for working with photos, video, or even just reading a lot of text. It's the whole package, and it was a good deal even at its $300 retail price.
With just one HDMI port and two DVI ports, it's a little light on extras. This monitor doesn't have any USB ports or even a headphone jack. And it's still a budget model, so no matter how good it looks, don't expect it to blow away any of the OLED alternatives.
But it does make for a solid thrifty companion to any gaming desktop. And with standard VESA mounting, you can add a monitor arm to make this thing an excellent second (or third?) display in a workstation setup.
Dell puts this display on sale on a pretty regular basis, but it rarely gets any cheaper than this. If you're ready for a fast gaming monitor that won't break the bank, get this Dell monitor whil
To do this, all you have to do is open the Start menu, search for Settings, select Personalization in the left navigation, then scroll down to Start and click into it. Here, look for the setting labeled Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more and toggle the button next to it to Off.
When choosing the best dash cam for your needs you should first consider if you want a front, front/interior, or front/rear model. Additionally, you'll want to decide on how wide a viewing angle you'll need. Then there are special features to take into account, such as voice control or parking assist. Since there are a number of reasons to use a dash cam, we understand that there isn't a one-size-fits-all model. With that in mind, we've curated a list of the best dash cams of all types with various features and prices below.
For even more information on what to look for when buying a dash cam, scroll to our buyer's guide under our best picks. And after you've bought a dash cam, save yourself some time and frustration by reading our guide on how to install a dash cam.
Updated September 17, 2024 to include our recent review of the Rove R2-4K, a dual-channel front/rear dash cam that offers integrated GPS and phone connectivity, but didn't make it onto our recommendations list due to having merely average captures.
On August 15, Microsoft disclosed that a version mismatch in Microsoft 365's Office apps could have catastrophic consequences. "After updating to Version 2407 Build 17830.20138 or higher, you find that Outlook, Word, or OneNote may unexpectedly close when typing or doing other authoring tasks such as spell check," Microsoft had said.
Now, a few weeks later, Microsoft has finally diagnosed the problem. "The crash issue is caused due to version mismatch between Office 2016 proofing tools in coexistence with Office language packs (M365 apps for Enterprise)," reads Microsoft's support note. "These proofing tools are probably old traces from previous installs or part of Office suite migration. Coexistence of Office 2016 side by side with M365 apps is not supported due to different installation technologies of same version."
Microsoft's fix is already available, but you'll need to be a Microsoft 365 Insider to access it. The fixed build is available as Version 2409 (Build 18021.15000) in the Beta Channel or Version 2409 (Build 18025.20000) in the Current Channel Preview.
If you're just an ordinary Office 365 user, though, you'll see the fix come out next week as part of Version 2409 (Build 18025.20000)'s stable release. That patch is expected to roll out on September 24.
Expect to see big sales on all types of tech gear, alongside deals of up to 55 percent on Amazon-branded electronics. And of course, you'll find discounts on seasonal clothing and decor.
As you might expect, you'll need to be an Amazon member to take advantage of the savings. You can either join now, or visit Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days page to launch a trial account.
So, what's hot for Amazon Prime Big Deal Days? Amazon is positioning this sale as a pre-holiday extravaganza, hoping to save you the effort of rushing out to the mall to buy stuff. Obviously, a lot of tech gear will go on sale, and if you want to stock up on Amazon devices, this is usually the time to buy.
At PCWorld, we'll be looking for deals in all the major tech categories, including laptops, Chromebooks, desktops, storage, docks and hubs and more. This article will be updated as soon as we publish our deal roundups in all the tech categories PCWorld covers. For now, you can check out all our Prime Day coverage from July.
October Prime Day 2024 FAQ
1.
When are Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days?
And right now, the Fire TV Stick is on sale for $25 at Amazon, which is a real bargain compared to its normal $40 price.
Amazon's Fire TV Stick is nothing more than a tiny little device that looks like a flash drive. You plug it into your TV's HDMI port, then power it by connecting to a power outlet using the included USB cable. Then, connect it to your Wi-Fi network. Done!
Once plugged in, you can use the included remote control to navigate the Fire TV Stick's features. Namely, that means access to dozens of popular platforms, like Netflix, Disney , Max, and YouTube.
The Fire TV Stick can also access live TV, news, and sports through live streaming services — perfect for anyone who's been thinking of cutting the cord. You can also stream 300,000 free movies and TV shows via Tubi, Pluto, and more. That's a lot of content!
And the remote is pretty cool. It has Alexa built in, so all you have to do is press the Alexa button before issuing a voice command. With Alexa Voice Remote, you can do things like audibly search for content across apps.
The experts at our sister site TechHive reviewed the Amazon Fire TV Stick and liked that it delivers solid HD performance, especially for a device at this price point. (Note that the Fire TV Stick Lite is also on sale for less, but the remote for that one is missing a dedicated volume control button. It's worth paying a little e
After extensive testing, I've determined that the recommendations listed below are the best 4K monitors available today, covering a variety of budgets and use cases. If you're looking for additional options, see our roundups of the best monitors overall, the best gaming monitors, and the best monitor deals.
Also, make sure you optimize the ergonomics and comfort while viewing that new 4K monitor with a proper monitor arm for your desktop setup. Check out our roundup of best monitor arms to see our top picks.
Updated September 17, 2024: We've added a new recommendation to our list in the BenQ RD280U, a 4K monitor with a unique 3:2 aspect ratio that makes it a perfect choice for coders. Read our summary below to learn more. And check out our review of the Alienware AW2725QF, a dual-resolution gaming monitor that let's you choose between 4K re
And here's a great deal on a massive storage drive that will hold everything you need and more: this 4TB Samsung portable SSD is down to $300 on Amazon, a huge knock off its $500 price.
The Samsung T7 Shield doesn't just have a ton of storage space, but it's also built to endure rough treatment. Its rugged build will survive falls and tumbles, and its IP65 water and dust resistance means it won't break if you drop it in a puddle or spill water all over your desk.
More importantly, however, is that this is a speedy portable SSD that can reach read speeds of up to 1,050MB/s and write speeds of up to 1,000MB/s, ensuring fast transfers of massive files. Plus, the 4TB capacity is so spacious that you'll struggle to fill it up entirely.
Samsung's T7 Shield works with just about any device you can connect it to (via USB-C cable), it's compact enough to take with you if you need to. It measures 3.5 inches long, 2.3 inches wide, and 0.5 inches thick.
If you have a lot of files, photos, and videos to store, don't get caught without a large-capacity drive. Grab this 4TB Samsung T7 Shield portable SSDs on sale for $300 while this deal is going!
The Kensington SD5000T5 EQ Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station is the first Thunderbolt 5 dock I've seen inside PCWorld's lab. Kensington will begin selling the dock today on Amazon for $399.99, a substantial premium to the majority of Thunderbolt 4 docks already on the market. (One exception is Kingston's SD5800T, a premium Thunderbolt 4 dock).
Thunderbolt 5, however, offers significant advantages compared to Thunderbolt 4 docks, which have offered the same 40Gbps throughput as the older Thunderbolt 3 docks. Thunderbolt 5 boosts that to 80Gbps, and in certain cases even up to 120Gbps in a single direction. That equates to two 8K, 60Hz displays, or three 4K displays at 144Hz. TB5 should also allow laptops to connect to external GPUs, a feature that Thunderbolt 4 passed over, and USB-C charging up to 140W.
The problem is that laptop docking stations like the Kensington SD5000T5 are part of an ecosystem. It's not enough to own just a Thunderbolt 5 docking station; you need a laptop with Thunderbolt 5 support and probably high-speed components to connect to. Put simply, Thunderbolt 4 allows connections to a pair of 4K displays at 60Hz; Thunderbolt 5 can connect to two 4K displays at 144Hz, which are considerably more expensive. Those pieces are what I'm lacking here, and what prevents me from writing a "real" review at present.
Seagate theming its external storage devices must pay dividends at the sales counter as the company shows no sign of slacking off the practice. Its latest effort, the Game Drive SSD, is styled to match Sony's Playstations — logo and all. The drive is also fast, if a bit pricey.
What are the Seagate Game Drive SSD's features?
The Seagate Game Drive SSD is a 10Gbps USB external SSD, hued and styled to match Sony's Playstation consoles. It measures around 2.2-inches wide, by 4.13-inches long, by 0.43-inches thick and weighs a mere 2.5 ounces.
LTSC stands for Long-Term Servicing Channel and it denotes a version that doesn't receive feature updates for a long while. As described by Microsoft, it's a "locked-in-time" version that gets some of the features that were released since the last LTSC release, and it gets five years of support from the time it's released.
What I love about the Anker 633 Magnetic Battery is that this is really a 2-in-1 gadget — not only does it wirelessly charge your phone with a magnetic snap for perfect alignment, but it also has a foldable stand so you can prop your phone up while it's charging.
It's also compact and lightweight, so you can freely hold up and use your phone even while it's charging. That also means it fits easily into pockets and bags, making for easy transport while you're on the go.
Despite its small size, the Anker Magnetic Battery's 10,000mAh capacity is enough to charge your phone about one-and-a-half times from 0 to 100 percent. An iPhone 13 Pro, for example, can be fully charged about 1.8 times with this power bank.
And for those times where wireless charging might be a little too slow, this power bank also has a 20W USB-C port with Power Delivery. You can recharge your phone in a flash with that. (Charging cable is included.)
If you have a phone that supports wireless charging and you've decked it out in a magnetic case, this is the power bank for you. Don't miss out on this chance to grab this Anker Magnetic Battery for $40 on Amazon!
After digging deeper, the original security researchers have discovered that it's a much bigger problem than even they had initially guessed.
In case you missed the original story, here's a quick summary: The code that gets you past Secure Boot encryption (so you can load up software in a pre-boot environment) was leaked on an open repository back in 2022. Despite that being a known issue, manufacturers continued to ship devices with compromised security. In fact, many of them shipped with pre-production warnings like "DO NOT TRUST" still in the firmware.
As Ars Technica reports, the original publisher Binarly and other security researchers have found many more devices that are susceptible to the PKfail exploit. The list of vulnerable devices has ballooned to almost four times the original research, now including almost a thousand individual models of desktops, laptops, and other x86-based hardware.
The original list included computers and motherboards made by some of the industry's biggest names, including Dell, Acer, and Intel. Now that the issue is more widely known, the list is expanding to include other manufacturers like Fujitsu and Supermicro. Even boutique manufacturers like Beelink and Minisforum are susceptible.
The issue seems to reach far beyond the realm of con
Overall, it's a beneficial update for many users, one that brings several improvements and even a performance boost in some cases. But for some other unfortunate users, the update has brought issues and headaches, including serious problems like crashes.
Better performance for AMD CPUs
The update finally rolls out AMD's Branch Prediction Optimizations to all users, which was previously introduced as part of the optional KB5041587 update.
This brings a performance increase of up to 11 percent for newer AMD Ryzen processors in the 9000 series, along with lesser performance boosts to some older AMD CPUs. For gamers, this improvement alone makes the update worthwhile.
Known problems with the update
The September update of Windows 11 is, unfortunately, causing serious problems for some users. Some are unable to install it at all, while others are dealing with crashing systems after installation.
Ring's motion settings are at the heart of this process, determining when, how, and how often you're notified about activities around your home. Used strategically, they enable you to tailor your security system to your specific needs so that you get the most relevant alerts while minimizing unnecessary disruptions.
While the Ring app makes it easy to enable and disable motion detection and alerts on your Ring device, most other motion settings require a little digging to uncover. We'll walk you through these features, showing you where to find them in the Ring app, how to configure them effectively, and how to avoid common mistakes that could compromise your Ring experience.
Camera Motion Zones: Monitor the areas that matter
This is the first motion setting you'll want to set, because there will be areas in the camera's field of view-or things in its field of view, such as trees and bushes-that you'll want to ignore. The idea is to focus monitoring on the areas that matter most to you while, reducing alerts triggered by activity you don't care about.
There are many practical applications of camera motion zones. Sup
No. On the contrary, it's probably one of the most significant advancements in laptop technology in years, and one that will likely save you money by extending the lifespan of your laptop well beyond what it was a few years ago — as well as just letting you work where you want.
Generally speaking, people buy new laptops for several reasons. They fall out of support (Windows 10 expires in October 2025, for example); they physically wear out; they slow down to the point that they're unusable, or their battery wears out. Customers of popular companies, such as Apple, Dell, and HP, may also refresh their laptops to get the latest and greatest features, according to our sister company, IDC.
You can't do anything about cracking a screen, of course. And buying a speedy laptop will help put off that slooooow sensation for a few years. But battery life is an issue that's near and dear to my heart, and the reason that these long-life laptops are so significant. They can even save you serious money over the years.
However, this requires a fast internet connection, as the operating system downloads all the required data from the internet. The advantages of this method are that you do not need an installation medium and can restore your data from the cloud.
Looking to upgrade your streaming setup without breaking the bank? The XSplit Broadcaster lifetime subscription is the perfect solution for streamers, gamers, and content creators who want professional-level tools without the monthly price tag.
It's a one-time $59.99 investment that gives you unlimited access to premium features, so you can focus on what matters — creating and sharing top-tier content.
Whether you're live-streaming gameplay or running a virtual event, XSplit has you covered. With its intuitive interface, you can manage multiple scenes, add custom overlays, and even mix in audio from various sources with ease. Need to switch between screens during a webinar? No problem — XSplit makes it seamless.
And it's not just for gamers. This tool is also great for podcasters, educators, or anyone looking to live
DRM, short for digital rights management, is a technological measure used to protect intellectual property from infringement. It mainly works by encrypting media (e.g., DVD and Blu-ray discs) in a way that restricts who can access said DRM-protected media.
With this deprecation of legacy DRM services, you will no longer be able to play DRM-protected media of any kind in Windows Media Player, Silverlight, Windows 7, and Windows 8. According to Windows Latest, that also means no more streaming of DRM content to Xbox 360.
DRM, short for digital rights management, is a technological measure used to protect intellectual property from infringement. It mainly works by encrypting media (e.g., DVD and Blu-ray discs) in a way that restricts who can access said DRM-protected media.
With this deprecation of legacy DRM services, you will no longer be able to play DRM-protected media of any kind in Windows Media Player, Silverlight, Windows 7, and Windows 8. According to Windows Latest, that also means no more streaming of DRM content to Xbox 360.
There are a few things you'll want to consider when looking for a great VPN: First, it should be able to keep your internet usage private and secure without leaks. Speed is another factor — privacy and security are crucial, but you don't want the service to slow your connection to a crawl either. And if you're concerned with anonymity, you should seek out a VPN with data collection policies that are clear and transparent, preferably with multiple independent audits. Finally, the number of available servers and country locations a VPN offers is worth bearing in mind if you're trying to get around region locks in specific countries.
Why you should trust me: Here at PCWorld we've been testing computer hardware, software, and services since the 1980s. For my own part, I'm continually testing all of the major VPNs on the market and many lesser-known services with an eye toward the features and performance that a VPN user should care about most. For an in-depth guide on my testing methodology, see how we test VPN services at PCWorld.
Granted, not everyone wants or needs a VPN service — although if online privacy is important to you, I think it should be a priority. You might just want a VPN for occasional use such as when you're using public Wi-Fi, for instance. If that's the case, head over to our roundup of
Right now, B&H Photo is selling a 27-inch Acer Nitro gaming monitor with 1440p resolution for just $190. That's half off its retail price!
The Acer Nitro XV275U hits all the important specs for a budget gaming monitor. Its 27-inch screen and 2560×1440 resolution comprise the "sweet spot" for showing off graphics while still hitting high frame rates. And with its 170Hz refresh rate and compatibility with AMD FreeSync, you can absolutely hit those high frame rates. (The VA panel is bright and vivid, though not the best for reading text or editing video.)
This monitor doesn't come with a lot of extras beyond the DisplayPort and double HDMI connections, but its beefy height-adjustable stand is nice to see in a budget model. You can use a VESA monitor arm, too.
B&H's store listing doesn't include any USB ports, but Acer's online listing for this specific model shows USB-C and two USB-A ports in the photos. (But it's important to note that Acer's modeling and inventory system is a headache and they sell dozens of variations on the same design, so I wouldn't count on B&H's sale monitor including those USB ports.)
That said, this is still a great deal if you're looking for gaming performance on a budget. B&H even offers free shipping to my address — a nice bonus if you also qualify for that.
That's why you should replace your old and outdated wall chargers with a proper one, like this Anker USB-C wall charger that's now down to $30 on Amazon (that's 46 percent off its normal $56 price).
What makes this a "proper" wall charger? Well, there are three big reasons why we love it.
For starters, it's powered by second-generation GaN technology, meaning it's more powerful than older non-GaN chargers. The USB-C output port can deliver up to 65W of fast charging throughput while the USB-A output port can go up to 22.5W. It supports both laptops and phones; you just have to use the right ports for each.
It actually has two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, allowing you to simultaneously charge up to three devices at a once. Sure, the max throughput of each port goes down a bit when you have multiple devices plugged in, but even with all three ports in use, the main USB-C still outputs 40W while the other two hit 12W.
Lastly, the GaN II tech allows this charger to be smaller and more compact than many other chargers. Don't you hate it when you can't use every outlet on a power strip because large chargers get in the way? That won't happen with this one. And because the prongs fold in, you can even slip this into a bag and take it with you without risk of damage.
Stop losing time to your old, outdated charger and replace it with this GaN II charger that's on sale. Grab it now for $30 on Amazon wh
If you want a solid gaming laptop with good bang for your buck, this might be the one for you. The Dell G15 starts off strong with an Intel Core i7-13650HX processor and 16GB of RAM, which gives the laptop enough power to run resource-intensive apps and multitask.
But on top of that it has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card. It may not be the latest model, but it's still great and about as good as you'll find on a laptop that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
The Dell G15 features a 15.6-inch 1080p LED display, delivering great brightness and good contrast as well as vivid colors.
This laptop is capped off with a 1TB SSD and it comes loaded with Windows 11, so that's one less worry on your plate. You can just run the setup and then download your favorite games to play.
If you've been hunting for a gaming laptop that's under a grand, this is a good one to jump on. Grab this Dell G15 gaming laptop for $250 off at Best Buy while this deal lasts.
I applaud the consumer skepticism, but there actually can be differences. At PCWorld we have used a ton of USB-C cables and can say with certainty not all of them are made the same. In fact, there can be huge performance variances among cables when it comes to both charging and 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, which I highlight below.
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 rely on consumer reviews like some "reviewers" — I purchase the cables retail and personally test each one of them, examining the resistance, how they are physically wired, and query the embedded eMarker (if it has one), and then performance test them where appropriate for charge rates, transfer rates, and display support. My picks are separated into two groups to avoid any confusion: USB-C cables that are best for charging, and those best for both charging and fast data transfer.
For more information you can refer to our guide on how to buy a USB-C cable on Amazon without l
Lexar's Professional Gold Pro SDXC Express Card uses the new Secure Digital 8.0 standard and sports a maximum write speed of 1GB/s and a maximum read speed of 1.7GB/s. But good luck actually getting those speeds because no current devices actually go that fast.
To be clear, you can still buy and use the Lexar Adjective Adjective Adjective Acronym Adjective Card in anything with a standard SD card slot. (That's the one that's about the size of a US postage stamp, popular in high-end cameras.) But there are no cameras, computers, or even external card readers that can match its maximum speed, despite the standard being finalized back in May of 2020. The SD Association is currently working on version 9.1.
If you're wondering who needs that kind of ludicrous speed for a card, the answer is photographers and videographers who work with massive amounts of video footage at up to 8K resolution. Even if they can't actually max out the card's speed with current equipment, it might make sense to invest in one knowing that future hardware will likely get there. For everyone else just looking for speed and capacity, a portable SSD makes a lot more sense.
Feel the same way? The good news is, right now you can grab this Arzopa portable monitor on sale for $64 at Amazon and have a handy travel monitor that can tag along with your laptop wherever you go.
Down from its usual $130, this is a nice 51 percent discount on an impressive 15.6-inch monitor with a 1080p IPS display for true-to-life colors and vivid contrast, perfect for watching videos, playing games, editing photos, and just doing day-to-day work.
This Arzopa monitor has a built-in kickstand that makes it easy to prop up, and it's also adjustable so you can get the right viewing angle you need. Use it as a second monitor for your laptop or as a primary screen for your gaming handheld. It's as simple as plug-and-play with its USB-C, USB-A, and HDMI port options.
And since it only weighs 1.6 pounds and it's only 0.35 inches slim, you won't have any issues slipping this one into your bag alongside your laptop. It won't weigh you down, that's for sure.
Portable monitors are one of those things where you wonder how you got by without it. Snatch this Arzopa portable monitor for $64 on Amazon while you can because this deal won't last long.
This slim portable monitor is over half off right now
Morse Micro's impressive setup uses the 802.11ah standard, also known as HaLow, using low-frequency radio bands to get extremely long range. So this is technically compatible with at least some hardware you can buy today…though Morse Micro's system uses tons of proprietary tech to boost it even further.
Their access point system has already been tested in a conventional setting, achieving a stable video connection over 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometers) in San Francisco according to Tom's Hardware. Which is undeniably cool. But a crowded metropolis swimming in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile connections every few feet isn't going to show you the maximum potential of your hardware. For that, Morse Micro's engineers drove out to Joshua Tree National Park in the California desert.
First spotted by Windows Latest, you can see these plans for yourself if you head over to the official Microsoft 365 roadmap page and expand the description for the item labeled "Microsoft Edge: Elevating top settings and improving settings page navigability."
The plan appears to include three distinct parts:
The first part will be "introducing quick access to the most used actions on the landing page of Edge Settings."
The second part will be to "feature quick access to [the] most used actions" on "each densely populated page," which will include the pages for Privacy, search, and services; Appearance; Cookies and site permissions; System and performance.
The third part will be for those same pages as well, where "each section will now click-through to its respective sub-settings (similar to a table of contents)."
All of this should have a beneficial clean-up effect on the Settings page, making it far easier to navigate as it won't be bombarding you with tons of overwhelming information at every turn.
The new Settings page should start rolling out worldwide in October with general availability, but don't be surprised if it takes longer before they appear in the stable version of Edge.
The subtext of Pages — and the overall theme of the new Copilot wave in general — is that Copilot's AI contributions matter.
Normally, any advice provided by Copilot remains within Copilot and only for a short time. Microsoft characterizes Copilot's output as "ephemeral," signifying something that eventually passes over.
But the new Pages feature treats Copilot's insights as equal to something that you or your coworkers themselves might have authored, saving Copilot's output on a "page" to be worked on with your colleagues.
Earlier this week, Google announced that its Chrome browser would be getting some new features, and one of them is the ability to share your grouped tabs between your various devices.
For example, you could create a tab group on your phone while commuting home, then open that same tab group on your desktop PC once you've settled down at home. Conversely, you can have a tab group on your laptop that's also accessible on your phone while on the go.
This whole feature is automated as it keeps your tab groups in sync across your various devices. You'll have to be logged into your Google account with sync enabled on all the devices you want it to work across.
Google also announced that it would be easier to continue browsing where you last left the browser. If you have a tab open in your browser and then switch devices, Chrome on the new device will suggest that you continue on with the same tab.
It's a small but nifty feature that shouldn't be overshadowed by Google's current push to incorporate AI-powered features to Chrome.
In Windows 10, click on System - Notifications & actions in the Settings app.
At the top, you can switch off all notifications. Below this is the list of individual apps, starting by default with the apps that last drew attention to themselves with notifications. Use the sliders to switch off what is bothering you and then close the Settings window.
Most recently, we saw the Photos app causing performance issues after it was switched over from UWP to Windows App SDK. This seems to be a growing trend for Windows 11 apps — and Microsoft is aware.
Unfortunately, first impressions matter. If you're still using generic stock images or logos for your small business, thenyou're doing yourself a disservice. You don't need to be a professional artist to create unique content—all you need is AI MagicX, an AI-powered content generator that's available for $99.99 (reg. $972).
You won't attract or keep your customers without impactful imagery. Whether you're starting an Etsy shop or a side hustle on another social media platform, you need imagery that's true to you and your business. This tool's MagicXX Art Generator can take your ideas and make them a reality by producing truly unique and highly personalized art, brand logos, and so much more.
Want to create a blog but don't have the time to write copy regularly? This platform has an
iProVPN isn't just about keeping you safe — it's also about giving you the freedom to explore the web without limits. Say goodbye to geo-restrictions and hello to worldwide content access. With servers across the globe, you can stream your favorite shows and access sites that were previously out of reach.
Worried about speed? Don't be. iProVPN offers fast, reliable connections that won't slow you down. Plus, with support for up to 10 devices, you can protect all your gadgets at once, whether you're on Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS.
Lock down your data and browse like a pro
Regularly $28, you can get a full year of online privacy, security, and freedom with a
As Neowin reports, Microsoft has started sending out a "final notice" that some third-party email apps will soon lose access to Outlook emails. The reason? The affected third-party email apps aren't secure enough.
Microsoft wants users to switch from "Basic Authentication" (which only uses a username and password for logging in) to "Modern Authentication" (which uses the OAuth 2.0 protocol for a much safer login process that keeps accounts secure).
In other words, third-party email apps that don't support OAuth 2.0 will lose access to the Outlook email service, and Microsoft's older Outlook apps that don't have OAuth 2.0 will also lose access.
The following apps are affected, among others:
This change was first announced back in June, with users warned that unsecure third-party apps would lose access on September 16.
Microsoft has posted a guide on its support page where you can
Unfortunately, the era of on-demand content comes with a few drawbacks. Streaming services put region locks on certain content, third parties track and sell data about your viewing habits, and internet service providers (ISPs) have the ability to throttle your internet speeds. Thankfully, using a VPN on your smart TV can help overcome these issues with the added benefit of more privacy and security. In this article I'll discuss why you should be using a VPN with your smart TV and how to set one up properly.
If you're on the hunt for a great VPN for your smart TV, look no further than any of the excellent services in my roundup of best VPNs for Netflix or my overall list of best VPNs for even more choices.
A VPN can help you get around region-locked content
While the amount of content you can stream online might seem endless, you'd be surprised to learn that even more is hidden behind region locks. Streaming services, due to copyright and distribution restrictions, are not always able to provide content to all viewers in all countries.
That's where we come in. We've personally tested over 80 laptops so far this year (as of this writing) and many more over the past decade. I can point you to the ones that have the best battery life, period. Here are the five laptops we tested with the longest battery life.
How PCWorld tests battery life:
When it comes to testing battery life for laptops, we loop a 4K file of a short film on screen until the laptop dies. We set the brightness level to 250 to 260 nits, unplug all USB drives, disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and plug in a pair of earbuds. We run this test twice per laptop to ensure consistent results.
Meanwhile, the scams used by cyber criminals to fleece their victims have become increasingly sophisticated, making it even more imperative that customers be vigilant of the signs that fraud may be afoot.
1. Alleged bank transfers
"Notice of upcoming direct debit," "Confirmation of your transaction" — these or similar are the subject lines in emails purporting to be from your own bank, usually followed by a sum in the mid three-digit range. In other words, not utopian amounts, but just enough to make a small dent in the budget and frighten the unsuspecting bank customer.
It is precisely this emotional reaction that the fraudsters are banking on. The message usually contains a link that leads to a website that looks confusingly similar to the online offering of a real bank.
Here, the fraud victims log in with their access data (which falls into the hands of the fraudsters) and cancel the alleged transaction with a transaction authorization number (which also falls into the hands of the fraudsters). The fraudsters then use the captured information to transfer money from their victim's account (usually automatically within seconds).
Of course, this only works if the recipients of the emails actually have an account with the bank named as the sender. However, as the criminals send their emails to hundreds of t
Looking to make sense of all those complicated processes, workflows, or organizational charts? Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional for Windows — on sale for $19.97 — could be just the solution you need. With its advanced diagramming tools, Visio allows you to visualize complex ideas and data in a way that's easy to understand, even for the most intricate projects.
Whether you're a project manager, engineer, or IT professional, Visio helps streamline the creation of professional diagrams with pre-built templates, shapes, and data integration options. Instead of manually dragging boxes and lines, let Visio handle the heavy lifting.
Visio also integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, making it easy to collaborate with colleagues in real-time, share updates, and keep everyone on the same page. Plus, with lifetime access to this version, you can keep using Visio without worrying about ongoing subscription fees. It's a must-have for any professional looking to
Tired of shelling out for Microsoft Office every year or month? Here's a chance to make that problem disappear. Grab lifetime access to Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for $24.97, which will provide you with all the tools you need without the headache of recurring fees.
Whether you're writing reports in Word, crunching numbers in Excel, or crafting presentations in PowerPoint, this version of Office has everything covered. You'll also get access to Outlook, Publisher, and Access, making it a full productivity suite for both work and personal projects.
Don't let the "2019" fool you into thinking this is an outdated license — it may be missing some newer bells and whistles of newer versions, but it has all the essentials of MS Office, including regular updates and access to ongoing customer service.
No more subscriptions, no more monthly payments — just a one-time investment that gives you the software for life. Perfect for students, professionals, or any
Below you'll find my picks for the best home office monitors, and below that you can learn more about what specs and features matter when shopping for a home office monitor.
For even more monitor recommendations, check out our roundups of the best monitors and the best portable monitors. The latter can be especially useful if you like to be able to work from locations in and out of the home.
And if you really want to take your home office up a notch, consider adding a monitor arm to your desk setup. It not only looks very slick and professional, but it's the ultimate in ergonomics because of the added flexibility a monitor arm provides for positioning your display.
Updated September 13, 2024 to include the Ben Q RD280U as our home office recommendation for coders thanks to the display's unique 3:2 aspect ratio, which in addition to other its other fine features, makes it the best monitor we know
This is a different Civ feel, one with the charm of Anno 117. A city is not just symbolized here as in Civilization VII with a few houses and landmarks, but we can see and feel it. We can drive to the harbor, where fishing boats are bringing in the next catch, while Egyptian warships patrol the coast.
If you still prefer Windows laptops, you'll definitely want to check out PCWorld's roundup of the best laptops available today.
Why you should trust us: PCWorld has been going strong since 1983, back in the days when print magazines were more common. Now that we've made the leap to digital, we've been reviewing more than 70 laptops every year. Every laptop that passes through our doors goes through an arduous testing process, in which we evaluate everything from processor performance to display quality. We're committed to reviewing laptops in every price range too.
Update September 13, 2024: We added the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 ($699) as the Best High-End Chromebook pick. This Chromebook offers a 2-in-1 form factor, excellent day-to-day performance, and a 1200p touch screen. We've also updated our list of recent laptop reviews, so be sure to check those out near the bottom of the page.
The Elgato Stream Deck Studio measures almost half a meter in length and connects with a single USB-C input on the front. There are also two more USB-C ports on the back, one of which offers connection to a PC and another can be used to power the device instead of the Stream Deck Studio's 25W Ethernet connection. It's also possible to connect several Elgato Stream Deck Studios to each other.
It's currently priced at $899.99 and is available to purchase today.
And now that this speedy 1TB Samsung 990 Pro SSD is on sale for just $100 on Amazon, there's never been a better time to upgrade your computer's storage drive. Whether you have a sluggish HDD or a decent SSD, this super-performant upgrade is better. Guaranteed.
When we reviewed the Samsung 990 Pro, we gave it 4 stars out of 5 and our Editors' Choice award, praising its everyday performance and the fact that it's available with or without a heat sink. Our main issue with it was its price — but now that it's 38 percent off, it's virtually flawless.
This particular SSD delivers sequential read/write speeds of up to 7,450MB/s, making for truly lightning-fast loading times and file transfers, and it even comes with user-friendly software to help you optimize the drive for maximum computer performance.
It's the perfect upgrade for any slow laptop or desktop, whether for work or gaming. You can ev
You might even find that Teams automatically opens whenever you boot or restart your computer. This could be helpful if you're always on Teams and use it a lot… but what if you don't? Maybe it's slowing down your startup times and you want to disable this behavior.
Fortunately, you can. Here's what you can do if you don't want Microsoft Teams to automatically launch at startup.
Option 1: Via Teams
You can disable the automatic launch of Microsoft Teams directly within the application. To do this, click on the three-dot menu next to your profile picture at the top-right corner in Teams, then Settings.
In the General tab, you'll see a checkbox labeled Auto-start Teams. Simply uncheck the box and Teams will no longer start on its own when you boot up Windows.
You can also specify whether Teams should open in the background, meaning you won't see the Teams window when it launches. You'll still be active in Teams and receive notifications, but the window itself will only show when you open the application manually.
In our review of the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro, we gave it a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars and our Editors' Choice award, praising the laptop's outstanding OLED screen, its barely-there weight, its great keyboard, and — surprisingly — its built-in camera.
This laptop runs on an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, a solid 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. While there's no dedicated graphics card in this thing, the AI-accelerated Intel Arc graphics are enough to deliver a smooth visual experience.
The screen is particularly striking thanks to its 3K resolution (that's 2880×1800) and crisp, clear images. Not to mention that it's a touchscreen, so you can forego your mouse every now and then and just use your finger to swipe and tap on what you need.
The Galaxy Book4 Pro also has a great battery inside, clocking in at nearl
If you don't have a power bank yet, here's a solid one to start with: Baseus's 20,000mAh power bank is on sale for $41 on Amazon, which is nearly half off its usual price. Pretty good for a high-capacity portable charger that's still compact enough to carry around comfortably.
The 20,000mAh capacity is enough to fully charge an iPhone 15 or Galaxy S23 Ultra from zero to full over 3 times. It's also enough to fully charge a dead MacBook Pro (yes, it's great for laptops, too).
But this power bank isn't just large — it's also fast. It has a 65W Power Delivery output that can juice your phone, laptop, and other gadgets in a pinch, able to fully charge a MacBook Pro in just over 1.5 hours.
Furthermore, it can do up to three devices simultaneously. The primary output is the 65W PD USB-C port, but it also has two other 30W QC USB-A ports. (Note that charging multiple devices at once may impact the max charging speeds of each output port.)
The USB-C port doubles as an input, allowing you to recharge the power bank itself at up to 60W (which brings it from zero to full in 100 minutes). Alternatively, you can recharge using the Micro-USB port (but that one has a max throughput of 18W). And the small LED display shows you exactly how much battery is left for charging.
All in all, this is a fantastic power bank for the price. If you want to be able to charge your devices anywhere at any time, grab this 20,000mAh Bas
Just because you've used Steam a lot doesn't mean you know everything about it. Valve has continued to update its flagship product over the years with several intriguing and downright useful features, and it's a real shame that many of those features fly under the radar.
So, I dug through some of Valve's recent announcements and explored the software from end to end. Here are some cool Steam features I found that you might've overlooked.
Play Steam games on your TV or phone
Steam is a PC gaming platform, but you aren't limited to your PC. With Valve's own Steam Link app, you can stream games from your PC to compatible devices including phones, tablets, and TVs.
All you have to do is install Steam Link on the device you want to play on (e.g., your TV or phone) and connect via Steam Link to your gaming PC. This connection can be made over local network or the internet, meaning you can actually play your games even when away from home.
What actually happens is that your inputs are sent to your PC, which runs the actual game, and the game's visual output is streamed to your device in real time. It's basically a cloud gaming setup, except your own PC is the cloud service in this case.
To record Peacock live sports and shows on Windows or Mac, try this reliable third-party screen recorder: EaseUS RecExperts.
iPhone and Android users can use the corresponding built-in screen-recording feature to record on Peacock.
Peacock is an online streaming platform with a wide range of content, and PC and phone users can record videos after subscribing to the service.
Record Peacock live sports and shows on PC and Mac
Compatibility: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/macOS 10.13 or later
Operational difficulty: Easy
Best for: Cash-strapped users or video content makers who want to record and edit Peacock live sports, shows, or news on Windows and Mac
With the boom of the Olympics and Paralympics, many sports fans ask how to record the Olympics on Peacock or if they can record shows on Peacock for offline viewing. Professional screen recorders like EaseUS RecExperts can help you screen record protected videos without a black screen on copyrighted streaming platforms such as Peacock Premium, Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime - provided it's for personal use. Here are some other
This Bluetooth speaker is designed to survive your wildest adventures. It's waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof, so you don't have to worry about the elements getting in the way of your good time. Take it by the pool, out on a hike, or even through a surprise rainstorm — this speaker can handle it all.
With up to 20 hours of play time, the party won't stop anytime soon. Plus, Bluetooth 5.0 offers seamless connectivity, and you can pair two HD77s together to really crank up the volume with stereo sound.
Whether you're a small business owner or a freelancer looking to boost your online presence, SiteGuru simplifies the process by providing clear, actionable SEO reports.
Unlike other platforms that drown you in jargon, SiteGuru breaks down complex data into easy-to-follow recommendations. It audits your site, checks for broken links, analyzes loading speed, and tracks SEO performance over time. Plus, it keeps you updated on what you can improve, so you can stay ahead of the competition.
Never worry about monthly fees. Instead, you'll have everything you need to rank higher on search engines, get more traffic, and improve your website's overall performance — all with minimal effort on your part.
But as I found out when Razer unveiled a new entry in its BlackWidow line, there can be an easier way to ease into the world of custom keyboards. Take home a BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% keeb, and you have the option to leave it completely as is…or slowly work your way to completely overhauling it so it feels just the way you like. If you're familiar with PC sellers like iBuyPower, CyberPowerPC, and even NZXT, which sell prebuilt PCs using replaceable components, this keyboard strikes a similar vibe.
As an upgrade on the standard V4 75% that launched last year in August, the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% keeps Razer's orange tactile switches and adds both wireless support and an OLED display, along with an almost 60 percent increase in price—at launch, it'll cost $300. You can pair it with up to three devices via Bluetooth. It also runs at a polling rate of 4K Hz, with a battery life that can stretch as long as 2100 hours, thanks to a low-power mode. When in low-power mode, the keyboard drops down to a 1,000 Hz polling rate.
Steam Families combines and replaces both Family Sharing (used to lend games to family members) and Family View (now known as Parental Controls, used to limit a family member's access to certain Steam features and content), and also makes it possible for restricted family members to make purchase requests for approval.
The big change is that Steam Families now allows up to six people to play games simultaneously from a shared game library. However, if two or more people want to play the exact same game at the same time, multiple copies of that game will be needed. It's also possible to play games offline as long as the game in question supports Family Sharing.
Note: Not all Steam games support Family Sharing. Developers may opt out on a per-game basis for any reason. Visit the Steam Store listing page for any game to see if it's eligible to be shared with family members.
To make use of these features, you must either create a Steam Family or join an existing one. If you create one, you can then invite up to five others to join you. Each member of a Steam Family retains their own save files, achievements, and Workshop subscriptions.
Who can join your Steam Family? Right now, anyone can join. However, Valve intends this feature to be for a "household" of "close family members" — even if there aren't any hard restrictions yet, it's reasonable to assume that Valve will introduce them if people abuse it.
Most systems come with security software baked into the OS, but for some folks, an upgrade can help demystify and simplify online security. To help you choose a good suite, we've identified products that offer excellent protection, worthwhile features, and minimal performance impact on your PC.
Why you should trust us: PCWorld has been deep in the trenches of testing computer hardware, software, and services since 1983—including security suites. For antivirus apps, we continually evaluate popular or noteworthy software. We consider the user experience, strength of protection against threats (online and offline), and how well it addresses the ever-expanding types of attacks. Our guide on how we test antivirus software at PCWorld gives the full details of our review process, but for the results of our work, read on.
Update September 12, 2024: If you're a US resident and still using Kaspersky antivirus software, it's time to replace it—updates will soon cease. Not sure which of our best picks below will work for you? We've created a list of close alternatives that can fill the void. If you know anyone headed back to college, you'll want to read up on the free ste
Both developers and users can nominate apps — including their own — and there are only two stipulations: first, a nominated app must be publicly available in the Microsoft Store as of September 15, 2024, and second, a nominated app cannot be owned by Microsoft employees. Games are eligible for nomination as well.
Microsoft for Store Awards 2024
The nomination process is now open and will remain so until Sunday, September 15, 2024, after which each nominated app will be evaluated based on its user experience, innovation, uniqueness, and integration with the latest hardware and technology.
If you want to nominate an app, you can use this official form provided by Microsoft. If you want to nominate multiple apps, you must submit the form multiple times, once per app.
The winners of the Microsoft Store Awards 2024 will be announced sometime in October.
But right now, you can grab this Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablet for just $90 on Amazon — a hefty discount off its normal $150 and the best price we've seen for it all year. It'll likely never be cheaper than this.
With the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro, you can control exactly how much time your kids spend online, which sites they can and can't visit, and what they can watch/read/play. If they want to do something outside their allowance, they can request approval.
This version, which is the newest model, is faster than all previous versions, has a brighter screen, and a longer-lasting battery (up to 13 hours on a charge). It comes with 32GB of internal storage space, and that's honestly more than enough for anyone who isn't downloading a ton of media. But if you ever do run out of space, you can easily expand with a microSD card up to 1TB in capacity.
What's nice about Amazon's line of kid-friendly tablets is that they all come with a 1-year subscription to Amazon Kids , which provides access to thousands of ad-free media, including ebooks, games, videos, and apps. When the year ends, you can keep it going for $5.99 per month.
These kid-friendly tablets also come with a rugged case that protects the device from hits and drops. (You know how kids are!) On top of that, Amazon provides a 2-year worry-free guarantee — if the tablet breaks for any reason within that time, you'll get a free replacement.
Visit AMD's Ryzen Master page, and you'll see two versions of the software: one for "Ryzen 3000 processors and newer," and a second version that's optimized for "Ryzen 2000 series processors and older."
AMD's Ryzen Master software is AMD's version of other third-party utilities that provides a summary of a Ryzen system's basic system parameters, including the CPU clock speed and temperature, the integrated Radeon graphics, and more. It also allows users to overclock their system, and store personalized performance profiles for various scenarios.
But AMD is clearly de-prioritizing the older systems, as VideoCardz notes.
Recently, however, it's come to light that Microsoft Photos has been causing computer slowdowns for many users.
There are two main reasons for this: first, Microsoft migrated the Photos app from UWP to Windows App SDK back in June, and second, Microsoft has been adding new AI features to the Photos app.
As a result, the app has grown sluggish and takes longer to start than it used to — which can be a real problem when the Photos app automatically starts on its own when Windows boots up.
All you need is a hub, and right now you can grab this Anker USB-C hub for just $18.84 on Amazon — that's 25 percent off its usual $25.
This tiny gadget is a 5-in-1 hub that plugs into your laptop's USB-C port and expands it into several more ports: one USB-C port with 5Gbps data transfer, two USB-A ports with 5Gbps data transfer each, one HDMI port that supports 4K@30Hz, and one 100W PD USB-C port for charging.
With this hub, you'll have all the ports you need to connect peripherals, flash drives, and an external monitor, plus enough speed to move your files from device to device without any wait times.
Note that the USB-C charging port will take in up to 100W of power and put out up to 85W of power to your laptop (or whatever you end up plugging this hub into). You'll need a wall charger that's capable of delivering 100W — and if you don't have one, we recommend this Anker 100W GaN wall charger that's on sale for $40 on Amazon.
If you're tired of feeling cramped and limited by the meager number of ports on your laptop, you can do better. Grab this Anker USB-C hub for just $18.84 on Amazon while you still can!
Expand your laptop ports with this Anker USB-C hub
There's a new trend in gaming monitors: "dual-resolution" displays. These monitors advertise support for two resolutions with differing maximum refresh rates. The Alienware AW2725QF has a maximum resolution of 4K with a refresh rate up to 180Hz, but can also handle 1080p at up to 360Hz. That means the AW2725QF is a monitor that can deliver both excellent sharpness or top-tier motion clarity as required. However, the AW2725QF relies on an IPS panel without a Mini-LED backlight, which is bad news for its contrast and color performance.
Alienware AW2725QF specs and features
The AW2725QF's specifications highlight its dual-resoluti
So, even though Microsoft clearly wants to push Windows 10 users to Windows 11, the company still has great incentive to keep working on the older version (despite ending official support soon).
A lot of that work seems focused on the Windows 10 Start menu. It's where Microsoft keeps placing ads for their other products and services, to the point where the Start menu is starting to feel like a billboard.
