I've spent hours and hours using each model, banging away on product reviews, surfing the web, and keeping up on social media to bring you a list of the very best wireless keyboards around.
While there's no one-size-fits-all keyboard, these recommendations aim to help you make an informed decision based on your own personal needs. After you've perused our best picks, be sure to check out our buying advice at the end to help you learn what to look for when shopping for a wireless keyboard.
Logitech MX Keys S Wireless Keyboard - Best overall wireless desktop keyboard
Getting a new computer is great right up to the point where you have to move everything over. If that part stresses you out, the PC Transfer Kit Bundle is worth a look. It comes with lifetime licenses to three apps that can safely transfer all your data and files, backup your disk, and permanently erase your data from your old computer. It's also only $34.99 (reg. $129.85).
PCmover does what ti says on the tin. It moves your files, settings, and even installed apps from your old PC to your new one. No need to dig up install CDs or license keys. Most programs arrive ready to use right away.
DiskImage gives you a complete backup of your old system so you can recover from crashes or hardware issues without losing data. It even works if your new PC has different hardware.
And when it's time to retire a device, SafeErase permanently deletes your personal info using secure deletion methods. That means no one can recover your old emails, photos, or financial data later on.
If you need to streamline your content creation workflow, there's a new AI platform that can help. AI Magicx has powerful AI tools for all types of content, and you only pay for it once. For just $59.97 (regularly $972), you'll get a lifetime subscription with access to everything from AI-driven logo design and art generation to dynamic chatbots and story creators.
With AI MagicX, you can create high-quality articles, engaging visuals, and even custom logos in minutes. Transform simple ideas into polished, ready-to-use content without spending hours on design or research.
The AI MagicX platform is user-friendly and versatile, designed to meet the needs of everyone from entrepreneurs and developers to content creators and artists. Plus, with MagicXBot and AI MagicX Coder, you'll have access to real-time content generation and code optimization, bringing innovation and efficiency to your workflow.
This lifetime subscription isn't just a one-time deal: it's a lasting investment in your creative toolkit, allowing you to leverage the latest in AI technology without recurring fees.
For an extra layer of protection, you can turn a humble USB drive into a secure key that will lock and unlock your PC, making it much harder for intruders to gain access. Here's how…
What to do…
Windows 11 has a facility to set up a secure USB key. But I prefer to use the free third-party app USB Raptor, which gives me a little more control over how my key works.
Get a USB flash drive without any files loaded on it. I'm using the SanDisk 16GB Ultra Fit, which cost me $9 on Amazon.
Download and install USB Raptor and launch the app. It will launch in configuration mode with three steps to complete to set up your secure key.
Step 1: Choose an encryption password and write it down somewhere so you don't forget it.
Step 2: Plug in your U
If you deal with a lot of PDFs but don't want to pay for Adobe Acrobat every month, SwifDoo PDF Pro is a great alternative. It's a lightweight, affordable editor for Windows that still packs in a full range of features. Bonus: a SwifDoo lifetime license just went on sale for $29.97 (reg. $129), but it's not going to stay that way.
With SwifDoo, you can open, edit, annotate, merge, and compress PDFs without any fuss. Need to convert a document to Word or Excel? It can handle that too, without messing up the formatting. You can even batch convert multiple files at once.
SwifDoo also includes OCR (optical character recognition), which means you can scan printed documents and turn them into searchable, editable files. Signing PDFs, adding or removing watermarks, and password-protecting documents are all built in as well.
What makes it especially appealing is the one-time cost. You pay once, and that's it: no subscriptions, no recurring fees. It's easy to use, fast to install, and doesn't slow down your system.
If you're still browsing without a VPN, you might be leaving your personal data wide open. VPNs are a simple way to protect yourself, but most of them operate on yet another monthly subscription. If you want privacy you don't have to pay for every month, check out FastestVPN. This advanced VPN protects your online activity for life, and it's only $39.99 (reg. $600).
As the name suggests, FastestVPN is built for speed. It supports the WireGuard protocol and includes access to over 900 servers in more than 100 countries. Whether you're streaming, downloading, or just browsing, you'll get fast, consistent performance.
On the security side, you get AES 256-bit encryption, a built-in ad blocker, malware protection, a NAT firewall, and even a kill switch in case your connection drops. There's also split tunneling and double VPN support for added control.
FastestVPN works across just about every platform, from Windows and macOS to Android, iOS, routers, and game consoles. You can use it on up to 15 devices at the same time, and the Pro Plan also includes a one-year password manager to help organize your logins.
Luckily, there are plenty of streaming options for puck heads to catch all the coverage. Here's a look at the best streaming services for watching the Stanley Cup playoffs so you don't miss a single goal, hit, or heart-stopping overtime.
With an over-the-air DVR, you can record shows from an antenna, rewind live TV broadcasts, and even fast-forward through commercials. Some DVRs can even stream video to multiple TVs or even let you watch recorded TV shows on your phone, tablet, or laptop while you're away from home.
Fewer manufacturers are building over-the-air DVRs these days, but some smaller hardware and software makers are still putting up the good fight, providing a level of control you just don't get from streaming services alone.
Why you should trust us
As TechHive's resident cord-cutting expert, I've been reviewing over-the-air DVRs since 2017. These are remarkably complex products, and I do my best to understand what folks are looking for as they try to move on from the cable DVR experience they're accustomed to. Beyond just product reviews, I write a weekly column about streaming and over-the-air TV for TechHive, along with a weekly cord-cutting newsletter for more than 30,000 subscribers.
Granted, the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U within the Minisforum EM-series isn't the newest processor on the block. But with 8 cores and 16 threads, it's more than enough to handle basic work, browsing, and video duties, and AMD's integrated graphics are surprisingly great for gaming. You can check out the same setup running on this breakdown of new laptops from 2022, where it puts up some very respectable frames at 1080p—and that's with less RAM and possibly some limitations for battery.
The EM680 is a seriously mini PC, just 80mm (3.14 inches) square. That's smaller than a lot of USB docks! The 32GB of RAM has already maxed out its capacity, but you can boost storage with a 2TB M.2 SSD if you want, or just pop in a microSD card. It's also stacked for ports, including HDMI, double USB-C, three USB-A 3.2 ports, and a 3.5mm audio jack. This is a lot of PC for under three hundred bucks, despite its tiny footprint.
Minisforum seems to be clearing out its stock, as this model is refurbished and it isn't available in new form. But Minisforum offers a full year manufacturer warranty on refurb sales, a big improvement over some that only come with 90 days. With a price this low, it might be gone
Keep in mind that prices can fluctuate, so our picks below may go over $1,000. For more recommendations on gaming laptops, see our roundup of the best gaming laptops across all price points.
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.
What does that mean? In short, these AI models can use an image—such as a photograph or a sketch—as part of an analysis. The models can also adjust, zoom in on, and rotate an image during reasoning.
For the first time, our reasoning models can agentically use and combine every tool within ChatGPT, including web search, Python, image analysis, file interpretation, and image generation. pic.twitter.com/rDaqV0x0wE
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) April 16, 2025
Both o3 and o4-mini can do a lot more than that, too. "For the first time, our reasoning models can agentically use and combine every tool within ChatGPT, including web search, Python, image analysis, file interpretation, and image generation," tweeted OpenAI.
Both o3 and o4-mini AI models have been made available to paying ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team users, while the old o1, o3-mini, and o3-mini-high AI models have been removed. OpenAI plans to release the
That's the end of a class-action lawsuit that started over four years ago, when two American plaintiffs complained that HP displayed "strike-through prices" on its store that weren't actually real, thus inflating the discount that it looked like they were receiving. According to the report on Ars Technica, the plaintiffs allege that HP lied about how much quantity was available, in the familiar "only one left at this price" sense.
I say allegedly, because this is a civil suit, not a criminal case of false advertising, and HP has admitted no wrongdoing or liability as a condition of the settlement. It's basically a $4 million "leave me alone" check. Though the plaintiffs did accuse HP of violating the US FTC's deceptive pricing laws, it doesn't appear that any actual law enforcement is involved. And it's not as if these practices are isolated. The "FOMO" and time pressure sales tactic is omnipresent online, new variations of sales techniques that I remember from the infomercial days and before.
One personal bugbear of mine is a little company called Lenovo, the largest seller of laptops on the planet by volume. Whenever it announces a new ThinkPad model I truly, genuinely don't know how much it costs, despite covering its products for over
Yep, sometimes a big, hefty daddy of a graphics card needs a little extra support around the girdle. Here's what you need to know about GPU braces and how to tell if you need one.
Why would you need a GPU brace?
A powerful graphics card is a prized possession that will provide you with hours of glorious gaming fun, but that could be at the expense of your other hardware. How? When a GPU is too heavy for the PCIe slot and the screws that hold it in place it will typically sag downwards and sometimes cause damage — a problem known as GPU droop.
That can happen with some graphics cards even despite the PCIe slots being reinforced to prevent it happening. It may not droop immediately, but gravity can work away over time, causing the hefty component to bend and bow gradually.
The Acer Aspire 14 AI is a workhorse laptop, no flashy materials or pretensions at gaming prowess. Our reviewer Mark Knapp called it solid and reliable, if a little bland—it screams "Toyota Camry" to me—but you can't argue with the specs. With a Core Ultra 5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage space, it should handle all the tasks a regular user will throw at it, and it has a 14-inch touchscreen on top of that. Other extras include Windows Hello face-scanning for secure logins, double USB-C and USB-A ports, and a full-sized HDMI port.
At 3.07 pounds and 0.7 inches thick, it's neither skinny nor chunky, and the battery life is competitive even with some recent Snapdragon models that can go for longer than a pink bunny in an old battery commercial. It would make a good practical machine for a student or anyone whose current laptop just isn't cutting it anymore. Read the full review—of this exact model with these same specs!—for more info.
AntOnline is selling this config of the Aspire 14 AI for $569.99, an impressive $230 off Acer's current retail price. It's marked as a "quick ship deal," but I don't know what that means in terms of availability, so I wouldn't let that tab go dormant if you've decid
The verification process involves either scanning your face with a webcam or visiting a QR code with your mobile device and uploading a photo of your ID card. This is a one-time verification, with options to re-verify or undergo a manual review if the process fails. Users who are deemed too young by the automatic verification could end up being banned.
Discord says this age verification process is "experimental" and meant to guard against access to sexually explicit material and other types of content only meant for certain age groups. "Age verification is required to unblur media flagged by our sensitive media filter and to update your sensitive media filter settings," says the support page.
According to The Verge, Discord says none of the information collected during the verification process is stored by the company or any of its vendors. And as of this writing, the age verification experiment is only live in the UK and Australia. The company has neither confirmed nor denied whether it'll roll out to other regions in the future.
I'm a hypocrite for blocking ads
Let's start off this rant with a little context. As a web writer, I should never block advertising on the internet. The majority of the money I've been paid over the last 13 years has come from web ads, like the ones you're probably seeing above, below, and around these words. A modern writer for a free-to-read site blocking advertising is kind of like a vegan butcher: problematic at best.
The most popular of the extensions is called Cuponomia: Coupons and Cashback (with 700,000 users), followed by Fire Shield Extension Protection and Total Safety for Chrome (with 300,000 users each). You can view the full list of extensions in this spreadsheet.
Due to trickery like false promises of increased security and/or the potential to earn real-world money, many users have been lured into downloading these malicious extensions via ads or scam sites.
The malicious extensions found on the Chrome Web Store have been removed as of this writing, but it will be difficult—if not impossible—to tackle the ones spreading via other channels.
If you suspect you've downloaded a malicious Chrome extension, you should uninstall it immediately and change any passwords for any related accounts that may have fallen into the wrong hands.
Samsung wasn't ready to talk details at CES, but now they've lifted the veil and I was able to go hands-on with their newest gaming displays, including the Odyssey 3D (G90XF) and 27-inch 4K Odyssey OLED G8 (G81SF). These are the flagship monitors in the company's 2025 line-up. So, do they hold up? Here's what I found.
Samsung Odyssey 3D G90XF
Samsung actually first teased the Odyssey 3D G90XF all the way back at CES 2024. The company didn't say much about it after that, so I'd figured it would never see store shelves. But it's no myth! In fact, it's now available for pre-order from Samsung or Best Buy at $1,999.99.
The "3D" in the model's name calls out the monitor's lenticular glasses-less 3D technology. This new tech uses a specialized display panel layer to redirect light in a way that creates a 3D effect without 3D glasses.
But how does it look? Fantastic!
The Odyssey 3D G90XF is a 27-inch 4K (3840×2160) monitor, so it looks rather sharp. Lenticular displays like the G90XF have, in the past, suffered a distracting moiré pattern. However, modern lenticular displays like this one solve the problem with higher resolutions. It also has 3D cam
This Anker USB-C hub will turn one of your laptop's USB-C ports into five connections: one HDMI, two 5Gbps USB-A, one 5Gbps USB-C, and one USB-C with 100W of power delivery. That's a solid assortment of connections to transform your single laptop into a full-blown workstation with an external monitor, peripherals, and pass-through charging.
The HDMI port on this hub supports up to 4K resolution at 30Hz, so while it isn't exactly suitable for gamers or high-frame-rate video editing, it's perfect for office work, everyday web browsing, and entertainment like streaming YouTube, Netflix, or Twitch.
The hub itself is sleek and slim, making it pretty darn portable. You can toss it straight into a bag with your laptop, flash drives, and what not. You won't have to worry about a thing.
If you're tired of your laptop's limited ports, you need a hub pronto—and it's hard to do better than this one for the price. Grab this 5-in-1 Anker USB-C hub for just $25!
This 5-port USB-C hub with 4K HDMI is a solid get for $25Buy now at Amazon
This Anker USB-C hub will turn one of your laptop's USB-C ports into five connections: one HDMI, two 5Gbps USB-A, one 5Gbps USB-C, and one USB-C with 100W of power delivery. That's a solid assortment of connections to transform your single laptop into a full-blown workstation with an external monitor, peripherals, and pass-through charging.
The HDMI port on this hub supports up to 4K resolution at 30Hz, so while it isn't exactly suitable for gamers or high-frame-rate video editing, it's perfect for office work, everyday web browsing, and entertainment like streaming YouTube, Netflix, or Twitch.
The hub itself is sleek and slim, making it pretty darn portable. You can toss it straight into a bag with your laptop, flash drives, and what not. You won't have to worry about a thing.
If you're tired of your laptop's limited ports, you need a hub pronto—and it's hard to do better than this one for the price. Grab this 5-in-1 Anker USB-C hub for just $25!
This 5-port USB-C hub with 4K HDMI is a solid get for $25Buy now at Amazon
— Andrej Karpathy (@karpathy) February 2, 2025
The tweet of course kicked off a flame war, because that's how X works, especially under the current management. But for me, the tweet hit home—because it perfectly describes how I use AI to code.
My experience with vibe coding
I've always had an interest in programming, because I've always had an interest in computers. I put together websites i
With an Intel Core i7-12650H processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB SSD, this is a more-than-adequate laptop for productivity, everyday leisure, and moderate gaming. Granted, it's a few years old, but it can quickly launch all your apps, manage dozens of Chrome tabs without choking, you know the drill.
This HP Victus 15 also includes an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card. Again, it's about two years old by now, but it's still one of the better value GPUs you can pack into an affordable laptop like this, able to play most modern games at decent frame rates. The 15.6-inch IPS display with 1080p resolution delivers crisp images with accurate colors, and the 144Hz refresh rate serves well for action-heavy gaming.
When we reviewed the HP Victus 15, we noted that it's a great value laptop for a great price and appreciated its gaming performance. "Overall, the HP Victus 15 is a competent and reasonably priced computer for basic gaming," our expert noted.
If you want a capable gaming laptop for well under a grand, here's your chance to grab the HP Victus 15 for $820 at Best Buy.
With an Intel Core i7-12650H processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB SSD, this is a more-than-adequate laptop for productivity, everyday leisure, and moderate gaming. Granted, it's a few years old, but it can quickly launch all your apps, manage dozens of Chrome tabs without choking, you know the drill.
This HP Victus 15 also includes an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card. Again, it's about two years old by now, but it's still one of the better value GPUs you can pack into an affordable laptop like this, able to play most modern games at decent frame rates. The 15.6-inch IPS display with 1080p resolution delivers crisp images with accurate colors, and the 144Hz refresh rate serves well for action-heavy gaming.
When we reviewed the HP Victus 15, we noted that it's a great value laptop for a great price and appreciated its gaming performance. "Overall, the HP Victus 15 is a competent and reasonably priced computer for basic gaming," our expert noted.
If you want a capable gaming laptop for well under a grand, here's your chance to grab the HP Victus 15 for $820 at Best Buy.
Fortunately, one of our favorite solutions for that is now on sale. Anker has a compact power bank with a 10,000mAh capacity and a convenient built-in USB-C cable that really comes in handy, and this power bank is now just $16 on Amazon with Prime (was $26). If you don't have Prime, you can still score this price by signing up for a free Prime trial.
The Anker Zolo packs enough juice to keep your phone going all day, able to fully recharge an iPhone 15 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S24 two times over. But it's that built-in USB-C cable that's the real hero, allowing you to take it anywhere without also worrying about the charging cable. When not in use, the built-in cable loops back and locks into place, serving as a handle strap for carrying the power bank around.
On top of that, the Anker Zolo also features a separate USB-C port as well as a USB-A port, so you can charge up to three devices at once. With 30W of power output, it offers fast charging to get your phone ready in minutes, not hours. (Just be aware that the total charging speed gets split up if you're using multiple ports at the same time.)
Want more capacity? The 20,000mAh Anker Zolo is on sale for $29. They're both about the size of a credit card, but the bigger capacity m
There have been plenty of stories of poor-quality cables frying components, shorting chargers, or even catching fire, so we've gone to great lengths to test many options, including some of the best USB-C cables you can get and some of the most hazardous to avoid.
Here are some key gotchas you need to be aware of before buying a USB-C cable these days. Learn how to spot the bad ones and what you can do to end up with one that's fast, durable, and priced well.
Don't buy from no-name brands
This tip is true for most electronics, but it's especially important for USB-C cables. You might think a USB-C cable is just a bit of wiring in a sheath, but actually there are several safety features — at least, there should be — that ensure safe power delivery.
Of course, just because safety regulations exists doesn't mean that all manufacturers follow them, especially manuf
Need a quick way to scan and organize documents without hunting down a desktop scanner? SwiftScan makes it easy to turn your phone into a versatile mobile scanner and PDF editor. SwiftScan works on iOS or Android, and a lifetime subscription is on sale for $41.99 (reg. $199.99).
Using SwiftScan is easy. Just open the app, point your phone at the page, and SwiftScan automatically captures a high-quality scan. It recognizes the edges, crops the image, and sharpens the result. You can scan anything from receipts and whiteboards to handwritten notes and business cards.
Need to work with your scans? SwiftScan has built-in tools to add notes, highlight sections, sign forms, and even redact sensitive info. You can also rearrange pages or delete them altogether.
Saving and sharing is quick and painless. SwiftScan supports cloud uploads to Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, and more. You can email files directly or even send a fax without leaving the app. It also supports barcode and QR code scanning.
Use code TAKE30 by April 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get a
There's really only one problem: my laptop is too old for a Windows 11 update. On October 14th, 2025, Windows 10 will reach the end of its life period, which means no new features or security updates. The former is not a big problem. The latter would be a disaster.
I'm not alone in this situation. Over 50 percent of users are still running Windows 10, and this figure is gradually dropping. How many will have updated in six months' time is anyone's guess, but whatever the percentage, one thing is clear. A large proportion of the world's 1.6 billion Windows PCs will still be running Windows 10 on October 14th, 2025.
What makes this challenging is that Windows 11 is so technically demanding that it's not possible to update all fully functional computers. Sadly, my six-year-old laptop is one of them.
Chromebooks are generally less expensive than Windows laptops and they're largely virus free. Heck, with cloud gaming, you can even play the hottest titles on some of them. The only problem? Typing "Chromebook" into a search bar opens the floodgates to countless choices. To simplify things, we've put together a list of Chromebooks PCWorld has personally tested and reviewed.
If you still prefer Windows laptops, 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 100 laptops annually. 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.
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.
4chan has been embroiled in a long series of controversies since its launch in 2003. As an anonymous forum, it has developed its own unique flavor of edgy internet counterculture. You may have heard 4chan mentioned in relation to QAnon, with one anonymous user (going by "Q") fabricating claims of a deep state conspiracy.
But 4chan isn't the only of its kind. An anonymous user from a rival forum called soyjak.party claimed responsibility for the hack attack, and that claim was corroborated via leaked emails from 4chan administrators and moderators. Not only was 4chan taken down, but the site's source code and user data were stolen and leaked, including user email addresses.
According to BleepingComputer, the attack was made possible by 4chan's extremely outdated version of PHP from 2016, leaving the forum largely unprotected against various security vulnerabilities.
In recent years, the anonymous English-language forum has had more than 20 million unique visitors each month, so there are many users affected by the incident. It remains to be seen whether 4chan will recover from the attack and whether users will trust the site enough to return.
I've had Ragebound on my radar for PC games that don't need graphics cards since it was announced in December. Koei Tecmo teamed up with Dotemu and The Game Kitchen, developer of the highly-acclaimed 2D soulslike Blasphemous, for a throwback pixelated side-scroller. The initial trailer showed some blistering combat that reminded me of Dead Cells, but it's the latest one that really made my eyes pop out:
In this trailer we see both new protagonists, Hayabusa clan protege Kenji Mozu and Spider clan assassin Kumori. It's the latter who gets the spotlight here, showing off fluid moves and arachnid-themed special attacks. It looks like at least some parts of the game will let you switch between
US District Judge Leonie Brinkema found Google guilty of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act by "willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power in the open-web display publisher ad server market and the open-web display ad exchange market." Here's a PDF of the ruling, via The Verge. It's the conclusion of a case brought by the federal government and eight states over two years ago.
Though Google competes in dozens of categories—from manufacturing its own phones to providing "big iron" data to some of the world's biggest companies—advertising is arguably its most important business. Ads keep much of the web profitable and allow Google to provide its primary search engine for free, in addition to other services like Gmail, Google Docs, YouTube, etc. According to Statista, Google reaped over 250 billion US dollars from advertising in 2024, and Google owns 80 percent of the search market worldwide.
The determination that Google is operating an illegal monopoly—the second such determination from the US DOJ in two years—could be devastating t
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.
So much for the theory, which always sounds simple with USB. The reality is much more confusing.
Not every USB-C power supply is suitable for every device. Not all Type-C ports can be used to charge devices quickly or at all. And not every Type-C cable ensures reliable power transmission.
This guide will give you an overview of the technical possibilities of Type-C charging and recommends suitable power supply units for all devices. If you'd like to avoid all the background and simply know which cords as worth your hard-earned money, be sure to check out our roundup of the best USB-C cables. We perform hands-on tests that go far deeper than most other sources on the web.
But as convenient as that might be, a laptop might not be the best choice depending on how you're going to use it. You may not need the whole kit and kaboodle. Plus, there's a good bit of engineering that goes into laptop designs — and that adds to the cost.
If your laptop is going to be used at home all the time, tethered to your desk with an external monitor and keyboard and mouse, and you're only picking a laptop because you don't want to spend tons for a bulky pre-built desktop PC… then consider a mini PC instead.
Mini PCs offer several benefits over laptops that are totally worth it if you don't need the innate portability that laptops offer.
What's interesting is that Patreon's native live streaming feature won't need any third-party apps. Say goodbye to OBS and Crowdcast, because you'll be able to broadcast live using the Patreon mobile app or website.
When broadcasting, creators will be able to mark their streams as free or exclusive to paid subscribers. Streams will have live chat, moderation tools, and support for popular third-party streaming tools. It won't have co-hosting (yet?), for which you'll need something like OBS.
The real standout feature of Patreon's native live streaming, though, is that creators will be able to stream 24/7 without end. (Compare that to Twitch's 48-hour limit and TikTok Live's 1-hour limit.) However, depending on the creator's plan, they may be limited in how many videos they can upload, with the option to lock videos behind a paywall.
Patreon will start rolling out its native live streaming feature to select creators this week, with wider availability coming this summer.
You've probably seen this same model a time or two if you've been hunting for a low-priced OLED. It has a familiar 1440p resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate that'll satisfy all but the twitchiest of multiplayer gamers, and support for Adaptive Sync if you're playing something more cinematic. It also has more connections than you usually get in budget displays, including USB-C video with 65 watts of power delivery and two USB-A ports. It even includes a KVM switch for handling multiple input devices simultaneously.
Pixio is a budget brand, and if you're looking for something from Alienware or another big name in this range, you might want to wait for one of those aforementioned holiday sales. But set your concerns aside because Pixio monitors have a two-year warranty on its panels and multiple Amazon reviewers say they've been pleased by the service when they needed to use it. That, uh, might be damning with faint praise.
Amazon hasn't marked this as a time-limited sale, so the $550 price might stick around for a while. Then again, it might shoot up once current stock runs out,
Back in 2023, the PDF engine in Edge was switched over to Adobe's PDF engine, but the rollout only made it the default engine on consumer devices. Business devices had to opt into the new engine, while consumer devices could switch back by tweaking a browser flag setting.
Now Microsoft has confirmed its intent to force ALL users onto Adobe's PDF engine, Windows Latest reports. Starting September 2025, admins will have to apply an opt-out policy if they want to delay the PDF engine rollout on their PCs. That delay will only last until early 2026, when Microsoft plans to officially retire the legacy PDF engine in Edge.
The main complaint against Adobe's PDF engine is that users are asked to pay to access several advanced and not-so-advanced features, such as editing text and images, converting between formats, merging documents, and more. It's yet another reminder of how Microsoft seems to nickel and dime its users at every opportunity.
However, a bug in Intune is causing devices to upgrade to Windows 11 despite the update being blocked. Microsoft confirms this in a post in the Microsoft 365 admin center (spotted by BleepingComputer). The problem has apparently existed since April 12, but it only affects organizational devices managed by Intune.
What to do if you're using Intune
With Microsoft Intune, system administrators who manage dozens or huundreds of computers for companies and organizations can determine which software updates are available for installation. That includes upgrades to new Windows versions.
It isn't entirely clear why this error is causing Intune settings to be ignored, nor is it known how many systems are affected. However, Microsoft is working on a solution and, for now, the company recommends completely pausing Windows feature updates via Intune.
What to do if you've been upgraded
If you're managing devices with Intune and those devices were upgraded to Windows 11 despite a policy that should've blocked the update, you either have to bite the bullet and move forward with Windows 11 or manually roll back each system to Windows 10.
The direct answer is: If you game on consoles and want to record or stream content from them, then — yes, you will need one. Then again, if you're just wanting to stream or record gameplay from your PC, a capture card is generally not needed, with the odd exception.
What is a capture card?
In a nutshell, a capture card captures an input signal from a device like a game console, camera, or computer and converts it into a digital signal format that can be saved, edited, or even broadcast live via your PC.
A capture card also acts as a passthrough device allowing the video and audio signal to pass through it to be displayed on a monitor, so that you can see what you're recording or streaming in real time. Want to stream or record Let's Plays and strike it rich on Twitch? Then a capture card can make that happen.
These devices come in two main types: There are the internal capture cards, like the Elgato Game Capture 4K60 Pro Mk.2, that need to be installed directly into your motherboard via a PCIe slot, or there's the external variety, like the
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
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.
The Odyssey G4 (exact model LS25BG402ENXGO) is a 25-inch IPS display made for gaming. The 1080p resolution isn't ideal—the sweet spot is 1440p these days—but if you want high FPS gaming to take advantage of this display's 240Hz, you're probably playing at 1080p to crank out those frames anyway. Of course, you'll need a powerful enough graphics solution to reach those frame rates.
The color-accurate IPS panel is what you need if you do any kind of creative work, but it's also vibrant and vivid enough for immersive streaming of movies and TV shows. The Odyssey G4 also has a 1ms response time and comes with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium support, so you get minimal tearing on compatible systems.
One drawback is that it doesn't have a VESA mount, so you'll need to use it with the included stand. Fortunately, the stand offers enough swivel, tilt, and height adjustments to get it where you need it to be. And as far as connectivity goes, it has two HDMI, a DisplayPort, a USB-A, and a 3.5mm audio jack. All in all, pretty standard stuff.
Snag this super-fast Samsung Odyssey G4 for just $180 on Amazon! If this one doesn't suit your fancy, you should also check out the best monitors we've reviewed across all types and categories.
The Beelink SER8 runs on a Ryzen 7 8745HS processor and a hefty 24GB of DDR5 RAM, rounded out with a speedy 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD that offers plenty of storage space. If you know how to upgrade parts yourself, you can even boost it up to 256GB of memory (dual channel) and 8TB of storage (with the second PCIe 4.0 slot). Phew.
While this tiny PC doesn't feature a dedicated graphics card, it does come with Radeon 780M integrated graphics, which is powerful enough to run most games at 60 FPS and some titles at up to 120 FPS (with modest graphics settings). It's one of the best integrated graphics solution available today, just don't expect top-tier visuals.
That said, this mini PC stands out because it supports up to three 4K@120Hz monitors via HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB4 video ports. (In fact, the DP and USB4 can go up to 4K@144Hz each!) Couple that with another USB4 data port, two USB-A 3.2, two USB-A 2.0, two 3.5mm audio jacks, and a 2.5Gbps Ethernet, and you have a machine that's capable of powering your entire workstation with accessories.
The only caveat about this sale is that it's exclusive to Prime members. But! If you aren't Prime, you can still score these savings by snagging a free 30-day Prime trial. You'll unlock this special price and be able to enjoy the benefits of Prime for a month.
And I'm clearly not the only one, as alternatives have been popping up all over the place. The most promising options? The open-source Bluesky, which I've been pretty keen on lately, and Meta's Threads. While both have amassed millions of users, Threads stands out with over 275 million monthly active users as of late 2024.
So, I decided to use Threads for a month, checking in at least once a day, getting involved in conversations, and posting my own thoughts, too. Here's what I learned about Threads over the past few weeks of trying it out, from the aspects I like to the ones I don't.
What I like about Threads
Threads boasts several great features, especially for those of us who remember Twitter in its early days. It feels like a more refined version of Twitter, one that's built with modern sensibilities (and challenges) in mind. Here's what I particularly like about it.
And I'm clearly not the only one, as alternatives have been popping up all over the place. The most promising options? The open-source Bluesky, which I've been pretty keen on lately, and Meta's Threads. While both have amassed millions of users, Threads stands out with over 275 million monthly active users as of late 2024.
So, I decided to use Threads for a month, checking in at least once a day, getting involved in conversations, and posting my own thoughts, too. Here's what I learned about Threads over the past few weeks of trying it out, from the aspects I like to the ones I don't.
What I like about Threads
Threads boasts several great features, especially for those of us who remember Twitter in its early days. It feels like a more refined version of Twitter, one that's built with modern sensibilities (and challenges) in mind. Here's what I particularly like about it.
In addition to Windows XP, you can also choose interfaces that mimic Windows 2000, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. While you can install and use Linux applications, the system offers a familiar graphical user interface that behaves like Windows, making it easier to navigate.
This post covers three methods to copy data from an old SSD to a new SSD:
Use professional disk cloning software to migrate a whole SSD to another
Use Windows Explorer to manually copy and paste files between SSDs
Use Windows Backup and Restore to create a backup image and then restore
How to prepare for a successful SSD data transfer
Before diving into the methods, let's see what you will need to do to enable a smooth and successful SSD-to-SSD data transfer:
Ensure SSD compatibility. Confirm both SSDs use the same interf
Data privacy and security
Message accuracy and reliability
Natural language understanding and human-computer interaction
Cost and compatibility
If you're looking for an AI chatbot that's free, secure, and capable of meeting your daily needs, EaseMate, released by EaseUS Software, is an ideal choice. Let's take a closer look at the features and benefits of EaseMate and how it fulfills the various needs.
EaseMate: your fast and accurate free AI chatbot
EaseMate, a free AI chat tool, aims to provide you with convenient and secure interaction while ensuring the privacy and security of your data. With EaseMate, you can easily talk to AI to get real-time information and help without worrying about expensive fees or data leakage.
Compared with other free online AI chat tools, EaseMate has the following advantages:
?? Powerful AI models: Empowered by cutting-edge AI models, including DeepSeek V3, DeepSeek R1, GPT-4o-mini, LLaMA 3.3 70B, and Claude 3 Haiku, EaseMate delivers conversational intelligence and precision, ensuring a superior user experience.
?? No filter: EaseMate does not limit or filter user input, allowing users to express themselves or ask questions without restrictions.
?? No sign-up required: Start chatting instantly with EaseMate - no sign-up required, just effortless conversations at your fingertips.
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Microsoft recently announced some surprising news: For the first time in 12 years, Microsoft 365's subscription price is being increased. If you're frustrated by rising prices or simply tired of recurring fees, you might want to invest in a Microsoft Office lifetime license instead.
There's no need to cough up the now $99.99 yearly fee for access to Microsoft 365—own your favorite productivity apps forever with this 2024 Microsoft Office lifetime subscription. Your Office apps will live on your PC or Mac forever once you pay the one-time $159.97 (reg. $249) fee while licenses last.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the latest edition on the market, arriving with classics like W
We've also included some helpful answers to common questions about buying a computer at the bottom of this article. If you're considering a laptop instead, be sure to check out our best laptop deals, updated daily.
Note: Tech deals come and go quickly, so it's possible some of these computer discounts will have expired before this article's next update.
PROMOTION
GIGABYTE B850 Motherboards: PCIe 5.0 for ALL
All GIGABYTE B850 Motherboards come with PCIe 5.0 x16 as a standard. Having PCIe 5.0 means that these motherboards are next-gen graphics ready. Enjoy lower latency and increased bandwidth as you rise to victory.
We've tested top models across all categories-from budget-friendly options to premium picks-to match performance and value with real-world use cases. We're here to provide straightforward advice to help you choose the the best laptop for you.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (2024) - Best laptop overall
We've featured the Dell G2724D before, and even at its regular price it's one of the best values out there for gaming monitors. Matt Smith gave it an Editors' Choice award when he reviewed it, noting its great combination of a high-quality IPS screen with 2560×1440 resolution, 165Hz for fast multiplayer gaming, and support for Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync. It's light on extras—like USB connections—but that just means it's about as cheap as it gets for a proper gaming display. Fortunately, it has a VESA mount, so it's great if you want to clear up space with a monitor arm or just add it to an existing multi-monitor setup.
Dell doesn't have a time limit on this sale, but since it's a refurbished model, there's probably some kind of limit on stock availability. I can't find specific warranty info on this model, but Dell Refurbished says it covers all equipment with a 100-day policy, which is pretty standard. The price is right, so get one while you still can!
You can access this tool yourself by logging into Steam and navigating to Help Steam Support My Account Data Related to Your Steam Account External Funds Used. After Steam asks you to log in again, you'll see your expeditures summed up into five different categories:
TotalSpend
OldSpend
PWSpend
ChinaSpend
PackageOnlySpend
"TotalSpend" is the total amount you've spent on Steam. "OldSpend" is the amount you spent on Steam before April 17, 2015. "PWSpend" is the amount spent on Perfect World if you linked it to CS:GO or Dota 2. "ChinaSpend" is the amount spent on Steam China. "PackageOnlySpend" is how much you spent with external funds. All expenditure amounts are shown in US dollars, except ChinaSpend which is shown in Chinese Yuan.
This nifty feature is both a blessing and a curse. How much have you spent on Steam over the years? You might be surprised by what you see… and then motivated to play through your existing backlog before shelling out even more cash on Steam Sales for games you won't even play.
The importance of frame time
The Frame Time Graph is a measurement of the amount of time it takes for a single frame to be rendered on screen. You can access it in most frame rate counters — like MSI Afterburner — but there are also specialist frame-time capture tools like CapFrame X that specialize in capturing and analyzing frame time.
These apps are handy for recording, analyzing, and comparing Frame Time Graphs for different games and for different hardware configurations so that you can gauge how your PC should perform. Indeed, there's a lot you can surmise about the Frame Time Graphs of two different graphics cards running the same game. But what is frame time anyway, and why should you care?
It's important to note how frame time differs from frame rate. While the frame rate indicates how many frames are shown on screen per second, the frame time measures the time interval between each of those frames.
A graph of this data, therefore, gives a visual representation of the time between frames over time. This tells us how well a PC produces frames at a consistent pace.
The FPS is still an important metric that I look at, and should always be included when you're analyzing frame time, but it doesn't give me the same kind of information about pacing. In a nutshell, frame rate is a gauge of performance, whereas t
The Data General's Dasher terminal series is iconic, with many classic keyboard fans loving its chunky blue keys and huge layout in particular. The Lumon employee cubicle setups in Severance are heavily inspired by—possibly even salvaged from—terminals like the Dasher 6053 from 1977, though they have an altered layout and a trackball mouse area. As DesignBoom notes, the keyboards seen on the show have no Escape, no Control, and no Option keys. It is a dystopia, after all.
According to a recent Microsoft Edge dev blog post, version 134 (released in March) is up to 9 percent faster than previous versions as measured by Speedometer 3.0, which is an open-source benchmark that measures browser performance for real-world scenarios (e.g., the responsiveness of a web app with simulated workloads).
On average, with version 134 and later, the response time for web pages has been reduced by 5 to 7 percent, while the time it takes to launch the browser has been reduced by 2 percent. The overall browser performance has increased by 3 to 9 percent, with results varying based on hardware and software configurations.
Those numbers might sound small, but every little bit counts when it comes to something like a web browser that you're likely using all day every day—and every bit is a step in the right direction. Other recent improvements to Edge include built-in protection against scareware, Game Assist for real-time hints while gaming, and a free plugin that improves Xbox Cloud Gaming performance.
The Snipping Tool has actually had Text Extraction for a while now, but you had to first snap a screenshot and then open the screenshot for editing within the Snipping Tool before you could access the Text Extraction feature.
Sadly the only review units that Nvidia sent out were variations on the 16GB version of the RTX 5060 Ti. The 8GB version should be on store shelves, at least theoretically and for a few seconds before it sells out, but it doesn't look like many reviews are popping up on launch day. But the good news is that the 16GB version, which has an MSRP of $429 (yeah, we'll see about that), is pretty darn good.
In the initial benchmark rundown, Adam kept the comparisons as relevant as possible: an apples-to-apples comparison with the last-gen RTX 4060 Ti, also in 16GB flavor, the step-up RTX 5070, and the Radeon 7700 XT (which is AMD's comparable card for the Nvidia 40-series). In short, the new card is pretty darn good, even
The important thing about Amuse, however, is that it also provides access to generative AI models for all processors, not just AMD. If you have an Intel Core PC with an Nvidia discrete GPU, that's fine — download the latest Amuse 3.0 version and try its range of capabilities for yourself.
Amuse debuted in 2024 as a collaboration between AMD and TensorStack. In a way, Amuse is AMD's answer to Intel's AI Playground, which combines AI art generation with video and integrated LLM chatbots (though video creation didn't work on AI Playground when I tried it recently). Amuse currently lacks LLM capability, though it can access a number of AI art models — including models explicitly optimized for AMD processors. TensorStack has also added new features: photo filters, local video creation, and AI-powered video generation and restyling, too.
Both Amuse and AI Playground provide an alternative to cloud-based services like Midjourney, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and others which can generate AI art using a powerful server. Amuse runs locally on your PC, which means that you have the privacy to create whatever you want. Amuse does ship with a terms of service that prevents you from making NSFW art, however, as well as some other provisions. Many people dislike AI art, but you
Earlier this week, Microsoft issued a warning and confirmed that the classic Outlook app can cause your computer's CPU usage to skyrocket. Processor usage can spike by 30 to 50 percent when writing an email, and also increase your computer's power consumption. It's implied that this is a bug, but the root cause isn't yet known.
The company says there isn't yet a direct solution to the problem, but notes that the issue only affects versions of classic Outlook on the Current Channel, Monthly Enterprise Channel, and Insider channels, after updating to Version 2406 Build 17726.20126 or later.
If this issue is causing you significant trouble, you can work around it by switching your classic Outlook app to the Semi Annual Channel. Instructions on how to do that can be found in Microsoft's warning, either using the Office Deployment Tool or a Windows registry change. You can also read ongoing discussion of the issue in this Microsoft forum thread.
And if you need a fast flash drive that doesn't cost much at all, then you can't go wrong with the Samsung Bar Plus. It can reach read speeds of up to 400 MB/s, which means you can move large files (e.g., videos) in seconds rather than minutes. And right now, the 128GB version is on sale for just $15 on Amazon. That's a significant discount of 35%.
And this flash drive isn't just fast, but it's also durable. Thanks to its rugged metal body, it's able to withstand drops and bumps and other incidents, ensuring you won't lose your data due to clumsiness. You can also hook it up to a lanyard or keychain with the integrated key ring.
128GB for $15 is a great deal, so jump on it if you're in need of a fast flash drive with decent capacity. Need more space? Opt for the 256GB version that's on sale for about $22. (Sadly, the 512GB model isn't on sale.) Either way, it's a bargain that you don't want to miss out on!
Snag this fast 128GB flash drive for shockingly cheap: $15Buy now at Amazon
For example, check out this GMKtec M5 Plus mini PC on Amazon, which is now on sale for just $328. Think about the kind of laptop you can normally get for that price, then compare it to the specs on this thing. A Ryzen 7 processor? A hefty 32GB of RAM? With Windows 11 Pro already loaded on the 1TB SSD? You're already looking at a sizzling steal, and there's still more to love about this compact PC.
Like the fact that it has integrated Radeon graphics, which may be a far cry from an actual dedicated graphics card, yet still powerful enough for light gaming and creative work (e.g., 4K@60Hz video editing). It's also powerful enough to support triple 4K monitors connected through the HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB-C video ports. Other ports include dual USB-A 3.2, dual USB-A 2.0, dual 2.5Gbps Ethernet, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Like I said, there's lots to love about this.
And if you're worried about outgrowing it, know that it's user-upgradeable. You can pump up the RAM to a max of 64GB (two SO-DIMM slots) and the SSD up to 2TB (two M.2 PCIe 3.0 slots).
The only caveat here? This is a Prime-exclusive deal, so snag a 30-day free trial of Prime to score these savings if you aren't a member yet. Otherwise, it's an excellent computing package for a price that's as small as the device itself. Grab the GMKtec M5 Plus for just $328 before this deal
But the virtualization environment can only demonstrate its strengths in such scenarios if the virtual machine has sufficient hardware resources.
The power required essentially depends on two factors: the purpose of the virtual PC and the hypervisor, or virtualization software, used. This is because the three virtualization environments: Microsoft Hyper-V, VMWare Workstation and Oracle VirtualBox differ in terms of their basic requirements.
You will therefore find examples of VMs and the optimum configuration for your guest computer in the article.
Which is better: Dual boot vs. Virtualization: Which is best for running multiple operating systems?
The hardware requirements for virtualization programs
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x has a moderate 14.5-inch screen, but it shines with its 3K resolution (2944×1840) and vibrant OLED touchscreen panel that delivers vivid colors and deep contrast. And yet, our battery tests reached some 16 hours of use on a single charge, which is pretty spectacular considering how energy-draining OLED can be.
Under the hood, instead of the usual Intel or AMD processor, this one comes with a high-performance Snapdragon X Elite processor, 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a 512GB SSD for decent storage space, fast file transfers, and quick system boots. By the way, that Snapdragon X Elite has an NPU, meaning this is an AI-ready Copilot PC that supports all the cutting-edge AI features coming in Windows 11 and beyond
But just because you're spending less doesn't mean you should settle for less. To make sure your laptop won't leave you frustrated and pulling your hair out, there are a few key specs that you shouldn't compromise on—or else you'll probably regret your purchase.
What counts as a budget laptop? In this case, we're aiming for a price around $500 and we're using PCWorld's best budget laptop picks to get a sense of what's possible, what's reasonable, and what's non-negotiable. Just be aware that you'll give up some luxuries (like a dedicated graphics card) at this price point, but you'll end up with a great daily driver laptop for work, school, and everyday activities.
That said, let's dive into the most important specs for a budget laptop and the absolute minimum acceptable for each one.
Given the number of suitable candidates, it's important for every user to make a selection that covers their own requirements without creating unnecessary redundancies and overlaps.
The recommendations in this article and in the associated table are deliberately limited in terms of quantity, but should cover all tasks.
There are no fundamental restrictions: If the hardware is fast (USB stick and computer), then every Linux version runs perfectly on USB — live or installed.
(If you are more of a Windows type, we have suggestions on how you, too, can use a flash drive to create a portable PC survival kit.)
Further reading: 3 free Linux distros that look and feel like Windows
Repair and service
All of the tools presented in this section are pure live systems without installation options, that are only used when necessary.
The tools, some of which are quite small, are classic candidates for a multiboot stick that you put together with
Eyeing a laptop upgrade? While you may be tempted to spring for the newest model with a four-figure price tag, why drop all that cash when you could get a Microsoft laptop with similar functionality at a fraction of the cost?
It's true—this new open-box Microsoft Surface has an 11.6-inch display and plenty of connectivity ports discontinued in models like the latest MacBook. Grab your own for only $189.99 (reg. $378.99) while supplies last.
This Surface laptop is small, but it's certainly mighty. Check out the specs that can power you through your day:
11.6-inch display with Intel UHD Graphics 600 for enhanced graphic rendering and video playback.
128GB of local storage for your daily apps, files, etc.
Intel Celeron N4120 and 8GB of RAM: For efficient processing for basic tasks like browsing, research, streaming, schoolwork, etc.
Up to 16 ho
Intel executive Gokul Subramaniam, vice president of Intel's Client Computing Group and president of Intel India, said that the last two or three generations of Intel's designs have featured increased modularity inside the laptop, to assist companies such as Asus or Acer with designing multiple versions of a laptop without extensive re-engineering.
The concept in question is what's known as modular design. Desktop PCs were basically founded upon this principle, allowing PC makers and consumers alike to slide out hard drives and optical drives, or unscrew and replace SSDs in M.2 slots in today's PCs. Laptops, though, have traditionally been considered sealed boxes, and just being able to access the internals is a prized feature that not every laptop offers.
The message? Modularity's time is now. PC makers can easily manufacture multiple versions of a product, and swap out a failing part quickly and relatively cheaply. Consumers, hopefully, will have some say in which peripherals and capabilities will appear on their PCs as well.
The OneXPlayer X1 Pro has been around for a while, boasting a massive 11-inch tablet-sized screen, detachable controllers, and a fold-down keyboard in the box. It's kind of a Frankenstein's monster of the original Nintendo Switch, the Microsoft Surface tablet, and the Steam Deck, complete with AMD-based hardware. In fact, the new model is using the massively powerful Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. But an even newer version (spotted by VideoCardz) has a chip of a different color inside.
While we feel that our favorite monitor overall is an awesome choice for most people, we also have alternative options for budget shoppers, gamers, and those seeking the best HDR performance. After all, not everyone needs the same features from a monitor. You can find out more about how we evaluate monitors and what specs matter most below our list of recommendations.
Scroll below our recommendations to see other monitors we've reviewed recently, and to learn more about our monitor review process.
Besides such newer features as light alarms and "mimic presence," there are also old favorites like light timers and fade durations. Taken together, these (often well hidden) features can add polish to your Hue routines, keep your daily schedules on track, and even protect your home from would-be intruders.
Read on for six hidden Hue features you need to try, starting with…
Mimic presence mode
Philips Hue recently made the jump into the home security market, adding a series of Hue Secure-branded cameras along with door and window sensors and floodlights, But even if you're not ready to invest in a Hue camera, you can still boost your security with this built-in Hue feature.
Just activate the "Mimic Presence" mode, and the Hue app will automatically turn your lights on and off to "mimic the activities that would be expected in those types of rooms," perfect for scaring off burglars or anyone else thinking of sneaking into your empty home.
The "Mimic presence" feature is tucked into a long list of options on the Automations screen. Tap it, select one or more rooms, then select some or all the lights associated with the room. You can also set the mode to run all day, or only when it's dark outside.
To trigger the "Mimic presence" mode, just locate it on the Autom
The change was noted by KitGuru, which notes that the "Playable" downgrade means that Steam Deck users might need to make some adjustments and compromises to get a game running smoothly on the laptop-based hardware. That's backed up by the warning on the Steam page itself, which says, "This game requires manual configuration of graphics settings to perform well on the Steam Deck." Other possible pitfalls, like console-style controls and user interface icons, are clear.
The Steam Deck Compatibility program is a certification process run by Valve itself, with ratings ranging from "Verified" (no issues, good performance at default or automatic visual settings) to "Playable" (some small interface issues, possible manual tweaks to settings required) to "Unsupported" (simply not possible, because of graphical requirements or input limitations like full keyboard or VR games, or can't run on Linux-based SteamOS). Another category, "Unknown," means Valve hasn't evaluated that particular game.
Mouse click settings
For starters, make sure the accidental double-clicks aren't due to a change in system settings. In Windows 11, open the Start menu and search for Mouse settings to access mouse settings, then scroll down and select Additional mouse settings to launch Mouse Properties.
In Mouse Properties, look for the slider under the "Double-click speed" section. If the double-click speed is too low, your single clicks may sometimes be registered as double-clicks. Try adjusting the speed slider upwards (faster) and see if that solves the issue.
Problematic mouse drivers
Another common reason for unintentional double-clicks is outdated or corrupted mouse drivers. Visit your mouse manufacturer's website to check for the latest driver updates. Or you might be able to use a tool that automatically updates your outdated drivers.
If this measure doesn't help, uninstall the current drivers via Windows Device Manager and restart your computer. Your operating system should automatically search for the latest mouse drivers and reinstall them.
Dirty mouse
Dirt or dust under the mouse button can sometimes be the cause of unintentional double-clicks. Many modern mouse models allow you to carefully lift the button to c
There's one fly in this ointment, though. The laptop is refurbished and it's being sold by a third-party seller on eBay. They're including a two-year Allstate warranty, which is nice, but such warranties can sometimes be a bit of a hassle to actually use when needed.
That foible aside, I really can't overstate how good of a deal this is if you're looking for a super-cheap laptop that can handle Windows 11 smoothly. Both the Ryzen 5 processor and the DDR4 RAM are on the older side, but it should still be more than enough to run modern browsers without a hitch, including streaming high-res video and a little light gaming (thanks to AMD's excellent integrated graphics).
And the laptop isn't hurting for ports, with two USB-C ports (which can technically charge the laptop but apparently it's a bit iffy), two USB-A ports, and full-sized HDMI. The screen is not touch-enabled, but it is a 1080p IPS panel. That's good enough for me.
This isn't showing as some kind of special promotion or timed sale on eBay, so this HP laptop deal might last a while. That said, super-deep discounts on inexpensive tech tend to make them sell quickly. If you've been waiting for an affordable, decently powerful Windows laptop below the $500 mark, you might want to snag this one quickly.
For an extra layer of protection, you can turn a humble USB drive into a secure key that will lock and unlock your PC, making it much harder for intruders to gain access. Here's how…
What to do…
Windows 11 has a facility to set up a secure USB key. But I prefer to use the free third-party app USB Raptor, which gives me a little more control over how my key works.
Get a USB flash drive without any files loaded on it. I'm using the SanDisk 16GB Ultra Fit, which cost me $9 on Amazon.
Download and install USB Raptor and launch the app. It will launch in configuration mode with three steps to complete to set up your secure key.
Step 1: Choose an encryption password and write it down somewhere so you don't forget it.
Step 2: Plug in your U
I'm talking about something like this Baseus Blade power bank that's now $48 on Amazon (was $100). To score this amazing price, make sure you clip the on-page coupon to get 45% off, then tack on an additional 7% off with promo code 6QLYR8CY at checkout.
With a high capacity of 20,000mAh, the Baseus Blade has enough juice to fully recharge most laptops from dead to full in one go, while remaining within the TSA's maximum limit for portable chargers. And with 100W of charging power, you'll be charged and ready to go within minutes rather than hours.
The Baseus Blade gets its name from its physical design and shape: wide and flat, unlike other power banks that are more chunky and blocky. Measuring just 0.7 inches thick and weighing a smidge over 1 pound, it's the perfect companion because it can slip into any bag right next to your laptop and you won't notice the extra weight at all. (If you'd prefer a more traditionally shaped power bank that fits in your palm, the 45W Baseus Picogo is on sale for $18 with promo code.)
Of course, you can use the Baseus Blade with more than just your laptop, including your phone, tablet, handheld gaming console, earbuds, and so on. It has two USB-C and two USB-A ports, allowing you to recharge up to four devices simultaneously (with the 100W of charging power being split up being them when multiple ports are being used). The small digital display lets you know exactly how much power you still have
Right now, you can score Alienware's 27-inch 1440p gaming monitor for just $219 on Amazon, a whopping 41% off its usual $370 price.
The Alienware AW2724DM is a sizably large monitor with a 27-inch diagonal and a crisp resolution of 2560×1440. That's the "sweet spot" among PC gamers these days, and this one has a 165Hz refresh rate (or up to 180Hz overclocked) that'll look great with those higher frame rates. Response time is 1ms.
The IPS panel delivers truly accurate colors, but the monitor also comes with VESA Display HDR 600 certification for high-contrast visuals and cinema-grade color coverage, and plus ComfortView Plus for built-in blue light reduction that doesn't affect color accuracy.
It's a perfect middle-of-the-road gaming monitor that's affordable yet powerful enough for all but the most hardcore of gamers. Grab the Alienware AW2724DM for $200 while you can!
Save 41% on this Alienware 1440p 180Hz gaming monitorBuy now at Amazon
Nvidia says that models packing the mid-range Blackwell GPU will start at $1099 and be "as thin as 14.9mm," or .59 inches, with availability beginning as soon as May. Though Nvidia didn't specify how much video RAM will be packed into the RTX 5060 laptop card, 8GB seems like a safe bet, considering that's what's going into the base model RTX 5060 card on desktops, and the laptop 5070 already offers 8GB of VRAM.
How much performance can you expect? That'll depend on the other components of your laptop, of course, not to mention variables in game design and settings. But directly comparing the new 5060 to the laptop 4060 and 3060 cards, Nvidia made a stunning claim: 146 frames per second for the 5060, versus 60 on the 4060 and just 21 on the 3060. That's running a benchmark in Cyberpunk 2077 with "Max Settings" (presumably path tracing), DLSS quality mode, and max frame gen.
That $299 offering, the vanilla 8GB GeForce RTX 5060, won't hit the streets until sometime in May. But the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti arrives tomorrow, April 16, with your choice of memory configurations: 8GB for $379 or 16GB for $429.
While the RTX 5060 Ti has graphical prowess to play at 1440p in many titles, these GPUs will probably be better suited for 1080p gaming given their tiny 128-bit bus and mere 8GB of GDDR7 memory in all but the tippity-top offering. Check out the specs below.
"The growth in the PC market in the first quarter of 2025 was driven by the surge in shipments in two key markets, the U.S. and Japan, but for different underlying reasons," said Rishi Padhi, research principal at Gartner, in a statement. "In the U.S., the PC market experienced a surge in shipments as vendors increased inventory in anticipation of tariff announcements, resulting in 12.6 percent year-over-year growth. Despite this increase and the subsequent strong topline growth, underlying end-user demand remained cautious, even with the added boost from enterprises upgrading PCs for Windows 11."
"The market is clearly showing some level of pull-in in the first quarter this year as both vendors and end-users brace for the impact of US tariffs," said Jean Philippe Bouchard, a research vice president with IDC, last week. "In a first quarter still relatively untouched by tariffs, the entire ecosystem attempted to accelerate the pace of deliveries to avoid the first round of U.S. tariffs and expected volatility for the remainder of the year."
Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration currently sit at 20 percent, after a few days where administration statements went back and forth. In a "
The Inspiron line is definitely on the budget side of things, but this one has a surprising amount of power thanks to a Ryzen 7 7730U processor with eight cores and a maximum speed of 4.5GHz. 16 gigabytes of RAM is also great at this price — that's as low as I would go for any laptop with Windows 11, by the way. 1TB of storage and a 15.6-inch touchscreen are also rare for a laptop this affordable, and I like that there's a full-sized HDMI port and an SD card slot.
Having said that, let me be sure to set your expectations appropriately. With a two-year-old processor and integrated graphics, this Inspiron 15 (model 3535) can handle some very basic gaming duties, but it won't be putting out huge framerates on any recent 3D title. I also wouldn't expect that 41-watt-hour battery life to last very long, especially with a big touchscreen. Since it has a barrel charging port, I would also say it's a pretty good bet that it can't charge with the USB-C port, which is definitely a bummer.
That said, this laptop might be a good candidate for cheap upgrades. According to this video, you can
"Hi, I'm Elon," said one speaker, in a reader-submitted video posted to Palo Alto Online (via Tom's Hardware). "Can we be friends? Will you be my friend? I'll give you a Cybertruck, I promise." The satirical message continued, "Okay, look, you don't know the level of depravity I would stoop to just for a crumb of approval. I mean, let's be real, it's not like I had any moral convictions to begin with, right?"
A video showing a similar recording from "Mark Zuckerberg" took aim at Meta's increasing presence in the AI space. "You know, it's normal to feel uncomfortable, or even violated, as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience. And I just want to assure you, you don't need to worry, because there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it."
All GIGABYTE B850 Motherboards come with PCIe 5.0 x16 as a standard. Having PCIe 5.0 means that these motherboards are next-gen graphics ready. Enjoy lower latency and increased bandwidth as you rise to victory.
See it on Amazon
While auxiliary storage and transport are great reasons to buy an external drive, let's not forget the all-important role an external drive plays for backup — either as the primary backup medium, or the secondary backup to an internal backup drive.
Restoring from local storage is far, far faster than pulling down your data from the web, which is why we are so keen on backing up to an external drive. If your time is important to you, that is.
Why you should trust us: We're PCWorld. We've been putting computer hardware through its paces for decades. We've seen it all and we know how to root out a drive's
The 2025 ROG NUC looks broadly similar to last year's model, with specs that list an Intel Core Ultra 9 Arrow Lake processor, GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card (the laptop version with 16GB of GDDR7 RAM), DDR5 6400 memory with "up to" 96GB of capacity, and support for PCIe Gen4 SSDs up to 2TB in size. Precise specs are harder to nail down, but with the promo page claiming "8 performance and 16 efficiency cores" with a 5.5GHz top speed, the primary processor is likely an Ultra 9 285 or 285T.
Other highlights include a dedicated SSD heatsink and HPU cooling fan, two more fans and two vapor chambers, which operate with "remarkable silence even under stress." (I'm going to assume that "silence" is a little generous.) The desktop is a little bigger than most mini PCs to fit all those guts, measuring 11.1 inches wide, 7.4 deep, and 2.2 high (that's 282.4 x 187.7 x 56.5 millimeters, for those of you in civilized countries).
Both VPNs are top-quality services that have made it on to my list of best VPNs due to their excellent feature sets. Each has its own unique way of optimizing your privacy and security. Below I'll compare each of these two industry titans and show which one wins in a standoff between Surfshark vs. NordVPN.
If you're looking for all of my top picks for VPNs be sure to check out my best VPNs article for more great options.
Surfshark vs. NordVPN: Overview
Surfshark is cheaper in the long-term, with unlimited simultaneous device connections and good additional features, but it's very expensive in the short-term. NordVPN on the other hand is a bit more expensive in the long-term, but comes with more servers, better speeds, and it's based in a privacy-neutral country.
SurfsharkNordVPNServer network3,200 servers, 100 country locations
Anvi Ahuja, a Lyft user in Toronto, doesn't have to imagine. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports that's exactly what happened to her. When she called the number that had texted her the transcript, she got a generic "not available" recording allegedly from the Lyft service.
Ahuja was, understandably, upset. After calling Lyft later that night, she was told that the company was piloting a program that recorded and transcribed conversations into a centralized database. But Lyft later adjusted its messaging, telling her in a follow-up message that it was the driver who specifically recorded her—without consent—and said that it was taking "proper actions" to rectify the situation.
The shocking revelation here is not that a customer was recorded. (Indeed, I can't remember the last time I hopped into a ride-share or taxi without a dashcam that also had a camera pointed towards the car's interior.) While a single vehicle feels more private and intimate than a normal public place, the fact is, the driver is part of a business and it makes sense to record stuff purely for the sake of safety.
But the transcription of words, especially if it appears to be coming from a centralized service somewhere within Lyft itself, is more concerning. "These ride-sharing apps are big companies and people have a lot of sensitive conversations within cabs and they feel like they're se
