1. Open memory optimization
Search for Storage Sense in the Windows 11 taskbar and select Turn On Storage Sense.
2. View space usage
Navigate to Settings System Storage. Here you'll see how much space is being used by apps, temporary files, and other content.
3. Turn on memory optimization
In the Storage settings, make sure Storage Sense is turned on under the Storage Management section. Next, you'll want to check out the Cleanup Recommendations to see how much space you can free up. Then select Show More Categories to expand the list and see what else you can clean.
4. Temporary files
Click on Temporary Files to view and manage temporary data. You'll see additional categories like Music, Video, and Documents.
5. Select subcategories
Windows 11 will already have some temporary files checked for you like Windows Update Cleanup, Files for Transfer Optimization, and Thumbnails. These are safe to delete.
Depending on your system, you may also see entries like Previous Windows Installation(s), System Error Memory Dump Files, and Windows Upgrade Log Files.
This week, we crack open local Taiwanese beers while chatting about Computex—grab a cold one of your own (or maybe some Kuai Kuai chips?) as you join us on this fine Friday!
In this episode of The Full Nerd…
In this episode of The Full Nerd, it's all things Computex!
Live from Taiwan, Adam Patrick Murray joins up with Jeff of CraftComputing, Paul of Paul's Hardware, and Nick of GearSeekers to chat about the highs and lows of their week. With Computex 2025 being a pretty sleepy show, the guys have a more casual two-hour discussion, with more than one tangent about an enthusiast hot topic near and dear to the individual's heart.
AI and enterprise servers benefitting us consumers? Nvidia's hijinks for RTX 5060 review timing? Worst of Computex? Best of Computex? Yep, those are all covered. And a lot more, too.
But still, the show went on - and it's a good thing it did, because while we saw fewer PC announcements at Computex this year, we also saw some certified bangers. Which reveals got us deeply, personally excited? This is the best hardware of Computex 2025. Giddy up.
The best PC hardware of Computer 2025
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000
The announcement is the latest sign that Belkin, which brought the Phyn Plus to market back in 2018, is rapidly losing interest in developing new smart home products following its own acquisition by Foxconn. Belkin has already discontinued many of its Wemo-brand smart home products, and it "paused" its efforts to develop Matter-compatible products in early 2023.
We've praised both the first- and second-generation Phyn Plus devices for their ability to not only warn homeowners of leaky or burst pipes, but to automatically take action to shut off a home's main water supply to prevent the catastrophic damage that can result.
In an exclusive telephone interview with Scott and Phyn CEO Ryan Kim late last week, Scott described himself as a "technology nut" and expressed his admiration for the Phyn Plus, which he said he'd previously installed in his own home as well as in a guest house and in his parents' home.
Some not-so-known info is that hitting "delete" doesn't actually delete anything. Sure, your files look gone, but your hard drive's just politely pretending. If you're getting ready to sell an old laptop, recycle an external drive, or simply want to wipe that folder named "Taxes 2013 FINAL v3," you're going to want something more permanent.
That's where the Data Shredder Stick can help. This unassuming USB stick is your new digital enforcer—plug it in, and it's ready to go full scorched-earth on your data. Simply drag and drop files into the app, and the stick's military-grade algorithms overwrite them so completely they're gone for good. We're talking zero chance of recovery.
Hisense first announced that it would open its ConnectLife app to third-party products in December, 2024. Today, it announced it will incorporate the latest Google Home APIs into the app by the fall of 2025, Hisense says this will enable users to onboard a wide range of third-party smart home devices—including Matter and Works With Google Home-certified products—to create a more integrated smart home experience.
Hisense cited two examples of how this would benefit ConnectLife users: "One-touch modes and customized automations can blend Hisense products with third-party devices to create intelligent home responses, such as air conditioners automatically adjusting based on third-party air quality sensors, or smart lights providing visual notifications when the Hisense refrigerator's VersaTemp drawer reaches the ideal temperature for chilling drinks."
"At Hisense, we are committed to simplifying smart living for everyone," said Hisense Director of Smart Home Experiences, Hisense Americas Region Miguel Becerra. "This integration enhances ConnectLife to create seamless experiences that make everyday life more convenient and enjoyable for our consumers."
Specifically, Nvidia is offering the "Performance" tier (ad-free 1440p game streaming with a ray tracing-capable RTX card) for $30 for six months. Thirty bucks for the whole six months, working out to effectively $5 a month. That's a 40 percent discount. Not bad at all. The free tier is still, well, free, with 1080p streams, 1-hour time limits, and lots of queueing. The "Ultimate" tier, with 4K streams at up to 240Hz, still costs a hefty $100 for six months. That's after some recent price hikes.
I think it's a good move. Thirty bucks is less than half the price of a new game, and it offers access to better graphics at 1440p than my aging RTX 3070 can put out. It's especially good if you already have a huge collection of Steam games—or perhaps dozens of Epic Game Store freebies you still haven't touched—and you'd like to make a dent in your backlog. GeForce Now doesn't work with every single PC game, but it hits enough of both the popular classics and the newcomers (like this week's Blades of Fire and
Norton—most famous for its antimalware solutions like Norton 360 Deluxe—is entering the browser market with Norton Neo, an AI-first browser that you can sign up for and join the waitlist. Norton already ships a browser, the Norton Private Browser, which is similar but lacks AI.
Neo replaces the search/URL bar with what it calls the "magic box," where you can "search, generate, and take action," according to Norton. It's not immediately clear whose AI solution you'll be able to use or whether it will run in the cloud or locally on your PC. When you do search, however, Norton promises that you'll be able to "peek" at a search result to get an AI-powered summary—and yes, it appears to be a list of links, rather than Norton's own take on Google's AI Mode. The Magic Bar will also enable you to perform AI-powered writing tasks, such as drafting an email, directly from it.
There's another tweak that Norton is making, although I can't tell how it's going to work out: tables browsing. "No more tab chaos—Neo organizes everything, so you don't have to," Norton promises.
However, an important change is coming soon for those latter users: Starting June 3, 2025, you'll no longer be able to use Netflix on first-generation Fire TV devices. This includes the Fire TV, the Fire TV Stick, and the Fire TV Stick with Alexa voice remote control. Netflix reportedly informed affected customers by email.
These older Fire TV models first launched on the market back in 2014 and technically haven't been supported by Amazon for a long time, with zero software or security updates in the past few years. Plus, with those devices having weaker hardware and lesser performance, most affected users will likely have switched to newer models by now.
Nevertheless, if you're still using a first-generation Fire TV device, you won't be able to stream Netflix on it starting in June.
It's not exactly clear why Netflix is ending support for old Fire TV devices, but it could have something to do with Netflix using newer standards—such as the AV1 codec—to stream with better picture quality, particularly for customers who are on the Premium plan.
If you still own a first-generation Fire TV device, you can't retrofit it to support modern video codecs. You'll want to upgrade to one of the newer Fire TV models with 4K resolution support—like the Fire TV Stick 4K or the Fire TV Stick 4K Max—and you might even be able to get a discount on
This new design goes with a popular AMD CPU plus Nvidia GPU combo, topping out with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and a GeForce RTX 5070 with 85 watts of TGP, and it can be disabled with a MUX switch if you need more battery life than sheer pixel-pushing power. All of that hardware is shoved into a 16-inch chassis that's under 17mm thick and 4.2 pounds light, an impressively sleek design.
There's a plethora of ports, though only one is USB-C (4.0). You get three USB-A ports, full-sized HDMI and Thunderbolt, and an old-fashioned barrel charger if you need to recharge faster than USB allows. The juicy bits for me are under the hood, where you have two M.2 slots for storage, two user-accessible SO-DIMMs for RAM, and a 76.1-watt-hour battery.
But it's not all good news. PCWorld's Adam saw it in person and wasn't impressed with the 2560×1600 IPS screen with 165Hz of refresh. That's pretty good in gamer terms, but creators might not be satisfied. Adam
Chromebooks are generally more budget-friendly than Windows laptops with some costing as little as $300. They also boot up quickly and receive regular, automatic updates. Plus, with cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now, you can even play the latest AAA titles on some of them.
Still, you want to make sure you choose a Chromebook that nails the basics and has the performance and durability for regular and extended use. Our recommendations below are based on thorough hands-on testing. These are Chromebooks you can count on.
If you decide that you'd prefer a Windows laptop, check out PCWorld's roundup of the best laptops available today.
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 - Best overall Chromebook
This kind of discount is notable for just about any Bluetooth speaker, but particularly noteworthy for Sonos speakers. The Roam 2 is gorgeous with its sleek design and elegant build, while being compact and lightweight so it can join you outdoors with ease. It's perfect whether you're spending a day by the pool, at the beach, or in your backyard. It's not just durable, but also comes with an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating so it can survive your adventures in inclement weather.
When we reviewed the original Sonos Roam, we gave it a 4.5-star rating and loved how small and lightweight it was along with the awesome features it brought to the table. The fact that it worked with Alexa was the cherry on top, allowing it to be used as a smart speaker. The newer Roam 2 has the same audio quality but better design and battery life, with a single charge able to keep the party going for up to 10 hours—a decent amount of time considering the speaker's tiny size.
With this being the best price we've ever seen for the Sonos Roam 2, there's never been a better time to get one. Snag it now on Amazon for just $134 to level up your parties and adventures! Or check out some of our other favorite smart speakers for smart hom
ID-Cooling is the vendor, Frost X55 is the paste. It's being offered in five different scents: Luna, Viola, Bella, Poma, and unscented. If you want to watch Adam shove little capsules of smelly chemicals under his nose, see below for the video. Enjoy.
The specific "flavors" of scent aren't often hitting the mark. "I don't mean to be mean, it's not a bad scent, but it kinda smells like diapers," said Adam when sniffing the Viola flavor, which is supposed to be floral. "No, no, no, no, no, a clean diaper, let me clarify! A clean diaper is what it smells like, not a dirty diaper!"
ID-Cooling will be selling the paste in the usual squeeze tubes. But I wonder how much of the scent will actually make its way into the room after you've used it in a desktop PC. "I'd be willing to pay extra for comparable, or maybe even less performance, just to get this scent in my house," says Adam.
As reported by Fox News and later by 404 Media, the mother wanted to prevent her underage child from being exposed to pornographic content while he was still "at an important developmental stage in his life." She was monitoring all devices closely, but overlooked the fact that an old laptop was still in working order and within the child's reach.
Since August 2024, her son had been using this laptop to consume "hardcore pornography" on sites like Chaturbate, Jerkmate, and Superporn, all of which are now being sued by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) and a Kansas law firm.
The websites should have checked for age
The lawsuit is based on a new law that came into force in Kansas and more than 20 other US states in July 2024, which requires porn sites to verify the ages of their users. These particular porn providers had not complied with this new legislature.
According to the law, any website that offers at least 25 percent of content that's harmful to minors, including nudity and sexual acts, must set up methods for age and identity verification. As a rule, this is done by means of an ID check or similar.
Many of the malicious extensions are riding the coattails of well-known brands such as Fortinet, YouTube, Deepseek AI, and Calendly, increasing the risk of users installing them and getting into trouble. Google has reportedly removed most of the targeted extensions from the Chrome Web Store, but some still remain at the time of writing.
We saw something similar happen last month when a cybersecurity researcher at Secure Annex found numerous malicious Chrome extensions being spread via ads and scam sites. It's yet another example of why you need to vet your browser extensions carefully.
To be on the safe side, you should always check out all available reviews before downloading any extensions to your browser, and always double-check that you're downloading the official one. If you think you've been hit, see our article on how to remove malicious Chrome extensions.
You see, I've actually "switched to a standing desk" half a dozen times over the last decade, and each time I gave up after only a few weeks and went back to the comfort of my office chair. Standing did have a positive impact on my posture, concentration, and productivity, but it came with two giant downsides: painful feet and fatigue.
I loved the idea of a standing desk and what it could do for me, but the reality of it was something else. I couldn't stand it. I'd traded one pain for another, and I just felt drained at the end of every day—and that was true even after I tried a few anti-fatigue mats. Every year or two, I convinced myself to try again, and every time it was the same old story.
Until this year. I tried something new, and it actually worked.
There's a unique standing desk mat on the market called the Topo Comfort Mat, and I kept hearing praises for it across Reddit. Instead of being flat, it has weird contours and bumps and terrain all around it. And instead of being soft or memory foamy, it's made of a semi-firm engineered material that's solid to stand on but still has a bit of give. It's unlike any anti-fatigue mat I've ever seen. I was skeptical.
Windows Recall is one of the most visible and divisive features of Windows on enhanced "Copilot " PCs, taking screenshots every few seconds and allowing the user to search through a history of their own activity. It's certainly interesting tech, but it's also a privacy nightmare, which is part of the reason Microsoft delayed its rollout for the better part of a year. Initially intrigued, PCWorld's Mark Hachman now recommends that you turn Recall off as Microsoft rolls out the full version to millions of users.
The developers of Signal appear to agree with Mark. The latest version of the Windows app will simply appear as a blank black window if you try to record its activity with Windows Recall. It's similar to the implementation of DRM in streaming services — you might have tried to take a screenshot of a Netflix show, only to get a blank black screen.
Signal is using built-in functionality in Windows and Recall, working as intended. Any developer can flip that DRM switch and keep Recall from record
This tiny little thing can be placed anywhere inside your home, as long as it's close enough to an outlet for plugging in. Whether you're placing it on a bookcase shelf, near your TV, or on a nightstand, the Arlo Essential camera can capture most of any room thanks to its large 130-degree field of view and high-def 2560×1440 resolution.
Even during the night, this camera will capture great-quality video, making it ideal for keeping an eye on your sleeping baby or watching out for burglars. Since it works with Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, and IFTTT, you can integrate the camera with your local smart home setup and do things like pull up the video feed on your smart screen.
The Arlo Essential features motion detection and can send alerts when it senses something, plus two-way audio so you can chat remotely. Some of its other features are tied to the Arlo Security Plan, which you get to try out for free for one month with this purchase. Another cool thing is that you don't have to worry about privacy as it features a physical shield that will block out the camera when you don't need it.
It's hard to find indoor security cameras with 1440p resolutions and smart features at this price, so don't miss this opportunity to grab an Arlo Essential 2K security cam for $30. If you don't think this is the right one for you, check out our favorite
ESPN's streaming service will cost $30 per month, with an option to bundle Hulu and Disney for $6 more. (A limited time offer at launch will throw in both services free for the first year.) By contrast, ESPN's carriage fees—the amount it charges cable TV providers to carry its channels—are reportedly around $10 per month, amounting to a 200% markup for a la carte viewing.
If you're having trouble figuring out who would pay for such a thing, the answer might be "hardly anyone." ESPN's standalone service is supposed to unappealing enough that people don't cancel cable to get it, and the high price is a signal that you should probably get the channel some other way, be it through a pay TV package or newer kinds of streaming bundles.
You wanted a la carte TV, you got it
Let's say you want you watch all the NFL games that are normally part of a cable TV package. That would require ESPN ($30 per month), Peacock ($8 per month), Paramount (also $8 per month), and Fox (whose forthcoming Fox One service will reportedly cost around $20 per month).
All that would add up to $66 per month. Opting for the ad-free versions of Paramount ($13 per month) and Peacock ($14 per month), which are required for local CBS and NBC feeds outside of NFL coverage, would push the price to $77 per month instead.
Regular power strips don't provide all the ports we need nowadays, plus traditional designs are clunky and take up a lot of space. This Anker model is compatible with various device types, with two AC outlets for conventional plugs, plus two USB-C and two USB-A for your phone, laptop, and other day-to-day gadgets.
But this Anker charging station is also slim and rectangular. About the size of your palm, it's compact and helps to declutter your desk or wherever you end up putting it. It's also travel-friendly because the power cord can be detached, so it'll slip right into any bag with minimal issue. (We all know how much of a nightmare it can be to charge things in hotel rooms, so taking one of these with you can be a huge convenience.)
Snag the Anker Nano 6-in-1 Charging Station for just $40 while this coupon deal is still active. It's a worthwhile upgrade!
Get the Anker Nano 6-in-1 Charging Station at its lowest priceBuy now at Amazon
Another feature that makes the $120 controller so interesting is the USB-C cable that connects it to its power supply: The cable senses the ambient temperature and relative humidity in the room where the Hub 3 is installed. These readings are shown on the hub's display.
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G95SD is one of those massive ultrawide 49-inchers, complete with a 5120×1440 resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, and 0.03ms response time. The OLED panel elevates it to next-level greatness for ultra-vivid colors and deep blacks. Normally available for $2,199.98, right now you can get it for $1,899.99 (14% off).
If that one's too expensive but you still want an enormous 49-inch OLED ultrawide with 5120×1440 resolution, then jump on the Samsung Odyssey OLED G91SD. This one has a slower-but-still-fast 144Hz refresh rate, and it has the same 0.03ms response time. It's normally available for $1,599.98, but you can get it now for $1,299.99 (19% off).
And then there's the Samsung Odyssey G95C, another huge 49-inch curved ultrawide monitor with that same luxurious 5120×1440 resolution along with a 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. This one's notably cheaper because it doesn't have an OLED panel. Normally available for $1,599
When we talk about your computer possibly being "hacked," that's exactly what we mean: a cybercriminal has gained access to your PC and compromised it in some way.
The hacker in question may be a criminal organization that's installing malware on millions of PCs (e.g., to spy on you and steal your credit card numbers), or the hacker may be an individual using a remote access Trojan (RAT) to personally spy on you through your webcam.
Here some common warning signs that your PC might've been hacked, exposing your personal data and system resources.
Is something fishy? Run an antivirus scan
First things first: If you're concerned that your computer has a virus or another type of malware, you should run a scan with an antivirus program—ideally one of our recommended antivirus software picks.
You should also consider using the free Norton Power Eraser (or a similar tool). Tools like this will reboot your PC into a special scanning environment outside of Windows so they can spot and remove malware like rootkits that normally evade detection.
Perhaps you've already run a scan. If your scan didn't find anything wrong but you're still concerned, I recommend getting a second opinion.
Those four things come together most in a quality gaming chair made exactly for that purpose. But not all gaming chairs are made alike. Here's what to look for to find a good one.
1. The right kind of back support
You will hear the term "adjustable lumbar support" used a lot with gaming chairs, but what does that actually mean? To decode the term, it means ideally you want a chair that has a lot of mid-to-lower support in the back rest.
The back rest should also be adjustable (both vertically and horizontally) to support the curve and depth of your spine, rather than being just a generic fit.
Proper lumbar support is important because it prevents the ligaments in your spine from lengthening and causing a condition known as creep, which can lead to bad back pain.
Back rests can be mesh, or upholstered. I recommend the upholstered kind, which is far more comfortable for long gaming stints.
Also consider the kind of stability the frame will give you. Aluminum frames are preferable to plastic ones that can sometimes wobble and lead to fatigue as your body is forced to find its center.
Chairs also come with different weight-bearing capacities (typically between 264 lbs. and 397 lbs.), and their heights differ too, so be sure to find one that supports your weight an
Why are you paying a subscription for Microsoft 365 if you only use Word and Excel? The subscription-based apps may be fancy, but if you aren't taking full advantage of them, you're basically paying $10 a month for, well, nothing. You should grab the lifetime version of Microsoft Office instead.
This way, you can pay $25 only once instead of $10 every month. While there are a few differences, the most important part is that you'll get your favorite apps, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access, for life.
While Microsoft 365 gives you cloud storage and mobile app access, are you really using those features? We've found that only advanced users do, and everyone else is overpaying. And, if you want to work offline, you're probably running into issues. This version gives you easy offline access, even if you can only access them from your PC.
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.
Best gaming desktop computer deals
Skytech Gaming Shiva II, Ryzen 7 5700X/RTX 4070/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,399.99 (18% off on Amazon)
Alienware Aurora, Core Ultra 9 285K/RTX 5080/64GB RAM/2TB SSD, $2,849.99 (14% off on Dell)
This blue-and-gray colorway is actually a Best Buy exclusive, but lacks any kind of branding (aside from, well, Shokz), so I don't feel weird wearing it. I've been using the OpenRun Pro 2 for the better part of a year. I love the clearer mids and deeper bass than my previous, cheaper pair, and unlike some other bone conduction headphones, these recharge via USB-C so you don't need to pack a separate cable. They'll pair with multiple Bluetooth devices at once, just like all modern headphones.
They also last a lot longer than some previous designs at 12 hours, and combined with a sleek, lightweight body and some water resistance, they're great for workouts. I've dunked mine in Lake Wallenpaupack and the Delaware River (not exactly intentionally, ahem), and they've survived to tell me more audiobook tales.
Best Buy is selling this exclusive color both on its own site and via its eBay account. I'd hop on it quickly, these headphones are popular, and this discounted blue-and-gray set might not last long.
That's why it's imperative that you use a VPN while doing any torrenting or P2P file sharing. A VPN can keep your connection private and encrypt your data so that unwanted prying eyes — cybercriminals, overbearing ISPs, or nosy government watchdogs — can't monitor your online activity.
If you're interested in using a VPN for something other than just torrenting you can check out my list of best VPNs for even more great options.
Though the body is more angular, the newer version of the Claw is broadly similar to the existing Claw 8 AI , with the same 8-inch, 120Hz screen, same basic layout, same battery. It has a new motherboard and cooling setup, of course, due to using the brand new AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme mobile chip. But if anything that makes the new version just more similar to existing handhelds that have popped up since the Steam Deck.
Chun says that MSI is focusing on giving players maximum battery life, while keeping most games at a 60 frames-per-second level. That battery life is an estimated two hours, which isn't exactly amazing when compared to laptops running on similar hardware…but laptops have bigger batteries and aren't 100 percent
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Best Pricing Today
Outdoor security cameras used to be a hassle, with wires to run, batteries to swap, recordings to pay for, and more. The Night Owl Solar-Powered Battery Camera ($99.99) is part of a growing wave of products that promise to simplify all that.
This camera is fully wireless, powered by the sun, and it doesn't lock you into paying for a subscription to store recordings in the cloud. That makes it appealing to anyone who wants to boost their home security without taking on another bill or a weekend-long installation project.
Right now, you can get this Black Decker portable AC for $349 on Amazon, which is a decent $50 discount on its original price. It has a cooling power of 12,000 BTU, which is more than your average portable AC and suitable for rooms up to 550 sq. ft.
To make things even better, you can use it year-round for its other two functions: fan and dehumification. The 3-in-1 design means you won't have to hide it away for three seasons of the year, and you can get the most out of it. The handle and casters make it easy to roll from room to room as needed, and it comes with a remote control for conveniently changing temperatures, setting timers, switching modes, etc.
As with any portable AC unit, you'll need a window for the heat exhaust. What's nice about this model is that it comes with a window kit that has everything you need to install and seal for best performance.
Grab this B D portable AC for $349 on Amazon before the sweltering summer heat kicks in and smothers you!
Use this portable AC unit to cool down any room in your houseB
It isn't too difficult to come up with a strong password, but you need a unique password for every single account if you want to be truly safe on the web. One way to offload that burden is to use a password manager that stores your unique login credentials and enters them for you, relieving you of the need to memorize anything.
Google Chrome already has a built-in password manager that can detect weak passwords as well as compromised passwords that have been leaked in data breaches. Going forward, when detected, it'll offer to replace those passwords with new ones with just one click.
We've cut through the clutter to bring you the top picks across every category-from sleek, no-fuss Chromebooks to powerhouse gaming machines. No fluff, just smart recommendations based on real needs.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (2024) - Best laptop overall
The closest we got to a smart home shout-out was when a Google exec said that Gemini—the star of the show—is "coming to your watch, your car dashboard, even your TV." As Google puts its Google TV Streamer under the umbrella of smart home, we'll count that as a fleeting reference. Very fleeting.
Officially, Google has promised that Gemini is coming to Nest devices. Gemini on Nest speakers has been available on a public-preview basis for months now, and back in March, Google confirmed that a "new experience powered by Gemini" is coming to smart speakers and displays.
Around the same time, Google said that we can "expect more helpful home devices in the coming months and years," while reminding us that it did roll out two smart products last year, the fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat and the aforementioned Google TV Streamer, which doubles as a smart home hub.
Still, there's growing concern in the Google Nest community that Google is losing interest in making new smart home products. Besides
This is the 13.8-inch 2024 model, which uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus 10-core processor. The Arm processor design means that it's not great for gaming…but does everything else really well, especially lasting forever and a day on battery. It's also rocking a touchscreen, Windows Hello-compatible webcam, and 16GB of memory, which is the minimum I recommend for a Windows laptop, and an admittedly paltry 256GB of storage.
For more info on this laptop design, check out PCWorld's full review. Note that the review unit uses a faster X Elite processor, more RAM, more storage, et cetera — it's a more expensive version of the laptop. But this on-sale edition is still more powerful than the new 13-inch Surface Laptop Microsoft unveiled this year. If you're looking for something different, check out PCWorld's picks for the best laptops on the market right now.
eBay is selling this Surface Laptop 7 as "eBay refurbished," which means it should be in like-new condition and comes with a 2-year Allstate warranty. Despite being 40 percent off the list price, it is not
The Samsung Fit Plus is small enough that it blends in with Bluetooth and wireless dongles, and it's so invisible that you'll probably forget it exists once plugged into your laptop. It may even end up being a permanent fixture in its port as it won't get in the way and might just be more convenient to just leave it plugged in all the time.
But it's not just small. It's fast. With read speeds up to 400 MB/s, it can stream 4K video files without issue and transfer large data files within seconds, not minutes. It's the perfect high-speed USB flash drive for laptops, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and even car audio systems. And it's pretty robust, too. The Samsung Fit Plus is waterproof, shockproof, magnet-proof, X-ray-proof, and secure even if you accidentally drop it.
With price drops on all the capacities from 128GB to 512GB, you can snag whichever one best fits your data needs. But be sure to grab it soon because we don't know how much longer these prices will last.
This isn't some stripped-down device that can barely load Windows. It's sporting good specs, a lightweight build, and an above-average display. We're talking an Intel Core i7-1355U processor, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD, rounded out with a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display for gorgeous visuals and color accuracy. Does it have a dedicated graphics card? No, but it does have Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics for light gaming. Honestly, you can't expect a good discrete graphics card at this price.
Weighing just 3.75 pounds, it's pretty portable. And while we do wish the 42-watt-hour battery was bigger, it should be good enough for several hours of work on a full charge. Other features include an HDMI 1.4 port, three USB-A and one USB-C, a 3.5mm headset jack, a backlit keyboard, and a 720p built-in webcam with privacy shutter.
If you've been looking for a decently configured laptop that's affordable, this Asus Vivobook 15 is right for the price at B&H.
This Asus laptop strikes a great balance. Get it now for $550Buy now at B&H
The new FLP-02 design is similar to the horizontal retro case SilverStone released last year, a former April Fool's joke made real. But that one was for the 80s kids, whereas this new beige tower is for those of us who know Kevin Conroy will always be the best Batman. It's a fully standard ATX case even if it looks like it fell out of a time machine, and it's the first one I've seen in a long time that has real 5.25-inch external drive bays. Those faux floppy spacers don't do anything, but they sure sell the effect.
Just beneath them is a custom 5.25-inch control panel. You get a physical power switch, a lock (that works!), and a gen-you-ine "T
That's where the weird little slime ball cleaner comes in. It's bright yellow and squishy, and it oozes right into those hard-to-reach areas of my keyboard. It beats compressed air by a large margin, that's for sure. A can of compressed air just blows the debris around to different parts of the keyboard. This cleaning ball actually grabs hold of the yucky stuff and pulls it right out. It also smells like lemon, which I don't mind at all. It's not a high-tech tool, but it's tactile and fun and a little silly.
SanDisk's microSD cards aren't just affordable, but plenty fast for everyday needs. With up to 150 MB/s transfer speeds, you can move large files around in a blink, and whether you need to transfer or record videos or photos, the SanDisk Ultra performs well. This one also comes with multiple protections for your data—it's waterproof, shockproof, and can withstand extreme temps, magnets, and X-rays.
Need a microSD for a security cam like I did? Or maybe you just need expanded storage for your tablet, smartphone, or gaming handheld? You can't go wrong with the SanDisk Ultra. It has a 4.7 rating on Amazon with over 200,000 reviews. You can't buy that kind of praise. Get this 256GB microSD card for $20.95 on Amazon while you can!
Get this 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSD card for cheapBuy now at Amazon
A prototype all-in-one CPU cooler was demonstrated on the show floor, with a triple-fan setup and a 360mm radiator. The display also said that 240mm and 420mm versions were in development, and that the first products should be showing up in early 2026…though of course that's just an estimate.
Nothing's stopping you from slapping regular Noctua fans onto a competitor's AIO, of course. But according to the promotional text, the Noctua AIO has an Asetek pump with a "3-layer soundproofing and tuned-mass damper effect for significantly quieter pump operation."
The system also has an optional 80mm add-on fan that can be installed on the pump head, for cooling nearby components like RAM or SSDs with the Coanda effect. That's some physics and fluid dynamics that I'm not even going to pretend to understand, but I'm game to give it a try. It certainly seems more useful than yet another LCD inside the opaque walls of my Fractal case.
In our own test, we saw for ourselves that while Microsoft and Aerosoft had delivered a solid gaming experience, there were still some areas that needed improvements. Fortunately, the developers have been working on MSFS 2024 tirelessly in the months since.
Last week, Aerosoft released a huge patch called Sim Update 2, which fixes over 5,000 bugs. The corrections involves everything from general game features to graphical glitches to aircraft model enhancements to improved overall stability and performance. Patch 1.4.20.0 is the biggest update for MSFS 2024 to date, rectifying most of the worst issues and making the game more than playable again.
But will it be enough to convince players who turned their backs on the game to return? According to SteamDB, MSFS 2024 has been hitting a 30-day peak concurrent player count of about 4,000 players, which is a far cry down from the all-time peak of 24,000 concurrent players back in November. In addition, the Anniversary Edition of MSFS 2020 remains
Whether you want to use this thing for work, casual gaming, or doomscrolling, the S3A has you covered. It's plenty performant with its Ryzen 7 5875U processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage, which is a stellar combo for what you're paying. It also comes with integrated Radeon graphics, so you'll be able to do some light gaming and hook up three 4K@60Hz monitors for multitasking work. That's via the HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C video ports.
There are many other things to love about mini PCs, like their compact size for minimal desk clutter. They're also extremely easy to upgrade if need be, with this able to be pushed up to 64GB of RAM and 4TB of storage. This Acemagician model even has a magnetic cover that's super easy to pop open, with the RAM and SSD slots directly accessible. For connectivity, you're getting six high-speed USB-A ports, a Gigabit LAN, and a 3.5mm headset jack.
Snag your very own productivity mini PC for cheap with this Acemagician S3A for $299 deal on Amazon. Remember, this is a Prime-exclusive deal, so start a free Prime trial now to access this discounted price.
Microsoft is also tweaking the way in which widgets are laid out, letting Copilot handle the decisions itself. Microsoft published the changes as part of the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.4151 (Beta Channel) and Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5603 (Dev Channel), which share many of the same features.
By testing these features, Microsoft doesn't necessarily have to commit to eventually rolling them out, although many appear to be under consideration for a more general release.
Under the hood, Microsoft said that it's testing out what it calls User Interaction-Aware CPU Power Management, "an OS-level enhancement that helps reduce power consumption and extend your battery life."
Laptops can drop into various power states, such as idle or hibernate; this appears to be slightly different. "After a period of inactivity on your PC, Windows now conserves power by automatically applying efficient power management policies, Microsoft says.
But it's difficult to say when this will happen, how sharp the decline in performance and power will be, and how much your laptop's battery life will improve as a result. Microsoft does promise that when you begin working again, your device will regain full performance.
Microsoft is also applying "Click To Do" assignments to File Explorer. Right-click a file, and you may see options for Bing Visual Search, Blur Background, Erase Objects, and Remove Background.
But there are a lot of myths floating around out there about antivirus software. Let's bust them.
Myth: You need to install antivirus on Windows
You don't have to install antivirus software on Windows because Windows already comes with antivirus software. In fact, Windows has had built-in antivirus software since Windows 8, and it's still included on Windows 10 and Windows 11 today. The built-in Microsoft Defender antivirus is part of the Windows Security suite of tools. It's as basic as it comes, but completely free and runs automatically in the background, even if you never think about or install antivirus software.
Most PC gamers obsess over graphics cards, RAM, and frame rates… but the operating system? It's usually an afterthought, and that might be a mistake. Whether you're on Windows 10 or Windows 11 Home, upgrading to Windows 11 Pro may be the difference between an ordinary and an extraordinary gaming experience.
Windows 11 Pro introduces DirectX 12 Ultimate, delivering higher frame rates, improved ray tracing, and lower latency for a smoother gaming experience. If you want faster load times and better graphics, this is your chance to optimize your rig. Plus, with AutoHDR and DirectStorage, Windows 11 Pro ensures snappier gameplay and richer visuals.
Every time AMD launches a new Threadripper generation, we have to remind readers that these are really workstation processors in desktop PC clothing, suitable for CAD work, editing applications, and so on. But that won't stop you from goggling at the specs, yet again.
AMD's lineup feels familiar: the three-part high-end desktop (HEDT) lineup leads off with the 9980X, which includes the familiar 64 cores and 128 threads. The 3.2GHz base clock is identical to the older Threadripper 7980X, too, but the boost speed has increased from 5.1GHz to 5.4GHz. These are also 4nm parts, while the Threadripper 7000 family was built on an older 5nm process.
AMD revealed the Radeon RX 9060 XT during the company's Computex keynote - and it priced the 16GB model at $349. That not only undercuts Nvidia's avoid-at-all-costs 8GB RTX 5060 Ti by $30, but it means the 16GB 9060 XT is a whopping $80 cheaper than Nvidia's actually-pretty-good 16GB 5060 Ti.
This is definitely a budget design, so keep your expectations in check. The Aspire 3 has a plastic body and its 15-inch screen isn't going to impress anyone, even if the touch panel is an impressive find at this price point. With 53 watt-hours of battery, this laptop won't be a longevity champion either. But even with these specs, it's actually much better-equipped than the model we tested and reviewed back in 2023. This laptop won't run the latest high-end games, but it should be good enough for Minecraft and the like.
The version being sold on eBay has a touchscreen, a faster quad-core AMD processor, a much bigger 1TB SSD, and 16GB of RAM. That's the minimum I would recommend for running Windows 11. Though it's being sold directly from Acer, it's "eBay refurbished," which means you get a two-year Allstate warranty. Also note that the eBay listing is for a blue laptop, not the silver-and-black one in the review photo.
As of right now, the listing is showing a price of $359.99—but you can take an extra 20% off for the next six days by using the coupon code MEMORIALDEALS. Shipping is free via FedEx. If you've been waiting for an incredibly affordable workhorse laptop, this is it, so hop to it!
The TUF Gaming T500 looks like a small-ish desktop tower, complete with a transparent window on the side to show off its parts. But while the pre-installed graphics card is obvious (an RTX 5060 Ti in this version). Take a gander above it, and you'll see what looks like the smallest cooling setup ever on top of its processor, directly connected to a rear exhaust fan. It's tiny because that's a laptop processor, an Intel 13th-gen i5 or i7, depending on which version you buy. It's also soldered in place — this is not an ATX or mATX motherboard, it's proprietary. That CPU is the only one that the desktop will ever have.
Which is not to say there are no upgrade options. With a desktop-style PCI
Google's AI Ultra subscription—a recurring charge, mind you—is the newest way to flaunt your wealth. Announced at Google I/O today, Google says you can have all the best of what Google has on offer, from AI to storage, for "only" $249.99 per month. Google is also renaming its current $19.99-per-month AI Premium plan to "AI Pro" and adding additional features, like access to Flow.
"[The AI Ultra plan is] for people who want to be on the absolute cutting edge of AI, from Google," said Josh Woodward, the vice president of Google Labs and Gemini. Although it's only available to customers in the United States as of today, Google promises that it will be available to a total of 70 countries soon.
Here's what the AI subscription buys you:
Gemini: The AI Ultra subscription will deliver the best of the Gemini app, with the "highest" usage limits for Deep Research, Veo 2 text-to-video access, and early access to Veo 3, which adds audio generation that's synced with the video. You'll also get access to the "Deep Think" option within Gemini 2.5 Pro. Gemini is also integrated into Gmail, Docs, Vids, and more.
Flow: Google is launching a new AI filmmaking tool that combines Veo, Imagen image generation, and Gemini. It's designed for creating AI films, with editing capabilities built right in.
Whisk: Another experimental technology, Whisk allows for quick image generation but also remixing.
NotebookLM:
Google launched AI Overviews a year ago, which aims to answer your question before showing the traditional list of links. AI Mode is the next step: from what Google has shown, the list of links will disappear entirely, replaced by tiny link icons that link back to the information Google is slurping up.
Google's Liz Reid, a Google vice president and head of Google Search, said that AI Overviews totals 1.5 billion users and will be expanded to over 200 countries. At the beginning of May, Google migrated AI Mode out of its Labs environment into a small subset of users in the real world and has apparently replaced the "I'm feeling lucky" button with an AI search button as well.
It's not clear whether AI Mode will be the default search for all U.S. users, or whether Google will allow users to express a preference or preserve the choices they've made before. Traditional search doesn't look like it will go away, but it will be relegated to a different tab, in much the same way a search for "Images" requires you to shift to another search tab within Google. Reid said that it's bringing AI Mode to AI overviews, too.
"We use what we call a query fan-out technique," Reid said, in describing
What Gemini will do in Chrome, and when it will be released, isn't known. In a list of announcements that spanned dozens of pages, Google allocated just a single line to the announcement: "Gemini is coming to Chrome, so you can ask questions while browsing the web."
Within Edge, Microsoft uses Copilot to summarize documents and web pages, as well as answer questions about the content within them. Gemini will do the same, but well after Microsoft integrated Copilot — a possible reason for downplaying the announcement.
Google is using Gemini as a catch-all for various AI functions, much in the same way that Microsoft uses Copilot as an AI brand. Google, like Microsoft, is pushing agentic AI, where various bits of autonomous AI work independently to pursue tasks.
Google calls this "Project Mariner," and will appear in mobile and on the desktop. It may appear as "Agent Mode," so a task like searching for an apartment in Austin could be broken down into tasks like searching rental agencies , and so on. It will be coming soon, to "subscribers," Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said in a keynote address at its Google I/O developer conference on Tuesday.
You'll see Gemini appear in Chrome as early as this week, Google executives said. However, you'll need to be a Gemini subscriber to take advantage of its features, a requirement that Microsoft does not apply with Copilot for Edge.
In 2023, Google launched a feature that would let you see how an outfit looks on a series of pre-selected models. Now, Google is rolling out the same technique at its Google I/O developer conference… just on you.
It's like an AI-powered fitting room to try on clothes. All you'll need to do is have someone take a full-body photo (clothed, of course) against a neutral background, then upload it to Google. Google's AI will then analyze the clothing, compare it to you, and voila! You've tried it on.
If you're anything like my wife, that description sparked a twenty-minute monologue describing how women's bodies vary and how women of an "identical" size vary in hips, bust, and so on. Google claims that this has been thoroughly considered; however, according to Vidya Srinivasan, who leads ads and commerce at Google.
We've dealt with translating information from one language to another in any number of ways: automatically translating Web pages, rewriting PDFs in another language, or using mobile apps like Google Translate to provide ongoing text translations—either visually or via generated text for another person to read.
At Google I/O, Google's demonstrating something better. Speech translation with Gemini is a new feature that you'll be able to trigger within Google Meet. Speak, and you'll hear your words. But the person you're speaking to will hear an AI-generated voiceover, with nuance, translating your words into their native language.
"I think we are very, very close to having a natural and free-flowing conversation across languages," Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Google and Alphabet, said in a briefing for reporters.
At PCWorld, we've written numerous articles on ways to clean out your Gmail inbox. There's nothing worse than seeing a notification that your cloud storage is out of space, and trying to decide whether to take the time to clean it out (and risk losing something!) or pay more for additional space.
And cleaning it out is no fun at all, either. What email should stay? What should go? Trying to decide what's important or not is a headache, but then trying to navigate through the Gmail interface is a pain.
That's why I'm honestly excited that Google plans to apply Gemini to the job. In a blog post by Yulie Kwon Kim, vice-president of product at Google Workspace, Google said at its Google I/O conference that Gemini is being added to Gmail to help clean up your inbox. "Simply tell Gemini what you want to do (e.g., ‘Delete all of my unread emails from the Groomed Paw from last year') and watch as it helps you manage and declutter your inbox with a single click."
I don't think it will be as easy as all that; you'll still have to decide what stays and what goes. But Google uses a good example here, and you can simply apply tips from our previous stories about looking for and deleting emails with large attachments, and so on. Gemini should work on your Android phone (you do have an Android phone, right?) and Gmail, so that you can probably clean up your inbox while chilling out on the couch.
Gmail's also expanding its predictive capabilities, adding personalized smart replies that use your tone, ph
The ROG XG Station 3 breaks from previous designs that had a fully encased GPU, instead opting to simply let you plug a card into a PCIe slot on a sturdy base and let it breathe free in the open air. That might cause some noise issues, but it gets rid of any size restrictions, as frame-style designs from smaller vendors have discovered. Tucked into that big beefy slab is a 330-watt power supply, though you can upgrade it with any SFX-compatible unit.
If you're wondering where the power rail is, the promo shots are using an Asus BTF card with a custom power delivery solution that can plug into the motherboard/dock. The XG Station 3 can also use a standard 12V 2×6 connector for wider compatibility with non-Asus BTF cards. So between the PCIe slot and the flexibility options, it should work with any card on the market right now, though you might need to swap out the power supply if you want an RTX 5090 or similar.
All you have to do is plug this into any TV's HDMI port and you're good to go. You'll stay logged into your Amazon account on the device itself, and you can move it from TV to TV and pick up right where you left off. It'll also keep your installed apps, settings, etc. You just have to make sure it's connected to the local Wi-Fi network when you move it.
The Fire TV Stick HD comes with an Alexa Voice Remote, so you can use voice commands to change the channel, swap what you're watching, control the volume, etc. Of course, you can also use the voice remote for other Alexa features, like asking it for the weather, managing your routines, and controlling other Alexa-compatible smart home devices.
Note that this is the basic HD version of the Fire TV Stick. If you want to stream in 4K quality and/or want a device that's faster and feels more responsive, you'll want either the Fire TV Stick 4K or Fire TV Stick 4K Max instead. Incidentally, both of those are also on sale! But if you just want the cheapest option, it doesn't get cheaper than the
The Ring subreddit is blowing up with reports from puzzled users—many of whom have never owned a Ring product—who found Ring account verification emails in their inboxes, many of them laced with racial epithets.
Upon closer inspection, the messages themselves do appear to be coming from Ring, complete with the correct reply-to address, which is only adding to the confusion.
So, what's going on? Did Ring get hacked? And why are users getting targeted with vile language?
The how and why behind the influx of Ring spam is still unclear (I've reached out to Ring for more details). But it appears likely that Ring, while an unwitting participant in the spam deluge, wasn't the source of the data breach.
Instead, bad actors probably scooped up reams of stolen e-mail addresses and used them to sign up for Ring accounts—lots of them.
While creating the accounts, the hackers apparently used phony usernames, many of them racist. The racist language is surely upsetting and may make you think you're being personally targeted, but it's doubtful the hackers know anything about you aside from your email address.
Once the accounts were created, Ring's systems dutifully sent out verification emails to the surpr
The Creative Cloud All Apps plan is being renamed Creative Cloud Pro, because apparently tools that cost hundreds of dollars a year and aren't available as full purchases aren't for "professionals" unless they're paying the maximum amount. If you're in the US, Canada, or Mexico, and if you're currently subscribed to All Apps, you'll be moved over to the Pro plan starting on June 17th… with a price bump from $60 per month to $70 per month for standard, yearly-subscribed users in the US.
Month-to-month prices will jump from the already-sky-high $90 per month to $105 per month. You can save a small amount on this by paying for a full year of access up front—that's a whopping $780, which is a $120 increase over the previous yearly price for access to all Adobe apps. As usual, students and teachers qualify for discounts, using Aristotle's "get 'em hooked while young" approach.
Users will have the option to continue with their existing level of access, renamed from Creative Cloud All Apps to Creative Cloud Standard, for $55 per month on a yearly contract (or $82.49 month-to-month, $600 per year prepaid). Those rates are actually slightly cheaper than the existing prices for the same level of access… but the new plan won't be available to new users starting in June.
I repeat: in order to get the Standard plan, you'll nee
Unlike JBL's other speaker lines, this one is fairly small and, as the name suggests, able to be clipped right onto your backpack, hooked onto your chair, looped into your belt loops, etc. And at just 280 grams, it's light enough to carry around without it dragging you down. But small doesn't mean weak. It lasts up to 12 hours on a full charge, plus 3 more hours if you activate Playtime Boost with a button press (which optimizes energy efficiency by tweaking sound output).
If it wasn't already obvious, JBL wants you to take this speaker with you everywhere, which is why it has an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating. That means it'll survive hikes, pool parties, and even beach trips. That said, you can even use it indoors. Why not? Enjoy great music while doing chores around your house, yard work, or relaxing on your patio.
Whether you're the heart of the party or the one who asks everyone to leave by 9pm, get yourself the JBL Clip 5 for under $50. It's one of the best travel-friendly Bluetooth speakers at this price.
Save 38% and get your party started with the JBL Clip 5
Using an old trick, hackers have set up new sites with "squatter" URLs that look close enough to the genuine KeePass site at KeePass.info. On the fake sites, the interface mimics the genuine one to near perfection, offering downloads of the password manager. But according to an investigation by WithSecure, the hackers didn't just serve up those fake sites as a way to deliver your typical malware. Nope, they modified the open-source KeePass program itself, then signed the package with the legitimate certificate to make it look real.
The infected version operates normally as a password manager, but behind the scenes it's stealing your login and password info, installing the ransomware payload, and proliferating to any other compatible machines on your network. Once activated, affected machines are remotely encrypted, allowing the hackers to steal as much data as they want and anonymously extort you out of a ransom payment.
The faked KeePass programs were loaded up on multiple URLs that were basically typo versions of the real one. BleepingComputer reports
However, an important change is coming soon for those latter users: Starting June 3, 2025, you'll no longer be able to use Netflix on first-generation Fire TV devices. This includes the Fire TV, the Fire TV Stick, and the Fire TV Stick with Alexa voice remote control. Netflix reportedly informed affected customers by email.
These older Fire TV models first launched on the market back in 2014 and technically haven't been supported by Amazon for a long time, with zero software or security updates in the past few years. Plus, with those devices having weaker hardware and lesser performance, most affected users will likely have switched to newer models by now.
Nevertheless, if you're still using a first-generation Fire TV device, you won't be able to stream Netflix on it starting in June.
It's not exactly clear why Netflix is ending support for old Fire TV devices, but it could have something to do with Netflix using newer standards—such as the AV1 codec—to stream with better picture quality, particularly for customers who are on the Premium plan.
If you still own a first-generation Fire TV device, you can't retrofit it to support modern video codecs. You'll want to upgrade to one of the newer Fire TV models with 4K resolution support—like the Fire TV Stick 4K or the Fire TV Stick 4K Max—and you might even be able to get a discount on
Otter even offers AI services, so I can see an AI-generated summary of the conversation and what needs to happen next. Yesterday, my wife complained that the secretary of a non-profit she volunteers at had quit, forcing her to record the minutes of a meeting. My next step? Demonstrating Otter.
So, why should you use Otter? Otter lets you focus on the meeting instead of taking notes if you get called in for a quick standup or one-on-one with your boss. Otter generates those automatically! I find it extremely useful for personal meetings, too: making sense of a doctor's visit, for example, or with a school counselor. It even remembers speaker voices from conversation to conversation, so you can "tag" someone. If they're part of a future conversation, you'll know.
Anything that could benefit from additional organization—planning a wedding, talking over college finances—is great for Otter. Tap the button, start the transcription recording, and go.
This critical repair update is only available for download via the Microsoft Update Catalog, and it's intended for PCs running Windows 10 (versions 1903 and later) and Windows 10 LTSB, for both x86 and x64 systems. The download size varies between 415 MB and 711 MB.
Who needs the KB5061768 update?
Only Windows 10 users who are affected by the known BitLocker issue and/or blue screen crashes (which started with May's big Windows 10 patch) should download and install update KB5061768.
To recap, affected Windows 10 PCs fail to start because they erroneously require your BitLocker recovery key to be entered. Furthermore, affected PCs that can log in encounter blue screen crashes.
According to Microsoft, only Windows 10 PCs with activated Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) on 10th-generation Intel vPro processors or higher should be affected.
That's the same chip that's allegedly inside that new Asus ROG Ally 2, a more powerful version than the first generation, and not to be confused with the disappointing Ryzen Z2 Go. This new AMD flavor is christened the Claw A8 BZ2EM, which is only slightly less terrible than the top-end Claw 8 AI with Intel chips. The new model is notably more angular, with a two-tone paint job that doesn't stretch onto the main panel and what looks like larger speaker grilles built into the grips.
This new AMD-powered Claw comes with an 8-inch, 1200P LCD screen with 120Hz refresh, "up to 24GB" of DDR5x-8000 RAM, one M.2 slot for storage (no capacity given currently), and double US
I'm talking about this Baseus 3-in-1 wireless charging stand that's on sale for $39.79 on Amazon, heavily discounted down from its $90 MSRP. To get this price, you'll need to clip the on-page coupon for $10 off, plus use promo code DOJYTORS at checkout. Boom! You just saved $50.
This will effectively declutter your desk, allowing you to wirelessly charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods on a single MagSafe-compatible stand. It comes with a 3.3-foot USB-C cable and a 45W USB-C power adapter that delivers fast charging power to the stand. (This stand is designed for the Apple ecosystem. Android users beware.)
The base acts as a dual charging pad—one spot for your Apple Watch and one for your AirPods case—plus there's a magnetic stand for your phone. This stand is such a nice extra, keeping your phone comfortably in your line of sight so you can stay on top of notifications or even watch videos while it charges. The charger has CryoCore tech, too, which is basically a fan that helps dissipate heat and keeps your device cool.
This is an incredibly practical upgrade and it's cheaper than it's ever been, so don't miss out on this opportunity to get the Baseus 3-in-1 wireless charging stand for $39.79. Remember to clip the on-page coupon and use promo code DOJYTORS at checkout!
This is a monitor that delivers everything you could possibly want, whether you're using it for work, fun, or gaming. Who could turn their nose down at the incredible 5120×1440 resolution? That's basically two 1440p monitors smooshed together. And when it's stretched across 49 glorious inches, the experience is as immersive as it gets.
What makes this monitor gaming-ready is the fast 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time. As long as your computer is powerful enough to keep up with that, you'll be good to go—but do note that means you'll need a properly powerful gaming rig of a PC. The Odyssey OLED G9 is also compatible with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync.
The curved screen makes the huge screen easier on your eyes, by the way. You'll be able to spend more hours gaming and working without eye strain. Not to mention the vivid OLED panel with its deep blacks, vibrant colors, and cutting-edge visuals.
What are you waiting for? Jump on this Samsung 49-inch OLED ultrawide for only $1,000 while this hot deal is still active!
Save $800 on Samsung's 49-inch ultrawide OLED gaming monitor
So whenever I get offers to test outdoor lights from Philips Hue, Enbrighten, or other smart lighting manufacturers, I usually pass them off to other writers. But not this time.
Nanoleaf's new Solar Garden Lights are, strictly speaking, not so smart. Unlike Nanoleaf's other lights, the Solar Garden Lights don't connect to a network via Wi-Fi or Thread, and while they can be put on timers or run on sunrise/sunset schedules, all those processes must be configured on a remote control, not the Nanoleaf app.
That's disappointing for those with outdoor setups that include power outlets and wireless connectivity, be it Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, or a combination of the three. In such a situation, you'd likely prefer smart outdoor lights that sync with your indoor scenes, run on elaborate schedules, or are capable of being controlled when you're away from home.
It all starts with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, a 12-core laptop chip that's proven its worth for the better part of a year. Here Asus makes AMD hitch its wagon to Nvidia power for graphics, an RTX 5070 laptop GPU on the two configurations Asus has announced. You can get either 32GB or 64GB of DDR5 RAM and 2TB of PCIe 4.0 storage as well. That hardware won't beat the best gaming laptops on the market…but it won't get embarrassed by them, either.
Now add in a 4K, OLED, 16:10, 16-inch display, with up to 500 nits of brightness and 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage. If you don't know what some of those mean, just listen really hard, and you can hear pro video editors gasping. Sure, that touchscreen is "just" 60Hz, but it's pretty freakin' phenomenal for anyone who needs to do media work on the go.
Dell — the partner with which Ventiva originally worked with — is one of the companies interested in the 45W cooling solution. The other is Compal, a "white box" contract manufacturer that builds PCs for any number of vendors who then claim them as their own.
Ventiva surfaced late last year, and we sat down with company executives at CES 2025. Rivals like Frore or xMEMS use a vibrating membrane to replicate the actions of a fan, moving cool air over heated elements within a PC and then outside the system. Ventiva essentially ionizes the air, which is pushed away from a charged wire and creates airflow.
The amount of air moved, and how much cooling is applied, depends on a few factors: the size of the cooling component (which Ventiva calls an ICE), how much charge is applied, and how many ICE devices are working together. At CES 2025, however, Ventiva was talking about moving just 25 watts' worth of thermal energy, enough for the 15W of an Intel Core Ultra "Meteor Lake"-U chip, for example., but not quite enough for the 28W "Arrow Lake" chips or the rival Ryzen AI 300 processors, whose TDPs are also about 28W.
By pushing up to 40W, Ventiva's partnerships with Compal and D
Looking for a way AI can make your life easier? Swatle is an AI-powered productivity partner that serves as your own project assistant, helping you get more things done with fewer resources. And right now, you can secure a premium lifetime subscription for just $59.99 (reg. $240).
Could you use an extra pair of hands at work? Swatle helps manage projects, automate repetitive tasks, or organize your team's workflow. It adapts to your individual needs, helping you streamline your operations and eliminate your inefficiencies so you can work smarter and faster.
Swatle's AI project assistant provides step-by-step guidance, actionable updates, and even gives you time estimates on tasks so you can plan your day efficiently. It also helps you work with your team, streamlining communication and file sharing through a Swatle chat.
There's also a Swatle Taskdesk that can assist with non-technical projects like content creation and event planning, wh
What is EZVIZ doing to improve sustainability?
EZVIZ has a long-term initiative dedicated to sustainability called EZVIZ Green. It's a two-pronged approach that includes both product design and collaborative campaigns to further offset emissions.
Starting with the products themselves, EZVIZ incorporates a number of eco-friendly measures that are both convenient for users and help to reduce the impact on the environment. For instance, EZVIZ has reduced plastic usage throughout the entire product cycle, from the packaging materials to the products themselves.
Many EZVIZ cameras are compatible with solar panels to reduce the reliance on conventional power sources, and you can even take things a step further, opting to power your entire smart home with solar energy.
The products also use highly efficient components to reduce power consumption, and are designed to be durable and updatable. EZVIZ pushes over-the-air updates to all of its products. So even if they've been on the market for a while, products continue to receive the latest features and security updates. Effectively, it means customers can keep using the same cameras for longer, both saving them money and reducing e-waste.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, G16
So, first things first, they're thin and portable, which is what we've come to expect from Zephyrus models at this point, but the display quality is also top notch (with ridiculously fast refresh rates) and the AI-driven innards are designed to make the machine more power-efficient and last longer as a result. Did I mention they just look damn good, too? It's an impressive refresh.
The idea seems to be that you can plug in your phone or handheld PC to charge on the dock, than either view it on the stand or use the dock's output to project the display on to your desktop monitors.
The Asus ROG Bulwark DG300 isn't a USB4, DisplayLink docking station or Thunderbolt dock. It uses a plain 10-Gbit USB-C interface, with DisplayPort 1.4 running on top of it. It's more of a traditional USB-C hub than anything else. But it's definitely designed to accompany your gaming rig, with RGB plus some passive cooling for your peripherals.
What really sets the Bulwark DG300 dock apart is the flip-up support stand, which looks tailor-made for a phone or especially the ROG Ally handheld. (We'd wonder if it could hold the reported ROG Ally 2 as well, but the demonstration shots Asus ROG sent over do not include a handheld with an Xbox button, one of the keys to the new device.) Asus says
That's the same chip that's allegedly inside that new Asus ROG Ally 2, a more powerful version than the first generation, and not to be confused with the disappointing Ryzen Z2 Go. This new AMD flavor is christened the Claw A8 BZ2EM, which is only slightly less terrible than the top-end Claw 8 AI with Intel chips. The new model is notably more angular, with a two-tone paint job that doesn't stretch onto the main panel and what looks like larger speaker grilles built into the grips.
By the way, Asus sponsored the video on PCWorld's YouTube channel. Asus did not sponsor this article — I wanted to write it up because I think it's cool.
The Falcata is a 75 percent board in two pieces, the better to support more ergonomic typing or a more tactical cant, whichever is more applicable in the moment. It's not the first split keyboard to claim gaming prowess, but it is the first one to come from a major PC gaming accessory company like Asus, which says it developed the design with help from pro eSports gamers.
The design has a lot of adjustment options. It comes with eight different screw-in foot locations, four on each side, plus a bit of extra on the wrist rest (which can also be removed). Because in keyboards, as in the woods, tenting is important! Other features include a small volume wheel on the le
John Link, Microsoft's principal program manager for product innovation, closed out Microsoft's Build developer keynote by showing off how Microsoft innovated a new immersion cooling technology using Copilot AI without any PFAS (or what's known as "forever chemicals").
PC boards and server racks can be cooled by air, by water, or by connecting metal heat exchangers with fluid-filled tubing that thermally routes the heat of a processor to the outside world. Immersion cooling is an extreme example of this, which uses electrically non-conductive fluids that surround the entire board. Essentially, the entire board is submerged. Water can't be used because it would short out the system, so PFAS can be used instead—but PFAS presents environmental and health hazards.
Link used what Microsoft calls Microsoft Discovery, an agentic research system. Agentic AI is Microsoft's next big thing, and your one-on-one interactions with Copilot will soon give way to managing individual AIs that autonomously perform specialized tasks.
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.
Dell Ultrasharp U3225QE - Best home office monitor overall
It's hard not to see Edit as a replacement for Notepad, the generally utilitarian interface that could be used for editing all sorts of things. Users also have access to Windows Subsystem for Linux, which allows access to text editors like vim — which can also be run within Windows.
At Microsoft's own Build conference, the focus is obviously on developers, and providing them tools to ensure that Microsoft's own applications, platforms, and services win out. Many of those include AI, of course. But others are just more fundamental tweaks to the familiar Windows platform.
Notepad, of course, is already a Windows application. But what appears to have drawn Microsoft's attention is that it's not natively integrated into the tools developers are already using.
Today, translation works across entire webpages rather fluidly. If you open a webpage in German, for example, your browser will either translate its entirety automatically, or you can do it in a click. But certain documents aren't designed to be as flexible — namely Adobe Acrobat files, or .PDFs.
Right now, you can highlight a passage on a PDF in Edge, right-click it, and hunt down the "translate selection" option. That opens a pane on the right-hand side of the browser, in which the passage is detected and translated. Naturally, going line by line through, say, an instruction manual to translate it all is a pain.
Microsoft hopes to fix this.
"Microsoft Edge will be able to translate full pages of PDFs from more than 70 languages," Microsoft said at its Build developer conference. "With just a few clicks, users will be able to open a PDF in Edge, click the Translate icon in the Edge address bar and quickly create a new document fully translated into the language of choice. Users will get real-time translations of entire PDF documents, eliminating the struggle to understand important documents."
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.
Although it's difficult to determine how many apps Microsoft sells via its Microsoft Store app, most sources place it less than a million — and those numbers are from several years ago. Even Phil Spencer, now the chief of Microsoft Gaming, has said that the Store "sucks," primarily owing to its poor design and lack of popular applications.
Since then, Microsoft has revamped the Microsoft Store app, but the problems remain. Now, Microsoft is trying to lure more publishers by streamlining the process and lowering the price.
Individual developers will be able to sign up and publish to the Store for free in June, Microsoft said. "This will make Microsoft Store on Windows the first global digital store to waive the fee for publishing apps," it said.
The new plan promises benefits to users, too. Today, even when a publisher publishes a new version of a Win32 app — the traditional .EXE file — there's no guarantee that the latest version will appear on the Store. That has led to a frequent user complaint that Store apps are out of date. Now, not only will you able to find the updated version, the Store app page will actually list the last time that the app was updated. You'll be able to download the latest version from the Store's "Downloads" page or just from the app's page
Today, at Microsoft Build, the company begins rolling out tools to consumers and business users that show off its vision. Microsoft 365 Copilot Wave 2, for example, is Microsoft's name for an improved Microsoft 365 application, a hub where your chats, notebooks, and agents all intersect. It will include Copilot Search, too. Microsoft wants those business users to also begin training their agents and models on company data so that a legal agent, for example, can quickly come up with a merger proposal or disclaimer form.
Other work that Microsoft is doing is laying the groundwork for a future that isn't here yet, but you'll probably want to know about: what Microsoft calls a Model Context Protocol will be a framework for AI agents to work with and control native Windows apps—part of what Microsoft originally promised with Copilot but never really delivered. And while Microsoft is pushing what it calls Windows AI Foundry and Windows AI Foundry Local toward developers, you might benefit, too—they're designed to allow LLMs to run locally, with Microsoft handling all the deep thinking about bits of code you'll need and how they'll be optimized for the hardware that's already on your PC.
Microsoft seems to believe that any ground it lost to OpenAI, Meta, or Anthropic can be quickly made up by pushing AI across its workplace and yours. If it's scary, just think: Microsoft just went through a round of layoffs that apparently were used to replace some of programmers with AI.
The makers of Sesame Street made the announcement Monday morning, noting on X that "all new Sesame Street episodes" will soon be streaming on Netflix.
The news comes roughly six months after Max—soon to (once again) be HBO Max—chose not to renew its deal with Sesame Workshop for new Sesame Street episodes. Max still has a deal for streaming older Sesame Street episodes, which will remain on the streamer until 2027, according to Deadline.
Besides appearing on Netflix, all the new episodes for Sesame Street season 56 will air day-and-date on PBS stations as well as the PBS Kids app, a change from the Max days when Sesame Street fans had to wait before watching new episodes on PBS.
Sesame Street's move to Netflix is yet another sign of the identity crisis over at Max—or HBO Max, or whatever it's called these days.
HBO had been Sesame Street's home since 2016, well before HBO Max came on the scene. Still, the legendary kids show fit in with Max's former strategy of being a big tent rather than a specialty purveyor of adult-oriented programming,
But if you're using classic Outlook, there's another way—a completely different view that may or may not rock your world. I'm talking about the calendar view, which turns your email inbox into a calendar and shows a day-by-day chronological display of when emails landed in your inbox.
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