TL;DR: Streamline any project with help from Microsoft Project 2021 Professional, now just $19.97 during our version of Prime Day.

Big projects have a way of becoming unwieldy quickly. That’s why project managers are so important to organizations, and why tools like Microsoft Project 2021 Professional are so important to project managers. During our version of Prime Day, you can simplify any project when you grab this powerful tool from Microsoft for just $19.97.

Microsoft Project is an all-in-one tool to help you get a grip on all kinds of projects. It’s loaded with pre-built templates to help you get started and organized quickly and allows you to sync with Office LTSC and Office 2021 to streamline all of the data you’re working with. You can manage multiple timelines and schedules, keep tabs on timesheets and staffing, run what-if scenarios with budgets, and much, much more. That’s why it has earned 4.4/5 stars from both Capterra and GetApp.

Work smarter, not harder. Through July 21st, you can get Microsoft Project 2021 Professional for just $19.97 (reg. $249).

 

Microsoft Project 2021 Professional (PC) – $24.97

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

Personal Software, Professional Software

TL;DR: Take the leap to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro for one of the lowest prices you’ll see — just $22.97 — through July 21.

Running the most up-to-date operating system is one of the best ways to ensure your computer stays secure and you have the best tools to work more effectively. When you have Microsoft Windows 11 Pro, you’ll be set up to reach all of your productivity and security goals. Through 7/21, you can get it for one of the lowest prices you’ll find at just $22.97.

Windows 11 Pro was made with the hybrid working world in mind, replete with productivity features like seamless redocking, snap layouts, widgets, and an array of custom tools to help you work the way you want. It also offers the Copilot AI to assist with research and tedious tasks, as well as a ton of security features to protect your device when you’re working out in public.

Get an OS upgrade for a can’t-miss price. Through 11:59 pm PT on 7/21, you can get Microsoft Windows 11 Pro for just $22.97 (reg. $199).

 

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro – $22.97

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

Personal Software, Professional Software

TL;DR: During our version of Prime Day, you can get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for Windows for just $34.97 (reg. $499).

Coding is difficult enough. With the right tools, however, complex projects can be made a lot more accessible. That’s where Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for Windows comes in. This leading 64-bit integrated development environment (IDE) is Microsoft’s finest, giving you the tools you need to streamline your coding workflow and collaborate more effectively. During our version of Prime Day, you can get it for more than $450 off.

Microsoft Visual Studio makes it much easier to code cross-platform and in multiple languages in the same central interface. You can save time by completing lines or blocks of code automatically with IntelliCode, and collaborate live with coworkers or colleagues with Live Share. CodeLens gives you deeper insights into your code to debug more effectively, track changes, and more.

Find out why Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for Windows has earned a 4.6/5-star rating from both Capterra and GetApp. During our version of Prime Day, you can get it for just $34.97 (reg. $499).

 

Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for Windows – $29.97

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

Professional Software

If you’re dealing with the aches and pains from sitting in an old office chair and are looking to replace it with a new one, you’ve come to the right place. Staples is currently selling the Hyken Ergonomic Mesh Swivel Task Chair for just $90 with the coupon code 94171 (it shaves off an additional $10), plus free shipping. This specific chair is the chair of choice among Reddit’s chair nerd hivemind at r/buildapc, so you know it has serious staying power.

Plus, I happen to own this exact chair model and can confidently vouch its comfort and ergonomics. I’ve been using it for years at this point! Back pain? Sore shoulder? Never heard of them.

Looking for more desk accessories? Check out real PC enthusiasts swear these 24 desk accessories changed their life.

The Union & Scale chair features a mesh back and seat, a swivel-tilt mechanism, and a tension knob that allows you to change the resistance for easy reclining. It’s capable of holding up to 276 pounds and it will require assembly. According to the Reddit wizards (aka commenters), this chair has a good mix of support and comfort, especially if you plan on sitting in it for a long time. I spend an embarrassing amount of time at my desktop computer and rarely do I feel any aches and pains from this chair. If I do feel pain, it’s usually my own doing, as I sit like a pretzel on occasion.

This is an awesome deal, so don’t sleep on it. Get it now before the chance to grab Reddit’s favorite desk chair for a pittance disappears.

Computer Accessories

Calling all engineering students! If you’re in the market for a laptop that can handle resource-intensive coursework, you’ve come to the right place. These laptops offer reliable performance as well as a portable form factor, which is important for when you’re running from class to class. We’ve also included budget-friendly machines and gaming rigs for those late night gaming sessions. Read on to learn more.

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 now review more than 70 laptops every year. All of the picks below have been personally tested and vetted by our experts, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards. We’re also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget.

Looking for great laptop deals? Check out our regularly updated list of the best mainstream, gaming, and 2-in-1 laptop deals.

Updated June 28, 2024: We added the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i as an alternative option underneath the Best Overall pick and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 as the Best Battery Life pick. We’ve also updated our list of recent laptop reviews, so be sure to check those out near the bottom of the page.

The best laptops for engineering students

Recent laptop reviews

• Dell Inspiron 16 Plus: The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is a powerful 16-inch workstation with a nice combination of performance, battery life, and build quality. It’s a good alternative to gaming laptops for people who want more power than the average laptop offers.
• Surface Laptop 7: The Microsoft Surface Laptop’s strong processor performance and top-tier battery life prove that Windows’ transition to Arm has staying power, but even the most casual gamers should think twice.
• Acer Aspire 3: The Acer Aspire 3 cuts performance to the bone as it limbos below a $500 MSRP.
• Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i: The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is one of the best mainstream Windows laptops on the market, with great specs, a gorgeous display, and a killer keyboard.

How we test engineering laptops

The PCWorld team puts every Windows laptop through a series of intense benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested.

Below, you’ll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them. For a much deeper look at our review methodology, check out how PCWorld tests laptops.

Windows laptops

• PCMark 10: The PCMark 10 benchmark is how we determine how well the laptop handles general use tasks like web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, streaming, and so on.
• HandBrake: HandBrake is more intensive than PCMark 10. It measures how long a laptop’s CPU takes to encode a beefy 30GB file.
• Cinebench: Cinebench is a brief stress test of the CPU cores. It renders a 2D scene over a short period of time.
• 3DMark: 3DMark checks if 3D performance remains consistent over time by running graphic-intensive clips. This is how we test a gaming laptop’s GPU.
• Video rundown test: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video using Windows 10’s Movies & TV app until the laptop dies.

Laptops

If you’ve been holding out for the perfect time to get a Nintendo Switch OLED, that time is now!

The Nintendo Switch OLED is currently just $303 at Walmart, down from its usual $349. The Nintendo Switch rarely goes on sale, which makes this sizable discount that much more enticing.

The Nintendo Switch OLED has a vibrant 7-inch OLED screen for vivid colors and contrast. Whether you’re diving into the latest Zelda adventure or racing through Mario Kart like the rest of us, this display technology delivers a more immersive experience.

Aside from the new OLED screen, this version of the Nintendo Switch has another major upgrade: a wide, adjustable stand. Now, when you set your Switch down on the table, you can actually adjust the resting angle.

The Switch is equipped with a wired LAN port, ensuring a stable and fast internet connection when playing in docked mode. With a generous 64GB of internal storage, you have ample space for your game library. (And if you’re a true gaming enthusiast, you can always expand this storage with a memory card.)

If you already own a Nintendo Switch, know that you can continue using your existing Joy-Con controllers with this new OLED model, saving you the cost of purchasing new ones.

The Nintendo Switch OLED that’s on sale at Walmart right now is the black-and-white model, which looks pretty awesome. At just $303, this is the perfect opportunity to pounce on this deal!

The Nintendo Switch OLED rarely goes on sale Gaming

The Steam Summer Sale is in full swing, and there are deals to be had everywhere you look. But most of them—especially the more popular and more recent games—only have modest discounts at best. I’ve picked out some of my favorites that have the biggest savings.

In no particular order, here are the best Steam Summer Sale deals on the games I personally love and think everyone should check out. Fill up your Steam backlog at a steep discount right now!

1. Fallout 76 — $9.99 (75% off)

Fallout is all the rage at the moment thanks to the Amazon series, but sadly it’s been years since the last mainline game—and it’ll be years more before a new one comes out.

Take this opportunity to get Fallout 76 at a huge discount and dive into the rich lore of this post-apocalyptic world, presented as a prequel to every other Fallout game. The rest of the series is deeply discounted as well, including fan-favorite Fallout: New Vegas.

2. Horizon: Zero Dawn Complete Edition — $12.49 (75% off)

This is one of my all-time favorite games, and the PC version of Horizon: Zero Dawn—with its more precise controls and even prettier graphics—is the best way to experience it.

This package includes the original open-world, robo-dino-hunting game and the excellent Frozen Wilds DLC at an amazing price. If you enjoy this one, you’ll want to move on to the sequel Horizon: Forbidden West… if your PC can handle it.

3. Tunic — $14.99 (50% off)

Tunic is a top-down, Zelda-inspired action-RPG that’s absolutely adorable, animating like a series of kids’ toys come to life. But don’t let the cutesy graphics fool you. With its expansive setting and punishing combat, there’s more than a little Dark Souls flavor to this comely adventure.

4. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut — $3.99 (90% off)

If you want to sink your teeth into a narrative-heavy RPG, you’ll find none deeper than Disco Elysium, which became an instant classic upon release.

Its stunningly original world and neo-noir trappings will suck you in, even as you acquaint yourself with its original take on role-playing and exploration. Make sure you have plenty of free time before you start, as this game will devour it.

5. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor + Shadow of War — $6.99 (90% off)

These games are a bit old now, but they combine Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings setting (albeit a sort of fanfiction version) with the excellent combat of the Batman Arkham games.

Even better, the legendary Nemesis system always gives you dynamic and interesting orcs to fight (and eventually recruit to your own army). Start with Shadow of Mordor, then move on to Shadow of War—this bundle makes them an incredible bargain.

6. Civilization VI — $2.99 (95% off)

What can I say about Civilization VI that hasn’t already been said? Nothing, that’s what. If you have any love for the classics of turn-based empire building, or if you’re just curious to see what all the fuss is about, there’s never been a better time to pick it up.

7. Doom (2016) — $3.99 (80% off)

Doom‘s reimagined reboot from nearly ten years ago arguably kicked off the modern boom of boomer shooters, and it’s easy to see why.

An incredible blend of classic and modern elements makes this a demon-punching joy from start to finish, with super-fast movement, satisfying shooting, and fantastic levels. Play Doom (the slightly less old one) for a taste of a nearly perfect shooter.

8. Dead Cells — $12.49 (50% off)

You got your roguelike in my Metroidvania! Dead Cells is one of those rare indie games that nails just about everything it sets out to do, from its colorful pixel art to its smooth-as-butter platforming to its punishing-yet-satisfying combat.

If you’re looking for a challenge and you’re strung out on 3D soulslikes, give this one a go. It’s an absolute winner.

9. Slay the Spire — $8.49 (66% off)

The one that popularized today’s deluge of digital deck-building games, Slay the Spire mixes simple mechanics and deep strategy with a hearty dose of randomness for maximum engagement.

After a few runs, you’ll start to seek out the card combos and battle techniques that can make the difference between a flub and an epic run. Warning: this one can be seriously addictive!

10. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun — $14.29 (35% off)

The grimdark future of Warhammer 40K and the pixelated perversity of boomer shooters make for a perfect combination, and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun proves it.

Step into the chunky size-18 boots of a legendary space marine and rid a beleaguered planet of its demonic infestation. Come for the breathless, non-stop shooting—even if your PC can’t handle the newer Doom games—and stay for the deep lore.

11. Yakuza: Like a Dragon — $11.99 (80% off)

The Yakuza series is legendary for its alternately serious and wacky atmosphere, but its usual beat-em-up combat doesn’t appeal to everyone. If you prefer your role-playing games with turn-based combat, this more recent entry should be more your style.

The surrealist setup of Yakuza: Like a Dragon makes everything wackier in a way that’s charmingly anime, and the new protagonist means you don’t need to have played any of the other Yakuza games to dig in.

Gaming, Video Games

If you’re looking to boost your productivity with an extra screen, especially when you’re on the go, the Arzopa S1 Table Portable Monitor is now just $64 at Amazon, down from $130.

While this price is technically a Prime deal—big savings that are only for Amazon Prime members—non-Prime shoppers can still get this awesome portable laptop monitor for $90.

The Arzopa S1 Table serves as an excellent portable monitor since you can easily slip it into your bag right next to your laptop. Whether you’re multitasking with multiple applications or just need a bigger screen for your spreadsheets, this monitor helps you stay productive.

Featuring a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS screen, this monitor delivers vibrant colors and crystal-clear image quality. The anti-glare display ensures you can work comfortably even in brightly lit environments, such as under fluorescent lighting or outdoors.

The display’s 60Hz refresh rate isn’t the best for gaming, but it’s all you need for reasonably smooth visuals while working on presentations, streaming videos, or just browsing the web.

This portable monitor is lightweight (1.7 pounds) and slim (0.3 inches thick), so you won’t have any trouble carrying it around.

The Arzopa S1 Table features dual USB-C ports, so it can easily connect to smartphones, computers, and gaming consoles. The mini HDMI port further extends compatibility to most modern laptops, ensuring you have a way to use the monitor with any device.

This is a fantastic opportunity to get this 15.6-inch Arzopa portable monitor for just $64 if you’re a Prime member. If you aren’t one, sign up for a 30-day free trial of Prime and you’ll be able to join in on this plus all the upcoming Prime Day deals, too!

This 15.6-inch portable laptop monitor is only $64 Monitors

Price When Reviewed

60

Best Prices Today: Malwarebytes Premium Security

Malwarebytes was once a crucial piece of software—a necessary supplement for your main antivirus scanner. You couldn’t always count on just one program to catch everything, and Malwarebytes rose to prominence as a reliable secondary tool.

But the world has changed since 2010. Now if you run multiple antivirus apps, you could open yourself up to software conflicts or increased risk for system vulnerabilities. One single program is the way to go—and if you’re a newbie to security and prefer a dead simple app, then Malwarebytes’ streamlined, elegant approach can fit the bill.

How much does Malwarebytes Premium Security cost?

As a simple suite, Malwarebytes Premium Security costs $60 per year. New subscribers can sign up for a two-year package to save $9 ($111 total). Unlike most other antivirus vendors, Malwarebytes bills in monthly installments over a 12-month term, rather than charging the total cost upfront. 

For its consumer products, the company offers a 14-day trial, and a 60-day money back guarantee.

Single-device plan (3 devices)

• $60 per year (billed monthly over a 12-month term)

Malwarebytes’ plan allows you to spread your device allotment over those running Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and even ChromeOS.

If you want to cover more gear, or save a little more cash, you can get licenses for Malwarebytes through third-parties like Amazon and the PCWorld Software store with more flexible terms and at lower rates. However, such plans currently don’t include VPN service, which Malwarebytes added to the subscriptions it sells directly.

What does Malwarebytes Premium Security include?

When you step up from Malwarebytes’ free version to a paid subscription, real-time monitoring for malware, email, web, and select network threats becomes active. (The free plan only scans if you initiate a manual check.) Overall, you’re protected against viruses, ransomware, and other malware, as well as other common attacks like phishing attempts, zero-day exploits on the web and over email, and suspicious apps.

Choosing Malwarebytes Premium Security adds on access to the company’s VPN, which Malwarebytes advertises as a no-log service. As premium upgrades go, this one is simplistic—you don’t get parental controls, a password manager, additional defenses like protected folders, or PC utilities, as you do with a rival like AVG. The company seems to weigh its VPN service as equally valuable to a collection of such antivirus features.

Key features of Malwarebytes Premium Security

Installation and user interface

After you install the app, you’ll see the main dashboard. The interface is incredibly streamlined, with just two tabs on the left navbar—Dashboard and Settings. You can choose between Light, Dark, or matching Windows’ mode.

Accordingly, you’ll send almost all your time on the Dashboard view, which is divided into three segments. In the larger one, you’ll see a couple of sections blocked out. At the upper left is Security, with Scanner, Detection History, and Real-Time Protection as the three options and their settings:

• Scanner lets you run a quick, full, or custom scan, as well as jump directly to related settings. You can also access the scheduled scans to review what’s already set up and create new ones. 
• Detection History shows quarantined items, the history of events (like detected viruses), and your allow list—items that you’ve approved as safe after initially being flagged by Malwarebytes. 
• Real-Time Protection is not so much a feature, but an explanation for how Malwarebytes and how it safeguards your PC continuously.

Directly underneath the security section is one for the VPN. It puts the major controls at your fingertips, letting you quickly activate the service and change the location. You can also jump into related settings.

Along the right side is a rating for your PC’s protection level—Malwarebyte’s assessment of how close you are to utilizing the app fully. You can also check on other devices associated with your account.

Generally, the interface is clean and simple, as are the settings for the app and its features. The only area where you can dig in deeper are the antivirus protection settings—but as Malwarebytes rightly warns, nearly all users are better off leaving the defaults as they are.

One tip: Once the software is installed, head to Settings > Notifications, scroll down to the bottom, and turn off marketing notifications.

Virus, malware, and threat protection

Real-time protection

Malwarebytes Premium Security constantly keeps an eye out for a variety of threats. When you’re opening or adding files, using apps, or browsing the web, it’ll block viruses, ransomware, and other malware like rootkits, along with phishing attempts.

Unlike other rivals, Malwarebytes doesn’t offer a firewall. That job is left to Windows. It also doesn’t offer additional protections against dangers like DNS hijacking and webcam takeovers. As for identity protection, like dark web monitoring and insurance coverage, you must upgrade to the company’s Complete Protection plan, which costs twice as much per year.

If you want to adjust your real-time scanning settings, you can change what the app screens for and how stringent it is with its filters, as well as how it handles suspicious files. Malwarebytes allows you dig surprisingly deep, though only experts should get into the weeds. The overwhelming majority of users should keep the defaults as they are.

Scheduled and manual scans

At installation, Malwarebytes Premium Security automatically creates a scheduled scan for once per week. It runs whenever your system is idle, which the app calls a “smart scan.” You can edit this default or create additional scheduled scans.

For manual scans, Malwarebytes offers three types. The default is a threat scan, which checks commonly targeted areas of your PC, including things running in memory and at startup, as well as registry changes. Files stored on your PC are also looked over. 

To fire up a quick or custom scan, you must choose Advanced Scan from the three-dot menu for the Scanner on the dashboard. Custom scans let you tweak a handful of settings related to file types and areas of your PC, as well as how to handle potentially unwanted programs and modifications to your system.

Additional features

Browser extension

Malwarebytes offers a Browser Guard extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, but despite being available as a separate free download, it’s still considered a component of the Premium Security suite. After installation, it runs quietly in the background, protecting your browser from malware and scams (including credit card skimming), as well as serving as an adblocker.

VPN

Malwarebytes keeps its controls for its VPN simple rather than restrictive. Firing up the service is quick and fast, as is choosing a location for a server—and Malwarebytes lets you choose a handful of cities within countries outside of the US, more similar to a dedicated VPN.

You can choose servers in Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, UK, Ukraine, USA.

This country list isn’t as large as with some VPN services, but as mentioned above, you can generally choose between two to four cities per country. The exception is the United States, which has 18 cities available, coast to coast.

Speeds held stable when using the VPN during light testing. For US server speeds, Los Angeles (within the same state as PCWorld’s San Francisco location) showed a decrease of about 5 to 7 percent, while New York saw a roughly 26 percent drop.

Customer support

From within the app, you can jump to Malwarebytes’ user guide, support pages, and support tool. You can also use an AI chatbot for answers to your questions, or if you’re signed into your Malwarebytes account, to contact customer support—you’ll get funneled to your choice of email or live chat.

Updates and maintenance 

Updates for the app and virus definitions happen automatically in the background, but you can also trigger a check manually. You’ll need to click on the person icon in the upper right of the app window, then choose About Malwarebytes and click on the Check for updates button.

Performance

While Malwarebytes participates in some independent benchmarking of its software, it has no current results from AV-Test and AV-Comparatives, two major organizations that test how well antivirus suites can catch threats.

Instead, the company points the curious toward AVLabs’s testing data. During the May 2024 advanced in-the-wild test, Malwarebytes caught all 521 samples—though its detection rate was split between 78.32 percent pre-launch and 21.38 percent post-launch of the samples (that is, before the malware samples could activate versus after). In comparison, rivals Bitdefender and McAfee caught nearly all the samples before they could execute, with 97.98 percent and 99.3 percent pre-launch detection, respectively.

When asked about its participation in independent benchmarks, a representative from Malwarebytes said the company “focuses on third-party testing that is most closely aligned with the needs of customers” and that it works “with the third-party testers that are most relevant to what our customers encounter in today’s threat landscape.”

During hardware performance tests on our budget Acer Aspire 3 test laptop, Malwarebytes lived up to its claims of light impact on PC resources. When left idle in the background, it had virtually no effect on typical tasks, as shown by PCMark 10’s extended benchmark. That test simulates video chatting, web browsing, gaming, image and document editing in free apps like GIMP and LibreOffice, and the like. 

If you work instead on Microsoft Office documents, our UL Procyon tests showed a minimal impact on results, with a less than 3 percent difference. Similarly, our Handbrake encoding test only dipped by about 4 percent.

Even running a threat scan continuously during our benchmarks didn’t disturb these numbers much—PCMark 10 slipped by about 7 percent, Procyon by about 14 percent, and Handbrake by about 19 percent. Given how rival antivirus engines from rivals like McAfee and Norton are far greedier about system resources, Malwarebytes does distinguish itself in this regard.

Conclusion

If you dislike complicated interfaces, Malwarebytes Premium Security can be a good fit as an alternative to Windows Security—so long as you don’t mind not getting as much bang for your buck. The app is attractive and clean in its layout, and the settings are clear and straightforward. However, more seasoned security vets may have reason to hesitate on pulling the trigger, due to the relatively low amount of independent testing data available about software performance.

Antivirus

Microsoft has stopped delivery of June 25th’s KB5039302 update. While the update had some interesting stuff in it, it turns out that it can cause Windows 11 PCs to restart in a continuous loop.

Specifically, Windows 11 version 23H2 and Windows 11 version 22H2 are affected by this bug. Windows servers are not affected.

Fortunately, KB5039302 isn’t installed on all Windows 11 computers because it’s an optional update. (It’s a preview of the standard update for all Windows 11 machines that will be released on Patchday in July 2024.)

In other words, KB5039302 will only be on your Windows 11 computer if you explicitly installed it.

Microsoft wrote the following:

After installing updates released on 26 June 2024 (KB5039302), some devices may not restart. Affected systems may restart repeatedly and require recovery operations to restore normal use.

The Redmond software company continues:

This issue is more likely to affect devices that use virtual machine tools and nested virtualization features, such as CloudPC, DevBox, Azure Virtual Desktop. We are investigating to determine the exact conditions under which this issue may be triggered. Windows Home Edition users are less likely to experience this issue as virtualization is less prevalent in private environments.

And further:

While our investigation is ongoing, this update is not being offered through Windows Update and Windows Update for Business. For this reason, this update may not be offered for your device at this time.

Microsoft is working on a solution to the problem and plans to release it with one of the upcoming updates.

What to do if you’re stuck restarting

If you’ve installed the update on your computer and it enters the never-ending reboot loop, you’ll have to wait until Windows 11 begins the Windows 11 recovery environment by itself.

When it does, select Troubleshoot, then Advanced Options, then Uninstall Updates, and finally click on Uninstall latest quality update. Then confirm removal of the update.

It will take some time for KB5039302 to be removed. Once it’s done, restart your computer and it should work properly again.

Windows

While robot vacuums are quite helpful, they can be rather expensive. If you’ve wanted to try one but you’re reluctant to drop hundreds on a name-brand model, today’s your lucky day.

The Lefant M210 robovac is down to $89 at Amazon, an incredible savings on the robot’s list price of $200. It’s rare to see robovacs under $100, especially ones that don’t compromise on performance!

Designed with pet owners in mind, the Lefant M210 tackles pet hair and dirt as it operates its effective zigzag cleaning routine.

This super-affordable model doesn’t have a brush—it sucks everything up directly—so it avoids all the issues that come with hair getting tangled. The trade-off is that it can sometimes struggle to loosen up dirt and debris that’s stubborn or really caked on.

The compact design of the Lefant M210, with its 11-inch diameter and 2.99-inch height, allows it to easily navigate under beds, sofas, and other furniture. It leaves no spot left uncleaned.

You can choose between six cleaning modes: Auto, Spot, Edge, Zigzag, Schedule, and Manual. You can pick whichever you want through the Lefant app and switch between them as needed. You can even control the robovac with your voice by connecting with either Alexa or Google Assistant and asking it to perform different cleaning jobs.

With its long battery life, the Lefant M210 can run up to 120 minutes in low suction mode, meaning it could clean your entire home on a single charge (assuming you aren’t in a massive mansion).

For less than $90, the Lefant M210 robovac is an absolute steal. What will you do with all the time you free up? Whether it’s chilling with Netflix, tackling other chores, or simply taking a nap, the Lefant M210 can improve your life—if you jump on this limited-time deal.

This Lefant robovac is only $89 right now Robot Vacuums and Cleaning

A good gaming chair is a well-considered investment for many, as it usually costs a little more than a normal office chair. However, it also fulfils many functions that go beyond just sitting and scores points with its ergonomics and stylish lighting, for example.

But what should you do if you are no longer happy with your gaming chair? Take it apart, dispose of it and forget about it? Not necessarily, because perhaps your gaming chair would benefit from an upgrade.

To get the best out of your gaming chair, we have selected some interesting accessory options. Unless otherwise stated, most of the products should be suitable for all common manufacturers.

Further reading: Why a great gaming setup needs more than just a powerful PC

Option 1: Neck, lumbar or seat cushion for more ergonomics

Most gaming chairs are already very ergonomic and, in addition to a shape adapted to the spine, also have other aids. These include a good neck cushion that supports the head if you want to lean backwards.

The manufacturer Noblechairs, for example, offers a comfortable cushion made of memory foam that adapts to the shape of the head and can be attached to the chair with a drawstring. This is available for just $35.

You should also provide optimum support for your lower back if you are sitting for long periods of time. A separate lumbar cushion is recommended here if the gaming chair does not already have a function. The Razer brand offers a high-quality memory foam cushion that should fit any chair. However, to be on the safe side, check the dimensions in case your chair is narrower or wider than the gaming chairs from Razer.

Last but not least, there’s the part you actually sit on. The seat of many gaming chairs is made from materials that are both comfortable and supportive. However, if you still find that it becomes uncomfortable or causes pain, an orthopedic seat cushion can help. Cushions for the armrests can also help you to adopt a better posture when typing.

Option 2: Footrest, new castors and mat for more support

If you look at the lower part of a gaming chair, you will notice room for improvement. Firstly, the legs should always be at right angles to the floor, but this is not always the case.

If the height adjustment doesn’t help because the chair doesn’t fit your height perfectly, you should get a footrest. These are available from Secret Lab, for example, although they are a little expensive, or cheaper on Amazon with a warming cover that also helps against cold feet in winter.

If you are annoyed that the gaming chair only has cheap plastic castors or makes a lot of noise when rolling, you can usually replace them. However, make sure you buy the correct diameter so that the castors fit when you attach them.

It may also be a good idea to get a floor protection mat to prevent further wear and tear on the floor or castors. As a rule, these are also non-slip and do not have to look as boring as normal carpets, but can be provided with a wide variety of designs such as those from Sharkoon.

Option 3: A chicer look thanks to personalized patches, covers or LED lighting

If you also value the look, you can personalize your gaming chair even further than just during the ordering process. At Backforce, for example, you can order personalized patches that you can apply to any chair with a fabric cover.

Speaking of covers, if you’re not happy with the color of your gaming chair, you can also get a cover for it. This protects the chair from stains or damage caused by cat claws.

If you prefer a more colorful look, you can also equip your gaming chair with additional LED lighting, if this is not already available. You can use conventional light strips from Amazon and stick them to the side of the chair for a cool lighting effect.

Option 4: Extra gadgets such as a cup holder or controller hanger

If you don’t have much space at your desk, you can outfit your gaming chair with places to store drinks, controllers, or headsets. The DXRacer brand, for example, offers a built-in cup holder for its chairs, although this is compatible with only specific models.

The manufacturer, Thrustmaster, also offers a wild-looking design that allows joysticks to be mounted directly on the armrests of the gaming chair. This makes you feel like you’re in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon or something. Again, make sure that the seat mount is compatible with your chair.

Gaming

Imagine a world where a car is speeding up directly behind you but your hearing only extends to either side of you. It’s a frightening thought, isn’t it? Yet it’s not too far off what we’ve had to endure for decades now in games.

You could just as easily sub out the word “car” for “zombie,” “monster,” “dragon,” or any other kind of game foe, too.

So, I’m just going blurt out my raw opinion: Audio has traditionally taken a backseat to graphics in many games. There… that feels better. But, I do get why that’s been the case…

That a game developer can cause my adrenal glands to flood my body with more of the flight and fight hormone is quite an extraordinary thing…

I mean, it’s true that we live in such a visual world that game developers have naturally prioritized pixels over audio pings. When I look at some of the gorgeous 4K games that have hit our shelves in the last few years — games like Cyberpunk 2077 — I can’t complain, either. The evolution of visually stunning graphics has obviously been a necessary thing to drive game innovation — I mean who doesn’t wanna see a talking vending machine in 3840x2160p?

But we hit a point a while back now where I ceased to be amazed by just gorgeous graphics. Indeed, it’s time to give credit to something else that’s been driving engagement. Yup, take a bow, 3D spatial audio.

The benefits of 3D spatial audio are many.

For starters, technologies like Dolby Atmos for headphones and Windows Sonic have opened a whole new world to my gaming, morphing them from simple linear, roughly approximated auditory experiences into rich sound extravaganzas.

In a literal sense the fact that I can now hear sounds from 17 directions instead of just four really does make them a zillion times more riveting.

That I can hear zombies at my 11 o’clock as well as at 3 o’clock in Resident Evil 2 makes the fantasy a whole lot more believable. Yes, other games have had grotesque flesh-eating undead humans in them too, but these ones sound like they’re actually moving in my 3D space — in my living room, or even in my bedroom, wherever I happen to be playing at the time.

In a nutshell, with 3D spatial audio, developers have found a way to hack more of my biological processes (Matrix style) to keep me more engrossed than I ever have been before. In some cases, they quite literally leave me shaking in my boots.

But 3D spatial audio is more than just a cool new way to hear games like I’ve never heard them before. Indeed, it has become an effective storytelling technique that gels perfectly with the kind of games that I love to play — the engrossing cinematic kind.

Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice is a classic example of where that happens. The game uses 3D spatial audio to put voices in your head and thereby enhance the game’s narrative about your character — a crazed Viking warrior who has descended into hell to help her lost lover. It also uses 3D audio in combat scenes, so they become quite frantic.

Further reading: The best gaming headsets

The way it works at captivating me deserves praise. That a game developer can cause my adrenal glands to flood my body with more of the flight and fight hormone is quite an extraordinary thing.

Another effective 3D spatial audio technique that developers use gets me every time, too. It’s where the audio starts out utilizing the 3D enhanced directionality of 3D spatial audio then collapses down to a single direction — in some cases so that only my player’s breath, or their beating heart is audible (a la Sniper Elite 5).

I call this the claustrophobia effect. Suffice to say, it sounds like my own breath or heart, which makes the action and story more palpable.

Then there’s the way 3D spatial audio enhances environmental sounds like gunfire and passing cars in RPG games like Cyberpunk 2077. If you like a full shopping mall kind of auditory experience where sounds are emanating from every direction — yup, 3D spatial is where it’s at.

But these things are arguably the lesser realized advantages of 3D spatial audio. A more common use is simply competitive advantage. That advantage can be quite big. For me the added directionality allows me to pinpoint explosions, gunfire, and player footfalls in multiplayer matches tons easier than if I had just stereo audio.

That’s no more evident than in Rainbow Six Siege, where I find myself listening like a hawk for the chance of hearing players change from prone to standing, crossing different floor types, and deploying gadgets like flashbangs, to home in on their locations.

But 3D spatial audio also helps with environmental awareness of objects too. The 3D audio anchors them and provides a persistent presence to targets. Indeed, I’ve found it a lot easier to locate objectives in games like Battlefield V, so much so that I’m no longer wandering aimlessly.

That’s not to say that spatial audio technologies are flawless. It can be a minefield to sift between the different types with their varying hardware and game compatibilities. What’s more, they work differently, too. Reddit is flooded with anecdotes about that.

But when you find one that works a treat, it’s gold. DTS Headphone: X 2.0 is one of my favorites. I’ve been loving using it with the Logitech G Pro X Lightspeed headset these past couple of weeks. It’s especially great for games that support Microsoft’s spatial sound API, where I get a full 3D effect — even from above.

So, if you haven’t tried 3D spatial audio, give it a go. But be sure to do your homework and find one that’s compatible with the games you’re playing. After that, load up a game and feel ALIVE!

Gaming, Headsets

2024 is an exciting year for Windows. While the AI features touted by Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs are a flat miss, the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite hardware inside Copilot+ PCs is a definite win.

Finally, after more than a decade of effort, Windows on Arm is a viable alternative to traditional x86 processors—and it’s especially alluring if you long for longer battery life.

But what about games? There’s reason to be skeptical., despite Qualcomm’s pre-release claims that games should just work on Snapdragon X Elite. Games are often developed with a highly specific platform target. Even ports that seem simple, like a move from PlayStation 5 to Xbox Series X|S, can take a lot more effort than you might think. 

To find out how well Qualcomm’s chips fare in PC games, I pitted Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop 7 against a Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2-in-1 with an Intel Core Ultra processor and Intel Arc integrated graphics. The results are shocking.

Further reading: Surface Laptop 7 review: A new Snapdragon-powered era for Windows laptops

Qualcomm vs. Intel integrated GPUs

Every Qualcomm Snapdragon X chip comes with an integrated Qualcomm Adreno X1 GPU, though the IGP’s performance varies a bit depending on the particular Snapdragon X chip in a device: 

• Snapdragon X Plus X1P-64-100: 3.8 TFLOPs
• Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100: 3.8 TFLOPs
• Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100: 3.8 TFLOPs
• Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100: 4.6 TFLOPs

As you can see, Qualcomm’s naming conventions are a bit opaque even by the standards of the industry, so you’ll need to pay close attention when buying a Qualcomm-powered Windows laptop.

Though the X1E-84-100 is the best Qualcomm chip, it’s currently exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge, leaving the X1E-80-100 in the leading spot for most Qualcomm-powered laptops. This is the chip I’ll be using in my tests for this comparison.

Intel, meanwhile, provides integrated Arc graphics into some—though not all—Intel Core Ultra chips. Here, too, the details can vary quite a bit between chips. The least performant have four “Xe Cores” while the best have eight. Clock speeds vary, too.

Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H, the one I’ll be using for this comparison, is a popular option for thin-and-light Windows x86 laptops, the form factor Qualcomm targets with its debut Snapdragon notebooks.. Many expensive laptops use it for their entry-level configurations, while mid-range laptops provide it as an upgrade over an Intel Core Ultra 5.

Qualcomm Adreno X1: Games that failed

Before diving into benchmarks, I want to address a major problem upfront: Most games currently make little or no effort to support Qualcomm’s hardware.

Qualcomm tried to build pre-launch hype with demonstrations of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Control, which both launch and run on a Snapdragon X laptop. However, many of the games I tried refused to launch, crashed at launch, or had instability problems that made them unplayable.

The list of game titles with such problems include many of the most popular games on Steam:

• PUBG: Battlegrounds has an anti-cheat system that doesn’t currently support Qualcomm’s hardware, so the game refused to launch.
• Counter-Strike 2 launched and, at first, seemed playable. However, the game frequently locked up for seconds at a time. The lock-ups seemed to be triggered by gunfire, which obviously isn’t great in a fast-paced esports shooter.
• Warframe launched to the title and login screens, but opened in an oddly scaled window that made the login button unavailable. The game crashed when I resized or maximized the window.
• Apex: Legends politely refused to launch. The game produced an error message stating Arm chips aren’t supported.
• Diablo IV launched and I was able to enter a game, but the game froze several seconds after I started moving my character, followed by a “[Prism] Device Removal – Win10/Dx12 TQ0 RT0 DLSS0 FG0” error message.
• Valheim crashed to the desktop before the game loaded to the start screen. This happened under both DirectX and Vulkan.

As I discovered in my time using the Microsoft Surface Laptop, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X delivers a stable Windows software experience straight out of the box. From web browsers to video editors, nearly everything ran without a problem. And, to my surprise, a large majority of the apps I use for everyday work already support Arm.

But PC games are a different beast. Very few PC developers bother to create Arm-compatible versions of their game. That’s when emulation tries to step in, but emulating a game is more difficult than emulating a typical desktop application.

Can Intel Arc play these titles? For the most part, yes. Games like Warframe and Counter-Strike 2 are very playable on Arc. Others, like Diablo IV and PUBG: Battlegrounds, push the definition of playable with occasional hitches or stutters, but I suspect gamers who aren’t too critical of performance will still find the experience tolerable.

The laptops used for comparison

I went beyond PCWorld’s typical benchmarks for this comparison because I’m interested in a broader overview of how Qualcomm’s Adreno X1 and Intel’s Arc compare across different games of varying age, graphical fidelity, and genre.

Because of that, I had to test a competitive laptop with Intel Arc graphics side-by-side with the Qualcomm machine. I selected the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2-in-1 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and I pitted it against the new Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 with Qualcomm X1E-80-100.

Both laptops have (roughly) 14-inch screens, and they’re similar in size and weight so neither has innate thermal advantages. They represent many mid-to-high-end laptops with Qualcomm or Intel hardware.

The laptops were set to their respective “Best Performance” modes for these tests. I ran all benchmarks three times and averaged the results. Both laptops were connected to power.

The games tested and their results

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

Firaxis’ Sid Meier’s Civilization IV, released in 2014, is hardly a new game, but it remains among the most popular grand strategy games on Steam. It’s a great game to test because large games like this, with many AI opponents, can still tax entry-level laptops.

I tested this game with the built-in Gathering Storm expansion benchmark at 1920×1080 resolution with low Performance and Memory graphics presets selected. The benchmark ran three times back-to-back and the results were averaged. The DirectX 12 mode was used.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop with Qualcomm Adreno X1:
  Avg 21.47 / 1% low 14.52
• Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2-in-1 with Intel Arc:
  Avg 72.29 / 1% low 39.52

This is a blowout win for the Intel Arc graphics, which averaged a performance uplift of roughly 3.5 times when compared to the Qualcomm Adreno X1. More importantly, Intel Arc delivered a playable and enjoyable experience, while Qualcomm Adreno X1 did not.

Interestingly, an Arm-native version of Civilization VI exists, as the game is available for both the iPad and Nintendo Switch (both have Arm chips). However, it’s not available for Windows. This implies the potential to improve performance with a native Arm release, but Firaxis hasn’t announced plans to bring it to Windows on Arm.

Dota 2

Valve’s Dota 2 remains one of the most popular esports titles on the planet. I tested its performance using the in-game replay function to standardize the results. The game was launched at 1920×1080 resolution with the Fastest detail preset, and three 60-second snapshots of performance were captured from the same replay file.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop with Qualcomm Adreno X1:
  Avg 52.8 / 1% Low 17.8 / 0.1% Low 9.8
• Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2-in-1 with Intel Arc:
  Avg 106.6 / 1% Low 52.6  / 0.1% Low 38.1

This is a playable result for the Qualcomm chip, but only just. The average of 52.8 frames per second is solid, though not amazing, but the 1% lows dip into the high teens, and the 0.1% lows dip to single-digits. The game suffered occasional audio drop-outs and glitches.

Intel Arc is both quicker and more stable. Though far from a speed-demon, the Arc delivers an experience that looks and feels more polished. I think most Dota 2 players could get by with Intel Arc graphics if that was their only option.

Diablo II: Resurrected

As mentioned earlier, Diablo IV crashed on the Qualcomm chip—so I instead gave Diablo II: Resurrected a spin.

Although it appears to be a 2D game at a glance due to its fixed isometric perspective, it’s a full 3D title and can prove surprisingly demanding on low-end to mid-range hardware.

I tested the game at 1920×1080 resolution with the Medium detail preset. Dynamic resolution scaling was disabled. I booted the game up, selected a high-level character, and romped through the River of Flame map on Nightmare difficulty.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop with Qualcomm Adreno X1:
  Avg 47.8 / 1% Low 26.8 / 0.1% Low 19.1
• Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2-in-1 with Intel Arc:
  Avg 74.5 / 1% Low 49.6 / 0.1% Low 27.9

Though hardly perfect, Diablo II: Resurrected was playable on the Qualcomm chip. It delivered an average of about 48 frames per second and 1% lows of 26.8 frames per second, indicating gameplay wasn’t always smooth but usually good enough. I didn’t notice any bugs or glitches in my time with the game, either.

Still, Intel Arc came out ahead by every metric. Not only was Arc’s average framerate much higher, but its framerate dips were less severe. In practice, these numbers mean Diablo II: Resurrected felt smoother and more stable on the Arc system.

Final Fantasy XIV

The popular MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV received a graphical overhaul for its new expansion Dawntrail, but it’s still not an especially demanding game when all things are considered.

I tested it with the standalone benchmark at 1920×1080 resolution and the High (Laptop) detail setting. Dynamic Resolution Scaling was off, while LOD on Distant Objects and Dynamic Grass Interaction were left on.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop with Qualcomm Adreno X1:
  4474 / Avg 31.56  / Minimum: 7
• Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2-in-1 with Intel Arc:
  6111 / Avg 41.8 / Minimum: 24

The Qualcomm chip played the game reasonably well, but it often suffered momentary framerate dips that were a drag on the visuals, while Arc’s dips were relatively rare (though I would still recommend notching down a few detail settings).

This is another win for Intel Arc. While a higher average framerate is great, Arc’s real victory is its superior minimum framerate result. FFXIV fans might get by with the Qualcomm chip in a pinch, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Total War: Warhammer III

Total War: Warhammer III is a real graphical showcase for strategy fans. It has detailed campaign maps and large battles that can include thousands of units. I tested this game with the built-in campaign benchmark at 1920×1080 resolution and the Low detail preset.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop with Qualcomm Adreno X1:
  Avg 24 / Minimum 16
• Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2-in-1 with Intel Arc:
  Avg 30 / Minimum 19

Intel Arc won this comparison, but the margin of victory was far slimmer than with most of the titles I tried—and it might not matter much. While Arc did average 30 FPS, the framerate frequently dipped into the 20s.

Both Intel Arc and Qualcomm Adreno require significant resolution reductions for a truly playable experience in this title.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition

Despite its age, Skyrim remains an important title for PC gaming with an active community and a huge library of modifications.

I tested the Special Edition, without mods, at 1920×1080 resolution using the High detail preset. The test run was a walk from the cave you exit at the beginning of the game to the walls of Helgen.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop with Qualcomm Adreno X1:
  Avg 29.8 / 1% Low 12 / 0.1% Low 8.3
• Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2-in-1 with Intel Arc:
  Avg 59.4 / 1% Low 39.7 / 0.1% Low 30.3

This was a clear win for Intel Arc, which roughly doubled the performance of the Qualcomm chip. Skyrim felt more stable on Arc with a 0.1% low of 30.3 frames per second, while it stuttered and hitched frequently on the Qualcomm-powered Surface with a 0.1% low of 8.3 frames per second.

Cyberpunk 2077

Now we have Cyberpunk 2077, a notoriously demanding title that’s representative of cutting-edge cross-platform games.

I ran the benchmark at 1920×1080 resolution and used the Low detail preset. Resolution scaling was enabled because this game simply isn’t playable on this class of hardware without it. The Qualcomm chip used AMD FSR 2.1 while Intel Arc used Intel XeSS 1.2. Ray tracing was off.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop with Qualcomm Adreno X1:
  Avg 20.69 / Minimum 14.93
• Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2-in-1 with Intel Arc:
  Avg 35.83 / Minimum 27.90

This is another win for Intel Arc. Cyberpunk 2077 is just barely playable on Arc, though, so it’s a long way from ideal. On Qualcomm, meanwhile, the game’s average and minimum framerates fall short of acceptable.

Reducing resolution to 720p and fine-tuning the settings can arguably provide a playable experience, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

3DMark

Last, but not least, is a pair of 3DMark synthetic benchmarks: Time Spy and Night Strike. Time Spy is not an Arm-native test, but Night Strike is, and that has a big impact on performance.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop with Qualcomm Adreno X1:
  Time Spy 1,880 / Night Strike 24,573
• Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2-in-1 with Intel Arc:
  Time Spy 3,523 / Night Strike 25,552

In Time Spy, which isn’t Arm-native, the Qualcomm Adreno X1 is leagues behind Intel Arc. But in Night Strike, which does provide an Arm-native version, the two are rather close. Arc still wins, but only by a hair.

This is a very important result. While not especially useful for gamers buying a laptop today, it hints that Qualcomm hardware could eventually end up in a much better place in due time.

Windows games designed for Arm are exceedingly rare right now, which is bad news for Qualcomm. But the Night Strike result shows that Qualcomm could make up a lot of ground if game developers begin to release updates for Windows on Arm.

Qualcomm Adreno X1 vs. Intel Arc: Conclusion

Qualcomm’s big issue is the lack of Windows on Arm among the PC game development community. Unlike other software developers—who are adopting Windows on Arm at speed—PC game developers seem unmotivated and even reluctant.

That’s understandable. Game developers already have to think about possible support for at least six platforms (Windows x86, Mac, Linux x86, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch). Adding Windows on Arm to the pile is surely a strain.

Still, the consequences are clear. Modern games simply don’t run well on Qualcomm’s chip because they generally run emulated, not natively. As a result, many titles experience hitching, stuttering, and/or extended framerate drops that drag down the experience with instability.

This could all change as game developers begin to release Arm-native versions, but I can’t predict how quickly that change will come.

So, what’s the final takeaway? If you’re looking to play PC games on an entry-level laptop today, you should choose an Intel laptop with Arc integrated graphics (or an AMD Ryzen laptop) over a Qualcomm alternative.

Graphics Cards

As of today, residents in Indiana, Idaho, and Kansas will no longer be able to access the adult site Pornhub. Due to newly passed age verification laws designed to prevent minors from viewing adult content, Pornhub has begun blocking access to users in these states in protest.

This is following a trend that has seen more than half a dozen states lose access to the incredibly popular NSFW site. A similar ban occurred in March of this year when access was blocked to residents in Texas. 

This is certainly inconvenient for age-appropriate residents of these states who want to access the site (which, it must be stated, receives First Amendment constitutional protection). Fortunately, there’s an easy fix: using a VPN. Just download and install your preferred VPN, connect to a server in a state that isn’t blocked, and enjoy the content.

Below you’ll find my top picks for VPNs to access Pornhub if you’re in states where the site has blocked access. For even more great services, check out our list of the best VPNs overall.

ExpressVPN – Best overall

ExpressVPN is my overall top pick for VPNs no matter the intended use. It packs a ton of great features including wide-device support, ad- and tracker-blocking, and plenty of domestic and international servers.

It also boasts great speeds, meaning you won’t need to downgrade your video quality to something that makes it look like the important bits are blurred on purpose. ExpressVPN even supports just about every device you could imagine so not only will you be able to access Pornhub, you’ll be able to view the content on any device you wish as well.

NordVPN – Runner-up

NordVPN is a close second to ExpressVPN, only losing out due to a slightly more complicated interface and a more expensive long-term price. Let that not take anything away from how great this service is as well.

It’s consistently the fastest VPN I’ve ever tested, so you can stream in HD to your heart’s content. Plus, it comes with even more built-in security features than ExpressVPN.

Mullvad – Best for privacy

Depending on what you’re looking for from a VPN, Mullvad might actually be your best option. Not only is it in our top five services for overall speed, it more importantly earns top marks for privacy.

Mullvad takes every effort it can to know as little about its users as possible. It doesn’t ask for an email address or name and it even accepts payments via mailed cash if you want. Plus, it costs just $5 per month regardless of the plan you choose.

ProtonVPN – Best free VPN

While I don’t usually recommend that anyone use a free VPN due to their proven security and privacy risks on certain devices, ProtonVPN is one of the exceptions. This service from Swiss-based Proton, has a spotless track record for user privacy. It’s also mercifully free of ads.

Just like all free VPNs there are limitations, but thankfully ProtonVPN keeps them relatively tame. For no cost whatsoever you’ll get a one-device connection limit and access to five servers located in different countries around the world (including the U.S.). It doesn’t impose any speed or data limitations on these free servers as well—something that is nearly unheard of with other free VPNs.

VPN

Chromebooks have undergone the most dramatic transformation over the years. No longer are they used to just running Google apps or accessing the internet. Nowadays, in addition to running everyday tasks like browsing the web and checking e-mail, you can also play the latest triple-A titles with cloud gaming. Because there’s such a wide variety now, we’ve curated a list of our top picks to help narrow things down. Whatever your needs may be, PCWorld has you covered with the best options on the market today.

If you still prefer Windows laptops, you’ll definitely want to check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available today.

Why you should trust us: PCWorld has been going strong since 1983, back in the days when print magazines were more common. Now that we’ve made the leap to digital, we’ve been reviewing more than 70 laptops every year. Every laptop that passes through our doors goes through an arduous testing process, in which we evaluate everything from processor performance to display quality. We’re committed to reviewing laptops in every price range too.

Update June 27, 2024: We updated the list of recent laptop reviews to include the Acer Aspire 3 ($499.99) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 ($999.99). The affordable Acer Aspire 3 offers plenty of RAM and storage, and the pricier Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 features the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite X processor.

Recent laptop reviews

• Dell Inspiron 16 Plus: The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is a powerful 16-inch workstation with a nice combination of performance, battery life, and build quality. It’s a good alternative to gaming laptops for people who want more power than the average laptop offers.
• Surface Laptop 7: The Microsoft Surface Laptop’s strong processor performance and top-tier battery life prove that Windows’ transition to Arm has staying power, but even the most casual gamers should think twice.
• Acer Aspire 3: The Acer Aspire 3 cuts performance to the bone as it limbos below a $500 MSRP.
• Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i: The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is one of the best mainstream Windows laptops on the market, with great specs, a gorgeous display, and a killer keyboard.

How we test Chromebooks

The PCWorld team puts each and every laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Due to the cloud-based nature of Chromebooks, they go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn’t be fair or possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook as we use on laptops because they exclusively run a completely different operating system.

Below, you’ll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them.

Chromebooks

• CrXPRT 2: The CrXPRT 2 benchmark tests a Chromebook’s battery life.
• Speedometer 2.0: This test determines a Chromebook’s web browser performance. It simulates this by adding, completing, and removing a to-do list.
• Basemark Web 3.0: This benchmark gauges how well a Chromebook can handle web-based applications.
• Kraken 1.1: Kraken 1.1 is a JavaScript performance benchmark that measures browser speed.
• Jetstream 2: Jetstream 2 is a combination of WebAssembly and JavaScript benchmarks. This is a way to gauge how well a Chromebook runs advanced workloads.

For a more thorough explanation of our testing procedures, check out how PCWorld tests laptops.

What should I look for in a Chromebook?

If you’re looking for a Windows or MacBook alternative, you may want to consider a Chromebook. Equipped with low-power processors, they typically have good battery life and are usually silent in operation. They make great productivity machines, as they’re specifically designed for lightweight tasks like browsing the web, watching Netflix, and so on. Plus, they’re largely virus free. That said, most Chromebooks have minimal RAM and storage. If you’re a hardcore gamer or a video editor, you’re going to want something with a lot more power than a Chromebook is capable of providing.

Our guide to Chromebooks vs. Windows laptops can help you determine which operating system is best for your needs. For more options, you’ll want to check out our best laptops roundup.

• Operating system: Although every operating system has its pros and cons, I’d argue that Chrome OS is one of the most user-friendly ones out there. That said, with Chromebooks, you don’t have the option of picking another operating system, as they exclusively run Chrome OS. You’re stuck with it, bud.
• Processor: Shoot for a mid-range Chromebook if you can. They cost anywhere in the $400 to $600 range and many of them come equipped with Intel Pentium processors. These Chromebooks have better browser performance and are capable of running more intense gaming apps. It’s the best bang for your buck. Upper-end Chromebooks sometimes use Intel Core or AMD Ryzen processors, which pack more of a punch.
• RAM: Many Chromebooks have 4GB of RAM, which isn’t a lot. Chromebooks are web-based machines, so you need a fair amount of RAM to keep those tabs open and running smoothly. If you can spend a couple of hundred extra, you’ll be able to find a mid-range Chromebook with 8GB of RAM.
• Storage: I recommend at least 64GB of storage. Since you’ll mostly be storing things in the cloud, you don’t a ton of local storage.
• Durability: Chromebooks are popular in the education market because they’re pretty darn robust. I’m not saying you should smack one around with a baseball bat or anything, but they’re durable enough to handle the daily abuses of life.

Laptops

This year’s Prime Day is just a few weeks away and we’re already seeing some unbelievable discounts. Like, this Blink Video Doorbell plus Echo Pop bundle is just $35 at Amazon, down from $110!

What makes this early Prime deal so fantastic is that you couldn’t get either of these products alone for this price: the Blink Video Doorbell with Sync Module normally costs $70, while the Echo Pop is normally $40.

The Blink Video Doorbell lets you remotely answer your door from anywhere using your smartphone, with crystal-clear 1080p HD video during the day and infrared video during night.

The coolest part, however, is that it comes equipped with two-way audio, allowing you to speak with your visitors in real time. This can come in handy when you have packages delivered and you need to give special instructions, like where to place them.

The Amazon Echo Pop is another useful tool for smartening up your home. This compact and powerful smart speaker brings you access to Alexa and all its cool, smart features.

The two devices work seamlessly together. You can get Blink Video Doorbell alerts to the Echo Pop, and you can use the Echo Pop to chat with whoever’s at your door. If paired with the included Sync Module, you can ask Alexa to answer the front door, adding an extra layer of convenience to your daily routine.

Setting up both the Blink Video Doorbell and the Echo Pop is super quick and easy, so there’s no hassle to getting everything working.

This is seriously an incredible offer, so don’t miss out. At just $35 for Prime members, this bundle is a steal. If you aren’t a Prime member yet, sign up for a 30-day free trial to unlock this deal and the many more Prime Day deals that are coming up!

$35 for the Blink Video Doorbell and Echo Pop Smart Home

Switching to a solid-state drive is the best upgrade you can make for your PC. These wondrous devices speed up boot times, improve the responsiveness of your programs and games, and generally make your computer feel fast. But not all solid-state drives are the same. You can spend big to achieve read and write speeds that reach a whole other level, or you can find top-notch SSDs that offer solid performance without breaking the bank.

Many SSDs come in a 2.5-inch form factor and connect to your PC via the same SATA port used by a traditional hard drive. But tiny NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) “gumstick” SSDs that fit in an M.2 connection on a modern motherboard are becoming increasingly common, along with blazing-fast PCIe 4.0 (and now 5.0) solid-state drives for compatible PCs; you’ll even find SSDs that sit on a PCIe adapter and slot into your motherboard like a graphics card or sound card. No, picking the perfect SSD isn’t as simple as it used to be.

Why you should trust us: It’s in our name, PCWorld. Our reviewers have been testing PC hardware for decades. Our storage evaluations are thorough and rigorous, testing the limits of every product — from performance benchmarks to the practicalities of regular use. As PC users ourselves, we know what makes a product stand out. Only the best SSDs make this list. For more about our testing process, scroll to the bottom of this article

See also PCWorld’s guide to the best external drives if you’re strictly looking for a portable storage solution.

Updated June 27, 2024: If you’re on the hunt for an SSD to upgrade your Lenovo Legion Go or Thinkpad, Sabrent’s Rocket Nano 2242 is worth considering. It’s designed to fit the proportions of Lenovo’s portables, and happens to be a good performer to boot. If your interests are with PCIe 5.0, Corsair’s MP700 Pro SE comes very close to taking the performance crown, and could be a very compelling option if its price comes down.

Our latest external SSD reviews

• SK Hynix Tube T31: For the folks who like the convenience of USB-A connector thumb drive with the peformance of an SSD, the Tube T31 belongs in your pocket.
• SanDisk Desk Drive USB SSD: On the other end of the spectrum, you have an external SSD that’s meant to stay put, on your desk, where its large capacity (4TB or 8TB) is at the ready as a capable and speedy alternative to an HDD for backups.
• Adata SD810: This is a solid 20Gbps drive, as long as you don’t need to write large amounts of data to it on a regular basis — in our tests, the drive slowed considerably in that scenario. That being said, the 4TB capacity is an especially good value at just $300.

NVMe SSD setup: What you need to know

Be aware of what NVMe drives deliver before you buy in. Standard SATA SSDs already supercharge boot times and loading times for PCs, and for a whole lot cheaper. You’ll get the most use from NVMe drives, be it in a M.2 form factor like the Samsung 980 Pro or a PCIe drive, if you routinely transfer data, especially in large amounts. If you don’t do that, NVMe drives aren’t worth the price premium.

If you decide to buy an NVMe SSD, make sure your PC can handle it. This is a relatively new technology, so you’ll only be able to find M.2-connection motherboards from the past few years. Think AMD Ryzen and mainstream Intel chips from the 6th-generation era onward, for the most part. NVMe SSDs that were mounted on PCIe adapters were popular in the technology’s early years, before M.2 adoption spread, but they’re rarer now. Make sure you’re actually able to use an NVMe SSD before you buy one, and be aware that you’ll need four PCIe lanes available in order to use it to its full potential. You’ll need a newer Ryzen 3000- or 5000-series CPU, or an Intel 11th- or 12th-gen CPU, to run a PCIe 4.0 SSD to its full potential. PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs will work in a PCIe 3.0 computer, but at slower PCIe 3.0 speeds.

To get the most out of an NVMe drive, you want to run your operating system on it, so you must have a system that recognizes the drive and can boot from it. PCs purchased during the past year or two should have no problem booting from an NVMe drive, but support for that can be iffy in older motherboards. Do a Google search for your motherboard and see if it supports booting from NVMe. You may need to install a BIOS update for your board. If your hardware can’t boot from an NVMe SSD, your machine should still be able to use it as a secondary drive.

What to look for in an SSD

Capacity and price are important, of course, and a long warranty can alleviate fears of premature data death. Most SSD manufacturers offer a three-year warranty, and some nicer models are guaranteed for five years. But unlike the olden days of SSDs, modern drives won’t wear out with normal consumer usage, as Tech Report tested and proved years ago with a grueling endurance test.

The biggest thing to watch out for is the technology used to connect the SSD to your PC. We go into deeper details and buying advice in our guide on which type of SSD you should buy.

1. SATA: This refers to both the connection type and the transfer protocol, which is used to connect most 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch hard drives and SSDs to your PC. SATA III speeds can hit roughly 600MBps, and most—but not all—modern drives max it out. (More on that in the next section.)
2. PCIe: This interface taps into four of your computer’s PCIe lanes to blow away SATA speeds, to the tune of nearly 4GBps over PCIe gen 3. Those sort of face-melting speeds pair nicely with supercharged NVMe drives. Both the PCIe lanes in your motherboard and the M.2 slot in your motherboard can be wired to support the PCIe interface, and you can buy adapters that allow you to slot “gumstick” M.2 drives into a PCIe lane. PCIe 4.0 drives are significantly faster, but require an AMD Ryzen 3000-series or Intel Core 11th-gen (or newer) processor, along with a compatible PCIe 4.0 motherboard.
3. NVMe: Non-Volatile Memory Express technology takes advantage of PCIe’s bountiful bandwidth to create blisteringly fast SSDs that blow SATA-based drives out of the water. Check out PCWorld’s “Everything you need to know about NVMe” for a nitty-gritty deep-dive.
4. M.2: This is where things get tricky. Many people assume M.2 drives all use NVMe technology and PCIe speeds, but that’s not true. M.2 is just a form factor. Sure, most M.2 SSDs use NVMe, but some still stick to SATA. Do your homework. Many modern Ultrabooks rely on M.2 for storage.
5. U.2 and mSATA: You may also stumble across mSATA and U.2 SSDs, but both motherboard support and product availability are rare for those formats. Some older Ultrabooks included mSATA before M.2 became popular, and drives are still available if you need them.

Speed matters, of course, but as we said most modern SSDs saturate the SATA III interface. Not all of them, though.

SSDs vs. hard drives

Do you need an SSD? “Need” is a strong word, but we heartily recommend that everyone upgrade to an SSD. Solid-state drive speeds blow even the fastest mechanical hard drives out of the water. Simply swapping out the hard drive in your old laptop or desktop for an SSD can make it feel like a whole new system—and a blazing-fast one at that. Buying an SSD is easily the best upgrade you can make for a computer.

SSDs cost more per gigabyte than mechanical hard drives, though, and thus aren’t often available in ultra-high capacities. If you want speed and storage space, you can buy an SSD with limited space and use it as your boot drive, then set up a traditional hard drive as secondary storage in your PC. Place your programs on your boot drive, stash your media and other files on the hard drive, and you’re ready to have your cake and eat it too.

How we test SSDs

Drive tests currently utilize Windows 11 (22H2) 64-bit running on an X790 (PCIe 5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 modules (64GB of memory total). Intel integrated graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a Samsung 990 Pro 2TB, which also contains the operating system.

Each test is performed on a newly formatted and TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that as any drive fills up, performance will decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, and other factors.

The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped as well as the capacity tested. SSD performance can vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to read/write across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching (writing TLC/QLC as SLC). Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report (systems being roughly equal), by all means—let us know.

Business, Storage

We love the Kindle Scribe, but it’s even better when you upgrade it with premium accessories—and for a limited time, you can score the Kindle Scribe Essentials bundle for less than you’d pay for the Scribe alone. It’s an absolute knock-your-pants-off bargain.

This sweet bundle is now just $324 at Amazon (normally $520) and here’s what you get: the 64GB Kindle Scribe, the Premium Pen, the Leather Folio Cover, and a power adapter.

The Kindle Scribe is Amazon’s first Kindle that handles both reading and writing. It features a spacious 10.2-inch 300PPI Paperwhite display that’s glare-free and front-lit, so you get the same reading experience that has made Kindle the most popular e-reader on the market.

But since this is a Kindle Scribe, you can also journal, sketch, take notes, and more. It’s basically a digital notebook, allowing you to jot stuff on pages and keep your thoughts organized.

With the Kindle Scribe, your handwritten notes and drawings are saved directly on the pages of your ebooks and documents—a deadly sin with printed books, but perfectly acceptable now.

One of the coolest things about the Kindle Scribe is its ability to convert handwritten notes to text. Whatever you scribble down can be turned into text that’s legible to everyone, not just you.

This bundle comes with a Kindle Premium Pen, which has two features on top of the Basic Pen: a built-in eraser for easy corrections and a Shortcut button that can do things like highlight text or create sticky notes.

And the Kindle Leather Folio Cover is a sleek, modern protective cover that turns into a stand for convenient reading. It’ll also automatically wake up and sleep your Kindle Scribe as you open and close.

Grab this incredible Kindle Scribe bundle before this deal expires! It’s not even a Prime-only deal, although it wouldn’t hurt to try a 30-day free trial of Prime now that Prime Day is just around the corner.

Save $196 on the Kindle Scribe Essentials bundle E-readers

Cloud backup services are the OG of online storage. Long before internet bandwidth allowed you to work online, there were services dedicated to providing that all-important third copy in the backup triad: the original data, a copy of the data, and a copy of the data in a remote location. The hallmark of these services are client apps that upload (and restore if necessary) data to from the remote server farm.

Most people are already using a cloud backup service, though they may not think of it that way. Google Drive, iCloud, and OneDrive all serve as backup repositories for Android, Apple, and Microsoft products, respectively. Even if you don’t use them, they’re there.

What we look for in cloud backup services

Our basic goal when reviewing a cloud backup service is to determine its suitability to the task, ease of use, and compatibility across platforms. As to what specific criteria we apply….

Backup and sync

All services we classify as cloud backup provide local apps that handle the backup chore, often one-way sync. If they don’t, we cover them under the umbrella of online storage.

Versioning and retention policies

If a cloud backup service offers one-way sync for backup, it should be keeping older versions of changed files. How many, and for how long can be a major factor in our rating — it’s not always forever.

Capacity

Obviously, you want the most room you can get for your data, depending on the size of your stash of course. However, users such as yours truly, working with large multimedia files, may need a lot more. For instance, the unlimited storage offered by Backblaze and Sync.com. We look for tiers that will suit any data scenario, which brings the discussion to…

Price

We could’ve listed price as number one given that how much you pay for the amount of space you need factors heavily into our ratings. All things being equal, the cheaper the gigabyte (free being the best!), the higher the rating. Things are not always equal.

Online editing

Storage services such as OneDrive/Microsoft 365 and Google Drive/Docs offer full-blown office suites that allow users to work online. We’re not expecting that from a dedicated cloud backup provider, but it’s nice when it occurs.

Online preview

With services that offer limited or no online editing, there’s usually a preview feature. How many file types are supported, and how well they display (video is often problematic) is something we check.

Operating system integration

Carbonite‘s client with its Windows Explorer integration is one of our favorite cloud backup clients. So much so, we wish it could be used with other storage and services. We don’t count clients such as Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud etc. that integrate as folders or drives, but don’t provide dedicated backup functions.

Of course you can still use these storage services for backup, but only by moving your data onto the integrated folder or drive. The distinction is fine, but you can find coverage of these services in our online storage reviews.

Further reading: Best online backup services

Geographical location and redundancy

Where a cloud backup service’s storage farms are located can effect the speed of transfers. As the internet infrastructure has matured, this is less of an issue than it once was, but it can still occasionally be a bottleneck. We also award brownie points to services that have several farms in different geographical locations to ward off data loss due to natural or unnatural disaster.

Company history and story

A company that’s been around for a while is more likely to garner our trust than one that just started. That said, some newer concerns actually leverage storage from older companies such as Dell EMC — much as smaller cellular companies use larger companies’ wireless infrastructure. Basically, we check to make sure a company isn’t likely to disappear overnight, along with your data.

Device support

With so many photos and video found on phones these days, it’s a plus if a service provides an app that will back up your phone multimedia to its servers. This isn’t a huge deal as Google Drive is integrated into Android, and iCloud into iPhones, but it’s a nice perk.

Web access

When it comes to computers, nearly all cloud backup services allow you to access your files via a web browser. If they don’t, that’s a major hit on the rating. That said, we’ve yet to come across one that doesn’t offer this functionality.

Integration with other online storage services

At least one service, FileShadow, will even connect to and back up your other online storage accounts. This is a definite plus, and generally quicker than using a cloud manager to copy from one service to another.

Further reading: 5 tools that integrate your cloud storage into Windows File Explorer

How we test cloud backup services

During our evaluation, we test every feature a service provides: upload, downloads, sync, backup, restore, editing of files, preview of files, client software and apps, file retention, the web interface, etc. If it all works, it passes muster. However, ease of learning and use are also factored in.

As to speed….Generally speaking, we’re not overly concerned with performance. There are simply too many variables that can impact each user’s speed experience, such as the quality of the internet infrastructure between a user’s device and the service. We do note performance and discuss it, we just don’t put a lot of weight behind it unless something unusually great or bad happens.

How we rate cloud backup services

How many of the above boxes a service ticks, plus its ease of use, reliability, and performance are the primary considerations in rating a cloud backup solution. Price is always paramount as in terms of backup, all the services we’ve tested to date handle that chore just fine.

Backup Software

Recording your video game sessions isn’t exactly a new idea. It’s the entire basis of Twitch and its countless game streamers, both professional and aspirational. But game streaming requires a collection of special tools and techniques if you want to stand out.

Or, at least, it used to. Now, with its latest beta update, Steam will basically do it all for you. Steam has long been able to take screenshots and stream game sessions around a local network, but this new feature is laser-focused on recording and sharing your experiences.

With Nvidia’s Shadowplay now on the outs, this new one by Steam is probably the tool that’s most likely to be installed on gamers’ PCs already (or it will be once it moves from beta to full release). This should make Steam the most prolific game recording software in the world, even before most users are aware of the capability.

I tried out the tool with a few sessions of Hades II and found it remarkable how well the tool runs without even thinking about it.

Set it up to work in the background—shaving a bit of performance off your GPU, but not anything I particularly noticed—and your game sessions will just appear in your recordings and screenshots folder. (You can always navigate to the non-DRM files in Windows Explorer, but Steam includes a video player within its own interface, too.)

From this view, you can clip and export sections of your session, grab a screenshot, or send it to other PCs or even your phone, all without leaving the player window.

Here’s a quick snippet I grabbed in just a few seconds with no editing. Note how the tool preserves my ultrawide monitor’s 21:9 aspect ratio, something a lot of similar software struggle to do.

By default, Steam saves sessions in 120-minute chunks and at 12Mbps video (which was about the level of a YouTube stream for me), and it asks just under 11GB of space to keep the buffer running.

Naturally, all of that is adjustable within the Game Recording menu, as are the shortcuts to add specific markers. You can even bind a shortcut to a controller button—those back-mounted “paddle” buttons showing up on more and more gamepads seem like a perfect fit here.

Valve says that game developers will be able to automatically add markers and snippet sections to these recording sessions at some point, though I’m not seeing them at the moment. Other features include an easy-to-share QR code link generator and temporary links for “Hey, look at this!” shares with your friends. Oh, and it works on the Steam Deck.

All of this reminds me of the social tools baked into the PlayStation and Xbox, but with more options available for modern tech-savvy users. Valve’s continual work to make Steam the de facto platform for PC gaming seems to be paying off.

You can try out the tool by enabling the Steam beta and then checking out the Game Recording tab in the Steam Settings menu.

Gaming, Video Games

I think we can all agree: modern laptops are sorely lacking in ports and we deserve to have more.

Well, luckily for us, the Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core is on sale for a mere $70 right now at Amazon, a huge drop from its MSRP of $200—an incredible deal if you’re looking for a versatile docking solution.

The Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core delivers the speed and performance of Thunderbolt technology to Mac and Windows laptops. Adding this dock to your setup will completely transform your workspace.

How? For starters, it has seven ports available: one DisplayPort 1.4, one HDMI 2.0, one USB-C PD, one USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, one USB-A 2.0, one Gigabit Ethernet, and one audio in/out.

This means you can easily connect monitors, peripherals, and networking hardware. It can also keep your laptop, phone, and peripheral devices charged and ready to go without needing a separate power cable.

You can connect two monitors simultaneously, even enjoying ultra-high-definition 4K dual monitor support, transforming your lone laptop into a versatile and powerful workstation.

One of the best things about the Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core is its portability. It’s handy as a travel dock, but it’s important to note that it’s not powered on its own—you’ll need a USB-C charger plugged in. But rest assured, your laptop’s should work seamlessly with it.

When we reviewed the Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core, we found it was an excellent device, giving it 4 out of 5 stars and our Editors’ Choice award: “It’s a smartly designed ‘powered’ Thunderbolt 3 travel dock that also makes for a great budget Thunderbolt dock. It ranks highly among our recommended best Thunderbolt docks for your laptop.”

So, go ahead and add this one to your cart for just $70 before the deal expires and you miss out on the chance of upgrading your laptop workstation with a Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core.

Save $130 on the Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core Docks and Hubs

Most gamers know all too well how much of a letdown it is to have just finished a riveting gaming session only to have to wear the physical wounds of that time well spent. Wrist pain, or in the worst-case, carpal tunnel syndrome, are two offenders that can put a dampener on any future fun.

In fact, one gamer I know has had the latter problem so badly of late, he’s actually been forced to forgo sessions of his favorite Diablo IV, which ordinarily involves lots of clicking and swiping, for more subdued tinkles in the action-adventure game Octodad. Oh the indignity of it all!

But seriously, if you’re getting a sore wrist after gaming, it’s time to take a more existential view of your gaming mouse and see it for what it really is — completely unsuitable for you, no matter how shinny or blinged-out it is, or how many gold sovereigns you dropped on it.

In a nutshell, the main cause of pain and discomfort in your wrist is likely due to you having the wrong kind of mouse for your grip type. I find wrist pain especially prevalent in gamers who are unknowingly using a mouse best suited for a claw grip but with a palm grip. Let me explain….

In a palm grip the player’s whole palm latches onto the mouse like its opening a doorknob. Mice suitable for palm grippers, then, need to be very supportive and provide a whole hand lift. They commonly have large humps and wide bodies.

Surprisingly, these very characteristics also appear in mice suitable for claw grippers too, which is where the confusion lies. So how do you tell them apart?

It’s all about the location of that hump. Mice with humps towards their back end like the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 and Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro provide wrists with plenty of lift off a tabletop, allowing you to swipe and glide with minimal friction.

Because your wrist is elevated, it’s less likely to get sore.

On the other hand, mice more suitable for claw grippers — like the Alienware Pro Wireless and Corsair M75 Air Wireless — have their humps more centrally located; their back ends fall away more steeply. That’s fine for claw grippers who simply curl their hands over the tops of those mice, but it isn’t ideal for palm grippers.

That’s because palm grippers don’t get enough lift off their tabletops at the back where their wrist begins. Consequently, their wrist will lower to the tabletop where they will experience the most friction and pressure when they move their hand.

Avoiding wrist injury, then, is usually quite straightforward: If you’re a palm gripper, use a mouse with a high hump located at the back. If you’re a claw gripper, you can get by with a mouse that has a hump closer to the middle.

There are a lot of other things you can do to avoid injury from your gaming mouse, like matching the size of your hand to an appropriately sized mouse, but if it’s specifically wrist pain you’re worried about, you now have a powerful tool that can help you navigate that tricky problem at least.

So, if the hump of your gaming mouse isn’t quite where you need it to be, do yourself a favor and just get a new one. Your radius bone will thank you for relieving all that pressure.

Further reading: See our roundup of the best gaming mice for recommendations.

Gaming, Mice

A portable external hard drive is a great way to keep your most important data safe and readily available when you need it. When you can get a 2TB Portable Flash Drive for just $44.97, then, it’s worth taking advantage of the deal. We have limited inventory available for this handy flash drive, so now is the time to grab it while it’s $55 off.

This plug-and-play flash drive offers wide compatibility, with a USB Type-C connection that can connect to both USB Type-C and USB-A devices. That includes Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS products. It has a 2TB capacity, of course, while the solid-state drive reaches up to 43MB/s read and 37MB/s write speeds, supporting fast data transfer of high-resolution photos, game files, 4K video, and more. Plus, you can rest easy knowing your data is safe thanks to AES 256-bit hardware encryption and choose to leverage optional password protection if you’d like.

There is very limited inventory available for this flash drive, so now is the time to get it! Grab the 2TB Portable Flash Drive for 55% off $99 at just $44.97 now.

 

2TB Portable Flash Drive – $44.97

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Accessories

One benefit of a gaming PC over a gaming laptop? All those extra ports that let you connect all kinds of peripherals and devices. Even the best gaming laptops fall short in this area, which is a shame because all those ports can be useful for gaming and streaming.

And if your gaming laptop doubles as a workstation? Those extra ports can boost productivity and make your life easier.

That’s where a docking station comes into play. A docking station is a small device with lots of extra ports—as soon as you plug your laptop into the docking station, anything connected to the docking station becomes available to the laptop you just plugged in, as if those peripherals were connected to the laptop itself.

Here are eight reasons why you need a docking station for your laptop and the various ways your workstation can benefit.

1. Expanded connectivity

As modern laptops have grown thinner and lighter, they’ve had to sacrifice some of the connectivity of their older, chunkier siblings. It isn’t uncommon for portable laptops to have a single pair of USB-C ports.

Docking stations often include a range of USB-A and USB-C ports for data transfers and charging, and the modern ones even support cutting-edge connections like USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 and 4.

They may also come with video outputs like HDMI and DisplayPort, and some have DisplayLink compression. Some docks even have Ethernet connectivity, SD card readers, and audio jacks (a much-missed feature on some modern laptop designs).

Gaming and streaming can require lots of additional accessories, from microphones to webcams to stream deck button boxes. Is your laptop lacking in ports? A docking station can help.

You probably don’t need a docking station with 10+ ports of all different types. Pick one that has the connections you need. It’s that simple!

2. Multiple monitor support

Your laptop may not have a video output—and even if it does, it probably only has one. Is it even the right type? Maybe you have an external monitor that doesn’t fit your laptop.

A docking station makes your laptop monitor situation far more flexible. With the right ports, you could hook up one or two (or more!) monitors to your laptop through the dock, and you may be able to choose between HDMI, DisplayPort, etc.

Connecting multiple monitors can be a massive boon for laptop productivity, so a docking station could be a serious game changer for your work output. Plus, you may also benefit from the extra ports that can hook up printers, external drives, and other accessories.

3. Faster, more secure networking

The Ethernet port is, unfortunately, one of the largest ports. That’s why it’s often one of the first to go in slim laptop designs.

The good news is, many docking stations come with a Gigabit Ethernet port (or, in some cases, even faster). As long as your laptop can support that sort of bandwidth, then you can add faster, more stable networking to your laptop with a docking station that has an Ethernet port.

Modern Wi-Fi is extremely fast, but it needs the right hardware to take full advantage of it. Not only that, Wi-Fi can face congestion issues in busy areas and be vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks.

A docking station with an Ethernet port can increase network security, increase speeds, and reduce Wi-Fi congestion. The lower latency and improved connection stability can also be good for gaming.

4. Easier BYOD for remote work

BYOD (or bring your own device) is a useful system for remote workers who occasionally need to come in for work. BYOD allows you to use your own personal device for work in the office.

But bringing your own hardware to work can be a hassle: logging into different Wi-Fi networks, reconnecting to printers, hooking up monitors and peripherals, etc.

With a docking station, all of that is eliminated. The docking station can stay at the office and remain connected to everything, and it’ll all be ready as soon as you plug in your BYOD device.

Instead of plugging and unplugging everything whenever you head in or head out, you can just plug your laptop into the docking station and start working straight way, connected to everything you need.

This also applies to working between different offices or departments! Docking stations help your laptop integrate with an environment quicker and more simply than without.

5. Faster charging for multiple devices

How often do you charge your phone, camera, or earbuds using your laptop? It can be really convenient, but it also means that you’re sacrificing your laptop’s own precious battery life.

Plus, if your laptop itself is plugged in to keep itself charged, then your already-limited selection of ports is further limited for any of those other accessories and peripherals you might want to charge.

With a docking station, that’s no longer a problem. The dock itself is connected to mains power, so you can charge your laptop and your other devices when plugged into the dock’s charge-capable ports.

6. KVM switches

If you work across multiple laptops and/or desktop PCs, then a docking station with a built-in KVM switch can make a massive difference to your workstation comfort and productivity.

A KVM switch (“keyboard, video, mouse switch”) allows you to use the same exact set of keyboard, mouse, and external monitors with multiple systems—all you do is press the KVM button and every docked peripheral switches over to another connected system.

Let’s say you have both a desktop PC and a laptop, and you work on both simultaneously. With a KVM docking station, one set of keyboard/mouse/monitors can be docked, and a single button press can swap between laptop and desktop. (You can also do the same with two laptops, switching between personal and work laptop, for example.)

7. Better ergonomics and cable management

If you route lots of accessories and peripherals through a docking station, you can cut back on a lot of cable clutter and make your desk space more ergonomically friendly and pleasing to the eye.

Most wired devices—from gaming mice to office printers—come with unwieldy cables that need to be plugged into your laptop and routed somewhere before they can do anything.

By having them permanently plugged into a docking station, it keeps everything simplified. Instead of constantly plugging and unplugging and getting cables crossed, you just plug in your laptop. The messy cables behind the docking station can remain tucked away and hidden.

8. Better security and stability

Some docking stations can actually lock down laptops, making it impossible to disconnect without the physical key.

This can prevent unauthorized visitors from snatching an unattended laptop, and can even prevent employees from “accidentally” taking the laptop. The laptop and dock will need a compatible locking interface, such as the Kensington Lock.

And with a docking station that can be permanently affixed, with peripherals and accessories plugged in at all times, you can further increase security by routing cables through somewhere inaccessible or just making it so that the docking station ports can’t be adjusted.

Not only does this improve hardware security, but it also helps stability by guaranteeing that peripherals, networked devices, and drives remain connected and preventing interruptions.

Laptop Accessories

Price When Reviewed

$1499.99

Best Prices Today: Microsoft Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition

Microsoft desperately needs its new Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition Copilot+ PC to be a success. It’s something like 80 percent of the way there. But the most important thing this Windows on Arm tablet does is point to what feels like an inevitable future for productivity PCs…someday.

You’ve seen a Surface Pro before. Weirdly, this 13-inch tablet is the least interesting part of the whole affair. Inside is the key: how well does Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X Elite work? Do the new AI experiences actually make a difference? And can Windows on Arm finally replace an X86 PC from AMD or Intel?

I have answers. An expanding ecosystem of native Arm apps run great on this tablet, and when plugged in, the performance seems to be on par or even better than Intel’s Core Ultra (Meteor Lake). But whether the app will run or not is still, unfortunately, a question. When unplugged, the story changes yet again, with intensive apps gobbling up great chunks of the tablet’s prodigious battery life. And I’m just not seeing enough in Microsoft’s Copilot+ AI features to overshadow that story, yet. But the hardware? Rather good, minus some weirdness.

Because of this, this review will be much longer than normal, even though I’ve tried to break out some of the topics into separate articles. Please use the built-in table of contents to navigate to portions of the review that strike your interest. Join me in the deep end, will you?

Looking for more options? Be sure to check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now.

Surface Pro (2024): Buying options

After literal decades of pricing the Surface at or above the prices offered by its rivals, Microsoft’s Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition is among the cheapest options for a Copilot+ PC. The Surface Pro costs as little as $999 ($899 for an educational discount), though that features a less powerful 10-core Snapdragon X Plus processor inside. Our review unit included the more powerful 12-core Snapdragon X Elite. A new OLED display option and up to 32GB of RAM and a terabyte of SSD storage bump up the total price to a current maximum of $2,099.99. It appears that Microsoft does not offer an LCD option with the Snapdragon X Elite at press time.

By comparison, the Surface Pro 9 ranged from $999 to $2,599 for a 12th-gen Core chip and $1,299 to $1,899 for the Surface Pro 9 (5G), the tablet with the older Microsoft SQ3 chip, a derivative of the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, inside.

Surface Pro (2024): Detailed specifications

• Display: 13-inch PixelSense Flow (2880×1920, 267 PPI, Gorilla Glass 5) up to 120Hz with dynamic refresh rate and 10-point multitouch, optional OLED screen
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite 3.4GHz X1E-80-100 (as tested), Snapdragon Plus
• Graphics: Qualcomm Adreno
• Memory: 16, 32, 64GB LPDDR5X (OLED), 16GB (normal) (16 GB as tested)
• Storage: 512GB, 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD (OLED); 256, 512GB (normal) (512GB as tested)
• Ports: 2 USB-C (USB 4.0 w/DisplayPort 2.1), 1 Surface Connect port, 1 Surface Keyboard Port
• Security: Camera (Windows Hello), NFC/smartcard reader; TPM 2.0 chip
• Camera: Quad HD (1440p) ultrawide (user-facing) with Windows Studio Effects, 10MP rear-facing
• Battery: 51.4Wh (design) 53.5Wh (full charge)
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Operating system: Windows 10 Home or Windows 11 Home 24H2
• Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches
• Weight: 1.97 pounds without accessories
• Color: Sapphire, Dune, Platinum, Black
• Price: $999 on up ($1,499 as tested)
• Optional accessories: Surface Slim Pen 2, $90 on sale at Amazon. Surface Flex Keyboard with Slim Pen, $449.98 at Microsoft.

Surface Pro (2024): Build quality

Physically, the Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition feels very similar to the Surface Pro 9 (5G), enough that you’d have to take a close look to tell the two apart. Microsoft ships the new Surface Pro in packaging that matches the metallic color options: Black, Platinum, Dune, and Sapphire. As usual, the keyboard and pen (the new Surface Flex Pro keyboard plus the bundled Slim Pen 2) are “optional” adders that are really not.

The Surface Pro is somewhat unique, in that there aren’t too many Windows tablets in the market. The physical design is consistent from Surfaces past, with slim bezels that extend just about 0.25 inches from the side and about 0.5 inches from the top. I tend to use the Surface Pro as a “laptop” of sorts, but be advised that the Surface tablet mode is gone. That does make the new Surface Pro less of a traditional tablet and more of just an oddly-designed laptop. You might walk away thinking that the Surface Pro could have been a 360-degree convertible version of the Surface Laptop Go instead.

If you do use it as a desktop device, Microsoft has left the kickstand in place. The significant change is the new “wireless” Flex Pro keyboard, which changes the Surface Pro experience. We’ll talk about that in a bit.

Subtle differences usually distinguish one Surface generation from the next. In this case, the small “bands” that distinguished the 5G antennas in the Surface Pro 9 aren’t there; while the Surface Pro supports a nanoSIM 5G card, 5G support isn’t yet available and will arrive in the coming months. It’s not clear whether the physical design will change.

Essentially, though, the latest Surface remains unchanged. The same dimensions, essentially the same weight. Microsoft placed the power button and volume rocker on the top, as before, with a pair of USB4 (the non-Intel equivalent of Thunderbolt 4 ports) to the left of the chassis. A Surface Charger port is on the right. Microsoft ships a tiny 39W charger with the Surface Pro, though without the built-in USB charging port that other Surface chargers include.

Microsoft’s Surface Pro points the way to the future of productivity PCs, but needs to solve some nagging issues before it can get there.

What Microsoft calls the “Out of the Box” (OOBE) setup experience felt a bit lengthier than normal. Microsoft advertises some of the AI features within Windows, but makes sure to note that the delayed “Recall” feature, aka “Quickly find things on your PC” isn’t here yet, but will be coming soon. From what I can see, all of the obvious shortcuts for creating a local account are gone, which jives with our report that Microsoft has deleted its guide to local accounts within Windows.

You can charge the new Surface Pro either via the charger or via the USB ports, and the charger powers and charges the tablet even under load. The tablet worked perfectly attached to a Thunderbolt 4 docking station and a pair of 4K displays. Note that the headphone jack has disappeared, so you’ll need either USB-C headphones or Bluetooth to listen to private audio, or use a dock or a USB-C dongle with a headphone jack built in.

Though Microsoft built an Arm chip inside the latest Surface Pro, the tablet is definitely not fanless. Under load, you’ll hear the fan pick up somewhat significantly, though there’s no distracting coil whine. While the fan won’t kick in under normal office work, you will probably notice it under workloads like Photoshop, for example. It will significantly kick in under an emulated workload, as the CPU runs flat out. Then, you’ll hear the fan and feel the back of the tablet get quite hot. I measured a temperature of about 108 degrees F, but my colleagues using the new Surface Laptop noticed even higher temperatures.

While there is no longer any SD or microSD slot, Microsoft does allow a (officially trained) repairman to upgrade the SSD. Access is via a rather nifty magnetically attached back panel that you just flip up by depressing the small divot, then unscrewing the SSD from its slot.

Surface Pro (2024): Display

The Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition’s display is a mixed bag. The Surface Pro ships with either a 13-inch (2880×1920, 267 PPI) PixelSense Flow LCD or OLED display, and Microsoft shipped our review unit with the latter option. Microsoft’s public specifications say that both sRGB and Vivid color options are available, though only a special “HDR” color profile was present on my review unit.

The OLED display is gorgeous, as OLEDs are, with inky blacks and stunning contrast. But you may notice a small bit of grain, depending on how sharp your eyes are. Using the Surface Pro 9 (5G)’s LCD screen for comparison, I noticed some speckling of what looked like individual pixels on the Surface Pro’s OLED screen. To be fair, I didn’t notice this until others pointed this out during the review process, but it’s there.

The other thing that’s annoying is that the panel itself is obscured by the rounded corners of the display, similar to the Surface Laptop Studio. Again, that’s not really noticeable. But if you’re taking a screenshot or screen snip, for example, you’ll notice the corners “disappear” into the display. The entirety of the screenshot appears to be saved, though, and I didn’t notice any UI elements that were obscured by the rounded corners. “When measured as a standard rectangular shape, the screen is 13 inches diagonally (actual viewable area is less),” Microsoft notes.

The OLED display does put out 529 nits of luminance, however. It does not carry any HDR ratings outside of Dolby Vision IQ, which is now present on all of the new Surface Pros. Dolby IQ adjusts HDR picture quality to suit the ambient light and content on the display, and these can be tweaked inside the Windows Settings menu.

The display is super reflective, as you can see from the photos in this article. You might yearn for a matte coating. But how quickly we take for granted the 120Hz screen!

The Surface Pro (2024)’s supported color gamut is worse than the Surface Pro 9 (5G), save for the increased support of the DCI-P3 color gamut — used for video editing and displaying HDR content. For me, that’s a signal that the Surface Pro (2024) is more of a content-consumption device than ever before.

Surface Pro (2024): Typing, touchpad, and inking experience

I didn’t have a great out-of-the-box experience with the Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition, and the Flex Pro keyboard was a significant part of that. I’m used to tapping the space bar to wake up a PC. But with the Surface Pro, the tablet itself could be awake, but it seemed like I needed to tap the space bar to wake up the keyboard. That, on top of the need to update the keyboard’s firmware (?!), didn’t get me off to a great start.

The keyboard just seemed to stop working occasionally, too. On one occasion, both the Flex Pro keyboard and the associated Slim Pen 2 disconnected from Bluetooth, causing me a flash of panic. Most Bluetooth keyboards include some button or switch to manually connect them in case they disconnect. This doesn’t. In the case of the Flex Pro, just clicking in the keyboard caused it to re-pair, fortunately. Double-clicking the top of the Pen caused it to connect, too.

But the Bluetooth-connected Flex Pro keyboard does work, and works pretty well. A laptop keyboard feels rigid, and I honestly prefer one. The Flex Pro keyboard, while docked, has a decent amount of bounce and feels somewhat cramped. But even separating the keyboard by a few inches from the tablet gives it a sense of freedom it lacked before. It absolutely solves the “lapability” problem, too — no longer do you need to balance the tablet and its kickstand on your lap. Instead, you can type on your lap while putting the tablet separately on a tray table. (I didn’t have enough time to make an Amtrak trip, as I have done before with the Surface Go).

The Flex Pro hinge folds down, allowing you to flip it underneath and elevate the keyboard angle a bit. It works pretty well, and my typing was decent on the detached keyboard.

The weird thing is that the Bluetooth connection allows the keyboard to be placed a tremendous distance away — a dozen feet in my living room and probably more. That’s well beyond the useful range of the keyboard and screen. Wireless makes for a lovely addition, but does feel a bit like overkill.

As for the Copilot key — all it does is launch a generic old Copilot app that floats around the screen like any other app. It feels rather anticlimactic, after all that AI hype.

Microsoft says that the keyboard has a battery life of 41 hours. From what I’ve seen, it will recharge when the keyboard is connected and when the tablet is connected to power. The Flex Pro keyboard doesn’t seem to recharge when the tablet is on battery and doesn’t serve as a reserve battery for the tablet, like the Microsoft Surface Book.

The Flex Pro keyboard ships with a haptic touchpad, which simulates the actual physical click of a touchpad. It’s wider than the previous Surface Pro Signature keyboards, too — 4.5 inches versus 4.0 inches. When the keyboard is “off” or in standby mode, the haptic keyboard shuts down too, which is a bit disconcerting. And sometimes it just glitches, as when I ran a test, and then the keyboard suddenly shut off without warning.

I really do like how the Surface Slim Pen 2 interacts with the Surface Pro’s digitizer, though. Inking is probably the best I’ve seen on a Surface device, based on my example lines below. I look to see how closely the ink “flows” from the physical tip of the pen (perfectly, from what I see) and if there’s any judder or wobble as I draw a straight line with a ruler. The tell is the diagonals, where you see the most wobble. Here, though, there’s really not much at all.

As with other recent Surface pens, the Slim Pen 2 recharges in its cubby, which is now always exposed in what Microsoft says is a bid to make it always apparent and accessible to the user.

Surface Pro (2024): Webcam and audio

The Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition seems to include the same 2W speakers as its predecessor. Surfaces have had a reputation for powerful audio and this new Surface lives up to it. My early impressions were that the sound became muddy as the volume climbed, but after spending more time with the tablet I’ve rescinded that. It seems pretty clear, up and down. The tablet does ship with Dolby Atmos for Speakers that’s on by default, though, so that certainly contributes positively.

The tablet also ships with a 1440p front-facing webcam as well as a 10Mpixel rear-facing webcam. Microsoft has invested in exemplary webcam experiences, especially with some of the Windows Studio Effects AI features I’ll talk about in a bit. This webcam is excellent, easily the equal and then some of the best webcams I’ve reviewed: sharp, clear, great color, and intelligently focusing and exposing the camera for your face rather than the background. I almost think that it does a better job of lighting your face in a dark room, lit by just the tablet itself, than it does with this moderately lit shot above.

With Cortana essentially dead, there’s no need to test the mic pickup across the room. But the AI noise filtering is excellent, slightly below what the Asus ZenBook 14’s AI audio filters delivered. The filters slightly picked up the lead vocals from a rock song, but absolutely filtered out a background white noise track of rainfall that I played at loud volume right to the side of the notebook. Terrific work here.

Surface Pro (2024): AI experiences within Windows

There’s a problem, which I’ll use as a transition point to talking about some of the Surface Pro (2024)’s AI app experiences: there is a lack of available AI testing apps for NPUs. UL’s Procyon app includes a “vision AI” test, which evaluates the AI performance. But both that test plus Geekbench ML, which also promises to evaluate AI performance, would only run on the CPU. I also couldn’t find any generative AI applications that would run on Arm, let alone take advantage of the NPU. So Qualcomm’s vaunted NPU really isn’t put to good use inside the Surface Pro (2024) from a third-party app perspective.

Microsoft would probably vehemently disagree with that, of course, as there are several Windows applications that now use AI. (Again, I don’t think most users will care whether they use the CPU, the NPU, or the cloud, but I’ll note what I noticed anyway).

And yes, Recall is on hold. So one of the flagship features of this tablet is gone. Poof!

Microsoft has a few new Studio Effects, subtle improvements that may matter to you if you’re on a lot of video calls. The older Studio Effects replicated functions in Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet: background blurring and audio filtering. Eye Contact made it seem as if you were staring at the camera at all times. Automatic framing centers you in the picture by using cropping effects. Those all existed before the Surface Pro.

The most useful addition is a “teleprompter” addition to Eye Contact, so if you’re reading text from a screen during a call, you’ll still seem like you’re focused in on the listener. Several “Creative Filters” (Illustrated, Animated, Watercolor) don’t do anything and are useless. And a new Portrait Light addition to make me look “natural” just yellowed out my screen. They all use the NPU. Interestingly, using as many Studio Effects as I could simultaneously didn’t go over 25 percent of the available NPU resources.

The application that Microsoft is pushing people to use most seems to be the dual generative AI functions in Paint, which use the NPU and the optional-but-not-really Surface Slim Pen 2: Image Creator and Cocreator. Image Creator (formerly called Cocreator, too — don’t ask) is Microsoft’s generative AI service, and it uses the cloud to deliver really wonderful 1152×1152 images.

The new Cocreator is part of Paint, but a separate function from Image Creator — it doesn’t have to be, but it is. Cocreator is essentially the same as Image Creator, but it uses your pen input as guidance to create the image. It’s hit or miss. You can sketch out what you want, and then add the prompt, with an adjustable “creativity” slider that allows Cocreator some leeway. But it’s more fun when you enter the prompt, then sketch out what you want, and Cocreator responds in real time. You don’t get the photorealism that Image Creator offers, but you have more control over the final output.

Cocreator seems to work best when it understands what you draw. It did pretty great with my awful drawing and prompt of a mountain range and forest. But it completely whiffed on a sketch of an astronaut standing on the moon’s surface with the Earth in the background.

Live Captions are more useful than I thought they’d be. They not only caption any video you have (like a video of a wedding or graduation, say) but they will also translate any audio — whether that’s on the screen or via the tablet microphone. Just make sure you enable that in the app’s settings.

The kicker? These AI art apps need to be connected so that Microsoft can vet your images for, well, inappropriate things. It sort of defeats the whole purpose of a local NPU, right?

Surface Pro (2024): The Windows on Arm apps issue

Using a Windows on Arm PC in 2024 still reminds me of a Chromebook: many, many, apps and functions just work via the Arm chip on the Surface Pro (2024), but some do not. To save time and space, I wrote about my experiences trying a number of apps on the Surface Pro in a separate story. There’s a lot! Browsers, especially, are coded for Arm, but even the notoriously slow Slack app runs in Arm. Still, readers took to the Internet to complain about two functions that they felt were lacking: the lack of support for Google Drive and problems connecting to Brother printers.

There are several issues here. First is whether you’ll be simply able to do something. Microsoft is already working to eliminate third-party printer drivers, preferring its own native IPP drivers instead. So in the case of the Brother printer, I thought I’d be able to print a page, just as you’d expect. Nope. Oddly, I was able to scan with my Brother printer, but not print, even after downloading drivers. I had no luck at all with an older HP LaserJet multifunction printer.

But specific third-party utilities, such as those that accompanied older printers that you probably own, probably won’t work. Certain “assistant” apps such as Razer Axon won’t either. Fun story: just plugging in a Razer USB-C hub, which usually auto-downloads Razer software, caused the Surface Pro to crash, reboot, then show a black screen until I removed the hub. But Razer Synapse and Cortex work in Arm. I gave up on installing Logitech Options, which helps control mice and keyboards, after about fifteen minutes of inactivity.

Most of the apps I tried in my accompanying article ran just fine. But I couldn’t try everything, and certain VPNs (Nord, for example) didn’t work while others did. The other concern — whether manufacturers will write software drivers for older hardware that connects to Arm PCs — is just too big to address here. Basically, if those functions can be included in Windows like printing, you’ll be fine. A driver for some piece of purpose-built hardware released five years ago? I’d doubt it.

Keep in mind that Web apps can step in, too. People complained online that Google Drive’s app doesn’t run on Arm. It doesn’t. But the Web app can step in for some of that functionality and works well.

The second issue is simply how well those apps will run, if at all. Microsoft developed an emulator called Prism that is supposed to step in and emulate an app not written specifically for Arm. In practice, several apps — including some testing apps — simply refused to run if it detected an Arm chip, or generated some other error. That’s supposedly the developer’s fault, we’re told. That really doesn’t matter when it doesn’t work. We ran into that with some of our testing apps, which didn’t work or generated errors. Ditto for Google Drive.

As I found, a number of productivity applications already have native applications written for Arm, and that matters. Adobe Photoshop, for example, is written natively in Arm. Lightroom is as well. In Photoshop, at least, the features found in both the X86 and Arm apps appear to be identical. Other Adobe applications are on their way. (Adobe Lightroom connects to the cloud and runs natively on Arm, and Lightroom Classic runs, according to my colleague Gordon Mah Ung, only via emulation but runs well).

Photoshop’s generative AI features still use the cloud and not the Snapdragon NPU, however. Frankly, I doubt you’ll care how those AI functions are processed, just that they are.

If an app is not written to Arm, and has to be emulated, the Surface Pro’s CPU kicks into high gear. That’s a problem. Take our Handbrake test, for example. The open-source codec does ship with an Arm version, but I used that as well as an older, unoptimized version for compatibility’s sake.

The Surface Pro doesn’t deal well with un-optimized apps. In Handbrake’s case, the rear of the tablet became quite hot over the duration of the test, over 100 degrees fahrenheit. (The new Arm-powered Surface Laptop, reviewed by a colleague, soared to about 120 degrees). But the battery life plunged. I’ll talk more about that in the next section.

As for games? Nah. I saw the Snapdragon X Elite running Baldur’s Gate 3 at 30 frames per second at Low detail settings. As I detailed in my other story, I tried Saints’ Row IV and an older, simple 3D top-down shoot ’em’up. The latter ran, the first didn’t. I’m not going to kill myself trying dozens of games when Microsoft has already told us that the Surface Pro (2024) isn’t a gaming machine.

Surface Pro (2024): How fast is it?

All that leads us to the performance of the Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition. I leaned on our familiar benchmarks, trying to quantify some of what I had anecdotally experienced above. But I tested in three modes: plugged into the wall, as you would normally use the tablet, on battery, and by dialing up the Windows power slider to maximum settings. On some tests I experienced little changes. On others, the difference was more profound.

For better or for worse, we don’t have too many rivals to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite processor. With Intel, I had but a single Core Ultra (Meteor Lake) laptop on hand and no tablets — Microsoft wasn’t exactly rushing to send the Surface Pro 11 with Meteor Lake inside. So, instead, my colleague Adam Murray sent me a Meteor Lake X1 tablet from OneXPlayer. I also used the Asus ZenBook 14 OLED with a Meteor Lake chip inside. Finally, I compared it to the Surface Pro 9 (5G) with a Microsoft SQ3 / Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 chip inside for a gen-over-gen comparison.

We’re not making explicit comparisons to the Apple MacBook, though our Macworld colleagues’ review of the Apple M3 MacBook Air does allow for some comparisons. We’ll note those where appropriate. We’re trying to give you a representative idea of the Surface Pro’s performance rather than establish which Windows on Arm tablet is the best of the bunch.

I used a selection of tests: Cinebench, which measures how fast a laptop’s CPU chews through a rendering task, and Handbrake, which does the same over a prolonged period. I added the popular Geekbench test, too. The PCMark Apps test calculates the time it takes to perform standard Microsoft Office and Web browsing tasks. 3DMark (both Time Spy and Night Raid) measure how well the Snapdragon X Elite’s Adreno GPU fares. I also added PugetBench’s Photoshop benchmark to try and add a more intensive workload. And finally, I used Procyon’s AI Vision test to try and measure the chip’s AI capabilities.

But there were wrinkles. Though PCMark 10’s Apps test ran, PCMark’s conventional tests did not. (Weirdly, PCMark didn’t run on the Asus notebook either). Procyon’s AI test usually offers the choice of the CPU, GPU, or NPU to test the AI capabilities. But only the CPU test was offered by the app and Underwriter Labs, the developer, didn’t provide an alternative. AI art apps besides say, Cocreator, don’t really use the NPU. So, yes — Qualcomm’s vaunted AI TOPS wasn’t put to the test.

That just underscores some of the compatibility issues Windows on Arm still has and you can see why some think that these early “AI apps” within Windows are just tech demos.

Cinebench accommodates both X86 and Arm, though the most recent R24 (2024) release includes a dedicated Arm version that the earlier versions lacked. The Surface Pro, with its 10 performance cores, won in the most recent R24 release. Intel’s Core Ultra does well on the older versions.

So far, the Surface Pro more than holds its own against the Windows tablet, losing to the Asus notebook. Note the inclusion of the “Max” entry. That’s where I dialed up the Windows 11 performance slider, up two notches from its most conservative “Recommended” setting. There’s a small but notable difference in some tests.

For comparison: the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air reports a Cinebench 2024/R24 score of 658 in multicore and 141 in single-core performance, according to Macworld. The Surface Pro (2024) is faster.

Now, let’s look at how the Surface Pro fares against the other competitors in terms of performance, when the tablet is just running on battery power. (I didn’t run the tablet on maximum, while on battery).

We’re seeing similar scores here, with drops across the board for the Snapdragon X Elite as well as the Core Ultra.

We typically don’t use the quick and easy-to-run Geekbench test, but I did so here, just to add another layer of benchmarks.

This test uses both CPU and GPU benchmarks, which I again ran on battery power, wall power, and at maximum settings. I’ll combine the two images together (one on battery power, one on wall power) for brevity’s sake. Again, remember that the “max” settings are only run on wall power.

Geekbench still loves the Adreno CPUs inside the Snapdragon X Elite, but gives the nod in GPU performance to the Core Ultra.

In Geekbench 6.2.2, which delivers performance results consistent with Geekbench 6.3, the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air scored 11,936 in the multicore test and 3,144 in the single-core test. It’s a little closer here.

Let’s move to Handbrake. Handbrake is a open-source transcoding test and we typically use an older version for compatibility’s sake. We do so here, if only to show off the comparison to the other products. But wait! We also tested with an optimized Arm version, too.

There are two points to make here. First, no one will ever be totally satisfied with the available benchmarks. You either choose the latest one and toss out any comparisons you’ve made before or you choose an older one and face howls of protest that your tests are unfair. Second, testing is a question of time as well as effort: testing on battery, on wall power, and on maximum settings is already time-intensive enough.

Scores on both battery and a plugged-in laptop are close to one another. As for the optimized Handbrake scores? It really didn’t make an enormous difference. On the optimized Handbrake app, the Surface Pro (2024) recorded a time of 2,258 seconds, about five percent better than the unoptimized app. On battery, it was slightly slower: 2,278 seconds. On maximum settings, I recorded a score of 1,743 seconds, which is a dead heat.

We’ll talk about the effects of unoptimized apps on the Surface Pro’s battery-life results further below. Now, let’s look at a more practical test: PCMark Apps, which is a direct measure of how well the Surface Pro will fare in day-to-day office work and web browsing. Disappointingly, it wouldn’t run the generic PCMark 10 test — application compatibility held it back.

On battery power, it’s an easy win for the Surface Pro (2024). On wall power, though, the Asus notebook is the best bet.

The problem with our graphics tests are that they really aren’t too representative. Microsoft has said that the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are productivity machines first, not gaming PCs. And there have been numerous reports from our reviews and reporters, plus across the Internet, that align with that statement. Games simply don’t run on the Snapdragon X Elite as well as they do on X86 PCs.

Still, a GPU has more purposes than gameplay, as we’ll see next.

Note the differences in 3DMark’s tests. The cross-platform Night Raid test favors Arm while the more traditional Time Spy test used for our gaming notebook reviews leans towards the X86 processor from Intel. It’s worth noting that 3DMark didn’t even run until I downloaded the very latest benchmark direct from UL, on advice from Qualcomm.

Photoshop, however, is a nice practical tool to see how well the Surface Pro runs. PugetBench is a benchmark released by Puget Systems, which directs Photoshop to perform various tasks. Since it depends on the version of Photoshop already on the laptop or tablet — and Photoshop has both an Arm as well as an X86 version — this is a nice test to compare the two platforms.

Again, the Snapdragon X Elite and Adreno GPU are holding their own, though the clamshell barely tops the tablet. If you thought that Arm wasn’t suitable for creative work, you may have to think again. One question we haven’t had answered yet is if we’ll see an Arm chip paired with an Nvidia GPU… although we’re hoping Nvidia answers that question in 2025.

Last but not least: AI. Again, this is a disappointment. We were hoping for some AI-on-AI competition, but the NPU tests didn’t run on our systems. UL Procyon, which measures how well the chips process AI “machine vision” calculations, ran only on the CPU. But boy, did Qualcomm score a win here.

Normally, we’d close out our performance testing with some comparative battery-life tests. But I’m making a conscious decision not to, if only because I don’t think that the Surface Pro (204) compares well to a gaming-esque X1 tablet and the Asus notebook.

That doesn’t mean that I didn’t test the Surface Pro — just that I think the results should stand on their own. Matt Smith’s review of the Surface Laptop has a much better opportunity to answer this question, comparatively.

When I connected the Surface Pro (2024) tablet to a pair of wired headphones (gasp!) and performed our standard video rundown test — set the luminance to 250-260 nits and loop a 4K video until it expires — the Surface Pro lasted 13 hours 44 minutes. Fantastic! But I thought, well, would Bluetooth deliver better battery life? It’s more realistic, anyway. So I ran the same test connected to Bluetooth headphones. The tablet lasted 13 hours 47 minutes or about the same.

If you go all the way back to the first few paragraphs of this review, though, you’ll remember that there’s an issue with how the Surface Pro’s Snapdragon X Elite chip handles intensive loads. So let’s talk about that briefly. First, there’s good news: using the PCMark 10 Apps rundown test (which simulates Microsoft Office work over the course of a day) still yielded battery life of 10 hours 29 minutes.

But Microsoft 365 or Office apps are relatively light workloads and they’re optimized for Arm. I don’t have a huge amount of data supporting this thesis, but when I ran an intensive, un-optimized Handbrake test, it finished in just under 34 minutes. It chewed through a whopping 31 percent of the available battery, enough that Windows reported that it only had one hour and 15 minutes left. That’s huge! But it’s a potential Achilles heel of the Surface Pro (2024).

The PugetBench Photoshop benchmark finished in about 27 minutes. It’s running Photoshop, but an optimized version. When it was done, 89 percent of the battery was left… though Windows thought that equated to about three hours and 15 minutes left. Again, not great, but unoptimized apps may make a difference here, especially on battery.

As for the optimized version of Handbrake? Um, well, ugh. My test took 34 minutes, and dropped the battery from 68 percent to 35 percent. That’s a 33 percent drop in 34 minutes.

On wall power, the Surface Pro is excellent performance-wise. On battery, it can last for hours and hours… provided that it’s not doing much.

Surface Pro (2024): Should you buy it?

Here’s where I stand: the Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition shows definite promise. Arm’s CEO didn’t tell me that half of the world’s PCs will eventually run Arm. But you know, there’s a decent case to be made that a chunk of the world’s business/productivity PCs could eventually switch from X86 to Arm. That’s what they need, after all: long battery life and moderate performance.

But the Snapdragon X Elite undercuts that. Snapdragons have always been engines of weak to moderately-powered PCs, but with battery life that lasts and lasts. Now, Qualcomm is dashing to become the fastest CPU. And it’s succeeding, at least when plugged in.

But on battery, under load — and especially with an unoptimized app that requires it to rev up and rev up hard — Arm’s sacrificing battery life for additional performance.

I liked the Surface Pro 9 (5G) because it ran Microsoft’s core apps well, and that was all that I I thought customers would ask of it. Now, Windows on Arm’s ecosystem is expanding. The border is moving through Adobe’s productivity sphere right now.

Again, though, this isn’t the “it just works” tablet that we all hoped for. It mostly works. In some sense, the Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition feels like a powerful Chromebook, doing just short of everything you’d want from a productivity machine and very little in the way of gaming.

I haven’t tested the Meteor Lake version of the Surface Pro. I don’t care at all that Intel’s Lunar Lake is coming, something always is. But I’m still inclined to stick with the tried-and-true world of Intel’s Core Ultra and AMD’s Ryzen processors rather than make the leap to Windows on Arm. Not yet. But I’m also more confident that Arm could be the way forward for a good chunk of the PC market. This story ain’t over.

Laptops, Tablets

Microsoft Office has been the gold standard in office software for decades now. Unfortunately, it’s also priced like the gold standard. But during our version of Prime Day, you can grab Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows or Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac for a major discount.

Both of these editions include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote. Those are all the tools you need to unleash your productivity and accomplish a wide range of business goals, from streamlining document management and crunching numbers to improving communication.

With the Windows version, you’ll also get Publisher and Access, giving you even more creative and data management capabilities.

If you want to work smarter, it’s time to take advantage of this limited-time deal. Through 11:59 pm PT on 7/11, you can get either of these lifetime licenses (rated 4.8/5 stars):

• Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows, on sale for just $24.97 (reg. $229)
• Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac, on sale for just $24.97 (reg. $229)

 

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows – $24.97

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Accessories

Travelling is fantastic. The thrill of seeing new places, cultures and just getting away from it all. But it’s not without its stresses, as you need to be sure you’ve got your passport, money, tickets, not to mention which trains, planes or ships you need to catch. It can all get a little overwhelming at times. Thanks to Nomad eSIMs though, there’s at least one area that you don’t need to worry about, and that’s using your phone abroad.

Nomad aims to make global roaming affordable for as many people as possible, with its vision to ‘democratise data’. This might sound like a lofty ideal, but thanks to the company developing partnerships with providers across the world, its eSIM prices are usually 20-40% cheaper than the competitors in many countries. 

What is an eSIM?

If you’ve not encountered eSIMs before, they are a simple idea. Instead of a physical SIM card that you need to put in your phone, these are software versions that do the same job. The advantages are that you don’t need to remove your existing SIM card (which might then get lost), and you can buy and set up an eSIM in about five minutes via the Nomad app, by either tapping a button or scanning a QR code. 

This means you don’t need to look around for a local provider when you arrive in a country, plus it usually works out cheaper than buying a roaming package from your existing network provider. 

For example, if you’re travelling through Europe, then you can get a 10GB data plan for 30 days which costs just $18 (which is around £14). Going to the USA? It’s the same price. At the moment, there’s even an incredible offer where you can take 50GB of data with you on a trip to Thailand and have it only cost $8 (around £6)!

The Nomad app also comes with data management and monitoring features that work across multiple SIMs, letting you know how much data you’ve used and allowing you to top up if you need more. 

Flexible plans to suit your needs

If you’re only going for a short break, then Nomad also offers Day Plans, which give you a specific amount of data at high speed, then unlimited at throttled speeds. But, as the latter is usually 512kbps, there’s a very good chance that it will still be faster than other services. 

You’re not stuck with one provider either, as Nomad tries to provide at least two local network options, so if one is slowing down or experiencing problems, you’ll be able to use the faster connection. 

Of course, you’ll want to know that if anything goes wrong when you’re in the wilds of a foreign land that there is help at hand. Thanks to the 24/7 customer support offered by Nomad, you can rest assured that assistance will always be available through live agents in the app. 

If you want to see if your device supports eSIMs, then Nomad provides a helpful list of compatible smartphones on its site, where you can also look for the regular deals and promotions that the company offers. 

Enjoy travelling without worrying about your data

Travelling should be an adventure, and by picking up an eSIM from Nomad you’ll be able to post your progress on social media, videocall friends from exotic locations, finish that quarterly report while relaxing in an outdoor café, or just catch up on content from your favourite sites without worrying about any big bills waiting for you when you get home. Visit Nomad today and make sure that one of its excellent eSIM deals is the first thing you pack for your next trip.

Phone Networks and Plans

With heat waves coming and going throughout the summer, you’re going to have times when you just want to stay inside and try to keep cool. Rather than delve into mindless TV, turn that into educational time with a Curiosity Stream Standard Plan. During our version of Prime Day, you can get it for a one-time payment that’s more than $200 off.

Curiosity Stream was launched by Discovery Communications co-founder John Hendricks. Today, it’s full of thousands of documentaries and docuseries covering every subject under the sun (and beyond the sun). You can download content for offline viewing, enjoy everything in 1080p HD, and never run out of new things to watch, thanks to regular content updates.

Learn something new with this Emmy-winning streaming service. Rather than pay a monthly subscription fee, you can get a lifetime subscription to a Curiosity Stream Standard Plan for just $159.97 (reg. $399) when you purchase before 11:59 pm PT on 7/21.

 

Curiosity Stream Standard Plan: Lifetime Subscription – $159.97

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Accessories

Wish you could see who’s outside your door from anywhere? Like, even if you weren’t home? Then you need a video doorbell.

The Ring Video Doorbell is down to $50 right now—half off its usual price in this early Prime Day deal—and this popular video doorbell is an excellent way to get that peace of mind. It’s a fantastic opportunity if you’re a Prime member in need of one!

As Prime Day approaches fast, Amazon’s own products are bound to be the first to get their prices slashed, and we’re happy to see this Ring doorbell on the list of early winners.

The Ring Video Doorbell features 1080p HD video with two-way audio so you can see, hear, and speak to anyone who’s at your door directly from your own phone, tablet, or PC. Whether you’re at home or not, you’ll have a way to check in with whoever comes knocking.

This version of the Ring Video Doorbell includes improved motion detection, privacy zones, and better night vision, so you can review your home’s surroundings in the same detail as you see during the day.

You’ll also get mobile notifications whenever someone rings the doorbell and/or triggers the motion sensors.

However, you’ll need a separate Ring Protect Plan subscription if you want recorded videos (which keep as far back as 180 days) that you can review whenever you like. This plan also unlocks Alexa voice announcements on connected Echo and Fire devices.

Now’s the best time to upgrade your doorbell because you won’t always be able to get the Ring Video Doorbell for only $50. Not a Prime member? Start a free 30-day trial! With Prime Day coming up soon, you’ll be able to score all kinds of deals with it.

The Ring Video Doorbell is slashed down to $50 Smart Home

Smart home assistants are fun and they aren’t just for adults. Kids can have just as much—if not more—fun talking to Alexa and doing all sorts of cool stuff around the house. But what if you don’t want your kids to have full rein over Alexa’s capabilities?

That’s where the Echo Dot Kids comes into play—and right now the Echo Dot Kids is down to its best price of $28 for Prime members as an early Prime Day deal. More than half off, this awesome deal is just a foretaste of what you can expect in the upcoming Prime Day sale.

The Echo Dot Kids features a solid speaker that delivers clear vocals and rich, vibrant sound. It comes with a cute owl or dragon design that makes the famous Echo Dot look even more adorable.

The key here is that the Echo Dot Kids is specifically designed for children, making it a safe way for them to interact with smart home technology. Kids can ask Alexa to play music, read bedtime stories, get homework help, and more. You can connect various services for them, including Spotify and Amazon Music.

One of the coolest perks when getting the Echo Dot Kids is free access to Amazon Kids+ for a whole year. Amazon Kids+ is a digital service for kids ages 3 to 12, granting access to all kinds of age-appropriate books, games, and educational Alexa skills.

With the Echo Dot Kids, Alexa is already pre-programmed to provide kid-friendly responses and filter out explicit content, but you can also set daily time limits and review device activity in the Amazon Parent Dashboard.

Oh, and if your kid somehow breaks it, Amazon will replace it for free thanks to the 2-year worry-free guarantee.

Don’t miss this chance to get the Echo Dot Kids for $28, a hot deal that won’t last. Since this is a Prime deal, you’ll need a Prime membership, which you can try free for 30 days. After that, it’s $15 per month and you get tons of benefits, including one-day delivery.

Amazon's Echo Dot Kids is on sale for $28 Amazon Echo

If you want to be competitive in PC games these days, you can forget about using a run-of-the-mill office mouse. Instead, you’ll need a powerful device that’s optimized just for gaming.

Manufacturers go to great pains to design specialist devices that give players an edge, with enhancements like unique body sizes and shapes, customizable weight, and extra grips to increase speed and accuracy. On top of that, the best gaming mice have unique hardware enhancements like highly sensitive sensors and complex button configurations to keep up with fast-paced games.

Deciding on the right mouse is a highly personal decision that needs careful consideration. Factors like the size and shape of your hand, your preferred grip style, the types of games you play, and the number of buttons you need, are all factors in your quest for the best gaming mouse.

Why you should trust us? PCWorld has delivered in-depth product reviews and news going on 40 years now. Our reviewers aren’t just peripheral geeks, they’re also avid gamers on a mission to find the best gaming gear for themselves. Because of that they know the ins and outs of gaming gear, what’s good and what’s not.

Every mouse we review is put through a rigorous testing process by our expert reviewers. We appraise everything from the device’s comfort and reliability, to its performance in games. We also compare each product to competitors to sum up whether or not they represent value for money. See our article on how we test gaming mice for more details.

Updated June 25, 2024 to include the Razer Basilisk Ultimate as an alternative to our Best MMO pick, the Razer Naga V2 Pro. The Basilisk Ultimate’s smooth glide, solid feel, and 11 programmable buttons make it a great option for MMO players that don’t need a side button grid.

How we test gaming mice

To ensure that our gaming mice selections are the pick of the crop, the PCWorld team subjects them to extensive play testing as well as a legion of other tests. We scrutinize everything from how well a mouse perform in games, to the size and shape of it in the hand, to comfort and ergonomics, to customizations. Here are the main categories our tests fall under:

• Gaming performance: At the end of the day it doesn’t matter how a mouse looks; it’s how it performs that matters. To evaluate a mouse’s performance we look specifically at how sensitive and responsive its sensor is and also how well the sensor tracks movement. Precision is also a key consideration, with mice that are more accurate generally scoring better in our reviews than those that aren’t. In wireless mice we also evaluate the speed and strength of the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals, keeping a look out for red flags like signal dropouts or interference. Some mice also come with software enhancements that determine the mouse’s lift-off distance, which we also examine in our testing.
• Design and ergonomics: You won’t find another tech device for which design plays a more crucial part of a user’s experience. And, while it’s true that there’s no one shape, size, or configuration that fits every gamer, there’s enough variation out there for every gamer to find their own perfect fit. When looking at design, we consider the size and shape of the device itself and the type of hand it fits. Gamers tend to use one of three common grip types—palm, claw, or fingertip—so a mouse’s compatibility with one or all of those types is a big consideration.
• Software: Being able to tweak settings like your mouse’s DPI and polling rate and create specific profiles for your favorite games can make or break your gaming experience, which is why a mouse’s software support is so important. Our PCWorld reviewers’ focus here is to consider the range and scope of software support and how readily settings can be modified, changed, and saved for future use.

For more details about our testing process, see our article on how we test gaming mice at PCWorld.

Gaming, Mice

Recently Apple reversed a long-standing policy that disallowed retro game emulator apps, so now gamers have access to decades of classic ROMs on the iPhone and iPad without work-arounds. But it appears that tolerance does not extend to emulating classic PC platforms, for games or any other purpose. Developers of DOS and early x32 emulators have been shown the door on the App Store.

According to a report from The Verge, Apple told developers that retro PC emulators run afoul of the App Store’s App Review Guidelines, section 4.7. These are the same rules that have proven so problematic for services that stream games from external servers. Though it now explicitly allows “game emulators” and “retro game console emulator apps,” that privilege apparently does not extend to apps that emulate more utilitarian software like DOS and Windows.

The developers of iDOS 3 and the UTM SE virtual machine both had their app submissions rejected, and social media posts indicate that Apple took exception to the programs specifically because they weren’t “emulators of retro game consoles.” The fact that both of these programs can and often are used to play PC games over 30 years old doesn’t seem to enter into the equation.

Apple was characteristically unhelpful in nailing down the guidelines. Would a Commodore 64 count as a console or a PC? Apparently the former, since C64 emulators are available on the App Store right now, despite the fact that the device was sold as a personal computer and could run a wide variety of productivity programs. As usual, developers are at Apple’s mercy when it interprets its own rules, and won’t find out that their app is in violation of those rules until it’s rejected.

It’s worth pointing out that Google’s Play Store for Android phones and tablets allows more or less any emulation app for any platform, so long as they don’t actually contain copyrighted content in the form of system files or ROMs. Apple seems to have changed its position earlier this year, around the same time that European Union legislators forced the company to allow third-party app stores on iOS, something already possible on Android. Users in the EU may be able to run PC emulators on the iPhone and iOS when this functionality becomes available, albeit without the ease of access granted by the App Store walled garden.

iPad, iPhone

It seems like the cryptocurrency boom has created a never-ending well of hucksters looking to steal your money. It’s scams all the way down.

According to a recent alert from the FBI, a new breed of scam is specifically targeting people who’ve already been scammed, posing as law firms that specialize in recovering funds lost to crypto schemes.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s public service announcement (spotted by BleepingComputer) says that fraudsters will reach out to people who have already been victims of cryptocurrency scams via social media. They’ll pose as a lawyer or a law firm that specializes in recovering assets stolen via crypto scams, sometimes even claiming that they work with the FBI or the separate Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Targeting people who’ve already fallen for a crypto scam seems incredibly scummy… but it makes sense in purely mercantile terms. Such victims have already shown that they’re susceptible to social engineering.

The scammers, who may or may not be the same people who ran the original scam, will claim that they’re actively seeking judgment against the original criminals. That’s the bait. The hook is personal banking information, a straight payment for “services,” or more complicated ruses involving fees or “back taxes.” Once they have enough info to steal your identity or just get paid, they vanish.

The FBI report says that this secondary round of scamming is on the rise, with an estimated $9 million stolen from victims between February 2023 and 2024. That’s a drop in the bucket of the larger cryptocurrency scam cottage industry, where pump-and-dump “rug pulls” and phishing scams to drain crypto wallets are now the norm. But it seems especially despicable to steal from people who’ve already been scammed.

Law enforcement can, on rare occasions, track and recover cryptocurrency to reimburse victims. And it’s certainly possible to pursue legal action against someone who’s scammed you, which means lawyers will be involved at some point. But they don’t typically reach out to victims on social media.

The sad truth is that most people who’ve been victimized by cryptocurrency scams either don’t know the real identities of their scammers or have no real legal recourse against them.

Security Software and Services

Price When Reviewed

$40 for 1 PC license

Best Prices Today: NTI Backup Pro 7

NTI Backup Pro 7 is what one might refer to as the whole enchilada. It offers file backup, imaging/drive backup, continuous backup as well online backup to NTI Cloud (powered by Microsoft Azure). It backs up to and from networks, and is one of the rare backup programs that supports optical discs.

I was psyched at the feature list and assumed that in the 10 years since I last visited NTI’s flagship backup program, it would be finely honed and bullet-proof. In the end, everything worked as advertised, but there were glitches of various types.

Further reading: See our roundup of the best backup software to learn about competing products.

What are NTI Backup Pro 7’s features?

As I mentioned, NTI Backup Now Pro 7 offers file and folder backup, drive and partition image backup, continuous backup, and cloud backup. Continuous backup is file and folder backup where changes are backed up as they occur. Cloud backup is also file and folder backup, but to NTI’s online storage.

The plain file/folder, image, and online backups are stored in proprietary container files (single large files with all the data contained inside), while the continuous backup is a browsable plain file backup. i.e., files are copied as you would using Windows Explorer. Older revisions of files are kept in a separate folder.

The Backup Now Pro 7 interface is very straightforward, though unlike the EZ version, there’s no hand-holding when it comes to selecting data to back up. No biggie, but it could be just a tad friendlier.

The just-mentioned NTI EZ Backup Now 7.5 (which is $10 less per license) has a slightly more intuitive workflow, though the interface is not one of the prettiest. It lacks the Pro version’s continuous backup, but is otherwise roughly feature equivalent.

Back to Pro… There’s granular scheduling (in addition to the continuous, of course) available, as well incremental backups to save space, and automatic maintenance of destination storage by purging older files when necessary. Encryption and password protection are also provided.

An NTI Backup Now Pro 7 feature that I absolutely love is the ability to choose multiple local destinations (a secondary internal drive plus external drive, etc.) for a backup job. It would be nice if you could combine local with network locations and the NTI Cloud, but hey, it’s a start

And yes, the program will back up both to and from network locations. As well as to FTP. And, as mentioned up top, Backup Now Pro 7 even supports optical discs.

How much does NTI Backup Pro 7 cost?

At the time of this writing NTI Backup Now Pro 7 was on sale for $40, down from the normal $60 retail price. The EZ version without the continuous backup was $30, $20 off of full list. The continuous backup-only NTI Shadow program is also $30 on sale.

An NTI Backup Now Pro 7 feature that I absolutely love is the ability to choose multiple local destinations (a secondary internal drive plus external drive, etc.) for a backup job.

NTI Cloud (required for cloud backup) is free for one-month of 16GB, $5 a month for 32GB, $10 monthly for 64GB, $20 a month for 128GB, $40 per month for 256GB, $100 a month for 640GB, and $200 a month for 2TB. My OneDrive subscription is $70 per year for 1TB and includes Office 365.

The math is rather obvious, but OneDrive is less than anything but NTI’s 16GB plan. Google Drive offers 15GB for free. Spelling it out, the NTI Cloud is very pricey and as it’s the only online storage supported, that feature is considerably less attractive than it might be.

Note that you can use just about any backup program with nearly any online storage service by employing a cloud storage manager.

How well does NTI Backup Pro 7 perform?

I ran into issues with NTI Backup Pro 7 right off the bat, with the interface scaling incorrectly on my 4K display. It took a trip to the program file’s Properties/Compatibility/Change DPI settings to select “Program DPI” before the text and icons were large enough that I could use the program. There was more visual sloppiness in spots, which always gives me pause when it comes to software.

The program was also slothful at presenting files and folders. Seemingly, it doesn’t query the file system pre-emptively as is common practice. While all these idiosyncrasies may seem picayune, they add up, and do nothing to reassure me that the actual backup functionality will be bullet proof. As it turned out…

While file/folder and continuous backups to local media went off without unusual glitches, imaging proved an issue — as it turns out, because we remote control the test beds using Microsoft Remote Desktop. Backup Now Pro 7 didn’t like this, cancelling every image job before it was five seconds old.

After over a week of back and forth, and hours of troubleshooting, NTI explained this as a security “feature.” However, the logic behind it escapes me, and it’s hard to consider it a feature when no other program exhibits the same behavior. R-Drive Image, Acronis Cyber Security Home Office, Aomei Backupper, Macrium Reflect Home all backed up without a fuss.

I checked NTI’s EZ Backup Now 7.5 (see above) to see if it suffered the same ‘feature,” and while it failed initially, on the the second try it imaged a partition correctly. Apparently, a partial implementation of said “feature.”

Another annoyance was that choosing to stop a 7GB cloud backup job at 30 percent didn’t stop the backup. I waited a full 10 minutes, then killed the process to cancel the job. Perhaps I was impatient, or perhaps the stop request wouldn’t have been processed until the current 7GB container file was completed — i.e., at 100 percent.

A smaller online backup of the documents, desktop, and downloads folders proceeded without incident, as I’m sure the larger one would have too, if I hadn’t needed to cancel.

On another positive note, creating a recovery disc went without a hitch and booted on both test beds. Restoring the image I was finally able to create was successful as well.

Should you buy NTI Backup Pro 7?

In the end, NTI Backup Pro 7 worked as advertised, but the annoyances I encountered and the super-high cost of the cloud storage left me not completely enthusiastic about the program. Give it a spin and see if it’s right for you, but do the same for the competition.

How I test software

All software is installed on an AMD Ryzen 3700X system utilizing an MSI MEG X570 motherboard with 64GB of Kingston DDR4 memory, and several PCIe 4 NVMe SSDs. The operating system is Windows 11 21H2, to which only security updates are applied to maintain a level playing field over time. The test bed is largely kept off the Internet unless testing the software demands it. All pertinent features are tested and the program rated for stability, suitability to task, ease of use, and feature set.

Should issues arise, all possibly conflicting applications are uninstalled, and if that doesn’t fix the problem, Windows is reinstalled. And as off this writing, controlling the test bed remotely will be checked.

Computer Storage Devices, Storage

On June 25th, Microsoft released KB5039302 for Windows 11, a patch that brings a few small improvements for users, which are fully described in the official changelog.

This patch distinguishes between changes that Microsoft is gradually rolling out to users and improvements that the software company is rolling out to everyone in one fell swoop.

The gradual rollout changes

First up, this update adds a new “Game Pass” recommendation card to the Settings home page. The change affects both Home and Pro editions of Windows 11, but is usually only displayed if you’re logged in with your Microsoft account and actively playing.

Emoji 15.1 support is also a new addition. Windows now supports the Unicode symbol-like shapes for various family constellations, plus several brand-new emojis (namely horizontal and vertical head shaking, phoenix, lime, brown mushroom, and a broken chain).

The “Show desktop” button is also back in the taskbar by default. To change this, right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings to adjust the taskbar behavior.

This patch also incorporates some minor changes to File Explorer. Microsoft writes the following:

You can now create 7-Zip and Tape Archive (TAR) files via the context menu. If you right-click on a file, you can use the Compress to file option to compress it using tools such as gzip, bzip2, and others.

There is also a new compression wizard in the additional options. It helps you to select additional formats and add details. You can use different compression types to add many files to archives in other TAR formats. You can also change the compression level and select the data types to be stored in each archive.

It’s now also possible to copy files from the Windows Share window. Simply click on the new Copy button.

This update also marks the start of the rollout of the new Account Manager in the Start menu. When you sign in to Windows with a Microsoft account, you’ll see an overview of your account benefits. This feature also allows you to easily manage your account settings.

The immediate rollout changes

In contrast to the previous changes, there are a few minor changes that are rolling out right away to everyone who installs the update.

Among other things, Microsoft is fixing a problem with the Snipping Tool, which only recorded distorted sound while recording video. Other bug fixes concern the safe ejection of USB devices.

To install this Windows 11 update, you can select “Check for updates” on your PC or contact the usual Microsoft sharing channels.

Windows

Love grilled foods but hate working a grill? The fully electric Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker promises to level up your grill game, all without you needing to know how to light a fire.

And the best part? Ninja’s 7-in-1 electric grill and smoker is only $299 right now, down from its usual $370 for a hefty savings.

The Ninja brand is known for its super useful appliances that help you prep and cook delicious food, and this one takes you outside and makes it easy to grill, smoke, air fry, and more.

With Ninja’s Woodfire technology, you don’t actually have to light a fire: it’s entirely electric for heat, while also allowing you to add wood pellets to get that rich barbecue smoke flavor that makes grilling so special.

It gets hot enough to sear and char your meats and vegetables, so it’s the perfect solution for family cooking and get-togethers. And Ninja doesn’t stop there—this thing is also an air fryer, so you can serve up crispy fries or delicious wings in just a few minutes.

Approximately 13 inches tall, 24 inches wide, 19 inches deep, and weighing about 30 pounds, it’s just portable enough to bring out and take back in as you need it. (Note that the power cord is only 4 feet long, so you’ll likely need a 3-prong extension.)

But it’s also weather-resistant, which means you could leave it outside in a safe spot if you wanted to. Keep it on your patio, your balcony, your shed, or anywhere you’d keep a traditional backyard grill.

The Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker is currently on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for 20% off. With so much summer ahead of us, now’s a fantastic time to grab one of these!

This Ninja grill & smoker is on sale for $299 Smart Appliances

Price When Reviewed

$1,499

Best Prices Today: Dell Inspiron 16 Plus

The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is a powerful 16-inch laptop with high-end CPU performance, great cooling, and discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics. These are features you’d normally find in a gaming laptop, but the Inspiron 16 Plus is more focused on creative users who need a GPU for their professional applications and GPU-based AI workloads.

At $1,499, this laptop offers a great combination of hardware that’s worth a look. But everything in life involves compromises — especially laptops — and this machine won’t be the right fit for everyone.

Looking for more options? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available today.

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus: Specs

The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus (7640) is a 16-inch laptop available with a wide variety of different hardware options. Our review model came with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, but you can also get it with a Core Ultra 5 or Core Ultra 9 CPU. These are Intel Meteor Lake CPUs. (Dell’s specifications sheet says the company also offers this laptop with 13th-generation Intel “Raptor Lake” processors, but we’ll focus on the newer Meteor Lake versions here).

Dell offers this laptop with a variety of graphics options. Our review model included Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, but Dell also offers GeForce RTX 4050 graphics as an option. They don’t all have discrete graphics, you can also get Intel Arc graphics. Dell isn’t positioning this as a gaming laptop — in fact, Dell says the extra graphics horsepower is for creators. This laptop also has a “GeForce RTX Studio” sticker. But, while it will work well in professional 3D rendering apps and AI applications that need GPU power, the graphics will also let you play games in a pinch, too.

Dell included 16GB of RAM with our review model, but you can get this machine with up to 64GB of RAM. Additionally, there are a wide variety of display options: We had a 16-inch 2560×1600 IPS display without a touch screen, but you can also get this laptop with a lower-resolution 1920×1200 display. A touch screen is available as an option on that lower-resolution model.

This laptop includes Wi-Fi 6E support as standard, but you can also get Wi-FI 7 hardware. On top of that, while our review model had a 90 Watt-hour battery, Dell also offers this laptop with a 64 Watt-hour battery.

This laptop does have a Copilot key on its keyboard, but it’s worth noting that it has an Intel Meteor Lake neural processing unit (NPU.) That means it won’t get the Copilot+ PC features Microsoft recently announced. Those will require next-generation hardware from Qualcomm, Intel, or AMD.

Dell offers this laptop with a lot of different hardware configurations, so be sure to check the specs of the model you’re looking at.

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
• Memory: 16GB RAM
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
• Display: 16-inch 2560×1600 IPS display with 120 Hz refresh rate
• Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD
• Webcam: 1080p webcam
• Connectivity: 1x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C), 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, microSD card reader, 1x combo audio jack, 1x DC power in
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capacity: 90 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 14.05 x 9.87 x 0.69 inches
• Weight: 4.94 pounds
• MSRP: $1,499 as tested

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus: Design and build quality

The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus has a nice-looking and solid-feeling all-metal design. It’s all silvers with a black bezel around the screen. Inside the laptop, the keys are a dark gray with a white backlight. There’s a silver Dell logo on the lid, but otherwise you won’t see a bunch of logos or distracting text elsewhere on the machine.

This laptop has extremely solid build quality, which is no surprise with that all-metal construction. There’s no real flex to the case, even when you pick it up with one hand from a corner.

The hinge feels extremely solid, too — and it’s interesting in another way. You can keep pushing the screen back, and this will raise the back of the keyboard, pushing it upward toward you. It works nicely, and the action feels great. You can only push it back so far, however — this laptop will not lie flat. (Of course, that’s fine! It doesn’t need to.

This laptop is 4.94 pounds. For a 16-inch laptop made of metal with a huge battery and a discrete Nvidia GPU, that’s a reasonable weight.

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus: Keyboard and trackpad

The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus has a full-size keyboard with white backlighting. The keyboard is plenty response and fast to type on. To me, the key travel is a little on the shallow side and the action doesn’t feel as snappy as it does on some of the most premium keyboards like a ThinkPad keyboard or a mechanical keyboard. Still, I wouldn’t describe it as mushy. It’s a fine keyboard.

The fingerprint reader at the top-right corner of the keyboard is also a power key, and it works well. I’m not a huge fan of the layout of the up and down arrow keys, though — Dell chose to use full-size left and right arrow keys, with half-height up and down arrow keys stuck in the middle.

The trackpad is centrally positioned below the keyboard and works well. The surface is smooth, the action is responsive and the feel of the click is pleasantly clicky. The palm rejection works well, too.

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus: Display and speakers

The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus has a nice-looking display. Our review model had a 16-inch 2560×1600 IPS display. The 120 Hz refresh rate makes for a nice smooth experience. It’s in a convenient 16:10 aspect ratio, giving you plenty of vertical space for getting work done.

You can also get this laptop with a lower-resolution 1920×1200 display, and that resolution is available with a touch screen option — but this higher-resolution model isn’t available with a touch screen.

At 300 nits of brightness, it’s not the brightest laptop screen out there. But this isn’t a gaming laptop — it’s a workstation. The anti-glare screen looks nice — it’s not super glossy and reflective — and the choice of display is likely a big factor in the laptop’s energy efficiency. If this laptop offered a high-resolution OLED display option, that would probably cut deep into the battery life.

When it comes to speakers, this system once again offers multiple options. If you have a version with Nvidia GeForce graphics — like our review unit — you get four speakers (two upward firing speakers above the keyboard and two downward firing speakers below the laptop). If you have a version with integrated Intel graphics, you just get the two speakers in the speaker grill above the keyboard.

The audio sounds alright, but. While speakers can deliver loud sound, but the bass is a little lacking. That’s normal for almost any laptop — you have to really look for a high-end gaming laptop to start getting serious bass.

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

Dell includes a 1080p webcam with its Inspiron 16 Plus laptop. The webcam also includes a physical privacy shutter, which is a great privacy feature often found on business laptops.

The webcam looks decent, although I’ve seen sharper image quality from some of the business laptops I’ve tested lately. Thanks to the neural processing unit (NPU) in Intel’s Meteor Lake, this laptop also gives you access to Windows Studio Effects, allowing you to fake eye contact and blur your background.

The microphone is also decent, although I don’t think it’s quite as clear and crisp as the built-in microphones on many of the business laptops I’ve been reviewing. It picked up a little bit of background noise, even in a fairly quiet room. It’s not bad — it’s good — but this isn’t the absolute best webcam and microphone setup for online meetings.

This laptop doesn’t offer facial recognition sign-in with Windows Hello — there’s no IR camera here. However, this laptop does include a fingerprint reader at the top-right corner of the keyboard, above the Backspace key. (This pushes the Delete key slightly to the left.) The fingerprint reader works well, and it scanned my fingerprint and signed me into Windows quickly. Some people will prefer fingerprint login to facial recognition, although I like the way facial recognition instantly signs me in as soon as I open a laptop. Facial recognition is just more convenient if you’re looking for biometrics.

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus: Connectivity

The Dell Inspiron 16 has a decent selection of ports overall — aside from the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports. It offers just a single USB-C port — which it also uses for charging with the standard USB-C charger Dell ships with the laptop.

On the left side, you’ve got a single Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) port along with an HDMI 2.1 port and a power jack.

On the right side, you’ll find an SD card reader, a combo audio jack, and two USB Type-A ports (USB 3.2 Gen 1.) Note that the versions of the laptop with integrated Intel Arc graphics have a standard sized SD card reader while the versions of the laptop with discrete Nvidia graphics have a microSD card reader.

The Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) port situation is the issue. USB-C charging is fine, and it works well here. The problem is that this laptop just has that single USB-C port. While this laptop does have a more traditional barrel charger port as well, it normally comes with a USB-C charger. So, if you want to plug something else into that USB-C port while the laptop is plugged in, you’ll need a Thunderbolt Dock that the laptop can charge through.

Out of the box, with the standard laptop configuration, there’s no way to actually use that power jack unless you hunt down a charger that doesn’t come with the laptop.

At least, that was the situation on our review unit. Dell told us that the base model of the laptop could ship with a traditional barrel charger. But, Dell also said that this laptop wouldn’t qualify for Intel’s Evo Edition sticker without USB-C charging.

If a manufacturer is going to use USB-C charging these days, they should provide more than one USB-C port. A second USB-C port would be a big help.

This machine includes Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 hardware. You can get a version of the laptop with Wi-Fi 7 support, too — Intel made that an extra add-on that doesn’t come standard with Meteor Lake-powered laptops like this one. While it’s fine to have Wi-Fi 6E because Wi-Fi 7 isn’t widespread yet, we’re getting to the point where it would be nice to see laptops support Wi-Fi 7 out of the box.

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus: Performance

With its Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of solid-state storage, the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus naturally delivered excellent performance in day-to-day desktop usage. This laptop comes with an “Intel Evo” sticker, too.

Of course, we ran the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus through our standard benchmarks to see how it performs.

First, we run PCMark 10 to get an idea of overall system performance. While this is designed as an overall system benchmark, the CPU performance is a big factor in the results.

The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus delivered an overall score of 7,101. That’s a great score. It’s competitive or better than the other modern laptops with Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processors we’re comparing this machine against.

Next, we run Cinebench R20. This is a heavily multithreaded benchmark that focuses on overall CPU performance. It’s a quick benchmark, so cooling under extended workloads isn’t a factor. But, since it’s heavily multithreaded, CPUs with more cores have a huge advantage.

This 16-inch laptop delivered excellent performance with a multi-threaded score of 6,924. That’s noticeably faster than some 14-inch laptops we compared it to here.

We also run an encode with Handbrake. This is another heavily multithreaded benchmark, but it runs over an extended period. This demands the laptop’s cooling kick in, and many laptops will throttle and slow down under load.

The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus completed the encode in 957, which is about 16 minutes.  That’s a solid score and it shows the machine is doing a good job of staying cool and not throttling due to heat under extended workloads, like the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus clearly is.

his machine did complete the encode more slowly than the HP Pavilion Plus with its previous-generation Intel Core i7-1355U Raptor Lake processor, however. Intel’s Meteor Lake hardware just comes up a bit shorter than the previous-generation hardware in CPU performance. Intel’s Lunar Lake hardware should hopefully fix this, beating Meteor Lake on power efficiency while also delivering more performance than Raptor Lake.

Next, we run a graphical benchmark. While this isn’t a gaming laptop, it does have a discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. To benchmark the GPU, we run the 3DMark Time Spy graphical benchmark.

With a score of 8,735, the RTX 4060-powered variant of this laptop delivered much better graphical performance than an Intel Arc-powered Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, which delivered a score of 3,493.

Overall, the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus delivered excellent performance with strong cooling and without noticeable thermal throttling slowing things down under load. Bear in mind that your performance will vary depending on the configuration — Dell offers a variety of different CPU and GPU options. In particular, the Intel Arc variant will be much farther behind on the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark.

When we reviewed the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, we found that its vents didn’t seem to be doing anything. I tested. I verified that the vents here are definitely working — which is no surprise, considering how well this laptop’s cooling helped its benchmark scores.

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus: Battery life

The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus packs either a 90 Watt-hour battery or a 64 Watt-hour battery. Our review unit had a 90 Watt-hour battery. That’s a nice big size and nearly as big as it gets — if a battery is 100 Watt-hours or larger, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration won’t allow it onto an airplane

To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat in the Movies & TV app on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled until the laptop suspends itself. We set the screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmarks. This is a best-case scenario for any laptop since local video playback is so efficient, and real battery life in day-to-day use is always going to be less than this.

In our benchmark, the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus lasted for an average of 1,022 minutes. That’s just over 17 hours — a very good score for a 16-inch laptop. The large battery certainly helps matters, and the display is likely pretty power efficient. (Those OLED displays tend to drain more battery power).

This should be all-day battery life, depending on what you do — but you’ll need to plug this laptop into an outlet to really take advantage of the power of its Nvidia GPU. (Unfortunately, if you have the laptop’s normal USB-C charger, you won’t be able to connect other devices to it while charging unless you get a dock or dongle).

As usual, though, the devil is in the details: If you pick a variant of this laptop that comes with a smaller battery, for example, you won’t get anywhere near as long from it.

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus: Conclusion

The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is a nice machine. It’s a 16-inch laptop with excellent performance, long battery life, high-quality cooling, an all-metal build, and even discrete graphics for gaming and other professional tasks. At $1,499, that’s not bad — remember that you’re getting the kind of GPU you would often have to get a more expensive gaming laptop for.

Dell told me that this particular configuration was on sale for $1,299 right before we reviewed it, and it was once again discounted to  same price while we were wrapping up our review. In general, laptops frequently go on sale — and you might be able to scoop up this one for hundreds of dollars off if you want for the right time. That’s a good price.

On the other hand, there are some reasons you may not want to buy this laptop: You may want a free USB-C port while charging, facial recognition, a brighter screen, or a more vibrant OLED display. Or you may just want to wait for a laptop that will get those Copilot+ PC AI features later this year. Every machine has trade-offs.

Still, this is a nice machine — especially at that sale price, if it goes on sale for a few hundred dollars off again. On the other hand, laptops like this one will offer even better battery life and performance when Intel’s Lunar Lake hardware arrives later this year. And Intel will require all Lunar Lake laptops to have at least two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which will ensure future laptops don’t end up with a charger that hogs their single USB-C port.

Laptops

Price When Reviewed

245.79

Best Prices Today: Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi

Xiaomi is best known for smartphones (in North America, at least), but the company is making inroads into PCs with a handful of inexpensive laptops and monitors. The Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi is the company’s latest budget ultrawide, and don’t let the price fool you: It’s an attractive display.

Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi specs and features

The Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi’s specifications are nearly identical to dozens of ultrawide monitors from competitive brands like Gigabyte, AOC, and Spectre (to name a few). It has a 34-inch Vertical Alignment (VA) panel with 3440×1440 resolution. Only the refresh rate stands out: It supports up to 180Hz, which is a tad higher than competitors at 120- to 160Hz.

• Display size: 34-inch ultrawide
• Native resolution: 3440×1440
• Panel type: Semi-gloss curved VA-panel with LED backlight
• Refresh rate: Up to 180Hz
• Adaptive sync: Adaptive Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium
• Ports: 2x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x 3.5mm audio jack
• VESA mount: 75x75mm
• Speakers: Yes, 2x 3-watt stereo speakers
• Price: $289.99 MSRP, $260 typical online retail

The G34WQi carries an MSRP of just $289.99 and often receives a small discount off. That makes the G34WQi an alluring option, though it does face many similarly priced competitors.

Further reading: See our roundup of the best gaming monitors to learn about competing products.

Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi design

The Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi doesn’t make much of an impression out of the box. It’s clad in matte and semi-gloss black plastic that looks and feels fine but unexceptional. The only design highlight is the stand neck, which is svelte and has a piano black glossy finish to add a touch of class. An RGB-LED accent light is included, but it’s rather dim.

The monitor has an aggressive 1500R curve, meaning that the radius of the curve would be complete if the monitor were 1500mm wide. In other words, a smaller curvature number actually translates to a more aggressive curve. Most people will appreciate the immersion a curved screen can provide, but it slightly distorts the image (a straight line rendered across the display will appear curved, not straight), which could annoy content creators who need an accurate image.

A small, flat stand keeps the monitor secure on your desk and keeps the monitor’s footprint to a minimum. That’s important: Many budget ultrawides, like the Gigabyte GS34WQC, have oversized stands that take up a lot of desk space.

The stand provides adjustments for height, tilt, and swivel, and connects to the monitor with a 75x75mm VESA mount, allowing you to attach a third-party monitor stand or arm. The stand base doesn’t have a tool-less design though, so some assembly is required. A screwdriver is included, and assembly takes no more than two minutes, but more expensive monitors have a tool-free mechanism that’s easier to assemble and disassemble.

Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi connectivity and menus

The Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi’s connectivity is basic but expansive. It has two DisplayPort inputs and two HDMI inputs for a total of four video inputs, which is more than usual for a budget monitor.

However, the monitor lacks any form of USB connectivity, so it can’t be used as a USB hub to connect wired gaming peripherals. This is true for many budget ultrawide monitors, though most competitors with USB ports, like the LG 34BQ77QB, have a lower refresh rate or resolution. A 3.5mm audio out jack rounds out the connectivity.

The monitor’s on-screen menu system is controlled with a joystick located on the rear side of the lower right-hand bezel. It is responsive, easy to control, and navigates through Xiaomi’s well-labeled menus. The menus offer a fair bit of image quality customization, including several gamma presets that target specific numerical values, multiple color temperature presets, and settings for color hue and saturation.

Strangely, the monitor has a separate set of image quality settings for the standard and game modes, which are adjusted independently. That can prove confusing as certain settings, like the monitor’s response time modes, can’t be changed without first activating game mode. On the plus side, this provides an easy way to calibrate the display’s settings differently for work and play.

Xiaomi throws in a few extra features, including several picture-by-picture modes and a black equalizer to elevate the black levels of the display and make enemies more visible in games. These features are appreciated but also available in most competitive monitors.

The monitor lacks speakers, so you’ll have to rely on external speakers or a headset. That’s typical for a budget ultrawide monitor. The few competitors that do offer built-in speakers deliver a sub-par experience that’ll quickly have you looking for an upgrade.

Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi SDR image quality

The Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi has a Vertical Alignment (VA) display panel paired with a conventional LED backlight. It’s a common combination for a budget ultrawide monitor, but effective, and the G34WQi’s SDR image quality holds up well.

Xiaomi scores a win in brightness, as the Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi achieved a maximum sustained SDR brightness of 435 nits. That’s an excellent result for a budget monitor and beats many competitors by 25 or 30 percent.

A brightness of 435 nits isn’t required for typical use, of course, but it’s good news if you want to use the monitor in a brightly lit room or a room with sun-lit windows and poor light control. The G34WQi can easily compete with a room’s ambient light.

Contrast is another win for the G34WQi. The monitor achieved a contrast ratio of 4110:1, which is towards the upper end of what’s available from a budget ultrawide with a VA panel, and much better than what’s available from monitors with an IPS panel (like the HP Omen 27qs and Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS).

A higher contrast ratio translates to an image with more depth and immersion. Bright content seems to pop from the display and darker content shows detail that might be obscured on a less capable display. The monitor’s minimum luminance isn’t perfect, so it can still appear a bit hazy or gray when viewed in a darkly lit room, but this is less noticeable than with most budget monitors.

The G34WQi posted another strong result with a color gamut that spans 100 percent of sRGB, 94 percent of DCI-P3, and 89 percent of AdobeRGB. These are excellent results for a budget display and more than enough to deliver a saturated, vivid image for gaming and Netflix. It’s also sufficient for many content creators.

With that said, the G34WQi ties competitors like the Gigabyte G34WQC. And some IPS panel monitors, like the HP 27qs, can provide a wider DCI-P3 color gamut. Xiaomi scores well here but it doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

The same is true of color accuracy. The G34WQi’s color error is low enough that most people, myself included, won’t notice an issue. Videos, photos, and games look realistic and immersive. Still, the monitor’s out-of-box color accuracy is not remarkable and doesn’t beat competitors.

One problem I found noticeable was the monitor’s out-of-box color temperature of 7200K, which was significantly off the target of 6500K. The image seemed too cool and sterile when compared to that target. Color temperature can be adjusted with the monitor’s settings, and the ideal value can vary based on your preference. Still, 6500K is a common target, and most monitors come closer to it.

Gamma, on the other hand, was strong with an on-target gamma curve of 2.2. That means content viewed on the monitor generally looked as bright as it should and provided detail in both bright and dark areas. The curve can also be adjusted in the monitor’s settings, which is helpful for people who need (or prefer) a different gamma curve.

Sharpness was adequate. The G34WQi’s resolution of 3440×1440 works out to roughly 109 pixels per inch, which is identical to a 27-inch monitor with 2560×1440 resolution. Small fonts and high-contrast edges can appear slightly pixelated, and the Windows desktop lacks the absolute clarity of a 4K monitor, but it still looks rather sharp. Very few 34-inch ultrawide monitors offer a higher resolution, and those that do are much more expensive, so the G34WQi’s clarity is on par with its competition.

The Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi’s SDR image quality is excellent for the price and competitive with some more expensive monitors, like the Asus ProArt PA348CGV. It also comes out a tad ahead of the Gigabyte G34WQC, another budget ultrawide I liked. Better monitors are available, of course, but you’d need to leap to a QD-OLED monitor like the Alienware AW3423DWF to see a massive improvement.

Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi HDR image quality

The Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi supports HDR but doesn’t list an official HDR certification (like VESA DisplayHDR 400). That’s just as well because, like most budget monitors, it fails to deliver a good HDR experience.

Brightness is part of the problem. The monitor’s maximum brightness of 435 nits in HDR is precisely the same as its maximum brightness in SDR. That’s not enough to do HDR content justice, and bright portions of a scene lack the detail available on more capable HDR monitors.

Contrast is also an issue. The G34WQi’s conventional LED backlight can’t increase brightness in any single portion of the display without increasing brightness across the entire display. As a result, HDR content will often show less depth than SDR, especially in scenes that combine a few bright highlights with a mostly dark background.

None of this is unexpected. Good HDR performance is out of reach for most budget monitors with the rare exception of new budget Mini-LED monitors like the AOC Q27G3XMN. Those looking for better HDR performance from an ultrawide will need to step up to an OLED or Mini-LED display.

Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi motion performance

The Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi’s specifications are promising. It has a maximum refresh rate of up to 180Hz and claims a minimum pixel response time of one millisecond. The benefits of these features were obvious when playing games. Quickly panning the camera revealed that significant detail remains visible and small, fast-moving objects are easy to see. It’s a huge upgrade from a 60Hz monitor.

With that said, gamers should keep the monitor’s price tag in mind. Motion clarity is good but nowhere near what’s available from more expensive displays. Competitive gamers who want great motion clarity at this price point should instead look towards 27-inch 240Hz widescreen monitors like the LG UltraGear 27GR38Q-B.

Adaptive Sync is supported for smooth, tear-free gaming, and the monitor is AMD FreeSync Premium certified (though only when connected over DisplayPort). Nvidia G-Sync should work with the monitor, as it’s compatible with Adaptive Sync, but the lack of official support means you’re out of luck if it doesn’t work as expected.

Should you buy the Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi?

The Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi is an outstanding budget ultrawide monitor that should work equally well for home office, gaming, and entry-level content creation. It provides strong contrast, a wide color gamut, high maximum brightness, and respectable motion clarity for less than $300.

Xiaomi faces a lot of competition, as many competitors sell ultrawide monitors with identical specifications at a similar price. Still, the G34WQi stands out in a few ways. It’s among the least expensive monitors, it has a compact yet functional ergonomic stand, it has four video inputs, and its maximum refresh rate of 180Hz is higher than most alternatives. These traits make the G34WQi a good choice, and it’s especially appealing when on sale for below MSRP.

Monitors

Avoiding data breaches is all but impossible these days. You can’t control a company’s data security policies—you can only filter what information you share with them and mitigate the potential fallout. But don’t assume that once your personal info is on the dark web, it’s over and done. Unfortunately, we all still need to stay informed about the latest data breaches and leaks. 

Why? They keep you from falling for opportunistic scams.

Further reading: Best password managers 2024: Protect your online accounts

Let’s say you were affected by one of the latest breaches—perhaps as one of the potentially 500,000 Ticketmaster users or unknown number of Tile owners. But you don’t pay attention to the news, so when you get an email saying your credit card transaction failed for your ticket purchase (or a recall is in effect for your Tile device with serial number ending in XXXX), you click the link. 

What happens next could be one of a few bad outcomes. Perhaps you get subjected to drive-by malware. Or maybe you end up sharing or indirectly revealing more personal details an attacker needed to commit identity theft.

If you paid attention to the latest security reports, however, you might be more suspicious of messages related to Ticketmaster, Tile, or any other recent data leak. You’d be more likely to avoid clicking directly on links and you’d lean on your good security practices like accessing an official website directly. Scams rely on people reacting first and then thinking about the situation later on (if at all). If you’re already aware that someone could try to exploit your trust, you’ll be more careful about giving it.

Of course, a lot of us are busy and don’t have time to keep up with security news. You can lean on services to keep you appraised—in addition to regularly browsing technology websites (hello), you can subscribe to Have I Been Pwned as well as lean on any subscriptions you have (like a good paid antivirus suite, Microsoft 365, or Google One) that offer dark web monitoring. If you end up relying on a service, I’ve found it helpful to use more than one since the notifications don’t always cover the same breaches.

And yes, having to be so vigilant is a little depressing. Almost hard to remember that once upon a time, during the early days of the Internet, people would openly share their personal details with full trust in others’ goodness.

Antivirus, Security Software and Services

Marvel fans take note. Right now, you can get Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy on Steam for just $23.99! 

In this action-adventure game, you play as Star-Lord, the “leader” of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Now, it’s your responsibility to lead Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Drax on a series of adventures to help avoid a massive interplanetary meltdown. You’ll use any means necessary to save the galaxy as you play along the exciting story mode and rock out to iconic ’80s hits along the way.

It’s all an original story but with all kinds of familiar characters grappling for the fate of the universe.

IGN writes, “Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is yet another convincing example of how much fun a linear, no-frills, single-player campaign can be.”

You are Groot. For a limited time, you can get Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy on Steam for 60% off $59 at just $23.99.

 

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy on Steam – $23.99

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

Gaming

The ability to learn new things is one of our most powerful assets. But finding time to invest in one’s own learning can be exceedingly difficult in our fast-paced world. With HappyLife Knowledge Summaries, however, you just need 15 minutes to get to the main idea of some of the world’s most important nonfiction books, podcasts, and Ted Talks.

This app’s massive library includes thousands of summaries, spanning topics from personal development to business, creativity, and much more. The app gamifies your learning, helping you reach streaks and claim achievements to make learning something new daily fun. It will give you personalized recommendations based on your interests to keep exploring new ideas and give you the power to delve deep into all kinds of new topics.

Invest in yourself. For a limited time, you can get a lifetime subscription to HappyLife Knowledge Summaries for 73% off $149 at just $39.99.

 

HappyLife Knowledge Summaries Lifetime Subscription – $39.99

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

Accessories

While you drive, there’s a lot happening, so a second pair of eyes can help you stay safe. A dash cam provides this extra vigilance and helps give you peace of mind while out on the road. The best dash cams monitor in high-res video what’s happening while you’re behind the wheel, with timestamps and GPS coordinates. They can even record while your car is parked, helping you keep tabs on your car while you’re away.

When choosing the best dash cam for your needs you should first consider if you want a front, front/interior, or front/rear model. Additionally, you’ll want to decide on how wide a viewing angle you’ll need. Then there are special features to take into account, such as voice control or parking assist. Since there are a number of reasons to use a dash cam, we understand that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all model. With that in mind, we’ve curated a list of the best dash cams of all types with various features and prices below.

For even more information on what to look for when buying a dash cam, scroll to our buyer’s guide under our best picks. And after you’ve bought a dash cam, save yourself some time and frustration by reading our guide on how to install a dash cam.

Updated June 18, 2024 to add the Viofo VS1 Mini 2K to our list of recommendations as the best tiny dash cam. Read our summary below to find out why this petite, front-only 1440p cam with the minimalist styling has won us over.

What to look for in a dash cam

We’ll step you through what to think about when you’re shopping for a dash cam, from video capabilities, recording options, power connections, and more. 

Video capabilities

• Dual-channel support: This is what you’ll need if you want to run both front and rear, or interior (cabin-view) cameras. Interior cameras are generally situated on the dash cam, but rear cameras are separate and require additional cabling. 
• A decently wide field of view: You’ll see cameras with as little as 90-degrees field of view, but you’ll catch more of what’s around you if you go for 120 to 140 degrees. Some cameras offer 160- to 180-degree lenses. Note that the wider the field of view, the more fish-eye distortion there is, and more processing is involved to compensate.
• Day and night video recording (night quality is a big variant)
• Infrared lighting is important if you want to assure good captures of nocturnal events inside the cabin of your vehicle.
• HDR (high dynamic range) isn’t necessary, but it does make for more detailed video because of better contrast. It also generally indicates richer color.
• WDR (wide dynamic range) is much like above, except it usually refers to only color and not contrast.
• Do you need 4K UHD? It’s easy to fall victim to the specsmanship of a higher-res image. In our tests, the gain in detail from 4K video (2160p) can vary, but the storage investment is consistently heavy: four times the storage of 1080p, or around 1GB for every three minutes of video. For most purposes,1080p is the more frugal everyday choice. Don’t avoid 4K UHD—which is a feature in our best overall picks—but read the reviews first so you know whether the cost is justified.

Recording options

• Continuous loop recording to minimize storage requirements. Video is recorded, then immediately overwritten at a specified interval unless saved. Video is saved (protected from overwriting) automatically when an incident is detected. Most dash cams will overwrite older recordings when they run out of space. 
• Cloud storage is available with a few dash cams. Uploading to the cloud in real time is a nice hedge against damage and theft—assuming the thief isn’t smart enough to kill the dash cam immediately. It’s handy for those managing fleets of vehicles, too, as incident videos are safely stashed online.
• Self-powered recording when power fails, so that you can be sure to capture all of an incident. This requires a battery or large super-capacitor (see below in “Power connections”). The camera should have a setting that allows you to specify how long the camera runs off 12-volt before shutting down. 
• Incident recording triggered by impact (G) sensors, or when in parking mode (see below), by motion detection.
• MicroSD card storage. Pricier dash cams bundle a storage card. Some come with larger cards, and some budget models come without. There are often bundles available with the card. Some cameras opt for hard-wired internal storage, like the Miofive 4K.

Power connections

Something most people don’t consider before they buy is that dash cams connect to a power source in your car via a physical cable. That cable can sometimes be tucked out of the way, but more likely than not you’ll have loose cable hanging somewhere. You can sometimes fix this with a longer or shorter cable (or a professional installation). Keep that in mind as you consider your power options:

• Auxiliary 12-volt power (adequate): Most vendors have stuck with powering their dash cams via the auxiliary 12-volt power socket (also known as the cigarette lighter) and USB cables. It can lead to an unsightly cable run, and the power disappears when you turn off the car, but it’s universal and easy.
• Hard-wired 12-volt power (better): Most vendors offer kits that connect the dash cam directly to a constant 12-volt source in your wiring harness behind the dash. This provides always-on power, but it isn’t particularly easy to install.
• OBD-II 12-volt power (better): Outliers like the Owl and PureCam use the OBD-II connector for constant 12-volt power. OBD-II-to-USB power cables are now available separately (as an alternative to hardwiring kits that draw constant 12-volt power from the wiring harness). I recommend one with a USB Type-A port, which will accommodate any dash cam. Most of those with captive cables I’ve seen are mini-USB. The only downside is a long cable run, as the OBD-II port is usually next to the driver’s left knee, under the dash.
• Rearview 12-volt power (better): Another option that features a super-short cable run is powering your dash cam using your auto-dimming rearview mirror. You can find adapters for this at Dongar Technologies. If your car qualifies, this is by far your best option.
• Battery (or super-capacitor) power: Many dash cams come with super-capacitors, which allow the dash cam to operate for a brief period after losing regular power—such as during a collision. They don’t record for very long though, and sometimes not at all. A battery gives you a better chance of recording an entire incident, even when 12-volt power is lost. If run time is sufficient, it also allows you to record for a while with the car turned off. 

Other handy features

• Phone connectivity is not essential, but can make offloading video and configuring the dash cam easier. We’ve noticed just recently (12/15/2020) that phone apps are starting to require later versions of Android. If you’re rocking anything older than 8, keep that in mind.
• GPS: This feature could be the tipping point if you use your captured video to resolve a dispute. Watermarking the video is common, but when embedded into the video, GPS info is also immensely useful for mapping your travels. GPS will also automatically set the time in better cameras.
• Parking monitoring: This can mean two things. Running the dash cam continuously in low frame-rate mode to save card space and battery, or running in standby mode and awakening when motion or g-forces are detected. We’ve reviewed cameras that have a battery large enough to monitor the car with the 12-volt turned off for several days, but most cameras require a constant 12-volt source.

How we test dash cams

Few people are as well situated geographically as I am to test dash cams. Within two blocks there are major four- and six-lane thoroughfares, numerous bike lanes, joggers, dog walkers, oblivious ear-budded pedestrians, and a major bus nexus serving both public and private coaches. The opportunities for near-accidents are endless.

For every dash cam, I mount it in my car, judging the ease and convenience of doing so. Tip: Many dash cams rely on adhesive for mounting to your windshield. Hot conditions can make it next to impossible to remove the film that protects the adhesive. Remove the film in a cool environment, or place it in the fridge for a minute or two before installing it.

I put each dash cam through several days’ and nights’ worth of driving, recording video and judging the image quality. All the dash cams I’ve reviewed in the last couple of years take good daytime video. However, night video is often plagued by murky shadows and headlight flare. That said, quality is improving rapidly with the introduction of new sensors. Take a close look at the night shots in each review. 

I try all the features: Buttons, display controls, apps. Aside from rear-view support and GPS, the most salient differences between the products are the interface controls and extra features, such as the lane departure and collision warnings that you get with some models. I try them…and I turn them off. In practice, they usually tell me I’m changing lanes, in heavy traffic, or have just been cut off. I know that. Additionally, the collision warnings generally come too late to do anything but distract you at exactly the wrong time. 

Note that the one thing I can’t relate to you is the longevity of any dash cam, as my testing occurs over a relatively short amount of time. Please check user reviews on various sites and pay attention to the warranty.

Dash Cams

Microsoft has made a questionable change in Windows 11 that takes away your freedom of choice for OneDrive backups.

Without prior notice or explanation, Microsoft now force activates the automatic folder backup with OneDrive feature when you set up a new computer, all without asking you for permission.

When you set up a new Windows computer while connected to the internet and using a Microsoft account, you usually see OneDrive on your desktop. The app synchronizes data from folders—such as images, documents, music, and videos—which can be useful in certain cases.

Related story: Microsoft blocks popular method to install Windows 11 without an account

In the worst-case scenario, however, you may set up Windows and immediately be confronted with a desktop that’s cluttered with files and folders. This is likely to cause all kinds of frustration.

Previously, you had to explicitly activate automatic folder backups, and Microsoft would ping you with recurring notifications to remind you of the feature if it wasn’t enabled.

Now, however, Microsoft seems to have assumed that everyone wants OneDrive backups activated by default, thus forcing it on without exception. You may not even realize it until you set up a new computer and suddenly see all your old files again.

How to deactivate OneDrive backups

If you don’t want your Windows computer to back up everything on your desktop—or in other folders—to OneDrive, you can deactivate it:

Right-click on the OneDrive icon at the bottom right of your taskbar notification area. (If you can’t find the icon directly, you may need to expand the field by clicking the little arrow.) Then, go to the settings gear icon and select Settings.

Click the Sync and backup section in the left sidebar, then select Manage backup. Now deactivate all the folders that you don’t want backed up to OneDrive, then confirm the changes.

If you have an older version of OneDrive with the classic tabbed interface, go to the Backup tab and click Manage backup and then Stop backup. You will need to confirm the setting again.

Alternatively, you can uninstall OneDrive altogether if you don’t want to use automatic backups at all. This would be the simplest solution, but Microsoft might not like it at all.

More on this: The best Microsoft OneDrive tricks you should know

Windows

In September 2023, Microsoft announced the surprising end of their free text editing program. For many, WordPad was a simple but useful alternative to Microsoft Word—but it will no longer be offered in future versions of Windows.

Windows 11 24H2 will mark the final end for WordPad, as the AI features of that Windows version will delete legacy features like the free text editors. The update is due to be released this fall.

You’ll likely be better off switching to other free apps such as LibreOffice, but it just won’t be the same. If you find that you still prefer WordPad and want to keep using it, here’s a method you can use.

How to get WordPad back in Windows 11

It’s not that difficult to bring WordPad back to Windows 11. All you need is the appropriate files from an older version of Windows before 24H2, one that still supports WordPad. (The folder for WordPad should still be present in 24H2, but without the wordpad.exe.)

On a Windows computer of your choice with Windows 11 version 23H2 or older, enter this file path in the address bar of Explorer:

C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories

Here, you’ll see three things: WordpadFilter.dll, wordpad.exe, and a localization folder (e.g., en-US).

Copy all three to a USB stick or external data drive. Take it to the computer that no longer has WordPad, then paste everything into any folder. It doesn’t matter where, but we recommend choosing a permanent location and creating a new folder called WordPad.

After everything is pasted, right-click on the wordpad.exe file in the folder and select Show more options. Go to Send to and then Desktop (create shortcut) to create a shortcut.

Copy the newly created shortcut and go here in Explorer:

C:\Program Files\Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Program Files

Paste the shortcut there and rename it if necessary.

Next, open the Start menu, click All apps, and scroll down to find WordPad. Now you can pin it to the Start menu or the taskbar. (This last step is necessary because WordPad won’t appear in the search results if it was installed this way.)

You should also specify in the app settings that WordPad can be used to open documents. To do this, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps and select WordPad from the list. For example, you can open all RTF documents with WordPad.

Further reading: The best open source apps for Windows

Is this method safe for WordPad in Windows 11 24H2?

Installing WordPad in Windows 11 is safe because you’re using official Microsoft files. However, you should be aware that WordPad won’t receive any feature or security updates in future versions of Windows.

So, if the app becomes buggy or incompatible with other elements over time, you will have no choice but to give up WordPad. It’s also possible that documents from newer Microsoft Office versions will no longer be able to be opened with WordPad at some point.

Until then, however, you can at least keep using and making the most of this free text editor for now with this method.

Keep reading: These Windows features are disappearing soon

Windows

Amazon’s Summer Prime Day sale is happening once again on July 16 and 17, and as always, you’ll need to be a Prime member to partake of the deals. Prime is Amazon’s $139-per-year service that provides two-day shipping on all orders, as well as a ton of extras like the Kindle lending library and Prime Video. (See our rundown of the top 10 Amazon Prime benefits to learn more.)

The good news is that you may not need to pay for membership at all if you just want it long enough to take advantage of Amazon’s annual shopping extravaganza. Here are a few ways to get a short-term Prime membership to cash in on the savings.

Method One: The standard 30-day free trial

If you’ve never tried Amazon Prime or haven’t tried it in a while, you may be eligible for a free, 30-day trial. After the 30 days, Amazon will charge you for the membership—either $15 per month or $139 per year—so don’t forget to cancel before the trial is up. (Set a calendar reminder if you have to!)

Figuring out if you’re eligible is simple. Just sign in to your Amazon account and visit the Prime membership landing page. If you see a button that says Try Prime, click it to sign up. If the button says Get started, then you’ve been to the well one too many times recently, and you’ll have to wait to become eligible again.

Method Two: Prime Student 6-month free trial

Amazon has a student program that offers both a free trial that lasts for six months and 50 percent off the regular price for Prime membership. If you’re in college, Prime Day could be a great time to gear up.

To qualify for Prime Student, you need to be enrolled in at least one course in an institution in the United States or Puerto Rico, provide proof of enrollment if requested, and a valid .EDU email address. To get started, go to the Prime Student landing page and click Start your 6-month trial.

After your trial is up, Prime Student costs $7.50 per month or $69 per year. Make sure you mark the end date on your calendar (or just cancel any time after Prime Day), and your membership will continue to the end of the trial period. The Prime Student discounted rate is good for up to four years.

Other avenues for free Amazon Prime

There are other ways to get Prime for free as well, but they’re not as straightforward. You can, for example, open a new account with a different email address, and then try Prime on that new account. Keep in mind, however, that means you have to secure another account containing all your payment information.

If someone in your house is already subscribed to Prime, they can share it with your account. Amazon allows you to share a Prime membership with other members of your household, including one other adult and up to four kids aged 13 to 17. Teen accounts don’t get to share Prime exclusive deals, but the second adult account does. This is only an option for family (or trusted friends), as both adult accounts must agree to share the same payment details. 

You can also sign up for Prime and apply for the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card, which gives you 5 percent cash-back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases. If you’re already buying at least $2,400 per year from Amazon and Whole Foods combined, this is an easy way to have your credit card benefits pay for your Prime membership.

How to cancel an Amazon Prime free trial

Some of you might love Prime or Prime Student so much that you stick with it to get that free shipping and other perks. But if you’re a hardcore deal hunter who just wants to bail from Prime when the deals are gone, here’s what to do.

The standard way to dump Prime is to hover over your account name in the upper-right corner of any Amazon page, and then select Your Prime Membership from the drop-down menu. You can then cancel on the next page.

An easier way, however, is just to go straight to this Amazon help page and click End Membership. Regardless of how you begin the cancellation process, it’s straightforward—you’re free and clear once you’ve done it.

Editor’s note: This article was last updated in June 2024 to reflect the latest dates for Prime Day.

Consumer Electronics, Online Services

Amazon recently announced that this year’s Prime Day will take place on Tuesday, July 16 and Wednesday, July 17. Prime Gaming members can once again look forward to a number of offers.

But there’s already a lot to get in the run-up to Prime Day. With Prime Gaming, you can get a total of 15 PC games completely free of charge from now until July 16.

Here’s an overview of all the free titles with their respective launch dates:

• Deceive Inc – available now
• Tearstone: Thieves of the Heart – available now
• The Invisible Hand – available now
• Call of Juarez – available now
• Forager – from June 27
• Card Shark – from June 27
• Heaven Dust 2 – from June 27
• Soulstice – from June 27
• Wall World – from July 3
• Hitman: Absolution – from July 3
• Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood – from July 3
• STAR WARS™: Knights of the Old Republic™ II – The Sith Lords – from July 3
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge – from July 3
• Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX – from July 3
• Samurai Bringer – from July 3

Which Prime Gaming titles are worthwhile?

Which of these games are worthwhile depends on your own taste, of course. Hitman is always a fun, murderous puzzle!.

The action game Soulstice could also be worthwhile. Even though the title was somewhat under the radar at the time of its release, you get action-packed battles and an exciting setting in which two sisters have to prove themselves in boss battles against fantasy creatures.

For fans of the old school, there’s also Call of Juarez and Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. The acclaimed game series from Techland delights with an intense western experience, including duels with classic shooting irons.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II is also highly recommended if you like old-school role-playing games. The ‘Star Wars’ setting is of course also a plus point, as you can wield a lightsaber as a Jedi or alternatively attack your enemies with laser pistols.

How do I get the free games?

To get all the free games, you need a Prime subscription that is valid for this period. (Head here for a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial.) Then all you have to do is go to the Prime Gaming page and pick up free codes for the titles shown until the end of the promotion.

You can then redeem the codes on popular gaming platforms such as Steam, Epic, or the Amazon Games app.

Gaming