If you're looking to boost your productivity without draining your bank account, this Deal Days offer hits the sweet spot. For a limited time, you can get a refurbished Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 for only $399.99 (reg. $1,099). That's an over 60% discount on a sleek, high-performance machine.
This 2019 model is no slouch—it's powered by a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and comes packed with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, making it more than capable of multitasking, streaming, creative work, or light gaming. Whether you're handling large spreadsheets, running code, or editing media, this laptop keeps up.
It also features a 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen with a 2256×1504 resolution, offering sharp visuals and smooth interaction. Its ultra-slim aluminum chassis, weighing just under three pounds, makes it an ideal pick for students, professionals, or anyone who needs a portable, stylish daily driver.
This refurbished unit comes with a Grade "A" rating, meani
If you're tired of monthly fees just to use basic software, this bundle might be the easiest upgrade you make this year. For $44.97 (reg. $418.99), you can get lifetime access to Microsoft Office and Windows 11 Pro, no subscriptions, no ongoing charges of any kind.
The Microsoft Office license gives you full access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams (free version), OneNote, Publisher, and Access. It's a permanent license for one computer, so you'll want to install it on a device you plan to use long-term. Whether you're writing documents, managing spreadsheets, or building presentations, it covers the tools most people use daily.
This bundle also includes a lifetime license for Windows 11 Pro, Microsoft's most advanced operating system. It comes with a redesigned Start menu, Snap Layouts, multiple desktops, and built-in Teams integration for easier communication. It's designed to handle everythin
The law took effect on July 1, 2025, and Pornhub's parent company Aylo began restricting access to its adult sites for residents in South Dakota a day earlier in protest. Aylo and other privacy advocates claim that these laws not only violate free speech, but will infringe on personal privacy protections. By forcing individuals to hand over personally identifiable information to third parties, it creates the environment for potential government overreach and data misuse.
This ban is just the latest following a trend that has seen more than 19 states lose access to the incredibly popular NSFW site. Similar bans occurred throughout last year for residents in Texas and Florida, among others. Both Wyoming and Georgia also lost access beginning in July, with North Dakota following shortly thereafter.
For legal-age South Dakotans looking to access the site, this is disruptive to say the least. Fortunately, there's a simple solution: using a VPN. Simply 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 (or other Aylo owned adult content) if you're in South Dakota where access is blocked. And
We've tested nearly three dozen PCIe 4.0 SSDs and our list includes the best of the bunch for various needs. Whether you want to upgrade, or add more storage to your PCIe 4.0 computer, there's an SSD for you. Read on to learn more, including what to look for in PCIe 4.0 SSD.
You don't always have to go for the best specs (unless you want to!). It's more about what works best for you and the way you play. Whether you're into story-driven games or competitive titles, there's something here for every type of gamer. Yeah, a strong GPU matters (duh), but don't sleep on the display-a fast refresh rate can really impact the feel of a game.
Every laptop on this list has been tested by our expert team. We've tested the graphics, screen, keyboard feel, ports-literally the whole shebang. Only the top performers make the cut.
The law took effect on July 1, 2025, and Pornhub's parent company Aylo began restricting access to its adult sites for residents in Wyoming a day earlier in protest. Aylo and other privacy advocates claim that these laws violate free speech, and infringe on personal privacy protections. By forcing individuals to hand over personally identifiable information to third parties, it creates the environment for potential government overreach and data misuse.
This ban is just the latest following a trend that has seen more than 19 states lose access to the incredibly popular NSFW site. Similar bans occurred in March of last year when access was blocked to residents in Texas, in June when Indiana, Idaho, and Kansas also lost the ability to visit the site, in July for Nebraska, in October for Alabama, and in January of this year when Florida was hit with the ban hammer as well.
For legal-age Wyomingites looking to access the site, this is disruptive to say the least. Fortunately, there's an easy workaround: using a VPN. Simply 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 (or other Aylo owned adult content) if you're
This is not only a superb deal but also a fantastic device with a configuration that's absolutely not a joke. The P3 Lite comes with a Ryzen 7 6800H processor and a decent 24GB DDR5 RAM. That's more memory than we're used to seeing in devices within this price range, and definitely not in laptops under $1,500.
There's also a 1TB SSD on board, so you won't get to complain about storage space anytime soon. Plus, even if you do end up having an issue, storage is fairly affordable these days, so you can always get more.
As small as this mini PC is, you wouldn't expect it to have so many ports—and yet it does. There are plenty of USB-A ports for peripherals, two LAN ports, and even an audio jack. There's also a magic combo of HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C that makes it possible to multitask on two 4K displays and one 8K screen.
There's no reason to avoid getting a mini PC these days, and this Bosgame P3 Lite for $349 is a fantastic pick. This is, however, a Prime deal, so you're going to need a subscription to the service to access it. Amazon Prime costs $14.99/month or $139/year, but you could also get a 30-day free trial. Since Prime Day starts next week, now's the perfect time to subscribe.
Also make sure to check out the best early Prime Day deals we found on mini PCs and
There is a data bus connection between the GPU and the graphics memory which is responsible for data transport, this is known as a GPU's memory bandwidth. If the bandwidth is insufficient, a bottleneck occurs: the GPU cannot work efficiently because data is provided too slowly.
great 1440p card, great bandwidth
Radeon RX 9070 XT
With a compact design, this station can charge up to nine devices at a time. There are three AC outlets on its sides and six USB ports on the front. The fast-charging 100W Type-C ports are at the very top, followed by another couple of 15W Type-C ports just below, and two USB-A ports with a max 12W output underneath.
This means you can plug in your monitors, your laptop, and charge a bunch of gadgets at the same time. Instead of taking up a ton of space on your desk, this Anker charging station has a 3.15×3.15-inch base and it's just 4 inches tall.
Another thing that earns this station extra brownie points is the fact that it comes with a 5-foot cable with a flat plug, which makes it super easy to fit behind furniture.
And did we mention it's only $36 to buy right now? That's the best price we've seen this available for, and you should definitely check it out. Prime Day is starting next week and we already found a bunch of impressive early deals on chargers and power banks that you can check out.
Charge everything at once with this 9-in-1 Anker charging stationBuy now at Amazon
The Ring Battery Doorbell Pro is usually available for $230 and, unlike other similar products, it's not constantly on sale, making this 35% discount even more enticing. The video doorbell captures head-to-toe images in 1536p, which means you'll get a full view of who's outside your door, what's on the porch, and well beyond that.
There are many useful features you'll end up loving. For instance, it doesn't even matter if there's very little light outside, because the doorbell comes with sensors that help it enhance the video so everything remains perfectly visible and clear. When friends are picking you up, you can use the two-way audio feature to tell them you'll be right there. Oh, and you'll get alerts on your phone when packages are delivered if you get the Ring Protect subscription.
Don't miss out on the chance to get the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus for its best price of $150. This is a Prime deal, so you'll need to have a subscription to access it. You can start a 30-day free trial at any point or just take the plunge and subscribe for $14.99/month or $139/year. Now's the perfect time to do it since Prime Day starts July 8th. Make sure to also check out the best early Prime Day deals on video doorbells and our main
Nowadays I try to avoid my cables getting to that stage in the first place. I've learned a neat trick for that. It's especially great at preventing fraying at cable ends, where I find it's most common. The trick is so simple, but it extends the lifespan of my cables 10-fold. And all I need to pull it off is my cable and a ballpoint pen.
What to do:
Get the cable you want to protect and a ballpoint pen.
Unscrew the ballpoint pen and remove the coil inside.
Now gently wrap the coil around the part of the cable you want to prevent fraying (be gentle to prevent the coil piercing the cable at the ends). As I mentioned, you might want to position it up near the connector where the cable gets bent a lot and is most at risk of damage. The coil will prevent excess bending and help keep fraying at bay.
This week, Adam and Will have a couple of revelations: AMD and Sony's upscaling partnership, and a startling challenge to a long-held belief about Windows. Oh, and it's time to expand our gaming backlogs via a Steam sale again.
In this episode of The Full Nerd…
The law took effect on July 1, 2025, and Pornhub's parent company Aylo began restricting access to its adult sites for residents in Georgia a day earlier in protest. Aylo and other privacy advocates claim that these laws not only violate free speech, but will infringe on personal privacy protections. By forcing individuals to hand over personally identifiable information to third parties, it creates the potential for government overreach and data misuse.
This is following a trend that has seen more than 19 states lose access to the incredibly popular NSFW site. Similar bans occurred throughout last year for residents in Texas and Florida, among others. Both Wyoming and South Dakota also lost access beginning in July, with North Dakota set to follow shortly thereafter.
For legal-age Georgians looking to access the site, this is disruptive to say the least. Fortunately, there's an easy workaround: using a VPN. Simply download and install your preferred VPN, connect to a server in a state that isn't blocked, and enjoy the content.
Below are my top picks for VPNs to access Pornhub (or other Aylo owned adult content) if you're in Georgia where access is blocked. And for even more great options, check out my list of the
But doing that comes with the problem of finding somewhere to charge it when there are no AC outlets for miles. Yes, even long-lasting Snapdragon X-powered laptops run out of juice occasionally.
When my laptop battery has run out on trips away it's been super inconvenient, especially when I'm out camping and the only power source in sight is my trusty set of wheels.
So, now when I go away, I go prepared to utilize my car's power to charge up my laptop again. Here's how you can do it too…
Is it possible to fully charge a laptop in a car?
Yes, it is, but how fast it charges depends on the model of laptop you have and its power draw. There are a few things you ought to know about charging, too, to avoid damaging your car battery.
Most laptops need between 30 and 70 watts to charge. That means they need a lot more power than cellphones. Thankfully the average car battery, which has about 600 watt-hours of power, and recharges when the motor is running, is up to the task.
On that last point, though, ideally, you're going to want to charge your laptop when your car is running rather than when it's idol, to avoid too much power being discharged from the battery. Car batteries are not made for a long persistent power drain when they're idol, which can damage and/or flatten them.
Amazon's Kindle Scribe is a twist on regular e-readers because, on top of being able to read books, you can also write notes in a notebook or write directly on books without it being a capital sin.
The screen has the same paper-like feel that we've come to love with Kindles. The 10.2-inch screen is glare-free, so you can read in any light. The front-lit display is particularly gorgeous when reading at night, enabling you to enjoy your books in the dark.
The beauty of the Kindle Scribe is, of course, that you can write down your thoughts with no distractions, whether you're marking up documents, writing down your feelings about certain parts of the books you're reading, or just journaling. A pen is included in the box, so you won't have to worry about purchasing one separately.
The built-in AI notebook tools allow you to summarize your notes, change their length and tone, or refine the writing itself.
This is, of course, a Prime deal, so you're going to need a Prime subscription to access it. But, with Prime Day coming in next week, now's the perfect time to start a 30-day free trial if you haven't done so yet. Make sure to also check out our Prime Day hub to find the best early deals. Whatever you do, don't miss out on the chance to get the 16GB Kindle Scribe for $260 the very best price we've seen.
The Navimow series of lawnmowers is exactly what you need if you want to gain more free hours during the weekends, and keep your lawn looking great while spending less time in the sweltering sun maintaining it.
One of the best things about these Segway Navimow lawnmowers is that they don't even need a perimeter wire. All that smart technology under the hood works to map out the yard, navigate the area, and meticulously cut the grass. These robots work just fine even if your yard has slopes and curves, and will even avoid your flower beds, as well as some 150 other types of objects. If your pets are out, a random hedgehog crosses your yard, or your kids leave their toys lying around, Segway's AI-powered robots will successfully avoid it all.
A Segway Navimov i105 robot lawnmower reduced to $799? Yes, please!Buy now at Amazon
A great advantage is that Segway's i Series robot lawnmowers are quiet. Unlike that massive mower you push around, waking half the neighborhood in the process, i Series robots will quietly make
If your gaming roots go back to the golden age of arcades and 16-bit classics, the Kinhank Super Console X2 Pro is built to hit every nostalgia button. Right now, you can grab this retro gaming emulator and media streaming console for only $89.97 (reg. $159.99), and you don't even need a coupon to save.
This compact entertainment box is packed with power. It runs on Android 9.0, supports 4K HDMI output, and comes preloaded with thousands of retro games across more than 60 emulators, which cover everything from NES and SNES to PS1, Dreamcast, and PSP. Two wireless controllers are also included, so you can
Intel's Unison page notes that the program "will soon be discontinued," and a related Intel Knowledge Base article also claims that the app has reached its end of life. Dell puts it even more plainly: "The Intel Unison application is being discontinued and will no longer function correctly or be available for download after June 30, 2025."
Intel had said earlier this year that it planned to discontinue the Unison app, probably because the company is working to cut costs in the midst of a downturn that has produced company layoffs and a reported recalibration in its manufacturing processes that will see its next-gen 18A process assigned to internal use only.
For a time, device makers were obsessed with making mobile devices interact with laptops. Dell's Mobile Connect — which still appears to be alive, for now — was one option. Intel Unison was another, and one that wasn't confined to any specific device maker. Intel talked boldly about Unison becoming not just an app, but a platform for cross-device connectivity.
Microsoft, however, had other plans, with the Your Phone app for Windows, whi
You'll want something that's got a good mix of power, portability, and battery life. A fast processor, enough RAM, decent storage so you're not always clearing space, and a screen that's easy on the eyes. Also, don't forget a decent keyboard, a wide selection of ports (because dongles are the worst), and a battery that lasts all day.
The following are the best gaming monitors we've tested throughout this year and last. If you want to learn more about what we look for in a good gaming monitor and how we test them, scroll further down the page.
The MSI MAG 321CUP (catchy!) was already something of a budget design, at least in the very specific subcategory of 4K OLED monitors, at $900. With a $150 discount it's cheaper than any 4K OLED gaming monitor I've seen, at least in new condition. It has a pretty standard array of specs for OLEDs at this point, including 165Hz of refresh and .03ms response time. That's not the fastest in the world even for OLEDs, but at 3840×2160 resolution on its curved panel, it'll push your PC to the limit on the newest games at the highest settings, no matter what's under the hood.
With DisplayPort and double HDMI inputs, this monitor is a great pick if you're the kind of PC gamer who also has an Xbox or PlayStation sitting around. And with a USB-C port that can handle video and 98 watts of power delivery, it's also a good companion to a gaming laptop. It really can do it all, including give you a little peace of mind thanks to a 3-year burn-in warranty on that dispaly panel.
Amazon is showing this as a recent low price for this particular model, but there's no time limit on the sale. I get the feeling that this one, or something substantially similar, will pop up during Amazon Prime Day…but I doubt you'll find a much better price on a name brand. Be sure to check out our coverage of monitor
All it took was a call to Spectrum's retention department, which is where you end up after telling the automated system you want to cancel your service. After a mildly tedious conversation with an exceedingly friendly rep, my monthly bill dropped from $68 to $45 per month for the next full year. Not only did I save money, but my speeds increased from 400 Mbps to 500 Mbps.
While I can't guarantee the same results everywhere, in general it's a great time to threaten to cancel cable internet service.
For years, Comcast and Charter (which operates the Spectrum brand) have boasted to shareholders that growth in home internet more than offsets the collapse of cable TV, but now they're losing internet customers to vendors offering faster fiber and cheaper 5G wireless alternatives. They are highly motivated to keep potential defectors on board, so you should take full advantage of their collective insecurity.
What competition looks like
Last year, Spectrum and Comcast lost 508,000 and 411,000 home internet customers respectively . The year before, Comcast lost 66,000, while Spectrum lost 61,000. Stock prices for both companies are already below what they were two y
Koi Security researchers report that a coordinated campaign has been going on since April of this year, posting fake versions of popular crypto wallets like Coinbase, Ethereum, and MetaMask, making copies of the open-source wallet programs and inserting malicious code. The fake versions of the wallets will steal user data—primarily the access to real cryptocurrency—allowing the allegedly Russian-speaking hackers to drain the legitimate crypto accounts.
Copied names and logos, fake reviews, and the usual spammy nonsense are being used to impersonate the real versions of the cryptocurrency wallets. Though Mozilla has automated systems in place to prevent malicious extensions from getting into the repository, these systems seem to be overwhelmed, with at least 40 fakes making it through (most subsequently removed) as of this week. BleepingComputer was given an official comment on the situation, but it seems fairly boilerplate.
Even well after the crypto and NFT boom has died down, there are still hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of value tied up in Bitcoin and its many alternatives. If you need access to these syste
According to Windows Latest, Microsoft has created a 15 megabyte JSON file with information about which apps should end up in which category. That's right—pretty much every app on the Microsoft Store has been assigned a number, with 0 indicating Productivity apps, 1 indicating Social apps, 2 indicating Creative apps, and so on.
As soon as you have at least three apps that belong to the same category, they will automatically be grouped together in the new Start Menu. The ranking of the apps will depend on how often you use them, so the apps in a category won't be sorted in an alphabetical order.
At the moment, it doesn't look like Microsoft is going to give us the option to rename categories or add our own, so we'll just have to accept the company's categorization method… for better or worse.
Some people use all sorts of chemicals to avoid getting on their hands and knees and scrubbing until all the grime goes away. No matter what I used, though, I'd still have to go in there and grind away, and it still never looked that great. Now I just use a drill brush.
Yep, power tools! The $19 Drill Brush is a brush attachment for a cordless drill, and an absolute godsend for anyone who needs to clean a shower, sink, or bathtub. Rev the drill, the brush spins, any gunk comes off. Done.
The base pack comes with three attachments: "flat" brushes with either a 2-inch or 4-inch diameter, as well as a rounded "corner brush" that allows you to get in and scrub any curves that your shower has. All three include nylon bristles, and they're rated as safe for porcelain, fiberglass shower enclosures, and shower-door tracks. I've used them on all three, and haven't noticed any nicks or scratching.
Now, scrubbing a shower means spraying your shower cleaner of choice on the shower surface, then selecting the right head for the job. I wait a minute or two to let it soak in, scrub off the gunk, then rinse it with some clean water. (Just make sure to keep the drill out of the way of the rinse water to avoid the risk of shocking yourself.) I really appreciate the fact that I can just lean on the drill and let the brush do the work.
Since each Drill Brush set is less than $20, you can either buy separate sets for other tasks or simply buy a
Korean site Quasar Zone (spotted by Tom's Hardware) has a full review and benchmark suite of the Colorful iGame version of the RTX 5050, which comes with a Blackwell processor, 2560 CUDA cores, 8GB of GDDR6 memory, a 128-bit bus, and a $250 USD price tag. (That's the suggested retail price, anyway. As with all graphics cards at the moment, your results may vary when you get to the checkout screen.)
The results of Quasar Zone's tests are less than impressive. The RTX 5050 just barely manages to hold even with the RTX 4060 from two years ago in most straight benchmarks, losing by a small margin in some. Intel's Arc B580 (12GB, $250 retail) beats it handily in most synthetic benchmarks, though an average of in-game testing shows it only winning out by a small sliver—there are still a lot of games where Intel's hardware and drivers are at a disadvantage.
Acemagic's K1 mini PC isn't a full-on powerhouse, but it's good enough that you'll have no issue swapping it for your wimpy laptop or aging desktop PC. Expect good performance with this under the hood: AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, Radeon RX Vega 8 integrated graphics, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage. Want more? You can self-upgrade the internals up to 64GB of RAM and 4TB of SSD storage.
That'll deliver a responsive experience with Windows 11, several apps, Chrome tabs, and basic everyday activities. But what really stands out here is the triple 4K@60Hz support via HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C video ports—no extra hub accessory needed! Other ports available include six fast USB-A, fast LAN, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Don't miss out on this chance to get the Acemagic K1 for only $309! But if you aren't fully sold on this one, you should also check out our ever-evolving roundup of the best early Prime Day deals on mini PCs. And for other great deals, check out our Prime Day deals hub!
What's shocking is just how many tasks ChatGPT is already capable of managing for you. While the naysayers may still look down their noses at the potential of AI assistants, I've been using it to handle all kinds of menial tasks for me. Here are my favorite examples.
Subsequent issues that have surfaced include a bug where the Print to PDF feature no longer works, which occurs specifically on systems with Windows 11 24H2 and, according to Microsoft, isn't dramatic because it mainly affects corporate customers.
The problem occurs as follows: if you search for the "Print to PDF" option in the Settings app, you'll no longer be able to find it. It's normally found under the options for printers and scanners, but it's no longer there. The option can also no longer be activated via PowerShell.
Microsoft is already working on a solution for this with optional preview update KB5060829, intended to resolve PDF problems in Windows 11. However, this preview update is also raising more problems.
More problems with update KB5060829
Let's recap. On June 10th, Microsoft released Patch Tuesday update KB5060842, which caused issues. On June 11th, we got the out-of-band emergency update KB5063060, which caused more issues. Now, optional preview update KB5060829 is causing still more issues.
We've spotted some great deals ahead of Amazon's Prime Day sale next week, and we'll add more as they become available.
The recently reviewed Airrobo PC10 is a mid-range robotic pool cleaner that did a very good job on our test pool, and Amazon has knocked 42% off its list price, taking it down to $350.
Top-of-the-line models cost a pretty penny, but they can climb slopes and handle very large yards (we're talking acres of grass). While early robot lawn mowers required you to lay down a boundary wire to prevent them from wandering out of your yard, each of mowers listed here use advanced navigation technology that eliminates the need for any wires.
The good news is that we've already spotted some great deals on robot lawn mowers ahead of Amazon's Prime Day sale, and we expect there will be more when the sale actually gets underway on July 8.
The LawnMaster OcuMow is well-suited to smaller yards—up to 1/6 of an acre or 7,260 square feet—and it doesn't require a boundary wire. You can pick one up ahead of Prime Day at a 19% discount at Amazon, bringing its final price to just $650.
Anthbot says its Genie 600 robot lawn mower uses AI to avoid obstacles as it mows lawns up to .22 acres (9,583 square feet). And since it relies on GPS technology for navigation, it doesn't require a boundary wire. Amazon is offering a 20% discount on the mower, bringing its final price down to $799.
If you need more precise information though, such as the number of paragraphs or lines, you can click on the word count in the status bar. The "Word count" window then opens with further information.
However, if you frequently need to know how many characters a text has, you can also display this information permanently in the status bar. To do this, simply right-click anywhere on the status bar and select "Character Count (with spaces)". A check-mark will be displayed next to the option in the menu and you will now see the character count displayed permanently on the status bar next to your word count.
I'm talking about something like this Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam, which is now down to its best price ahead of Prime Day: $40 (was $80). This is an early Prime Day deal, so you'll need a Prime sub to take advantage—but if you aren't a Prime member, all you have to do is start a free 30-day Prime trial. With it, you'll also be able to score Prime Day deals next week!
All you need for this security camera is the Ring app. Once you're connected, you can peek in at any time via the Live View, and you can control the camera's position with 360 degrees of horizontal panning and 169 degrees of vertical tilting. With 1080p video and color night vision, you'll get a clear image at all times of day—and you can even talk to whoever's in the room via Two-Way Talk.
This Ring camera also comes with Alexa support, so you can integrate with other Alexa devices (like smart displays) to pull up and watch footage. Worried about what it records when you're chilling at home? Use the built-in privacy cover to block recording. With a paid Ring Home subscription, you can also unlock extra features like 180 days of event history, person/package/vehicle alerts, and more.
Get the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam for 50% off before this early Prime Day deal expires! If you'd rather still shop around, be sure to check out our roundup of the
But when I recently spoke with ethical hacker Mike Danseglio, I got a surprise tip that makes avoiding scams so much easier.
Be suspicious.
Most people start from a place of trust first. But constantly scanning for ill intent is more work for our brains—especially now as scammers get more sophisticated and persistent. Instead, if you default to thinking it could be a trick, you'll naturally screen more carefully.
At least, I know I do. I ask myself more detailed questions, like who exactly is contacting me and if they have a good reason to.
As for what to do next, Danseglio believes in an equally simple approach. Don't ignore all messages—some will be legitimate. Just follow up directly, instead of using the links or phone numbers given to you.
The 2024 version of the Echo Spot has a sleek redesign that sets it apart from previous models. Instead of the big speaker we normally associate with the Echo line, this one is more of a proper digital display with the speaker as more of a supplement. This change in design makes it easy to spot the time, weather, or media playback at a glance.
While you won't need to ask Alexa about the time anymore since it's all there on the display, the voice assistant is still easy to access. Voice commands are all you need to trigger Alexa and you'll quickly get answers to all your questions. Controlling music playback, turning lights on and off, setting up reminders, and so on, are all on the "menu."
If you've been wanting an Echo but waiting for the right time to get one, this isn't a bad time to jump in. Get the Amazon Echo Spot for $45 before this early Prime Day deal expires. You'll need Prime, but you can get started with a 30-day Prime free trial if you aren't a member yet. And be sure to check out our Prime Day deals coverage for all the best sales and discounts worth jumping on next week!
Get the elegant Echo Spot with a 44% discount while you can
This is an LCD monitor with a 34-inch diagonal, an ultrawide 3440×1440 resolution, and a pretty good 100Hz refresh rate, which makes it suitable both for office work and some light gaming. It's not a gaming monitor, to be clear, but it's more than enough for casual fare between the refresh rate and the not-fast-not-slow 5ms response time.
This monitor is pretty versatile, too, featuring two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort. You can easily connect it to two or three devices and switch inputs between them without fiddling with cables, which is great when you're moving from your laptop to your mini PC, for example. Even better, this monitor supports both Picture by Picture and Picture in Picture modes, so you can use two sources together.
A 34-inch ultrawide 1440p monitor for just $220? That's an excellent deal, especially from a top-tier brand like Samsung. Get it before this limited-time deal ends! Meanwhile, if you're curious about other monitors, check out our best early Prime Day monitor deals and our ultimate roundup of the best monitors worth your money.
Samsung's 34-inch ultrawide 1440p monitor has never been cheaper
I've been a serial renter all my adult life, and I've been reviewing smart home devices for more than six years. My Brooklyn rental is decked out with smart lights, a video doorbell, security cameras, smart water leak detectors, and more. Yet, I'm confident that when my family picks up stakes for a new abode, we'll be able to take our smart devices with us, all without leaving a trace.
I'll be ticking off types of smart devices that are decidedly apartment-friendly, from smart bulbs that you can screw into existing sockets to stick-up video doorbells that don't require wired power. These smart gadgets are easy to install, and once your lease is up, you can pack them up without putting your security deposit at risk.
Once you've perused our guide, click through to see our top picks for each category. Renters unite!
Smart lights
Smart bulbs rank as among the easiest way for renters to begin their smart home journeys. An Edison-style smart bulb can be screwed into a standard light socket, and you can reduce your initial outlay by choosing a bulb that's controllable via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Once you're ready to expand, you can add a smart hub for even greater control (such as a Philips Hue Bridge), while light strips and smart light panels can add atmosphere with simple stick-up installation.
If you're still juggling free office software or monthly fees, it's time for an upgrade. And you don't even need to pay full price for the top productivity suite, Microsoft Office, since our alternative to Prime Day has arrived. During Deal Days, you can score Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows for only $19.97—a one-time payment for a full, lifetime license (reg. $229).
This version includes all the essentials: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access, and more. Whether you're editing spreadsheets, cranking out reports, building presentations, or managing emails, this suite covers the full spectrum of productivity tools—without needing an internet connection or an ongoing subscription.
We've also included some helpful answers to common questions about buying a computer at the bottom of this article. If you're considering a laptop instead, be sure to check out our best laptop deals, updated daily.
PROMOTION
CORSAIR VENGEANCE a7500 Gaming PC | Your 5090-Equipped Endgame
Engineered for next-gen gaming, the CORSAIR VENGEANCE a7500 Gaming PC is packed with components on the cutting edge. Push your performance to the limit with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU and AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU. Stay cool with a NAUTILUS 240mm Liquid CPU Cooler and six RS120 ARGB Fans featuring AirGuide technology. Redefine your desk with a stunning wraparound glass case to hold it all.
One thing we're really loving about tech this year is the explosion of mini PCs. We're seeing a lot more of them and they're super affordable, rather powerful, and absolutely tiny. Some come with the latest AMD CPU, others run on Intel, some feature DDR4, others come with the newer DDR5. Storage is usually not a problem with mini PCs, either, and multitasking on multiple screens is expected.
I've gone ahead and hunted all the best mini PC deals you can currently get your hands on right now. Here are the best early Prime Day mini PC discounts I found, along with my recommendations. There's also an FAQ at the end in case you need more guidance when buying these. You'll need to be a Prime member to take advantage of these deals — here's how to score a free Amazon Prime trial subscription and get in on the action.
You'll need to be a Prime member to take advantage of Amazon's steep discounts. If you aren't a member already, check out our guide for how to get Amazon Prime for free.
As a tech editor, I've been following and writing about the latest tech deals professionally for years, and have developed a keen eye for finding the best sales from all over the internet. My picks take into account a combination of online reviews from tech sites like PCWorld (when available), user feedback, and pricing history. Read on for all of the best deals on chargers and power banks, and be sure to check out our Amazon Prime Day Tech Deals 2025 hub for more great sales across all the tech categories.
Best early Prime Day 2025 deals on chargers & power banks
Anker 622 MagGo, 5,000 mAh/1x USB-C/Magsafe-compatible, $33.9
Although Amazon Prime Day(s) officially run from July 8th to July 11th, Amazon and its vendors rarely confine themselves to the actual event dates, and Prime Day 2025 is no exception. I've already found several early deals, and popular Chromebook vendors have already begun announcing early deal pricing.
We already test and recommend the best Chromebooks available, which means that we already understand what makes for a great Chromebook. I personally have compiled lists of the best Chromebook deals for Prime Day, Black Friday, and more throughout the past few years. While I don't expect the very best Chromebooks to go on sale for Prime Day, I do think that you'll find that some good deals on good Chromebooks — and determining what those are is where PCWorld, and I, come in.
To compile PCWorld's list of Chromebook deals for Prime Big Deal Days, I looked at the specifications, the price, the manufacturer, and any reviews we've published on a specific Chromebook. But there's an enormous wild card out there that we can't do anything about: tariffs. President Trump's 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs expires July 9th, the second official day of Prime Day, and we really won't know what will happen there. Buying early is the safest bet.
Best Prime Day 2025 deals on Chromebooks at Amazon
Lenovo IdeaPad 3i, Intel Celeron N4500/8GB RAM/64GB SSD, 15.6-inch 1080p display,
Here at PCWorld, we'e dug through thousands of early Prime Day deals over at Amazon to find the very best ones. Our tech experts are testing PC hardware and gadgets for decades and know what's worth buying and what should get a pass. You'll need to be a Prime member to seize advantage of the sales though! Here's how to get Amazon Prime for free if you need it.
We're updating often, so make sure to check back frequently to see what deals we found. Also, check out our Prime Day 2025 hub for more amazing discounts.
Best early Prime Day deals on mainstream laptops and Chromebooks
Dell Inspiron 15 3535, AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $398.97 ($51.02 off at Amazon)
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1, AMD Ryzen 5 8640HS processor/14-inch 1920×1200 touchscreen display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $799.99 ($2,200 off
If you're not sure where to start, don't worry, I've got you covered with a curated list of the best early deals that are already appearing as Prime Day approaches.
Why should you care about what I've got to say? Fair question. I oversee all laptop and Chromebook review coverage at PCWorld. I also maintain our best laptop deals roundup daily, along with our best laptops of 2025 roundup weekly. That means I'm hunting for the best laptop discounts online every single day, so I'm pretty well-attuned to the landscape, while my hands-on knowledge helps me unearth the true gems.
Best early Prime Day 2025 deals on budget laptops
HP 14 Laptop, Intel Celeron N4020 processor/14-inch 1366×768 display/4GB RAM/64GB storage, $178.50 ($51.49 off at Amazon)
While I always recommend keeping a local backup for quick restores (see our roundup of the best Windows backup software for desktop solutions), uploading your data to an online backup service is a reliable way to cover your bases. The "backup rule of three" exists for a reason.
The good news for consumers is that there are many affordable and convenient cloud storage options, each offering unique selling points. My primary concern here is backup, but I do note other roles that a service can fulfill, such as file sharing, multiple-device support, and emergency-restore options.
PROMOTION
EaseUS Todo Backup - Cloud backup software
EaseUS Todo Backup covers everything you need for backups, with great features and fair pricing. With free cloud storage space, you'll always have an extra copy of any files stored securely in the cloud. Security Zone protects vital data from ransomware in real-time.
Popular chairs and desks are already on sale, even in advance of the big shopping event's July 8 start date — and not just on Amazon. That includes fan favorites like Staples' Hyken, which is back down to nearly its all-time low.
Read on for all the current best deals on standing desks and office chairs, and check out our Prime Day 2025 deals hub for juicy bargains in other tech categories.
Best early Prime Day 2025 deals on office chairs
Staples Cartwright Task Chair, Black - $50 (58% off at Staples)
Staples Hyken Mesh Task Chair, Black - $120 (60% off at Staples)
Staples Dexley Mesh Task Chair, Black - $160 (50% off at Staples)
Staples always gives Amazon a run for its money with sales on affordable office chairs, and three of its more popular chairs are close (if not at) all-time low prices. Reddit's beloved Hyken model leads the pack, with its wider-frame Dexley chair also on a sizable discount.
With U.S. tariffs affecting prices, to say nothing of general consumer trends, it might not be the smorgasborde of discounts we saw in previous years. But there are still savings to be had, on OLED monitors, gaming monitors, and standard office designs — and I've hunted down the best monitor deals in the list below. Even though it's Prime Day, some of the best discounts juiciest can be found elsewhere on the web, so I've included those in the list as well.
Best early Prime Day 2025 deals on OLED monitors
ASRock 27-inch 1440p 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $479.99 ($166 off at Newegg)
Alienware 27-inch 1440p 360Hz OLED gaming monitor — $619.99 ($280 off at Dell)
Sony 27-inch 1440p 480Hz OLED gaming monitor — $714.99 ($385 off at Amazon)
Gigabyte 34-inch 1440p 240Hz ultrawide OLED gaming monitor —
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We've cut through the clutter to bring you the top picks across every category-from sleek, no-fuss Chromebooks to powerhouse gaming machines.
On the July 1 update for the Apple App Store version of the Freevee app, a new note reads: "The Freevee app will be available until August 2025. Continue watching your favorite Freevee Originals and our library of hit movies, shows, and live TV on Prime Video for free, no subscription needed. Download Prime Video to get started and sign-in with your Amazon account."
Reached for comment by TechHive, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed that the Freevee app will be shuttered, although the "dates may vary" depending on the platform.
The Amazon rep also forwarded a prior statement from the company:
Word that the standalone Freevee app will only be available until next month—for Apple users, at least—doesn't come as a big shock.
Amazon announced back in November 2024 that it would sunset the Freevee brand and fold all its ad-supported streaming shows and movies into Prime Video, a move intended to "deliver a simpler viewing experience for customers."
On the July 1 update for the Apple App Store version of the Freevee app, a new note reads: "The Freevee app will be available until August 2025. Continue watching your favorite Freevee Originals and our library of hit movies, shows, and live TV on Prime Video for free, no subscription needed. Download Prime Video to get started and sign-in with your Amazon account."
It's not clear if the same deadline applies to the Freevee app for other platforms. For example, a similar message without the August 2025 deadline appears on the Fire TV version of the Freevee app.
We've reached out to Amazon for more details.
Word that the standalone Freevee app will only be available until next month—for Apple users, at least—doesn't come as a big shock.
Amazon announced back in November 2024 that it would sunset the Freevee brand and fold all its ad-supported streaming shows and movies into Prime Video, a move intended to "deliver a simpler viewing experience for customers."
At the time, Amazon said the phase-out of the Freevee brand would occur within a matter of weeks, but it didn't give a firm date for yanking the standalone Freevee app, which has remained widely available.
First launched as IMDb Freedrive in 2019 before being rebranded as IMDb TV six months later, Freevee offered a mix of on-demand and ad-supported TV shows
In a report from the IEEE (via Tom's Hardware), HP lays out a plan for a system that can analyze a used computer's hardware and spit out a history and health report based on telemetry collected by the firmware. The necessary data is saved on the SSD and unable to be altered by the user (at least in theory). The report includes crucial data like the computer's model, hardware stats, manufacturing date, warranty info, a history of both software and hardware service, and ownership history.
Of course, a lot of that info relies on human input and documentation—which is where the other shoe in this story drops. PCFax is a proprietary system relying on HP hardware and software, and at least at the moment it's only being made available to HP's enterprise and industrial clients. So, unlike the Carfax system that HP invoked in its description, it's not exactly universal information. You can't just say "show me the PCFax" if you're buying a laptop on eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
To protect privacy, the new Translator feature doesn't pass any information on to third parties, and the translation itself is processed using AI (in partnership with Lingvanex) on Opera's European-based servers.
Other improvements in Opera 120 include improved password management, enhancements to Split Screen mode, refinements to Tab Islands, a new Miniplayer for videos, and VPN Pro.
Lastly, Opera 120 includes a fix for a serious zero-day vulnerability (labeled CVE-2025-6554) in the V8 JavaScript engine. For more details, check out the full changelog for Opera version 120.
I've been tracking and writing about the best computer deals year-round for a long time now, and at PCWorld I've used my this knowledge to curate a list of the best available computer deals across the internet specifically for this Prime Day. Other retailers have jumped in on the Prime Day action, and some of the best desktop PC deals can even be found outside of Amazon, so I've included those deals too.
Best early Prime Day deals on gaming desktop computers
MSI Aegis Z2, Ryzen 7 7700/RTX 4060/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,049.99 (25% off on Amazon)
The Zenbook A14 is basically Asus' answer to the MacBook Air, with Asus representatives even telling me that the "A" very unofficially stands for Air. It's a 14-inch model with an incredibly light weight of just 2.16 pounds (or 0.98 kilograms if you live in a civilized country). This base model is running on a Snapdragon X chip with 16GB of RAM, and though the 1200p display is a gorgeous OLED panel, it doesn't have a touchscreen. It's packing 512GB of storage.
You can read all about this laptop in Chris Hoffman's review of it for PCWorld. In short, it's tiny, it's featherlight, it has a unique "ceraluminum" finish that makes it stand out, and the battery life is absolutely astonishing—70 watt-hours in a laptop this small gives it a full 24 hours in a standardized battery test. For downsides, that 8-core Snapdragon X chip (the slowest of these Arm-based options) won't blow anyone away, and it might just refuse to play some 3D-based games. (Note that this model sold by Best Buy isn't the same one in the review. It's a lighter sand color and has half the RAM and storage, 16GB/512GB, respectively.)
If you're like me, you have a box or drawer with dozens of cables. And while some cables have specific connections, like USB-C, my wired network (such as it is) is just a random collection of colored Ethernet cables with tiny little markings telling me what they can or can't do. How much data can that cable transfer? I had no idea. And that's bad.
I had never really thought about which Ethernet cables were being run between my cable modem, router, Xbox, and desktop PC. But I had performed speed tests more than once, and worried that my network was running slower than usual. And I also knew the problem: my network would run only as fast as its slowest segment.
If my Ethernet cables were transferring less data than my router or gateway, I was potentially wasting money. I didn't need to spend time researching the fastest mesh router or the best Internet gateway. If my cables were ancient, my entire network would be bogged down by my slowest cable. If my ISP quietly increased the speed of my broadband connection, I might not see any benefit. And I had already found an old Cat5 cable hooked up to my Xbox, a standard which had been basically extinct for about two decades. Ew!
The first way is via the Windows "Settings." Open "Settings" via the Start menu and go to "Bluetooth & devices." Select the "Mouse" option. Next to the "Primary mouse button" option, select "right" if you're left-handed.
When we reviewed the Samsung T9, we gave it 4.5 stars and our Editors' Choice award, appreciating its overall fast performance, its grippy textured surface, and its reassuring five-year warranty. At this price, the T9 is a fantastic deal. You're getting a super-sleek and super-fast portable SSD that hits data speeds up to 2,000 MB/s, plus protection against accidents like bumps and drops.
You'll be able to use the Samsung T9 with just about any device you have at home, be it your laptop, smartphone, gaming console, or camera. And don't worry about carrying this one with you anywhere you go because it's compact, slim, and lightweight. It's barely larger than your credit card, measuring 0.55 inches thick and weighing just 0.27 pounds.
So, what are you waiting for? Snag the 2TB Samsung T9 for $170 before this deal vanishes into thin air. And remember, it's a Prime deal, so start a 30-day free trial if you aren't a Prime member yet. Not the right SSD for you? Check out
The data shows a noticeable jump in Windows 11 users between May 2025 and June 2025, with market share getting a significant boost of 4.76 percentage points—and nearly all of it taken away from Windows 10.
Microsoft's recent hard push to promote Windows 11's benefits and scare Windows 10 users with the looming end-of-support deadline seems to be working. If the pace keeps up, Windows 11 should officially sit atop the throne by the end of July and the market share numbers will likely continue to grow from there.
The Statcounter data also shows that 2.2 percent of Windows users are still on Windows 7, while 0.6 percent are still on Windows 8 or 8.1. An astonishing 0.43 percent are somehow still managing to get by on Windows XP, which lost support over a decade ago.
Officially, Amazon's Prime Day begins on Tuesday, July 8, and will run through Friday, July 11. But sales on USB-C hubs, docks, and Thunderbolt ports will run up until and through the four Amazon Prime Days. Early Prime Day deals are on now, and we've begun checking Amazon and its top competitors for the best deals.
I write, test, and recommend the best USB-C hubs and dongles, and do the same for the best Thunderbolt docks. For the past several years, I've been responsible for seeking out the best deals in both categories for Amazon's Prime Days, Black Friday, and more. I think it's fair to say that you'll find the best USB-C and Thunderbolt docking station deals right here.
Below, you'll find a list of deals, as well as a list of frequently-asked questions explaining what you should look for. This is an interesting transitional period! I don't expect anything unusual in terms of USB-C hub prices. Thunderbolt docks, however, are a different story: Thunderbolt 5 is arriving in the market, and older Thunderbolt 3 products (which are still somewhat viable) are being phased out. And yes, there are tariffs, which are currently paused — until day 2 of Amazon's Prime Day sales. At that point, who knows?
The RTX 5060 Ti is the subject of this particular chunk of data. When it launched in April, Nvidia offered it at two different memory capacities: 8GB for $379 and 16GB for $429. (Those are the base retail prices. Real prices are significantly higher for most models.) Nvidia declined to offer advance reviews for the 8GB model, and based on sales data, it looks like gamers themselves are similarly disinterested.
According to TechPowerUp, German retailer Mindfactory.de has sold 16 times as many RTX 5060 Ti 16GB versions as 8GB versions. In the small slice of available data, 16GB cards from various OEM partners sold 1,675 units while 8GB versions moved only 105. TechPowerUp indicates that this isn't a supply issue. It's no surprise that the more powerful version of the card is more popular, given that it's a relatively small price increase for a pretty huge bump in VRAM. But the sheer scale of the demand for one card over the other seems very telling.
I should highlight that even tech media rarely gets this kind of glance behind the retail curtain, usually having to rely on much broader market reports to try and get a finger on the pulse of industry trends. And t
This laptop has a pretty standard 15.6-inch IPS display with 1080p resolution, but the 144Hz refresh rate is great for gaming—and you'll be gaming well on this machine thanks to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 dedicated graphics card. Sure, it's not the newest or the best you can get, but it'll let you take advantage of new tech like DLSS without breaking the bank. Given the price, you can't really complain.
What else do you get? An Intel Core i5 CPU (not bad, not great), 16GB of DDR5 RAM (adequate), 512GB of SSD storage (also adequate). This combo is enough to handle Windows 11, your work apps, your Chrome tabs, and your games without falling apart. The RAM and SSD are user-upgradeable in case you want to add more power. Other features include HDMI, USB-C video, three fast USB-A, 3.5mm headset jack, Gigabit LAN, and built-in Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
The Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9 has always been quite affordable, but it's even more enticing now that it's only $800 at B&H. Snap to it and add this one to your cart before the deal vanishes into thin air!
Save $300 on this affordable RTX-powered gaming laptop
I've been a journalist for 19 years, with 13 of those years focused on consumer technology. I love sifting through deals and spend every day hunting down the very best sales on the very best tech. With Prime Day, I'm exercising those muscles to help you find the best USB thumb drives worth your money. These hand-curated recommendations take price, reviews, and brand reputation into consideration.
Best early Prime Day deals on 64GB to 256GB flash drives
Samsung Fit Plus, 128GB, USB 3.1 — $15 (35% off, was $23)
SanDisk Ultra, 128GB, USB 3.0 — $12 (23% off, was $15.49)
Samsung Type-C, 128GB, USB 3.2 — $18 (22% off, was $23)
Lexar JumpDrive Dual, 128GB, USB 3.2 — $19 (14% off, was $22)
Amazon Basics, 256GB, USB 3.1 — $11 (45% of
While the semi-annual sales doesn't officially start until July 8 and concludes July 11, lots of manufacturers are jumping the gun in the hope of beating their competitors to the punch. Just remember that you'll need an Amazon Prime subscription to bag the best deals.
I oversee all of TechHive's smart home and home security coverage, and I personally review a lot of cameras and doorbells myself, so I'm very knowledgeable about the state of the market and what constitutes a good deal; you can count on me to point you in the right direction.
And if you're looking to save money on more of the latest technology, visit PCWorld's Amazon Prime Day Tech Deals 2025 hub.
Best early Prime Day deals on indoor security cameras
Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen) 2-pack, AC-powered, 1080p resolution: $59.98 (40% off at Amazon)
Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen) bundled with Ring Pet Tag, AC-powered, 1080p resolution: $34.98 (46% off at Amazon)
Tapo C120 Indoor/Outdoor Wi-Fi Security Cam, AC powered, 2K resolution: $24.97 (38% off at Amazon)
In May, Microsoft said in this blog post that it was adding "lightweight formatting" in Notepad, including Markdown input and file support, but also bold and italic fonts, bullet and numbered lists, and even hyperlinks, which would all be accessible via a new toolbar. According to Windows Latest, these features are now rolling out to all users outside the Windows Insider Program. Microsoft says the new features won't gobble up resources or impact Notepad's performance.
Two things seem to be going on here. In late 2023, Microsoft killed off WordPad, the rich text editor that served as a poor man's alternative to Microsoft Word. (There's a way to bring WordPad back, but you'd need access to an older version of Windows where WordPad still exists.) Traditionally, Notepad has been the Windows answer to a lightweight text editor that coders can use or write in, although more sophisticated alternatives like vim exist. It seems Microsoft is adding more features to try and help those users, while moving towards a WordPad replacement.
Shopping now can be a smart move, too, given the potential for further uncertainty around prices. Tariff rates are set to change once again on July 9, which could increase costs in the second part of the year. The bargains you catch between now and the end of the Prime Day sale period (July 8-11) could be the best you'll find for a while.
Read on for the best SSD and storage bargains, and also check out our Amazon Prime Day 2025 deals hub for great sales in other tech categories. Want to know the best drives out there? Have a look at our top picks for the best SSDs of 2025 and the best external drives of 2025.
Best early Prime Day 2025 deals on internal SSDs
2.5-inch SATA SSDs
Teamgroup T-Force Vulcan Z, 1TB - $48 (26% off)
TeamGroup T-Force Vulcan Z, 2TB - $87 (14% off)
Teamgroup's Vulcan Z line is a solid choice for expanding storage affordably. That's especially true if you're looking to store games, photos, an
I think Apple's actually on the right track here. Because I know I'm probably in the minority, but touchscreen laptops suck.
Why Apple's making the right call
Sometimes the best feature is the one that's left out, and I fully stand by that statement. I believe the reason behind MacBooks ignore touchscreens comes down to ergonomics and costly redesigns. I mean, let's be real, it gets physically uncomfortable to lift your arm and tap the screen, especially if you've been repeating the same motion for hours. It's an unnatural movement. A trackpad or mouse is much more ergonomic. As for costly redesigns, well that's a whole other thing.
If Apple were to start adding touchscreen displays to their MacBooks, they'd likely be thicker and heavier because you'd now need new internal bits for the touch input. You've got to put more engineering time in it now, which ups both the cost and the weight. This kind of rails against MacBooks and what they're known for, which are their sleek and portable designs. It misses the point entirely.
In our review of the Samsung 990 EVO Plus, we gave it a 4-star rating despite our verdict that it's a fantastic daily driver SSD with excellent performance and fast data speeds, able to read at up to 7,250 MB/s and write at up to 6,300 MB/s. Why the missing star? Because it was too expensive at the time. But with this hefty discount, it's a phenomenal buy—one that will have you booting up, loading apps, and transferring files in record time. It also doesn't hurt that it's compatible with both PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCI 5.0 x2, which means it offers some future-proofing in case you ever upgrade your PC or swap to a newer one.
Act fast to get the 4TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus for only $235. But it's not just the 4TB model that's on sale. If you want to spend less, you can also score the 1TB version for only $80 (was $110) and the 2TB version for only $140 (was $177). If none of these suit you, check out PCWorld's picks for the best SSDs for all price ranges.
The Beelink SER8 mini PC is suitable for pretty much everything, including your day-to-day work, web browsing, video streaming, and even some gaming. The Ryzen 7 8745HS processor and chunky 32GB of DDR5 RAM offer responsive performance, plus the Radeon 780M integrated graphics can push modest frame rates. (My own mini PC can run old-school WoW on it with graphics set to medium quality.) It's rounded out by a 1TB SSD, andn you can self-upgrade to a whopping 256GB of RAM and 8TB of storage if the out-of-the-box specs aren't enough for you.
It's especially great for multitaskers and workstation fiends because it can power triple 4K@120Hz monitors via HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB-C (USB4) video. Lots of mini PCs can do triple 4K now, but not many can run 4K at up to 120Hz like this one can. Other ports include two high-speed USB-A, two slower USB-A, a fast USB-C, 2.5G LAN, and double 3.5mm audio jacks (one front, one back).
This mini PC blows every comparably priced laptop out of the water, so if you're looking for an excellent home office machine, don't pass up this opportunity. Get the Beelink SER8 for $499! (Remember, it's a Prime deal so start a 30-day free tria
I was excited about the prospect of having a secondary display, so I was grateful for the generosity. The display's image looked fine to me. But, being a tech guy, I thought I'd also run some diagnostics to check on its color, contrast, and resolution.
One of the tests I ran was to look for dead or stuck pixels, which I've heard can haunt some monitors. Low and behold, I uncovered a few stuck pixels lurking to the left of center.
They weren't anything to cry home about, being just a few tiny dots — some monitors have it so bad that they're almost unusable — but I set about fixing them anyway using a site called Piksel Test. I managed to get rid of them all too, so I'm going to use this test on all the screens I get from now on.
If you're in a similar boat with any of the screens you own, be that a monitor, cellphone, TV, or tablet (LCD or OLED screen), you can do the same thing.
What to do
Turn on your PC and wait for Windows to load.
Connect to the internet and go to the Piksel Test website.
Click on the Test Dead Pixel button.
Take note of any dead or stuck pixels on your screen. The website has an explanation about how to identify each of those problem pixel types.
Now scroll down the Piksel Test page and click on Dead Pixel Repair or Stuck Pixel Repair depending on what kind of pixels you discovered.
Run the pixel fixer window over the pixels you want to repair for 10 minutes.
But I wasn't always like this. When I first tried standing desks over a decade ago, I didn't approve. My feet ached, my setup was suboptimal, I didn't feel the benefits, and it was a hell of a lot more work than just putting my feet up while I tapped away at my PC.
But now? I'd never go back. Here are the top reasons why I went from standing desk skeptic to standing desk convert.
It helps my back pain and posture
This is the original and still best reason I have for using a standing desk. In the past, I wrote about my favorite desk accessories for back pain and posture issues. After years of poor posture, too much smartphone use, and a sedentary combination of desk work and PC gaming, I found myself with recurring pinched nerves and distracting back pain.
Switching to a standing desk was the first step to reversing that dangerous debilitating trend, and thoug
If you're guilty of obsessing over the prospect of having a green and luscious lawn, but tired of the effort it takes to maintain, robot lawn mowers such as Segway's Navimow X3 are for you.
This is the robot you've been looking for
The Navimow X3 was built to tackle more than just your lawn—this robot lawn mower was designed to remove all your frustrations regarding robotic mowers and lawncare in general.
Cordless design
Since this is the FBI we're talking about, presumably the scammers are targeting Americans, who are already on edge for the most expensive medical care in the world thanks to our health insurance system. Ongoing attempts to cut Medicare and Medicaid programs have elevated concerns for m
In a note regarding the new update, Microsoft wrote: "We're introducing a new detection capability in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 to help protect your organization from a growing threat known as email bombing. This form of abuse floods mailboxes with high volumes of email to obscure important messages or overwhelm systems. The new ‘Mail Bombing' detection will automatically identify and block these attacks, helping security teams maintain visibility into real threats."
Mail Bombing Detection will be available via Microsoft Defender for Office 365 soon, with the update starting to roll out in late June and completing its rollout by late July. The new feature will be enabled by default, so email bombing should start going straight to the trash.
According to Windows Latest, the issues don't just stop at the popular productivity shortcut either. Other issues include mouse cursor lag, screen resolution issues, and difficulties adjusting volume.
KB5060829 is a preview update, which means it's optional to install and allows you to try out new features and improvements ahead of the general release. However, preview updates can have problems like this, so you shouldn't blindly install them on mission-critical PCs.
The update is supposed to be rolled out to all users in two weeks, so hopefully Microsoft fixes these issues in time. Until then, you should hold off on installing update KB5060829 to avoid these issues. Meanwhile, if you're affected, try rolling back the problematic update.
The scuttlebutt is that there are two new Nova Lake processors slated for the upcoming LGA1954 socket. Techspot quotes a Twitter leaker claiming that said chips will use 125 watts of power, with eight performance cores and a mix of four Low-Power Efficiency cores and either 12 or 16 standard efficiency cores. None of that is particularly noteworthy, but it's the inclusion of bLLC, Big Last Level Cache, that's turning heads.
This extra pool of low-latency L3 cache could perform the same function as AMD's 3D V-cache feature, which dramatically boosts highly demanding tasks including gaming and media creation. AMD has been lighting up the CPU sales charts since it introduced the feature with the Ryzen 7 5800X3D back in 2022. It's since become the go-to pick for PC gaming on the desktop, expanding it into X3D variant CPU models in the Ryzen 7000 and 9000 series, and back-porting the 3D V-cache feature
If you're a bit confused, it's understandable. Unix support shouldn't have anything to do with gamers that are overwhelmingly using Windows, right? Unfortunately, Nvidia tends to drop all support for graphics card architecture once it stops the Unix development, according to VideoCardz. That means that the 580 release of the graphics card driver package will probably be the last one for GTX 700, 900, and 10-series cards, no matter what operating system you're using.
The slightly newer GTX 16 series (1630, 1650, 1650 Super, 1660, 1660 Ti, 1660 Super) which started hitting shelves in 2019 might hang on a little longer, as they're more affordable cards based on the same Turing architecture as the initial RTX 20 series. And it's not as if missing out on game-ready drivers will suddenly make the older cards (released from 2014-2017) suddenly stop working — they just won't get optimizations for new games.
But it would certainly be the end of an era, and a frustrating push to upgrade for those users still holding on to these c
The US space agency will live stream everything, from rocket launches and spacewalks to broadcasts from the International Space Station (ISS). The live broadcasts are expected to appear on Netflix later this summer, but an exact launch date for the streams isn't yet known.
NASA also offers self-produced documentaries, but these don't appear to be part of the new partnership with Netflix.
In 2021, for example, a security vulnerability in the printer spooler was found that allowed attackers to gain system rights. System rights are one level above administrator rights and allow the installation of arbitrary applications and almost unlimited changes to Windows settings.
As new patches had to be developed for several months to close the gap, it was finally given the name "Print Nightmare".
In Windows 11 24H2, Microsoft has now integrated the Windows Protected Print mode, or WPP for short, which was announced some time ago. It replaces the manufacturer's drivers on many printers and at the same time prevents the installation of new printer drivers.
This is intended to prevent malicious code from entering the computer via the drivers. It also ensures that the common tasks of the printer spooler are no longer executed with system rights, but only with user rights. In this way, Microsoft is closing the security gap that led to the Print Nightmare.
This is Samsung's 27-inch gaming monitor with a standard 1080p resolution but fast 180Hz refresh rate. The resolution and aspect ratio may be unimpressive, but that much refresh is perfect for mid-range gaming setups. You'll experience smooth motion and high frame rates—assuming your PC can push out those frames—and minimal input lag. That means an edge over your opponents in competitive online multiplayer.
For connectivity, we're looking at HDMI and DisplayPort inputs, but no USB-C video with power delivery so probably not the best for beefy gaming laptops. Other nifty features include AMD FreeSync for reduced image tearing, a Black Equalizer for seeing better in dark areas, and a Virtual Aim Point that puts a crosshair directly on the screen.
What are you waiting for? This is the best price it's ever been, so grab the Samsung Odyssey G3 for $130 while you can! Otherwise, check out PCWorld's picks for the best monitors and keep an eye on them over the next week. Don't forget, Prime Day is coming soon!
The "secret" patch with update code KB5001716 has already arrived for some users, but others are apparently still waiting. (We have not yet discovered it on our own Windows 11 PCs.)
What's in the KB5001716 update?
Update KB5001716 isn't an "update" in the classic sense. It's more of an auxiliary update for Windows Update itself. The release note for the patch explains how KB5001716 works:
"After this update is installed, Windows may periodically display a notification informing you of problems that may prevent Windows Update from keeping your device up-to-date and protected against current threats. For example, you may see a notification informing you that your device is currently runnin
According to well-known leaker @kopite7kimi, we're expecting three new GPUs: the RTX 5070 Super, the RTX 5070 Ti Super, and the RTX 5080 Super. With these new variants of the RTX 50 series, Nvidia could make up for the shortcomings of previous launches.
The Super variant leaks in detail
The Super models mainly offer more video memory (VRAM). The RTX 5070 Super is said to be equipped with 18GB of GDDR7 RAM at 28Gbps on a 192-bit bus. According to Tom's Hardware, Nvidia could use 3GB memory modules (instead of the previous 2GB modules) to increase performance. The card uses the Blackwell GB205 chip, with 6,400 CUDA cores (four percent more than the RTX 5070) and requiring 275 watts instead of 250 watts.
The RTX 5070 Ti Super uses the GB203 chip, with 8,960 CUDA cores and 24GB of GDDR7 RAM at 28Gbps on a 256-bit bus. The power consumption increases to 350 watts, 50 watts more than the normal version. The RTX 5080 Super should also have 24GB of GDDR7 RAM, but with 32Gbps and 10,753 CUDA cores. Its power consumption climbs to a whopping 415 watts, as software engineer
That's a fantastic price, and it even comes with a free USB-C-to-C cable that lets you take full advantage of its power. With two USB-C ports and a USB-A port, you can reliably charge any of your devices, and those USB-C ports offer up to 100W of charging, which is especially great for laptops. With all three ports charging simultaneously, the power is split down to 45W, 30W, and 18W max per port, respectively.
This charger is built on newer GaN tech, something we love to see because GaN chargers are faster, smaller, and safer, with better temperature regulation, less heat output, and protections against short circuits. This power brick is portable, too, with its small size and prongs that fold in to prevent damage and scratching. The included cable is 5 feet long, so you can comfortably charge while in bed.
It's only $36 right now and that's an incredible price for a fast-charging wall plug as versatile as this one, so don't miss out on this limited-time deal. Grab this USB charger block while you can!
Save 35% on this fast 3-port USB wall charger, plus free cable
In response, a bunch of people got together, sued AT&T, and won.
More importantly, a judge recently granted preliminary approval to settlement terms. As it currently stands, $177 million will be distributed to those caught up in these data breaches. This includes both current and former AT&T customers. For the 2019 breach, $148 million is set aside, while the 2024 breach gets a pool of $28 million.
Payments will vary depending on how severely you were affected, with those who have documents proving damages directly related to the AT&T data leaks entitled to larger amounts. Landline customers part of the 2019 breach can get up to $5,000. Wireless customers impacted by the 2024 breach are entitled to up to $2,500.
As stated in the approval filing, eligible customers will receive a notice by physical mail or email beginning on August 4, 2025. The notice period is expected to finish by October 17, 2025. All claims must be made by November 18, 2025.
The settlement's final approval is scheduled for December 3, 2025, which must first happen before payments begin.
Besides waiting for the notice, you should also take fur
