I’ve been using Windows for as long as I can remember. My dad is something of a Windows loyalist (he inspired my love of computers!) and I guess you could say I inherited it from him. Even though I’ve always been a Windows stan, I can’t help but notice what Apple’s doing over there just beyond the fence. Apple is rumored to be planning a $599 MacBook. Unthinkable, right? This would be a first in Apple’s history, as the company has never placed a MacBook squarely in the budget category from the start. Supposedly, it’s packing the same A18 Pro chip inside the iPhone 16 Pro. That’s why everyone’s unofficially calling it the “A18 Pro MacBook.” This bit of news is exciting and also eroding my loyalty, as it’s got me questioning which side I’m really on: macOS or Windows. Am I really a traitor to the realm? Oh, Windows, you’re my home (to the tune of Dirty Water) I thrive on routine and familiarity. Since I learned the Windows interface early on, it’s basically baked into my muscle memory–that’s hard to undo. For years I balked and hissed at anything macOS because it was different and that freaked me out, but as I got older, I’m starting to change my tune. But herein lies the problem. As much as Windows feels like home, MacBooks are downright gorgeous–the minimalist aesthetic really sings to me. But the one thing that always barred me from purchasing one was the high price. Apple laptops were beautiful, but exclusive and that’s kind of part of their identity, isn’t it? But with a $599 MacBook (possibly) on the horizon, the temptation is more real than ever. If this MacBook does indeed come with an A18 Pro chip, I’m not expecting it to break any benchmarking records–that’s not the point. It’s designed for those who have straightforward needs (like me!). In theory, it should be able to handle all the stuff I normally do on my laptop (like writing, editing, and so on). If those specs end up being true, Macworld predicts it may perform like the MacBook Air M1–that’s more than enough processing power for my daily grind. Another perk is the A18’s efficiency. Since it was originally designed for iPhones, it probably doesn’t consume as much power as the M-series chip. This could (potentially!) translate to great battery life, though we can’t say for sure until we’ve tried out the machine ourselves. MacBooks are the bewitching sirens of the laptop world There’s nothing quite like the experience of opening an Apple product for the first time. From the all-white boxes to the sleek and minimalist product tucked deep inside, Apple definitely wants to send a clear message here, that message being… We’re the cool kids and no, you can’t sit with us. Eugen Wegmann It isn’t hard to fall in love with a MacBook. They look elegant as hell and they’re known to last for years, but they were always so damn expensive. Back in college, a MacBook was way out of my budget–I remember secretly envying my friend who strutted around with the latest model. It was the same feeling as being denied a spot at the popular kid’s table. I’m not the only one, either. Simplicity is in and it’s definitely here to stay. Just look for any laptop roundup on the web and you’ll find sleek, featherlight machines everywhere.  But buying a MacBook and loving the look of one are two entirely different things. Beauty was always paired with a hefty price tag… until now. $599? Now we’re talking The major highlight here is Apple breaking into the budget category with a $599 MacBook. MacBooks have always been pricey, as they’re built with nice materials that last for years. Plus, Apple markets them like they’re dipped in (rose) gold or something, which only makes them feel fancier. But by lowering the price tag, Apple’s opening the door to students and other budget-conscious buyers. This is great news, especially given this country’s (ahem) current economic situation.  If this MacBook really does cost $599, then that’s a steep drop from Apple’s usual starting price of $999. That shift makes it possible for people who were priced out before (like me!). Apple can likely price this MacBook so low because of the rumored A18 chip inside. While not as powerful as the M-series chips, which you’ll find inside the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro, the A18 should breeze through everyday tasks. But the chip is just one part of a larger narrative. Apple might be feeling pressure from Chromebooks and other budget-friendly Windows laptops, which totally rule the schools. Many of them are competitively priced too, falling somewhere between $500 and $700. This puts the new A18 Pro MacBook in direct competition. And with everyone keeping a close eye on their wallet these days, this might be the perfect way to break into that space. Instead of Apple being the unattainable brand, a brand only some folks could afford, it’s suddenly much more approachable. Of course, affordability comes with your typical trade-offs. As far as raw power goes, I don’t expect it to outperform a laptop with an M2 chip or a high-end Windows laptop. But for things like word processing and web browsing, it should be nothing but smooth sailing. But price isn’t everything. A cheap MacBook is tempting, sure, but switching over from a Windows device has other challenges I’d have to tango with. check out pcworld`s best budget laptop Acer Aspire Go 15 (2024) Read our review Best Prices Today: $309.99 at Amazon My tiny worry My one fear is switching to a MacBook and then regretting it. Maybe I won’t adapt well to macOS because I’m too accustomed to Windows, it’s just too deep in my bones at this point. I’d have to learn all new shortcuts and see if my daily routines even work on macOS. Part of me also feels like I’d be betraying my own identity–I mean, I’ve been a Windows user forever, and switching to macOS? Yeah… feels weird. Of course, the A18 probably won’t outperform the M-series MacBooks when it comes to 3D modeling or heavy video editing. But for my personal daily workflow? That’s plenty of power. Of course, that makes it even harder to resist. Ugh. But this isn’t just about my own personal struggles with loyalty and identity, it’s about Apple shifting its entire approach. Why this matters I know I’m not the only one tempted by a $599 MacBook, and it could ignite a shift in operating system loyalty. Who knows, Windows users like me might actually start reconsidering. On top of that, it might raise the bar for budget laptops in general. Apple’s got a reputation for reliable hardware, and if they can pull that off in a cheaper MacBook, other brands are going to have to step it up too.  And let’s be honest: most people are watching their wallets right now. Dropping a MacBook into the same price bracket as Chromebooks and cheap Windows laptops? That’s some spot-on timing right there. This is a way for Apple to rub shoulders with price-conscious buyers (like students, for instance). It’s not just about me and my little identity crisis, though. A $599 MacBook could flip the whole operation, so to speak. That leaves me with the big, existential question… Where I’m landing on all this Could I really see myself dumping a Windows laptop for a MacBook? Eh, maybe. But if Apple really does drop a $599 MacBook, let’s just say my loyalty is flimsier than I thought. Life is full of surprises, yeah?  Assuming Apple follows through with the $599 A18 MacBook, the arrival of such a machine would definitely shake things up, for sure. It won’t just tempt me on a personal level, but it could inspire a similar identity crisis in others. But until we get the official 411 from Apple, I suppose it’s (mostly) just speculation. Still, watching a brand go from unattainable to attainable is freaking wild. Read...

KB5064081 is now available as an optional update for Windows 11 24H2. “Optional” means that Windows 11 isn’t yet installing this one automatically on available PCs. It’s currently available in Windows Update but must be manually installed by users. (You can either search for it in Windows Update download it via the Microsoft Update Catalog.) Update KB5064081 brings a wealth of new features to Windows 11, including new personalized start page for Microsoft’s AI-driven Recall feature. The new page lets you check on your past activity and jump back into one of those tasks. There’s also a new navigation bar that allows you to switch between “Home,” “Timeline,” “Feedback,” and “Settings” pages. The “Recent Snapshots” section lists all current snapshots while the “Top Apps” and “Top Websites” sections list all current app activity, explains Windows Latest. Get Windows 11 Pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro This update also adds a seconds display to the clock in the Notification Center, but you’ll have to enable it in settings for it to show. You’ll also have more settings for widgets on the lock screen, allowing you to change the size and position of widgets, plus remove any you don’t like. Other improvements include Microsoft refreshing and expanding the interface for Windows Hello, with the various authentication options now displayed in a modernized look. Microsoft has also revised the CPU display in the Task Manager so that CPU performance is now displayed identically in all areas. After installing optional update KB5064081, Windows 11 will have build number 26100.5074. If you don’t want to install KB5064081 yet, you can hold off until the next Patch Tuesday in September. At that point, KB5064081 will be turned into a mandatory cumulative update for all all compatible Windows 11 computers. Read...

I have a confession to make: I don’t always do as I say. I’ve been a tech journalist for 20 years. Over those years, I’ve written countless how-to guides and advice columns, and I’ve made endless recommendations for how you should go about looking after, maintaining, and enhancing your PC. But I’m embarrassed to say, I don’t follow all of the tips and tricks I share, and I sometimes fall into the very traps I warn others against. It’s time to come clean and admit my mistakes. Here are some of my worst tech sins that you should avoid doing yourself. Don’t be like me! I have 38,000 unread emails Jon Martindale / Foundry This is one of those ones that I can get away with pretty easily, mostly because I’m not about to let just anyone take a peek at my email account. But when I’ve occasionally had friends or colleagues glance at my screen while I’m working, they’ve been horrified. “What happens if someone sends you something important?” they ask. “How do you know when you get a new email?” The tech-savvy ones even tell me, “You really should set up some filters.” And they’re all correct. Having tens of thousands of unread emails isn’t just messy. It’s distracting. Impractical. The unread counter is completely arbitrary at this point—I don’t even think about it anymore. Why don’t I deal with it? I suppose I just don’t need to. I get so many emails that if I’d spent all day opening or “reading” them simply so they don’t show up as “unread,” then I’d never get anything done. (I should probably just delete them all!) A quick parse to see if I got anything important, then I’m on to whatever actual task I need to do. My drivers and BIOS aren’t up-to-date I’ve been having some trouble with weird system locks recently. I think it has to do with a misconfigured webcam driver, but it could also be my second monitor, or a faulty HDMI cable. To make sure it wasn’t software-related, I updated my graphics drivers—and apparently I hadn’t updated them since early 2024. Oops. I later went to update my BIOS as another potential fix for my system glitching woes—and apparently I hadn’t flashed that since late 2023. I’ve given myself a well-deserved slap on the wrist for both of these. It’s something I should do more often, but it just keeps slipping my mind and I never find the time to get around to them. I mean, sure, it’s not something you have to do… but it’s a good idea because an outdated BIOS and/or drivers can cause issues. I plug my phone in to transfer files I know there are a bunch of ways to get files off my phone onto my PC. There are apps, network sharing, and cloud storage options that are all pretty straightforward. But for the most part, when I want to back up my photos or transfer documents between phone and PC, I still plug in. I have a USB-C-to-A cable with a USB 3.0 port at best—it isn’t fast, so big data transfers can take time. It’s cable-tied to my desk, though, so it’s always within easy reach. And it does a good enough job for moving data around that I’ve never bothered to investigate a better solution. Lazy? Perhaps. But the time and effort needed to explore better alternatives has always felt better spent elsewhere for me. When I reinstall Windows, I just buy new storage drives Jon Martindale / Foundry This sin is more in the vein of a privileged humblebrag than it is a mistake or bad habit, but it’s a great example of the kind of paranoia I have when moving to a fresh, new Windows install. I’m so concerned that Windows will accidentally delete something I need (or that I’ll forget to back something up) that instead of reinstalling Windows on the same drive (or manually backing up important files and performing an old-school format), I just prefer to buy a new drive altogether and keep the old drive as extra storage. The plus side of this is that I always have a fresh new drive to install new games and apps on, and I have everything else on my older drives. The downside is that my system has grown into a Frankenstein’s monster of drive letters. I still have the 500GB Samsung 850 EVO from three installs ago. It’s also left me with a lot of drives called “Local Disk” and it often takes a few tries for me to find the actual drive I’m looking for. I use a high mouse DPI all the time I’m well aware that many pro PC gamers play at 800 to 1,200 DPI on their gaming mice, with massive mouse pads over which they sweep their arms for pinpoint accuracy. But I’m not about that life. I run my mice at around 2,400 DPI all the time, no matter what I’m doing, and that works well enough for me. I use a fingertip grip style, so my mouse is mostly controlled by my index and ring fingers resting on either side of the mouse, and that means I need a sensitivity level that traverses real distance with minimal movement. At 2,400 DPI, I can perform most of my required mousing in a small space. I don’t play much in the way of high-speed FPS games—where the added accuracy from a lower DPI would be really worth it—but even when I do, I don’t switch it up. I like my mouse sensitivity and I’m not going to kid myself into thinking I can be competitive anyway. I’m just here to score objectives and try not to die more than anyone else on my team. I only reboot my PC when it crawls Mulad Images / Shutterstock.com I quite often finish my work days with tasks still open, projects halfway done, and emails I haven’t gotten to yet, so I usually just minimize those windows, switch to a new desktop view, and come back to them later. And when I’m done for the day, I don’t bother saving everything or bookmarking tabs—I just put the PC to sleep. That means I rarely shut down my computer. Which isn’t a huge deal for the most part, but when I’m several weeks in without a proper reboot, I can usually tell. Network performance drops off a cliff for some reason, videos begin to stutter, browser tabs start lagging… and that’s when I know it’s time to restart. I should do it more often, though. I’ve let my PC pile up with issues I spend most of my days working with and writing about PCs, hardware components, and software, so when it comes to my main work and gaming machine, I just want to use it. Don’t get me wrong: I love fiddling with computers and seeing what I can do with them. But I hate troubleshooting when I need to focus or when I want to relax. That’s resulted in me having a PC with a surprising amount of nagging issues for someone who writes guides on how to fix said issues. For example, I have one odd boot issue where sometimes apps won’t load properly and are only half-responsive. It has something to do with my webcam I’m pretty sure, but I haven’t nailed it down yet. I also have a second monitor that occasionally flickers with weird white bands, but unplugging and replugging it gets it going again. And for a PC running on a 7950X3D and a PCIe 4 SSD, the startup time is awfully sluggish. I really should do something about all of that… but I can’t be bothered. Don’t be like me. Don’t let your problems pile up. I have too many desktop icons Jon Martindale / Foundry This is one that my less-tech-savvy friends rag on me for. It’s not as bad as my 70-year-old mother’s desktop—which is more icon than background at this point—but I’ll admit it’s a bit chaotic. I don’t have any shortcuts there, but I do have far too many folders. They’re often for past projects I haven’t gotten back to in a while, but I swear I will… one day… Honestly, I think this is more aesthetic preference than anything, as functionally there’s little difference between having a folder where I save all my Photoshopped news thumbnails on the desktop or nestled deeper into a drive. Regardless, it doesn’t look super professional. Do as I say, not as I do Writing this article has been an eye opener for me. Not only did I not realize how many tech sins I was committing, but I never knew I was relying on so many stop-gap solutions. A lot of these issues could be solved by just spending a little more time doing things the right way, which I often evangelize in my how-to guides. The truth is, we may share all kinds of advice with you—whether it’s about good digital security habits, extending your SSD’s lifespan, buying a refurbished laptop, or being more productive with Windows 11—even if we aren’t perfect about heeding those very same tips. So, let me make this pledge to you, oh reader who holds yourself to a higher standard than this pontificating tech expert: I will do better. Perhaps I’ll write up another edition of this in a year and we can see how many of my sins I’ve absolved myself of. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Compact and handy High performance Plenty of ports Cons Doesn’t run totally silent Wi-Fi could be better Our Verdict If you want a powerful gaming or work PC but don’t have room for a big tower, the Asus ROG NUC 2025 is a strong option. The cooling can be a bit noisy, upgrade options are limited, and you’ll pay a premium for the compact form factor–but not an outrageous one. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Asus ROG NUC 2025 90AS00I1-M00090 Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices The new ROG NUC 2025 mini PC from Asus has the same format as a chunky desktop graphics card set upright and flanked by an equally large motherboard. That’s exactly what it is–nothing more, packed into the most compact chassis possible. The basic idea of the NUC is a barebones computer, a small mini PC with a processor and graphics card built in, which you can then plug your own storage and memory into. Since Asus took over as the maker of NUC computers, it has been more creative with the mini PC concept than Intel ever was. Asus is releasing barebones kits in more form factors and also more pre-built computers complete with memory, storage and operating system than Intel ever did. Not least that which is released under the ROG brand and is primarily aimed at gamers. The ROG NUC 2025 is available with different processors and graphics cards, but in the U.S. it’s sold in a high-end configuration featuring the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX laptop CPU and a desktop-class Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. ROG NUC 2025: A complete PC 32GB of fast DDR5 memory and a 2TB SSD round it all off. It comes with Windows 11 Home, all drivers for optimal gaming performance and Asus’s Armoury Crate control software that can control cooling, optimize network connectivity, and color the chassis’ RGB lighting. The ROG NUC 2025 fits nicely next to the 4k TV as a massively powerful gaming console. But it has many other uses.Mattias Inghe Yes, it has that. A light strip across the front and a big ROG logo on the side that can be made to glow or pulsate in any color, or all colors. It’s typical ROG design all over the box, with odd, beveled angles in the plastic and futuristic printing on the sides. There are plenty of screen outputs, fast Ethernet and USB ports on the back, including a Thunderbolt 4-compatible USB-C. And more ports on the front. The only thing in connectivity I feel is missing would be an SD card reader. You get Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 7 built in, but I’m not totally convinced by the Wi-Fi performance. The signal to my Wi-Fi 6 router seems weak, and it doesn’t manage to get up to the download speeds I’m used to. It’s fast enough for browsing and streaming, and I get short response times for gaming, especially when I rig up a Wi-Fi 7 router and test against it. But there is something missing. Probably antennas don’t get enough space in the compact chassis. Possibility to screw on external ones would have been a plus. It’s a full desktop graphics card inside the hood. It is noticeable on the set of DisplayPorts.Mattias Inghe ROG NUC 2025: Serious gaming power “Game First” is written beneath a large fan hole in the center of the broadside, and it’s obvious what Asus thinks the computer should be used for. It’s very good as a gaming machine, and I can squeeze out a stable 60 fps in most modern games. I run modded Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 which is a hard to beat experience on the right screen. With my 1440p monitor on the desktop, it goes completely smoothly. I also try to set up the computer as a console and connect to the TV. That also works well. At least if I take it easy with some effects and instead use Nvidia’s AI-based DLSS upscaling that provides both image quality and increased performance. Quality and performance beat a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X by a mile. It works great with HDMI 2.1 and all you need is a wireless mouse and keyboard, or a game controller. Quality and performance beat a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X by a mile, although the cooling can sometimes get noisy. It’s just not possible when it costs like five PS5s. ROG NUC 2025: More than just gaming But just because it’s got a gaming angle doesn’t mean it’s just a gaming machine. The Core Ultra 9 processor makes it a great workstation for heavy-duty work, from database management and development to 3D modeling and video editing. It doesn’t have as much native NPU for tasks like running local language models and machine learning, but there you have the mighty RTX graphics card providing AI performance to spare. Dual USB-A, one USB-C and front headphone port.Mattias Inghe It’s really only when the graphics card is under high load that the computer gets hot and the fans whistle extra loudly, and even then it’s bearable. In theory, it should be possible to run passively, and right at startup, the computer is actually completely silent, but it doesn’t take many seconds before some process triggers cooling at low speed with a light hiss from the fans. It doesn’t help to put the computer in eco mode, which is supposed to reduce both performance and fans. But at least it stays semi-quiet all the time. It can be good as an energy-saving basic mode when you just want to surf and run Office, but don’t forget to switch to performance mode when it’s time to enter the world of games. ROG NUC 2025: An upgrade-friendly design A NUC should be maintenance- and upgrade-friendly, and this computer is–to some extent. Access is gained by loosening a thumbscrew on the back, and then the side panels come off. It takes a lot of tugging the first time–I almost felt like I was going to break something–but in the end it comes off. Once inside, I’m not rewarded much for the effort. There are two low profile dimming slots for the RAM memory, but it takes up all the slots, so if you want to upgrade you’ll have to buy brand new ones. There is also a free PCIe M.2 slot for an extra SSD. Neat on the inside.Mattias Inghe Why you can also access the opposite side of the computer is less clear. There’s nothing there. Only fans for the graphics card. But okay, it’s good to be able to access it if it gets dusty again and needs to be blown clean. At around $3,600, the ROG NUC 2025 isn’t cheap, but you’re getting a powerful machine for both gaming and demanding workloads. A similarly sized desktop PC with an RTX 5080 runs anywhere from about $2,700 to $4,000, so Asus isn’t out of line on pricing. It won’t break any speed records, but it delivers a ton of performance in a very compact package. Thanks to its upright design, it fits easily on just about any desk. Specifications: ROG NUC Product name: ROG NUC 2025 90AS00I1-M00090Tested: August 2025Manufacturer: Asus Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, 8 P-core up to 5.4 GHz, 16 E-core up to 4.6 GHzNPU: Intel AI Boost, 13 topsGraphics: Nvidia Geforce RTX 5080, 16 GBMemory: 32 GB ddr5Storage: 2 TB SSDConnections, rear: USB-C 4/thunderbolt 4, 4 x USB-A 3 gen 2, 2 x HDMI 2.1, 2 x DisplayPort 1.4a, 2.5 Gbit ethernetConnections, front: USB-C 3 gen 1, 2 x USB-A 3 gen 2, headsetWireless: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4Operating system: Windows 11 HomeExpansion slot: 1 pc M.2 PCIeNoise level: 0-45 dBaPower consumption: 25-310 WattSize: 14.6 x 18.8 x 28.24 cm Rating: 4 out of 5 Performance Cinebench 2024, multi-core CPU: 1,828 pointsCinebench 2024, single core CPU: 131 pointsGeekbench 6, multi-core CPU: 19,929 pointsGeekbench 6, single core CPU: 3,040 pointsGeekbench 6, gpu: 214,256 points3DMark Fire Strike (DirectX 11): 40,923 points3DMark Time Spy (DirectX 12): 20,751 points3DMark Steel Nomad (Vulkan): 5,256 points3DMark Port Royal (Ray Tracing): 12,055 pointsDisk, read: 7,040.6 MB/sDisk, write: 6,488.39 MB/s Read...

Even if you aren’t a huge techie, you probably know about all the big, mainstream apps that are fundamental to how we use our PCs. I’m talking Word, Outlook, Chrome, Slack, Dropbox, etc. You know, right? But there are many, many, many awesome free apps out there that can seriously improve your PC and your workflows, unlock new tools and features, and just make your PC experience better overall. If you want to wring a little more out of your PC, here are some of the best hidden gem apps that are super useful and available for free. Ferdium for centralizing all the web apps and services you use in one place Ferdium If you have a lot of permanently open browser tabs for all the different web apps you use every day, then you can make things easier for yourself by organizing them with Ferdium. (Have you heard of Rambox or Franz? Ferdium is like those except open-source and totally free.) Ferdium lets you run separate tabs for hundreds of web services, including chat apps (like Messenger, Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.) and social apps (like Slack, Discord, etc.) as well as email apps, calendar apps, media apps, AI chatbots, and more. All of those apps can reside right within Ferdium, letting you consolidate all of that to one place. I love Ferdium for how it fences everything off into its own app. I no longer have to reach for my phone to check WhatsApp or catch up on Teams notifications or pull up Gmail or Google Calendar. It’s all just one click away on my PC and it’s less distracting overall. PDFgear for PDF editing, converting, merging, annotating, and more PDFgear PDFgear is one of those diamonds in the rough, one that we’ve been evangelizing for a while now. But just because it isn’t as well-known as others doesn’t mean it isn’t an excellent PDF editor. If you’ve ever been frustrated by how difficult it is to find a high-quality offline PDF editor that doesn’t charge you for personal use, then PDFgear is the end goal you’ve been looking for. This app is super capable at editing PDFs, whether through annotations or direct file editing. It works with text, images, and graphics. It can merge PDFs together. It can convert PDFs into different file types. It can do just about anything else you’d want to do with a PDF. It even has a built-in AI assistant that can search, summarize, aid with editing, and more. SitApp for developing better posture SitApp If you work or game at your PC for hours at a time, then maintaining good posture and proper back health is something that’s well worth the effort. But maybe all you really need is a gentle prod whenever you start to slouch, in which case you could benefit greatly from SitApp. SitApp is a useful app that uses your webcam to analyze your posture and detect when you’re slouching — and when you are, the app shows a little pop-up reminder to let you know. It also tracks your posture history so you can compete against yourself to see how long you can maintain good posture. My record is 92% over eight hours. How about you? BreakTimer for regular break reminders BreakTimer If you’re always on your PC, good posture isn’t the only thing to worry about. It’s important to get up and walk around, rest your eyes, drink water, stretch, and maybe even exercise. But it’s easy to forget to do all of that, especially if you lock onto a task or get absorbed into a game. BreakTimer sits in the background and periodically reminds you to take a break. You can customize the alerts to whatever frequency you want, however long you want the breaks to be, which days you want them to be active on, and more. It’s simple but life-changing — and free! Mouse Without Borders for using one mouse and keyboard with multiple PCs Wish you could control multiple computers with one set of mouse and keyboard? One way to do that is to buy a KVM switch and go through the hassle of setting it up. Or you could just get Mouse Without Borders. Mouse Without Borders is a Microsoft Garage project that was put together by developer Truong Do during his off-hours, and it works fantastically well for controlling up to four PCs with a single mouse and keyboard. It’s not perfect, but it’s quick, easy to use, and entirely free, making it a great alternative to hardware KVMs. 4K Video Downloader Plus for downloading videos anywhere online 4K Download Lots of video downloader tools have come and gone over the years, useful for when you want to save videos from YouTube, Facebook, and other sites. But most of those tools eventually turn into malware, slow down to a crawl when they gain too many users, or simply die off overnight and leave you dry and forsaken. On the other hand, 4K Video Downloader Plus works almost flawlessly, stays regularly updated, and doesn’t suffer from malware infections, all in a fast and lightweight package. What more could you ask for? Foobar2000 for reliable music playback Foobar2000 Are you in the minority of people who haven’t yet jumped aboard the Spotify train? Do you have a large MP3 collection instead? And are you using Windows Media Player to listen to it? If so, then I have a gift for you: Foobar2000, a simple and lightweight music player. Windows Media Player has its foibles when it comes to managing large music collections, organizing playlists, customizing the interface, converting between file formats, and offering all kinds of other advanced features. Foobar2000 does it all plus more, and it’s been around since 2002, and it’s been completely free for that entire time. This streamlined music player went from super popular to obscure over the last decade or so, and these days it’s sort of a hidden gem again. Its interface is barebones out of the box, but it also has deep customization options that let you make it truly your own. MPC-BE for hassle-free video playback MPC-BE Back in the day, there used to be an open-source app called Media Player Classic that was a lightweight yet improved alternative to Windows Media Player for playing video files. MPC ceased development in 2006, but the project has been forked a few times since. MPC-BE (short for Black Edition) is my preferred successor. It’s still free and open-source, and it still carries forward the streamlined principles that made Media Player Classic so popular. You don’t have to fiddle around with codecs — it just works and it doesn’t bog down your system. It’s one of the best open-source PC apps. EarTrumpet for controlling volume on an individual per-app basis Jon Martindale / IDG If you consistently find that some apps are way too loud or way too quiet even when your system volume seems fine, then you need EarTrumpet. This quick and easy utility lets you individually adjust the volume of any audio source that’s playing on your PC. From browser windows to social apps, from local audio to online, EarTrumpet gives you fine-tuned control over your PC’s audio output. It can even let you lower the volume of everyone in a Discord chat rather than having to do it one by one. EPKL for changing your keyboard layout or customizing individual keys EPKL Here in the US, nearly every keyboard has the standard QWERTY layout that came out in 1874. But this classic keyboard layout has drawbacks, like inefficient typing and a greater susceptibility to repetitive strain injuries. That’s why people have been moving away from it. Fortunately, even if you have a QWERTY keyboard, you don’t have to use the QWERTY layout itself. Thanks to EPKL, you can easily switch over to Colemak, Dvorak, or whatever other keyboard layout you want without having to buy a special keyboard. Alternatively, you can use EPKL to move specific keys around or even rebind certain keys to perform different actions. And if you’re feeling devilish, you can even use it to prank your friends and make them think their keyboard is borked. (Just be sure to let them off afterwards, as this one could stump the less tech-savvy for hours.) Files for an improved and more effective alternative to File Explorer Files Are you tired of File Explorer’s shortcomings? Then don’t delay and install Files right away. This open-source Windows file manager feels familiar yet comes with several advanced features, like dual-pane browsing, tags for files and folders, a better preview system, custom keyboard shortcuts, seamless cloud integration, and more. Everything for a faster and more powerful way to search your Windows PC Voidtools If you feel like the built-in search in Windows is as ineffective as it is monolithic, you aren’t alone. Fortunately, you don’t have to put up with its subpar capabilities. Everything by Voidtools is a far more capable search tool, able to not only find anything on your system by its name or file type but also by its contents. Content searching takes a lot longer, of course, but it’s super effective — and if you search normally (i.e., by name or file type), it’s significantly faster than Windows’ search. Cryptomater for encrypting your data, both locally and in the cloud Skymatic “Not your keys, not your coins” is a cryptocurrency expression that highlights the importance of protecting your data. If you aren’t careful with your files, you could lose more than you expect — and your personal data is only as safe as you make it. Cryptomator is a free solution that adds an extra layer of security to your files using encryption. It works with any files, no matter where you store them, whether locally on your PC or online in the cloud. It effectively locks down your data so that even if someone were to gain access, they wouldn’t be able to do anything with what they find. Fan Control to control your PC fans Fan Control If you’re like me, you’ve probably used a number of software fan controllers over the years and always found them unintuitive, underwhelming, or frustrating. If so, then I have some good news for you: Fan Control is a breath of fresh air and the app you need. This free app gives you straightforward control over all the adjustable fans in your PC, from the rear exhaust fans to the CPU pump speed to everything in between. You can tie fan speeds to various temperature sensors, apply different fan curves and trigger points, and even integrate with third-party software through plugins. Fan Control’s interface is clean and customizable, but if you need help getting started, the app has an assisted setup that aids in labeling and organizing your fans and their associated sensors. Microsoft PowerToys for unlocking extra features and goodies in Windows Jon Martindale / IDG A worker is only as good as their tools, so why use Windows without making sure you have access to its full potential? There’s something called Microsoft PowerToys, available directly in the Microsoft Store, that freely unlocks new features and goodies. I’ve written about my favorite PowerToys features that are pretty useful, including improvements to File Explorer, a batch renaming utility, an expanded clipboard, a quick-find tool for your mouse cursor, a color palette helper, and so much more. Microsoft PC Manager for simplified maintenance of your Windows PC Microsoft If might not feel as cool to use as some of the other niche third-party or solo-dev projects on this list, but Microsoft PC Manager is a really effective system maintenance tool. It helps you free up storage space, track memory usage, monitor system startup time (which you can speed up with some tweaks), and shows you active apps for diagnostic purposes when things are acting up. WizTree for visualizing your disk space usage and finding large files Jon Martindale / IDG With multiple drives full of large apps and files, it can be hard to understand just how much space you have left on your PC and how much each existing piece of data actually takes up. You can also lose space when giant files are forgotten in corners of your drives. Disk analyzer tools like WizTree are a great way to visualize your system’s data storage, making it easier to understand which apps to uninstall or which files to delete when you need to free up some extra space. It’s fast, effective, and easy to use — as well as being entirely free. DDU for purging old and unused drivers DDU It isn’t easy staying on top of your system drivers. But even if you do keep up with installing new drivers, you probably don’t uninstall your old drivers. Maybe the installer handles that for you… but maybe it doesn’t. Even official uninstallers from AMD and Nvidia can miss them. That means you could have a bunch of old drivers still lingering around on your PC, and when old driver files build up over the years, they can rear their heads at unexpected times and cause stability issues. Most full-blown driver uninstaller tools, like Driver Magician, cost money. But there is one that’s totally free: DDU, which stands for Display Driver Uninstaller. This straightforward utility strips your PC of unused graphics drivers, which can come in handy if you’re running into graphics card issues that are seemingly impossible to troubleshoot. HWMonitor for checking the health of your PC and internal hardware Jon Martindale / IDG Want to keep an eye on your PC components and their general health? You can quickly spot overheating, performance issues, or other odd details with either HWMonitor or HWInfo. Both tools are fantastic for monitoring your PC’s various hardware components and how they’re working. HWMonitor is simpler and easier to get to grips with, while HWInfo is more advanced with a more comprehensive overview of PC stats. If you’d rather just keep an eye on the temperatures of your processor and its cores, check out the ultra-lightweight Core Temp. Parsec for streamlined remote desktop access and control from anywhere Have you ever wanted to use your PC remotely? I mean, even when you’re away from home, it’d be great if you could “remote in” to your PC and use it from anywhere, right? With remote desktop software, you can! Most remote desktop solutions are paid, and the free ones usually aren’t very good. But these days we have Parsec, a remote desktop tool that was originally built to allow for remote gaming but has since expanded to become a low-latency desktop sharing app. In layman’s terms, you can use Parsec to connect to your PC and operate it like you’re there, except you aren’t. It’s equally great for working on your hobby coding project during your lunch break as it is for playing your Steam games from a hotel while traveling. Parsec has a free Personal Use version that doesn’t come with all features, but it does have all the essentials: low-latency 60FPS desktop streaming; support for keyboards, mice, and gamepads; and encrypted connections. Further reading: Great free apps that are already installed on your PC Read...

Mobile devices sometimes get lost. A laptop bag gets left on the bus or train, a smartphone slips out of your pocket, or a USB flash drive falls to the ground unnoticed. Losing a notebook or phone this way means a serious financial hit. In many cases, however, the loss of data is even more serious. Important and confidential documents, such as tax documents, are often stored on laptops. In some cases, even sensitive company papers may even be stored there. And a smartphone stores doesn’t just hold emails, but also contact lists and WhatsApp chats. Although access to a laptop is password-protected, the files are freely accessible. If the device is booted via a live system, they can be easily read and copied. USB drives usually only need to be connected to a computer to reveal their contents. With smartphones, on the other hand, the file system is always securely encrypted. However, if the device has just been used, the screen lock may not yet be reactivated and the finder can read the stored data and send it by email or chat program. The loss of a device gets especially tricky when the device is deliberately stolen. This usually happens because the thief is after confidential company documents or credit card data. This is why important documents should always be encrypted. Encryption options When encrypting the SSD of a laptop or an external hard drive, you have the choice between two methods: Full Disk Encryption (FDE) File Level Encryption (FLE) With Full Disk Encryption, the software encrypts the entire data carrier, including the operating system. The scope of delivery of Windows Pro and Education also includes FDE encryption with BitLocker. You can find the function in the category view of the Control Panel under “System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption.” Once you activate it, every user must enter the defined BitLocker password when starting up the computer. After encryption, it’s no longer possible to access the files on the SSD without this password. BitLocker encryption utilizes the functions of the computer’s TPM chip and is considered to be very secure. However, full disk encryption has a limitation: data is only protected when the laptop is powered off or you’re not logged into Windows. As soon as you have unlocked the SSD by entering the password, hackers can access the stored files via the network or the internet. The same applies if a criminal gets hold of a switched-on device. Notebooks: Encrypt with EFS The alternative to FDE is File Level Encryption (FLE). It only encrypts selected files and folders. The advantage of FLE is that it’s continuously active. In order to access the data, a password usually needs to be entered. Windows FLE is an exception to this rule. Microsoft calls its file encryption EFS (aka Encrypting File System) and it’s integrated directly into the NTFS file system. You can enable it by right-clicking on a file or folder, selecting “Properties,” clicking the “Advanced” button under the “Attributes” section, checking “Encrypt contents to secure data,” and confirming with “OK.” However, Microsoft decrypts this data as soon as you log in with your user account. The problems here are the same as with Full Disk Encryption. In addition, decryption is linked to the password of your user account; if you forget it or if the user account is deleted, access to the data is lost. Encrypt entire drives with VeraCrypt Encryption with the EFS is simple and effective, but it has the disadvantage of file names remaining visible, allowing others to infer their contents. To avoid this, you can use the open source software VeraCrypt free of charge. The program works slightly differently to the functions presented so far. On the one hand, it can encrypt entire drives, but it also offers to create an encrypted container in the form of a mounted drive, into which you copy or move the files and folders you want to be encrypted. Other users will then only see the name of the container, but not its contents. VeraCrypt container encryption is primarily suitable for notebook SSDs. VeraCrypt can encrypt entire drives, but can also create an encrypted container in the form of a virtual drive. Files and folders can be securely stored in this container.IDG Open VeraCrypt, select “Create volume.” This starts a wizard. In the first window, select “Create encrypted container file.” Click “Next” and select “Standard VeraCrypt volume.” Click “Next > File” and enter the path and file name for the container. Confirm with “Save.” “Next” takes you to the encryption settings. Click “Next” and enter the size of the container that VeraCrypt should create. At this point, the program shows you how much space is still available on the selected drive. Decide on a suitable size and click on “Next.” VeraCrypt will now ask you for a password. Type in a long and complex combination of letters, numbers, and characters and click “Next.” You can skip the “Large files” window by clicking “Next.” In the “Volume format” window, select “NTFS” as the file system. Move the mouse pointer back and forth for at least 30 seconds until the color of the progress bar has changed from red to yellow to green. Click on “Format” to create the container file. As soon as the process is complete, the wizard window should close. By moving the mouse, you create a random value for the encryption. The longer you move the mouse back and forth, the better. IDG The VeraCrypt start window now opens again next to the wizard. Select a drive letter, under which the container file should be accessible. Next, click “File” and navigate to the file on your desktop. Click “Mount,” enter the password for the container, and confirm with “OK.” The container now appears under the selected drive letter in the Explorer. Everything you copy into it is automatically encrypted. Secure folder for smartphones The data storage on smartphones and tablets is already securely encrypted with a function of the operating system out of the box. However, this offers limited protection if the device is lost or stolen and the screen lock hasn’t yet reactivated. Since Android 8, the system has included a vault feature for storing confidential data. This vault is called “Secure Folder” and is part of the Google Files file manager, which is already installed on many smartphones and tablets. If you the app isn’t available on your device, you can install it via the PlayStore. The Google Files file manager app includes a function for creating a secure, encrypted folder for confidential data. IDG In Google Files, go to “Collections > Secure folder.” Set a PIN or pattern for access, both of which should be different from the one you use to log in to your device. To move files into the folder, press and hold your finger on the file, then tap the three dots and select “Move to secure folder.” To retrieve a file, open “Collections > Secure folder” in Google Files, enter the PIN or pattern, tap the file, and select “More > Remove from secure folder.” Note: If you forget the PIN or pattern, there is no way to open the vault. External SSDs: Encrypt with BitLocker To Go VeraCrypt is particularly suitable for permanent installation on the SSD of a laptop. For external discs, it’s best to use BitLocker To Go, which is included in the Home version of Windows. Type BitLocker into the search field in the taskbar and click “Manage BitLocker.” This opens a Control Panel window in which the drive letter of the USB stick will appear under “Removable drives > BitLocker to Go” with the status “BitLocker disabled.” Click the link, go to “Turn on BitLocker” and tick the box “Use password to unlock the drive.” Enter a password and click “Save to file” to save the recovery key in a TXT file on your desktop PC’s SSD. Depending on whether the stick already contains data or not, select “Encrypt only used storage space” or “Encrypt entire drive.” To use the stick on other Windows computers, select “Compatible mode” in the following window and click “Start encryption” in the last window. If you connect the stick to a computer, Windows will prompt you to enter the password each time. USB sticks: Encrypt with 7-Zip Finally, the freeware packing program 7-Zip (free) is ideal for quickly encrypting files and folders on a USB stick. You can use this tool to encrypt ZIP files with the AES-256 algorithm, protecting them with a password. Then all you need to do is enter the password to open and unzip the file. You can also securely encrypt ZIP files with the 7-Zip packing program. Make sure that AES-256 is set as the encryption method.IDG This is how you proceed: Select the files in Windows Explorer, right-click, and go to “Show more options > 7-Zip > Add to an archive.” Give the archive file a name, but keep the extension as “zip.” Select a secure and complex password in the “Encryption” section at the bottom right, repeat it one line below, and–this is important–set the “Method” option to “AES-256.” Finally, confirm the encryption with “OK.” After double-clicking on the ZIP file, the Explorer will now display the contents, but an error message will pop up when you try to extract the files. The contents can only be read if you open the ZIP file with 7-Zip and enter the password. As soon as the container has been created, mount it as a separate drive in the file system via the VeraCrypt start window.IDG Hardware-based encryption Encryption and decryption are handled by the CPU during read and write operations. There is also hardware-based encryption, which is mainly used today for external USB hard drives These devices have their own AES encryption chip, which is positioned between the system BIOS and the operating system. This chip handles all encryption and decryption processes on the drive during data access, meaning the entire storage device remains continuously encrypted. Access is only possible after entering a password, which is stored on the external hard drive. Hard drives with built-in hardware encryption are typically available as external USB drives with an AES chip.IDG Read...

Logitech looks about ready to launch the MX Master 4, the next generation of its popular flagship mouse series, as German news site WinFuture has reportedly obtained leaked details for the MX Master 4 (spotted by The Verge). Up until now, we’ve only seen speculative details based on a European registered design. The feature we’re most excited about is haptic feedback, which can provide vibrations when you perform certain actions like switching computers, adjusting the cursor, or changing settings. The haptic feedback will be customizable in terms of both intensity and usage. The MX Master 4 also gets a new menu called “Action Ring” for quick shortcuts, and it’ll also be updated with silent clicks (similar to what we’ve seen in the MX Master 3S). The design is reminiscent of previous models, but with a more durable and slightly textured surface and transparent main buttons. Battery life and DPI remain unchanged. Logitech’s MX Master 4 is expected launch on September 30th at a price point of €129.99 (approximately $150 USD). Further reading: Our favorite wireless mice, rated Read...

As the back-to-school season approaches in 2025, teachers aren’t just buying markers or restocking textbooks—they’re reinventing what it means to educate in a hybrid, high-tech learning space. With students clamoring for more engaging, interactive lessons and administrators seeking technologies that bridge physical and digital classrooms, smart boards are no longer optional but imperative. Among the growing list of interactive screens, HKMLC 55? Smart Board stands out—not for dazzling stunts, but for its capacity to deliver what today’s classrooms actually need: clarity, connectivity, collaboration, and affordability. Here’s how HKMLC smart board can be put to use in a variety of teaching scenarios for the 2025 school year. Plug In, Power Up, Teach Smarter One of the first things you’ll notice when you glance at the HKMLC Smart Board is how quickly it comes online. Designed for educators—whatever their status, IT professionals or not—the unit provides plug-and-play with a built-in Android 11 OS. No more fiddling around with projectors, external computers, and calibration processes. Mount the board, turn it on, and you’re ready to rock. The Android interface is smooth and responsive, allowing them to easily transition between applications, browsers, video, and digital whiteboard functionality. And with support for multi-window multitasking, teachers are able to use a lesson while they consult their lesson plan or student feedback simultaneously. A Visual and Interactive Upgrade The 4K UHD resolution of the HKMLC board is not merely a spec-sheet boast—quite literally, it makes a big difference in classroom legibility, even in larger or light-filled classrooms. Students are able to read fine text easily, observe complex diagrams, and interact with multimedia materials without eye strain or glare. But where the board truly excels is in its touch performance. Able to handle up to 10 touch points simultaneously, students can work together—complex issues, moving things around on the screen, or co-editing in real time. The board comes with two styluses providing smooth digital ink and palm rejection, resulting in a writing experience very much like the old whiteboards—without the mess. HKMLC Built for Hybrid Learning and Device Integration Back to school in 2025 is more likely than not a mix of in-person, remote, and hybrid teaching. HKMLC knows. The board includes Eshare Pro, allowing wire-free screen casting from as many as 9 devices, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones. When a teacher wants to display a student’s work or a student wants to display research, the process is fast and lag-free. We were also glad to find screen capture and recording features, which allow lessons to be saved, shared, or reviewed—ideal for absent students or flipped-classroom classrooms. Teachers can work within split-screen environments, comment on current web pages or YouTube videos, and even launch third-party education software from the Android desktop. Designed for Engagement, Not Just Display Not only does HKMLC Smart Board replicate traditional teaching behaviors online—it enhances them. Its interactive whiteboard feature comes with built-in templates like mind maps, grids, and diagrams, which enable instructors to organize material in a rush while it takes students along the way. Lesson material can be saved as image files or PDFs so students can view material outside of class, or instructors can keep digital records. Regardless of whether you’re creating a science diagram, a set of math problems, or a brainstorming list, it can be saved and shared in one tap. Practical Hardware, Future-Ready Build Physically, the board is modern, thin, and lightweight to be mounted or placed on a roll-around cart. It’s ideal for space-constrained classrooms or schools with several locations where they can utilize the same board. Ports are logically located, with multiple HDMI, USB, and LAN alternatives, and front facing for convenient use of USB stick input during instruction. Integrated speakers are adequate for most standard classrooms, and the general audio-visual setup supports a wide range of multimedia codecs. The build is heavy-duty and very durable—a requirement for school use where equipment must withstand intense usage. A Competitive Price Point for Tight Budgets Priced at around $1487 (on Amazon), the HKMLC Smart Board significantly undershoots many expensive alternatives without sacrificing critical functionality. For educational institutions wanting to meet performance with value, it is an attractive solution for classroom, training room, or small conference room equipment. While some smart boards are available with additional subscription-based software included in the package, HKMLC’s open Android platform gives schools the freedom to use their preferred software, avoiding long-term costs and vendor lock-in. HKMLC Clever, Accessible, and Ready for the Future of Education The HKMLC Smart Board is not trying to reinvent the wheel—but that is precisely why it wins. It’s focused on the things most important to educators: visual clarity, interactive input, hybrid compatibility, and simplicity. It’s the kind of board that steps back and lets teachers teach—and that is exactly what makes it so effective. As schools plan ahead for a new school year, expenditure on the right technology is no longer about catching up—it’s about empowering students, facilitating teachers, and making smarter classrooms. The HKMLC Smart Board earns a resounding A+ across the board. Read...

I don’t know how your tech drawers look, but mine are filled with wires I’ll likely never use again because technology has advanced quite a bit. Thankfully, USB-C seems to be here to stay since there is no wrong way to plug these things in. It’s not just smartphones, tablets, and laptops that use these, however, but also a long list of gadgets. We’ve scoured the market for hidden gems: 11 gadgets that will make you think “Wow, I didn’t know I needed that, but it will make my life so much easier!” Let’s dive in and see what cool devices you’ll be able to use your type-C cables and ports with. Wowstick 1F+ mini electric screwdriver Wowstick If you often have to fiddle around with your computer or other gadgets, this Wowstick mini electric screwdriver may be just what you need. This pen-shaped screwdriver features three LED lights so it’s easier to see what you’re working on and rotates 200 times per minute so you can finish the job faster. The screwdriver has a stylish base so you can hold it on your desk, and a whole collection of 56 aluminum alloy bits. The screwdriver can be charged via USB-C and it can last for hours. This super fun electric screwdriver usually goes for $41. Anker Nano Power Bank Anker One thing you need to have in you bag/pocket/backpack is a power bank because you never really know when your phone will fail you and cry for a recharge. Well, the Anker Nano power bank is tiny enough to fit just about anywhere. It comes with a foldable USB-C connector and a port on the side so you can charge two devices at once if you need to. The 5,000mAh capacity is just about enough for a full phone recharge, so it will be great in a pinch. It’s also only $30, but we’ve seen it as low as $16. Endoscope camera with light Ennovor Although it’s not something you’ll use every day, this Ennover endoscope camera can definitely come in handy. You just plug it in your phone, install and app, and see everything your camera does. Our team swears by it, using it for finding whatever they dropped behind the desk, while working on the car, or looking for pipe leaks. Since it has an IP67 rating, you can even plop it in your aquarium. The camera comes with a 16.4ft semi-rigid cable and several accessories, including a hook, magnet, and a mirror. You can get this one for $23 right now. Blukar flashlight Blukar I don’t care who you are—you need a flashlight. The smaller, the better, because you get to shove it into any pocket. This model from Blukar comes with a built-in 1800mAh battery that you’ll recharge with one of those many type-C cables you have in that tech drawer we were talking about. It can work for up to 16 hours on a single charge, which is pretty decent. There are four different lightning modes to cycle through, including one that will help you signal for help. Plus, one of these is only $10, so no excuse to pass on this one. Heat It insect bite healer Anyone plagued by mosquitoes in the summer will be particularly pleased with this ingenious gadget. This tiny device, which can be easily connected to your smartphone via USB-C, can significantly reduce the itching of bites and stings with targeted heat. You simply charge the small Heat It bite healer via the app and then hold it on the bite. The heat then does the rest, breaking down the proteins in the mosquito bite that cause the area to swell, itch, and hurt. A true must-have for summer, and it costs only $20. A tiny air pump Also perfect for summer is this small air pump from Cycplus, which fits in any bag while on the go. Not only can it inflate a bicycle tire in two minutes at the touch of a button, but it’s also USB-charged. According to the manufacturer, it’s suitable for mountain bikes, road bikes, motorcycles, and even cars! In addition to being an air pump, this practical gadget can also be used as a flashlight or power bank for on-the-go use — all things that come in very handy on a bike ride. And at just $57, it’s highly recommended if you need quick help with a flat tire. USB-C mini fan These little fans are also pretty ingenious; you can easily carry them in your pocket in the summer and quickly use them whenever you need them. Anyone who’s ever sat on a crowded subway train in 30-degree heat and wished for at least a little fresh air will love this gadget. The mini fan, which costs just $20, has a USB-C port and can be easily powered by power banks, computers, laptops, or USB chargers. There are even smaller and cheaper fans available that can be connected directly to your phone, costing under $10 each. But these also provide less powerful airflow, so we recommend the standalone version. Reading light with a book clamp Anyone who enjoys reading a lot, sometimes late into the night, will appreciate this little gadget: a reading lamp that you can simply clip onto your book. It may not be groundbreaking, but with a total of three color temperatures and five different light modes, you can individually adjust how much light you need for reading. The Gritin reading lamp costs just $15 on Amazon and features a 1200 mAh battery that lasts up to 80 hours depending on usage. Afterward, you can easily recharge it via USB. You can swivel the neck of the lamp back and forth as desired, and there’s even a small charging indicator. What more could you want? External DVD Drive Amicool If your laptop is like mine and lacks a DVD drive, then this little gadget will come in handy for you. This Amicool external DVD drive uses a USB-C (or USB-A) to connect to your laptop and give yout he optical drive you sometimes need. It can read and burn DVDs and CDs with ease, allowing you to install software, copy files, back up data, play games, and so on. You won’t even need to install drives as this thing is plug and play. While this thing’s usually $29, you can often get it for around $20, which is an absolute bargain. Samsung flash drive Samsung The vast majority of flash drives have a USB-A connector, but this one from Samsung has a Type-C connector. With transfer speeds of up to 400MB/s, you’ll move files around in no time. The beauty of this thumb drive is that you can even pop it in your smartphone to record 4K vids directly on it. The Samsung Type-C flash drive comes in multiple storage options, starting at 64GB and up to 512GB and they start at $14. The 256GB version, for instance, is $27 at the time of writing. Type-C microSD card reader Ugreen Most laptops nowadays don’t come with a card reader anymore (I know mine doesn’t), so finding other ways to get data off those little buggers is a must. Whether you need to pull data off your dashcam’s card or if it’s from your camera, this tiny Ugreen USB-C microSD reader will work just fine. This reader is tiny enough that you should probably put it on a keychain of some kind. If you’d rather a slightly more versatile version, Ugreen has a model that also works with SD cards and features both USB-C and USB-A connectors. Any of these will cost you less than $10, so they’re worthwhile investments. Editor’s note: This article was originally published on May 16, but was updated to include additional devices. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Access your data and personal digital media from anywhere Supremely easy setup OS and phone apps Cons Lacks many of the features of a mainstream NAS box Synology account required for setup Plex is great, but it’s your only choice in supported media servers Our Verdict The BeeStation Plus personal cloud (for streaming, storage, client backups, and more) is supremely easy to set up and use, and it lets you easily access your data and personal digital media from anywhere on the planet. But it lacks many of the features Synology’s–and its competitors’–more mainstream NAS boxes offer. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Synology BeeStation Plus (8TB) Retailer Price $409.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices Want your own personal OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud, or Google drive without the mega corporation or advanced network savvy that’s typically required? Perhaps you’re looking to set up a personal streamer for your massive collection of digital music and movies you’ve ripped from discs over the years. If you are, you should take a look at Synology’s BeeStation Plus, a NAS box that can operate as your own personal cloud and streaming service. The BeeStation Plus not only allows you to access your data and personal media from anywhere and on any compute-capable device–laptop, mobile phone, tablet, and so on–it’s exceptionally easy to set up. You don’t even need to add storage, there’s already an 8TB hard disk drive inside. The only possible issue is that Synology’s rigorous focus on simple-to-set-up-and-use means many of the features found in the company’s other NAS boxes are missing here. NAS aficionados–the acronym stands for Network Attached Storage, by the way–will care about that; the mainstream audience Synology is targeting with this product probably won’t. Specifications and features The 8TB Synology BeeStation Plus has USB-A and -C ports and a single gigabit ethernet port on its rear I/O panel.Jon Jacobi/Foundry As you might have guessed from my introduction, the BeeStation Plus is a simplified NAS box and media server. Stripping out some of the other features that NAS boxes are known for render it much easier to set up and use than more robust products that might interest hardcore users or the SMB crowd (allow me to spell out that acronym, too: it stands for Small to Medium-sized Businesses). the BeeStation Plus is certainly easier to set up than any other NAS box I’ve tested. So much so that it probably deserves its own classification. The box itself is a well-ventilated, rounded-corner, dark gray rectangle measuring 5.8 x 2.5 x 7.7 inches (HxWxD). It weighs in at just north of two pounds, with its mechanical hard drive no doubt accounting for most of that bulk. The front and sides are barren except for logos, while on the back there’s the power button, USB-A and -C ports, a reset pinhole, a gigabit ethernet port, and a power jack. There’s no video output, as some boxes have, so your only access to the files stored on the box is through Synology’s online portal and its local client apps, at least initially. You can enable SMB access to reach the unit locally via Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) as well as via a browser without routing through the portal after initial setup. (In this context, the acronym SMB stands for the protocol Server Message Block.) The BeeStation Plus will serve as a destination for macOS Time Machine backups (with a 4TB limit), and the local desktop client will sync folders to the BeeStation. There are also BeeFiles apps for backing up your Android and iOS devices. The BeeFiles app for iOS. Synology offers a full backup option in BeeProtect, an online storage service that costs $120 per year for up to 8TB ($60 for the 4TB BeeStation model). Those prices aren’t half bad given the amount of storage get, but there’s a 3-month free trial if you want to give it a test drive first. Synology pushes its BeeProtect online backup solution. Less obvious is the small text link below the BeeProtect ad that tells you that you can also back up to external storage, another NAS box, or Synology’s own C2 cloud storage service if you have an account. But only one is allowed; so without BeeProtect, you’ll need to improvise a third copy of your data. That makes this as good a time as any to remind you that this is single hard disk drive storage that must be backed up if there’s any irreplaceable data on it. While HDDs are far more reliable than they used to be, they’re still mechanical devices and far more prone to failure than SSDs. The BeeStation Plus supports up to eight users, and each one gets their own private storage area. At the moment, the only functionality beyond file storage and backup is media streaming via Plex media server (with a 4TB limit on media files). More on that in a bit. Note that when you attach external storage, it doesn’t show up until you utilize a function that requires it. The storage section of the interface didn’t show either of the USB SSDs I attached, though I could still use them for transfer functions and see them as USBShares in Windows Explorer and macOS Finder. The BeeStation desktop app will create a local folder that later syncs with the BeeStation’s internal storage, a la DropBox, OneDrive, Google Drive, and other services. Basically, this is for performance: Transfers across the local network will be relatively snappy without it, not so much across the internet The BeeStation Plus is NAS for people who don’t know, care about, or care to learn about NAS. Plug in its power cord and an ethernet cable, follow the prompts, and you’re good to go. Mostly. How easy is the BeeStation Plus to set up? The BeeStation Plus setup, while not the browse-to-a-local-URL (e.g., 192.168.1.101) approach I’m accustomed to, is by far the easiest I’ve encountered. At least for the basics. And by “easier-than,” I’m including personal cloud devices from industry stalwarts such as Seagate and Western Digital. No, the “personal cloud” pitch is not new. To get underway, you first surf to the Synology BeeStation Web portal. (There’s a QR code for mobile devices, although it just takes you to Synology’s website.) Next, you create an account, and then download the desktop app. You’ll need to be physically close to the BeeStation for a couple of steps, including the one below. Just one of the steps in the lengthy but largely idiot-proof BeeStation setup. One-time setup is rather tedious, but the wizard-like approach ensures that even the least experienced user can get the BeeStation Plus up and running. That said, I did find one step to be puzzling: With all of the focus on ease of use, why would Synology force you to tediously download and install the operating system? Just pre-load it at the factory and have it check for updates, guys. Anyway, setting up the Plex media server (for streaming movies, music, and photos) isn’t quite as easy as getting online and connecting. Mostly because it’s less-than-intuitively located under the heading “Integration” in the main web page. Perhaps it would be better to label this “Apps,” Synology? Also, as Plex is currently the only app available and intimately linked to the BeeStation Plus’ usefulness, why isn’t it pre-installed? The Plex media server is used to stream media. It requires its own account if you want to stream remotely. Tip: Use the BeeStation’s “Upload media files to Plex” function, which opens the browser-based BeeFiles at the correct location. If you try to add media within the Plex server, you’ll be confronted with a rather daunting list of Linux system folders that precede the folders you actually want. Assuming of course, you would actually know what those folders were. As mentioned above, if you want to use Windows Explorer/macOS Finder to manage files instead of a web browser or Synology’s desktop app, you’ll need to enable local access and SMB in the BeeStation web portal’s advanced settings. Why it’s disabled to begin with, I can’t say. The Local Account and SMB options must be enabled if you want to browse the BeeStation files using your operating system, or access the web browser interface without going through the portal. This image is the web browser interface via the Synology portal. I’m very accustomed to local SMB folder access, so I turned that on. But to be honest, I often found the web browser interface and BeeFiles easier to use. It supports drag-0and-drop file transfers and you don’t need to guess which folder is which. How easy is the BeeStation to use? While it’s not as dead easy as the initial setup, using the BeeStation is certainly easier than your run-of-the-mill NAS box, including handy dedicated functions for transferring your media from existing online services; specifically, those used by Android and iOS devices. That will cover most folks. I must say that iCloud support was a bit of a surprise. Apple is famous for denying access to third parties. The BeeStation Plus makes it easy for you to back up your Android or iOS photos. Viewing your media files, and even PDF and Office files, can be done via the web portal, right within the browser. It’s remarkably quick given a local network connection, which the BeeStation automatically uses if available. What NAS features are missing from the BeeStation Plus? What became obvious during my hands-on time is that the BeeStation Plus is either a software work-in-progress (should sales warrant it), or laser focused on being a personal cloud and nothing else. That’s admirable and great for the target audience, but there’s a lot missing that you could have in a perhaps less friendly, more traditional NAS box such as Synology’s own single-bay DS124. These are just a few of the apps available in Synology’s mainstream NAS boxes. Just some of the missing features are: Hybrid Backup/Sync (software that backs up remote computers without the need for local clients), security camera surveillance, virtualization (Docker and the like), BitTorrent, two-way sync, the HybridMount cloud storage manager, access to other network locations, and quite a lot more. Also missing is the ability to expand internal storage. Multi-bay NAS boxes allow you to add drives, and/or mirror them for increased safety and availability. All this makes a strong case for advanced users to go old-school. What’s this portal thing you’re rattling on about? Portals are remote servers that relay data from one location/URL to another. Basically, you log in to the portal with your data source device (e.g., the BeeStation Plus), which registers its existence, your ownership, and its internet location. Then, when you log on to the portal with your other devices and the appropriate client, the portal directs traffic to/from the data-serving device. Portals generally provide web interfaces that allow you to configure them, as well as manage the files on the server. The BeeStation Plus’ portal is top notch in both regards. The BeeStation web portal main page. The major upsides to portals are ease of setup and hassle-free access from anywhere (given internet freedom, which is not universal). You also needn’t unduly expose your server (the BeeStation) to the internet, as you would if you configured your router to forward ports to it. Said configuration can also be quite trepidatious for less experienced users. On the other hand, I can name at least two portals (Cisco NAS, and PogoPlug) that disappeared, rendering the products that relied on them far less useful. Additionally, your info is passing through someone else’s servers, which could potentially lead to data breaches. Companies can promise all the security and encryption in the world, but when all is said and done, if they decide they want to access your data, they can. That comment is not aimed at Synology in the slightest, I’ve had nothing but good experiences with the company. It’s simply inherent to the technology and it also applies to Microsoft, Google, Apple, and every other company in the modern connected world. How much does the BeeStation Plus cost? The 8TB BeeStation Plus retails for $409, which isn’t a ton more than Synology’s own single-bay DS124 when populated with an 8TB HDD (around $340 combined). There’s also a far more affordable 4TB BeeStation for $209 available if you think that will hold your movie, image, and music collections. As HDDs are available in up to 36TB these days, I’m a bit surprised there aren’t more capacious options. The BeeStation Plus is warrantied for three years, which includes the HDD as far as I can tell. How fast is the BeeStation Plus? The BeeStation’s gigabit ethernet and hard drive are more than fast enough for most file operations, as well as for streaming media. Indeed, the data rates required for multimedia delivery aren’t nearly as great as some might think. Even streamed 4K video is generally only several megabytes per second, depending on the codec. Blu-ray can be much higher, but that’s a different beast. Audio requires far less bandwidth, and images a relative trickle. The BeeStation Plus clocked in at around 115 megabytes per second reading, and 90- to 100MBps writing. That’s slightly below average for a gigabit box, but it’s still in the ballpark. Transfer speeds to and from a remote location will, of course, depend on your broadband connection. While not fantastic for a NAS with gigabit ethernet, these speeds are in the ballpark and more than adequate for streaming, file transfers, and client backups. AmorphousDiskMark was largely in agreement with Disk Speed test (shown above) when it came to transfers across my home 2.5Gbps network. An Apple Studio with an M4 Max and a 10Gbps ethernet port was at the other end. The Intel Celeron J4125 CPU made the web interface quite responsive. Indeed, I was pleasantly surprised at how quick the BeeStation Plus navigated, downloaded apps, and changed settings. The latter especially can be laggardly on NAS boxes. I had several people simultaneously test the Plex streaming and there were no issues. Admittedly, it was all 1080p video and music, and you might get fewer streams with 4K in play. But there were no complaints. In total, the BeeStation Plus will get the job done handily, although I wouldn’t complain if it had a 2.5Gbps ethernet port. Should you buy the BeeStation Plus? If you want an easy-to-set-up-and-use personal cloud for file access, media streaming and viewing both in your home and from afar, either the BeeStation Plus or the smaller-capacity BeeStation are fantastic options. Tech-savvy users who want more server-grade features will be better off with a straight-up NAS box that offers far greater capabilities, likely for a few less bucks. There’s also less chance that such a product could end up orphaned. Read...