These days, home security cameras have gotten increasingly affordable, making it easy to keep an eye on your home right from your phone no matter where you are. If you want to get in on the action without spending much at all, here’s a fantastic deal for you: the Tapo TP-Link C100 indoor security cam is a perfect entry-level option, and it’s even cheaper now with this 36% discount. Normally retailing for $24.99, you can now grab it for an astonishing $15.99. Designed for indoor home use, the C100 is such a versatile pick because it’s not only great for keeping an eye on your home while you’re out and about, but it can also be used to check in on a particular room even while you’re at home. Want to use it as a baby monitor? A pet monitor? A view into your garage or your foyer? Your imagination is the limit here. The C100’s camera is equipped with night vision capabilities and delivers high-definition 1080p video, which is impressive at this price. But it gets even better with features like motion detection notifications, letting you know when there’s activity (like someone sneaking a midnight snack), as well as two-way audio so you can chat with whoever’s in the room when you check in on your phone. The Tapo C100 supports up to a 512GB microSD card, meaning you can store lots of footage and keep it private. No need to worry about cloud security and whether a hacker could access your videos. You simply won’t find another indoor security camera with specs like this, at a price like this, from a brand like this. If you don’t have a home security cam yet, you should take advantage of this opportunity and get the Tapo TP-Link C100 for $15.99 while this deal’s still around! A 1080p cam with night vision and motion alerts for this cheap? Wow!Buy the Tapo TP-Link C100 on Amazon Read...

Chrome is the most popular browser in the world by a country mile. With more than 77% of the browser market across all kinds of devices, it’s most people’s first choice—especially after a fresh Windows install. But Chrome isn’t some privacy-centric upstart that puts the user first. Just like Google’s “free” search engine, Chrome’s users are the product. The browser collects a lot of information about how, when, and where it’s used, and that can make some people uneasy.If you’re in the nothing-to-hide, nothing-to-fear camp, feel free to mosey along and enjoy your browsing experience with Chrome (resource hog or not). But if you’d rather limit how much data Chrome, and by extension, Google, has on you, there are steps you can take.We don’t know everything Chrome gathers; Google keeps those details deliberately vague. But thanks to court filings, independent studies, and forensic testing from privacy researchers, we do have a clear picture of some of the data Chrome collects behind the scenes. Here’s what the evidence shows, and what you can do about it. Telemetry data: How you use the browser Disabling telemetry data in Chrome can help restore some privacy. Jon Martindale Just about every app collects data on how you use the app in question. It’s one of the best tools the developers have for figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and how they can improve the user experience based on the very real habits of its users. Chrome does much the same, but it’s certainly not something you have to be onboard with if you don’t want to. Chrome actually has a built-in tool for disabling at least a portion of its telemetry recording. In the Chrome browser, select the three-dot menu icon in the top-right, then Settings > You and Google and look for Help improve Chrome’s features and performance. Toggle it off. To further restrict how Google tracks you across sites and services, you can logout of the browser and change Chrome’s sign-in habits. Navigate to Settings > You and Google and consider some of the available options. Select the Sign out of Chrome button to log out. You can also use the drop-down menu on the right to decide what happens when you sign in to other Google services. You don’t have to sign in to Chrome just to take advantage of your YouTube Premium account. Your browsing history: The websites you visit Reduce unwanted tracking by changing Chrome’s settings on web searches.Jon Martindale Unsurprisingly, Google’s Chrome web browser knows the websites you visit while using it. It’s been caught out collecting even in incognito mode in the past and had to settle a lawsuit just a few years ago, deleting enormous reams of data on user browser activity that it collected, even when it wasn’t supposed to. Although we probably can’t trust Google to entirely disregard what you’re looking at in Chrome, you can at least tell it not to track some of it. Using incognito mode is a good start, but you can also adjust Chrome’s settings to reduce the chance it’s tracking which websites you visit. Navigate to Settings > You and Google and next to Make searches and browsing better make sure to toggle that option to Off. For good measure, also turn off Enhanced spell check, as that sends what you’re typing to Google. It’ll stop the spellchecker working, but it’s a small price to pay for enhancing your privacy (at least a little). You might also want to navigate to Settings > You and Google > Sync and Google services, and toggle off Improve search suggestions so that you only send your searches to whatever search engine you’re using, not also to your default one (which is probably Google). If you don’t mind reducing your security a little, you can also navigate to Settings > Privacy and security > Security and make sure that under Safe browser, you select No protection. Any other option sends at least a portion of the URL you’re visiting and the page content to Google to check if it’s safe or not. Also toggle off Help improve security on the web for everyone for similar reasons. Alternatively, if you want to improve your protection, the AI enhanced safe browsing feature is interesting. Your purchasing habits and advert effectiveness Reducing the amount of personalized ads through Chrome can help reduce another layer of data collection. Jon Martindale Google makes the majority of its money from advert sales, which is why it wants to collect so much data on its users in the first place: to better target ads at them. Although you can’t stop Google sharing some information with advertisers, you can reduce the amount the adverts that do reach you that are personalized. Select the three-dot menu icon and navigate to Settings > Privacy and security. Select Ads privacy followed by each of the tree options in turn: Ad topics, Site-suggested ads, and Ads measurement. Toggle all of them to off to restrict the data Chrome shares with advertisers. Alternatively, you can sack off all the adverts altogether by using an adblocker. Popular options include Ublock Origin and Ghostery and they’re simple to install – they’re some of my favorite Chrome extensions, in fact. You may need to chop and change which one you use on occasion, though, as Google and Chrome updates regularly break certain functions of one blocker or another. It’s an ongoing cat and mouse game. Extra tips worth considering Alongside advertisers, Chrome also helps others collect data on you and your browsing habits too. Using anti-tracker and advert blocking extensions and apps is the best way to block them out, but you can also use Chrome to make it more difficult for them as well. Navigate to Settings > Privacy and security > Third Party Cookies. Toggle on the Block third-party cookies off to cut down on what other sites and services can track about you, though certain site features may not work correctly. Navigate to Settings > Privacy and security > Third Party Cookies and toggle Send a ‘Do not Track’ request with your browsing traffic, to On. There’s no guarantee a site will listen to it, but if they do, it’s there at least. Settings > Privacy and security > Delete browsing data. You can do this manually to remove any browsing data Chrome has collected on you, but you can also have it do it automatically after you close the browser, or on a trigger of your setting. It won’t stop Chrome collecting any data, but it will make sure there’s no record of it on your local machine. Using another browser The ultimate way to stop Google collecting so much data about you via Chrome, is to simply not use Chrome. I know that’s a tricky proposition when it’s so often the default browser option and much of the internet is built with Chrome in mind. However, that’s not as strictly true as it might seem and you don’t even need to ditch the style of browser you’ve grown used to in moving over. Chrome is based on the Chromium open source project but it’s not the only one. It’s the underlying core of Opera, Microsoft’s Edge, Vivaldi, and the Brave Browser. Any of them will feel quite similar to Chrome, even if they don’t work in quite the same way. There’s also the venerable Firefox, which privacy proponents tend to be quite fond of. There’s also Colibri for a very minimalist browser experience, or Maxthon, which makes bold claims about its lack of user tracking. Give one of them a try. You might find you like it. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Crystal-clear motion clarity Attractive and functional design Excellent image quality Solid HDR performance Broad Adaptive Sync support Cons Only 1440p resolution No USB-C Our Verdict The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG serves up a 500Hz OLED panel with great image quality, solid HDR, and gobs of features. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG 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 Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG is one of two new 500Hz QD-OLED monitors that were launched in close succession (the other being Samsung’s Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF). An OLED monitor capable of 500Hz was a dream a decade ago, but now it’s a reality, and the results are spectacular. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best gaming monitors for comparison. Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG specs and features The headliner here is obviously the refresh rate, which can hit a maximum of 500Hz. That’s an incredibly high refresh rate for any monitor, and a new height for OLED—though a few other companies, like Samsung, also offer a 500Hz OLED display. Display size: 26.5-inch 16:9 aspect ratio Native resolution: 2560×1440 Panel type: Samsung QD-OLED Refresh rate: 500Hz Adaptive sync: Yes, Adaptive Sync / AMD FreeSync Premium Pro / Nvidia G-Sync Compatible HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 500 True Black Ports: DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio jack, 1x USB-B 3.2 Gen 1 upstream, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 downstream Audio: None Additional features: Tripod mount, Aura Sync lighting, Neo Proximity Sensor Price: $899.99 MSRP Refresh rate aside, the ROG Strix XG27AQDPG is tightly focused on gaming. It has a wide range of adaptive sync support and is VESA DisplayHDR 500 True Black certified. The monitor has an MSRP of $899.99 and is selling at MSRP as of early October 2025. That makes it a hair more expensive than Samsung’s competitor, the Odyssey OLED G6, which is $850. Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG design The ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQDPG looks identical to the more recent ROG Strix XG27AQDMG. It has a stealthy yet aggressive matte-black look with slim bezels around the panel and a small, red LED Asus ROG logo on the chin. Turn it around and you’ll also find an RGB-LED Asus ROG logo. It’s not as bright as the RGB-LED lighting on the back of the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF (and some other competitors). On the other hand, the lighting can be controlled and coordinate with other Asus devices using Asus’ Aura Sync, which is a solid software utility for managing RGB-LED customization. Matthew Smith / Foundry A compact square stand keeps the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG planted on a desktop. Asus used to insist on huge, tripod-style stands, but has recently changed course. As a result, the monitor doesn’t take up much desk space. The stand also provides ergonomic adjustment for height, tilt, and swivel. It can also pivot 90 degrees into portrait orientation. One unique feature found on the stand is a 1/4-inch tripod mount. It’s included for mounting camera gear, such as a camera or light above the monitor. Though targeted at live streams, it could also be useful for anyone who regularly joins video calls. This is a feature you won’t find on competitive monitors. Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG connectivity There’s something else you won’t find on the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG: USB-C. It’s sadly absent, which means the monitor won’t easily connect to some modern laptops that only offer USB-C ports for video-out. USB-A connectivity is limited, as well. There are just two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 downstream ports, which are driven by a USB-B upstream port. That’s enough to connect a wired keyboard and mouse, but not much else. A 3.5mm audio jack, used for audio pass-through, rounds out the connectivity options. Video connectivity is provided by two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 port, all of which can drive the monitor’s 2,560 x 1,440 resolution at its maximum refresh rate of 500Hz. The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG’s connectivity is limited for a $900 monitor, but it’s not unusual in the gaming space. Samsung’s Odyssey G6 G60SF has a similar array of ports. Alienware monitors are also sticking to minimalist connectivity in 2025. Shoppers who want USB-C with Power Delivery should consider monitors like the MSI MPG 272URX. Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG menus and audio Asus provides a long list of image quality customization with the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG. It includes color temperature and gamma settings that target specific values, a long list of image quality presets, and six-axis color calibration, among other features. The monitor also tosses in features that target gamers. It has an “AI crosshair” that changes color dynamically to enhance visibility. There are also two “aspect ratio control” modes. One restricts the viewable area to a 4:3 display, which may be useful for playing older games; the other restricts the viewable area to a 24.5-inch 16:9 aspect ratio, which is popular among competitive gamers. The menus are easy to navigate with a joystick centered on the monitor’s chin. Asus’ menus are responsive and menu options are well-labeled. Competitors like Alienware and Samsung are on a similar level, but Asus’ menu is a step up from brands like Gigabyte and AOC. Matthew Smith / Foundry You can also control the monitor through a software utility called DisplayWidget. It can be used to control most monitor features and can also be used to update the monitor’s firmware. DisplayWidget is available for Windows 10, Windows 11, and MacOS. The XG27AQDPG includes a Neo Proximity sensor that is meant to reduce the burn-in problems that can occur on OLED screens. When on, it will detect whether you’re near the display and turn the monitor’s screen off if you’re not (after a user-selected timeout period of 5 to 15 minutes). I can’t say whether this is truly effective at combating burn-in, as I only used the monitor for a couple weeks, which isn’t enough time to cause burn-in. Still, it makes sense in theory. Speakers are nowhere to be found. That’s typical for a gaming monitor, as most brands assume gamers will want to use a headset or desktop speakers for a better audio experience. Gamers who want great built-in audio should consider the LG Ultragear 32GS95UE, which has powerful “pixel sound” audio. It’s a more expensive 32-inch OLED monitor, though, and not a direct competitor to the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG. Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG SDR image quality The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG is yet another QD-OLED display, albeit one that can reach a refresh rate of 500Hz. The increased refresh rate does little to dampen the panel’s excellent SDR image quality. Matthew Smith / Foundry First up is brightness, and here the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG pulls ahead of the pack. Most OLED monitors land around 240 to 270 nits, but the XG27AQDPG manages to sneak above 300 nits. I don’t think the gain is enough to be plainly obvious, but it does help the monitor provide usable brightness in a more brightly lit room. Every bit of brightness helps if you’re trying to use the monitor near sunlit windows. While the added brightness is excellent, the XG27AQDPG uses a glossy finish, and glare can still be an issue even at maximum brightness. Samsung’s Odyssey G6 G60SF has a “glare-free” finish if you’d like to go that route. Matthew Smith / Foundry Next up is contrast where, as usual, there’s not much to say. OLED panels all provide an effectively infinite contrast ratio because they achieve a perfect minimum luminance of zero nits. As a result, OLED panels deliver an outstanding sense of immersion in high-contrast scenes and can also render very dark scenes with convincing and realistic black levels. The XG27AQDPG’s contrast ratio is a major advantage over LCD displays, but it’s not an advantage over other OLED panels. Matthew Smith / Foundry The XG27AQDPG has a very wide color gamut that spans 100 percent of sRGB, 98 percent of DCI-P3, and 94 percent of AdobeRGB. This is an excellent result that ranks among the widest color gamuts available from a monitor. However, this is another area where the XG27AQDPG doesn’t stand out from most competitors, as most also provide a wide color gamut. Still, the XG27AQDPG does have a small edge against monitors like the LG Ultragear 27XG790A-B, which has an LG WOLED panel. Matthew Smith / Foundry Color accuracy is a strength for the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG. It has the second-lowest color error of the monitors used for comparison and scores well by any standard. The image looks realistic and errors in color accuracy are difficult to notice even in close comparison with other monitors. That’s good news if you want to use the monitor for photo editing, videography, digital art, or other tasks where color accuracy is important. The monitor’s gamma and color temperature results were a mix. On the plus side, the monitor scored a default gamma result of 2.2, and every gamma setting available is highly accurate. The XG27AQDPG has an edge here, as many OLED monitors have a gamma curve that skews too dark. However, the XG27AQDPG was also warmer than it should be with a color temperature of 6100K, off the target of 6500K. That means the image can have a slightly reddish tinge. Sharpness is a weak point. The 2560×1440 panel has a pixel density of about 110 pixels per inch. That’s not bad, but it’s a lot lower than a 4K panel, which packs 163 pixels per inch. The image on the XG27AQDPG is softer than a 4K competitor. Personally, I find this less noticeable in games, but it stands out when viewing 4K video content and using the Windows desktop. The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG’s overall SDR image quality is excellent, though I’m not sure it’s a reason to buy it over another QD-OLED monitor. The differences are often subtle and hard to notice in the real world. Still, the XG27AQDPG posts above-average results overall. It scores very well in color accuracy and brightness. The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG is a good choice for photo editing, videography, digital art, or other tasks where color accuracy is important. Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG HDR image quality The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG is VESA DisplayHDR 500 True Black certified. Virtually all OLED monitors have VESA DisplayHDR certification, but most have the less demanding DisplayHDR 400 True Black certification. The XG27AQDPG’s higher level of certification suggests it should be brighter than most competitors, and that turns out to be true. Matthew Smith / Foundry I measured a maximum peak brightness of 953 nits when a small portion of the display was lit. As the graph shows, that’s a great result, though a few competitors offer comparable performance. The XG27AQDPG also did well when half the display, or the entire display, was asked to display a sheer white HDR image. That’s not to say it’s perfect. OLED struggles most when asked to produce bright scenes that stretch across the entire display, and the XG27AQDPG is not an exception. Still, the XG27AQDPG performs well overall. Subjectively, it makes for a great HDR experience. Bright highlights, like a flash of lightning, pop with brilliance. And scenes that have a bright gradient, such as a sunrise or sunset, show good detail in HDR highlights. We’re not at premium HDTV levels yet, but it’s good for a monitor, and also good enough to make HDR content worth viewing. The XG27AQDPG also provides several HDR brightness modes. Some prioritize accuracy, while others prioritize brightness. I tested the monitor in the ConsoleHDR mode with dynamic brightness on. The monitor also has an HDR brightness adjustment. This is not typical, as HDR content is typically given control of brightness. This manual adjustment can override HDR content brightness to let you tone it down. That’s useful, as HDR content can sometimes feel overly bright on a monitor. Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG motion performance The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG has me seriously contemplating whether motion clarity is now more-or-less a solved problem. Pairing a 500Hz refresh rate with OLED’s lightning-fast pixel response times makes for a truly outstanding experience. Scrolling test images from DOTA 2, for example, show that virtually all details of the game are preserved in motion. I could easily make out the names above characters and even the individual ticks in HP bars. Scrolling text is equally crisp. That’s not just handy in games, but also in Word documents and PDFs, where text remains readable as you scroll through a document. Let me be clear: 500Hz on OLED is a big deal. Seeing it for the first time is at least as impressive as seeing the first 120Hz LCD displays after years of 60Hz panels. It’s a night-and-day difference that’s readily apparent not only when compared to a 60Hz panel, but also when compared to a 240Hz or 360Hz panel. It’s not obviously better than last year’s 480Hz OLED displays, but those were already close to perfection, and I’m sure the extra 20Hz doesn’t hurt. While the XG27AQDPG’s motion clarity is gob-smacking, it’s important to remember that competitive monitors with the same 500Hz QD-OLED panel, like the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF, will offer identical motion clarity. But Asus does have a trick up its sleeve: Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB). This is a backlight mode that effectively inserts blank, black frames between existing frames. Due to the quirks of human persistence of vision, this reduces apparent motion blur. ELMB is only available at a refresh rate of 120Hz or 240Hz, which might seem odd, but it’s still handy. Many games can’t actually achieve a frame rate of 500 FPS, in which case the XG27AQDPG won’t look any different from an OLED monitor with a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz. ELMB provides a way to boost clarity even at more modest frame rates. The catch is brightness. Adding a blank, black frame every other frame halves the brightness shown. That will be a problem in bright rooms, but it’s not an issue in dim settings. I found that with ELMB on, the XG27AQDPG was just barely bright enough to comfortably view in my office, which has two large windows that face away from the sun. Most competitors don’t have a feature like ELMB, and those that do often don’t work quite as well. This gives Asus a motion clarity edge when playing games at 120Hz or 240Hz. Should you buy the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG? The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG is a titan of motion clarity. It looks crystal clear at 500Hz and also has ELMB, which enhances motion clarity at 120Hz and 240Hz. That alone would be noteworthy. But what really makes the XG27AQDPG worth your money is the lack of compromise. The only significant issue is the monitor’s 2560×1440 resolution, which definitely isn’t as crisp as 4K. But 1440p still isn’t bad, and in some cases can be preferred for high-refresh gaming, as it’s less demanding on a video card than 4K. Toss in great color accuracy, bright HDR, and functional design, and the XG27AQDPG has everything covered. Compared to Samsung’s Odyssey G6 G60SF, I think Asus and Samsung are close to tied. Asus provides some extra features like ELMB, but the Samsung is $50 less expensive. Samsung also uses a matte display finish, while Asus opts for glossy. Don’t get me wrong: a 4K QD-OLED with a refresh rate of 240Hz is still the better choice for most people. But if you’re more concerned about clarity in motion than at a standstill, well, the XG27AQDPG will make you very happy. Read...

Antivirus programs are comprehensive packages that not only detect and block virus types, but often also include functions to protect against phishing and ransomware as well as other features such as a VPN or a password manager. To do this, they require a lot of RAM, which other applications then lack. The most time-consuming part is of course the monitoring of ongoing file actions. When starting and installing programs, the antivirus software monitors all executable files as well as the documents that are subsequently loaded. This ties up both memory and CPU resources. On current PCs with modern multi-core processors and 32GB RAM, this hardly plays a role. With older models, however, it is often clearly noticeable that the virus protection slows down the computer. In this article, you will find a number of tips that you can use to speed up your antivirus software or reduce its impact on the performance of your computer — especially Microsoft Defender. Microsoft Defender has a special status Last year, in a test of antivirus software, we specifically scrutinized its effects on the speed of file actions such as copying and compressing as well as actions on the internet. The assumption at the time was that Microsoft Defender would hardly have any influence on these tasks, as it accesses files that are loaded by the operating system anyway. But the opposite was the case. The Defender even proved to be particularly resource-hungry and ended up in penultimate place in the list of 15 test candidates. We have therefore compiled several tips specifically for Defender in this article. On older, somewhat slower computers, we recommend switching to the resource-saving, free programmes from Avast or AVG or to the test winner Eset Internet Security, which has since been renamed Eset Home Security Essential. Improve the hardware base: Upgrade to an SSD An antivirus program, like any program and Windows itself, benefits from powerful hardware. The speed of virus scans can be significantly increased by moving your system drive from a hard drive to an SSD. Models with a PCIe interface and NVMe protocol are preferable. However, SATA SSDs also have clear advantages over hard drives in terms of speed. Further reading: Best SSDs: From SATA to PCIe 5.0, from budget to premium Another recommended measure is to expand the RAM. a PC today should have at least 16GB of RAM. If you want to be on the safe side, increase to 32GB. In this way, the antivirus engine can be kept completely in the fast RAM and Windows does not have to reload any modules. Quick scan instead of a full scan The recommended scan method for everyday use is the quick scan. You should only run a full scan after reinstalling the antivirus software.PCWorld All antivirus software regularly scans the PC for malware; these scans run invisibly in the background. These are usually quick scans that only include folders that are the preferred targets of malware, such as the Windows folders required for system startup or the registry folders. Removable storage devices such as USB drives are also scanned during a quick scan, as are the active processes, the RAM, and the files in the user profiles. In addition, every antivirus program also offers a full scan. It scans all files in all folders on the hard drive. This process can take several hours. If new virus definitions are loaded during this time, the scan even has to start again from the beginning. You normally have to start a full scan manually. However, you should only use this scan method if you have reinstalled an antivirus programme. Otherwise, a quick scan in conjunction with the real-time scan of the antivirus programmes offers sufficient protection against malware. Microsoft Defender: Quick scan weekly Just like other antivirus programs, Defender also performs regular quick scans (see the box “No daily quick scan with Defender”). You can also set the program to start a scan every week on a specific day and at a specified time. This allows you to select a time for the quick scans when your PC is normally idle. To specify the execution of the Defender’s quick scans, you need the task scheduler, where the Defender already has an entry that you need to adjust.Foundry To do this, proceed as follows: Type tasks into the search window of the taskbar and click on the hit “Task Scheduler.” Click on the small arrow in front of “Task Scheduler Library” and then on “Microsoft > Windows.” Scroll down the folder list and select “Windows Defender.” In the top window of the middle column of the task scheduler, move the tab under “Name” to the right so that the full names are visible and double-click on “Windows Defender Scheduled Scan.” In the “Windows Defender Scheduled Scan Properties” window, open the “Triggers” tab and click on “New.” In the next window, select “Weekly,” set the desired day of the week and time to run the quick scan and close the window by clicking “OK.” Use the “Trigger” tab to set the day and time for the Defender scans in the task scheduler.Foundry Switch to the “Actions” tab, click on “New” and first make sure that the “Start program” option is set next to “Action.” Click on “Browse” under “Program/Script” and select the file “C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe.” Enter -scan -scantype 1 in the “Add arguments” field. This will ensure that the Defender performs a quick scan. Then close all task scheduling windows with “OK.” With other antivirus programs, you can normally set directly in the software that they should only perform a scan on a certain day of the week. In the “Actions” tab, tell the task scheduler which program it should start with which parameters.Foundry No daily quick scan with Defender By default, Defender does not perform daily virus scans for performance reasons, but only starts these scans when necessary, at the latest after one week. However, a number of prerequisites must be met for this: The previous quick scan took place after the last Security Intelligence update was installed. These updates contain, among other things, updated virus definitions. Defender downloads them from the cloud at regular intervals. Real-time protection has not been deactivated since the last quick scan. The computer has been restarted. Reduce the scan volume: Exclude file types Another way to speed up an antivirus program is to reduce the number of files it scans. You can achieve this in two ways: Either you exclude certain file types from the scan or you clean up your computer thoroughly and delete large files in particular. In most cases, malware attacks executable files such as EXE, COM, JAR, PIF, SCR, or BAT files, but also office documents with macros in DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, DOT and XLT formats, PDF files, archive files with the extensions ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, ARJ, CAB, LHA, and LZH, script and control files (VBS, JS, CMD) as well as installation packages in the formats MSI (Windows), APK (Android), and DMG (Mac OS). There are also system files (SYS and OCX) and some other formats such as RTF, XML, and SWF. These file types should therefore always be included in the antivirus program’s scans. Other files, such as the large collection of graphics and sound files, can be ignored without running any great risk. However, this may significantly shorten the scan times of the software. Every antivirus package offers the option of excluding certain file types. Often some are already excluded. In Defender, click on “Virus and threat protection,” go to “Manage settings” under “Virus and threat protection settings,” scroll down and click on “Add or remove exclusions.” Click on “Add exclusion,” select “File type,” enter the file extension, e.g. BMP, and click on “Add.” You can also exclude individual files or entire folders from the scans. In Defender, this is done via the same menu that you use to define the file types for a scan. Installing applications on Dev-Drive Since version 11 23H2, Windows offers the option of setting up developer drives, or dev drives for short. These drives are formatted with the ReFS file system, which offers high access speed, especially for large volumes of data. The Defender also works on dev drives with an asynchronous virus scan. Instead of checking a file for viruses before it is opened, as in normal operation, the scan in this mode only takes place after the file has been loaded, which speeds up the start and execution of applications. However, this speed advantage comes at the expense of security. It is best to create a virtual hard drive for your dev drive. It consists of a single, large file that behaves like a separate partition. Foundry Dev drives must first be formatted. Please note that these drives must be at least 50GB in size. As the ReFS file system is not bootable, you cannot use a dev drive as a system drive. To create a dev drive, open the “Settings” in the Start menu and click on “System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Disks and volumes > Create dev drive.” In most cases, the easiest way is to create a virtual hard disk (VHD), which then holds the dev drive. Therefore, click on “Create new VHD.” In the following window, give the hard disk a name, specify a storage location (this can be a folder or subfolder) and define the size. A dev drive must contain at least 50GB. You can leave all other settings as they are. Then click on “Create.” Windows offers the option of creating special partitions with higher performance but a lower security level. These dev drives can then accommodate any applications.Foundry Now check whether the dev drive protection is already active. Click on the “Windows Security” icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the taskbar, select “Virus and threat protection,” scroll to “Virus and threat protection settings,” and click on “Manage settings.” In the following window, the switch for “Dev Drive Protection” should be set to “On.” After clicking on “Show volumes,” your newly created dev drive should appear in the overview. This drive will also appear in Explorer with its own drive letter. Microsoft has designed the dev drives for software developers who can save and test their projects on them without Defender protection constantly interfering. However, you can also use these drives for other applications that require high performance. Read...

Eleanor the Great features that 96-year-old force of nature, June Squibb, but all the heavy lifting is being done by Scarlett Johansson in her directorial debut. Read...

TNT’s long run as an NBA broadcaster has ended, ushering in a new era of media rights that will reshape how fans watch the league. Starting with the 2025–26 season, the NBA’s national package is split among three partners: Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBC/Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video. That means cord-cutters still have plenty of options to watch marquee games, but keeping track of which platform carries which contest will take more effort than in the past. NBC/Peacock will present up to 100 regular-season games, highlighted by Tuesday night regional doubleheaders and a new Sunday-night showcase launching in January. Every game NBC airs will also stream live on Peacock, which will add its own exclusive Monday night games to the schedule. Amazon Prime Video has carved out a complementary package that includes 66 regular-season games, every Play-In Tournament matchup, select first- and second-round playoff games, and in certain years a share of the Conference Finals. Prime Video also holds exclusive rights to the Emirates NBA Cup knockout rounds, adding extra weight to its midseason coverage. Regional sports networks (RSNs) remain the toughest piece of the puzzle. These local channels still carry the majority of NBA games, yet many—such as Fox Sports, NBC Sports RSNs, YES Network, and Marquee Sports Network—are absent from the most popular streaming services due to unresolved carriage disputes. RSNs are even more important now with the Emirates NBA Cup, the league’s midseason tournament. Group play begins October 31 and the knockout rounds wrap up on December 16, with most games still shown on each team’s local network alongside selected national broadcasts. Whether you want to chase the Cup or simply follow your home team, the best approach is to find a service that carries your RSN and pair it with one of the national platforms. A handful of teams still have over-the-air arrangements, but those are increasingly rare. Here’s a guide to all your 2025–26 options when the season tips off on October 21. Over the air The Televes Bexia is a high-performance indoor TV antenna suited for homes in areas with strong- to medium-powered broadcast TV signals. In our tests, it was comparable to the best indoor antennas we’ve tested, including the Winegard Flatwave Amped.Martyn Williams/Foundry The good news is you can access ABC for free if you have an over-the-air TV antenna (you’ll find our top antenna picks here) and are within the radius of your local ABC affiliate’s broadcast tower. The bad news is the network is scheduled to air only about two dozen of this year’s nationally televised games. These, however, include some of the league’s marquee matchups, including five Christmas Day games. You can watch the remaining games with some combination of the following services. Streaming service options Sling TV Sling TV remains a flexible option for catching nationally televised NBA games. The Orange plan costs $45.99/month and includes ESPN and ESPN2, with NBA TV available through the Sports Extra add-on for $11. New subscribers often get the first month at a discounted rate (around ~$23). Sling has also rolled out a $4.99 Day Pass, which provides 24-hour access to its Orange channels, and you can add Sports Extra to that pass as well. DirectTV Stream You can get ESPN, ESPN2, and and NBA TV via DirectTV Stream‘s Choice plan for $89.99 per month. RSN availability varies by location, so you’ll need to enter your ZIP code during signup to see exactly which regional networks (if any) your package will carry. DirecTV Stream also includes your local NBC affiliate in most markets, so you’ll be able to catch NBC’s share of national NBA broadcasts, such as Tuesday doubleheaders and the Sunday-night showcase. But, as with other live TV services, you’ll still need a separate Peacock subscription to stream Peacock-exclusive Monday night games. Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV Both Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV give you access to ABC and ESPN/ESPN2 for a flat fee, but only YouTube TV offers NBA TV, giving it the edge for hoop heads. Hulu + Live TV costs $82.99 a month with ads or $95.99 a month with the No Ads plan (live broadcasts still carry commercials either way) and includes Hulu’s on-demand library, Disney+, and ESPN Select. YouTube TV charges $82.99 a month, discounted to $49.99 a month for the first two months. Both services carry your local NBC affiliate in most markets, which means you’ll be able to watch NBC’s slate of national NBA broadcasts, including Tuesday doubleheaders and the new Sunday-night showcase. However, you’ll need a separate subscription to catch Peacock-exclusive Monday night games. With just the one base channel package for each of these services, you don’t get the customizability of Sling TV or DirecTV Stream, so keep that in mind if you plan to use your subscription beyond basketball season. YouTube TV uses a small number of menu sections to make navigation easier.Martyn Williams/Foundry FuboTV FuboTV offers ABC and ESPN in its $79.99-per-month Pro package, and you get $20 off the first month. This package also includes the regional sports networks NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California, which is great news if you’re a fan of the Kings, Warriors, Lakers, or Clippers. You can add NBA TV by purchasing the Sports Lite add-on for an additional $9.99 a month. FuboTV also carries local NBC affiliates in most markets, so you’ll be able to see NBC’s Tuesday night doubleheaders and Sunday-night showcase games. But as with other services, Peacock-exclusive Monday night games aren’t included. Fubo appeals to sports fans, and it includes NBA TV.Martyn Williams/Foundry Peacock Peacock is now a must-have for NBA fans under the league’s new media rights deal. A subscription costs $10.99 a month for the Premium plan or $16.99 a month for Premium Plus (with lighter ads and extra features). Peacock streams every NBA game that airs on NBC; plus, a package of exclusive Monday-night games. It will also carry NBC’s Tuesday night doubleheaders and the new Sunday-night showcase beginning in January, making it the only standalone service that delivers such a large share of the national schedule. ESPN ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service launched this past summer, giving fans their first chance to watch the network’s full slate of games without a cable or live TV bundle. The service offers two tiers: Select, at $11.99 a month (or $119.99 a year) folds in the former ESPN+ library; Unlimited, at $29.99 a month (or $299.99 a year), adds live access to ESPN’s full lineup of channels along with ESPN on ABC broadcasts. Existing ESPN+ subscribers were migrated to the Select tier automatically. A launch bundle also offers Unlimited with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99 a month for the first year. For NBA fans, that means every ESPN-televised game is now available as a standalone streaming option. Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video has also become a central player in the NBA’s new media landscape. A subscription to Amazon Prime, which includes Prime Video, costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year (Prime Video by itself is available for $8.99 a month). Under its 11-year agreement with the NBA, Prime Video will stream 66 regular-season games, including marquee Friday-night matchups and, beginning in January, Thursday-night doubleheaders once the NFL season wraps. It also holds exclusive rights to all Play-In Tournament games, the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup, and selected first- and second-round playoff contests, as well as a rotating share of the Conference Finals. NBA League Pass If you’re truly hardcore for the hardwood, you should consider a subscription to NBA League Pass, the league’s official streaming service. For $109.99 a year or $16.99 per month, you can watch every live out-of-market game that isn’t being broadcast nationally on one of the four networks we’ve mentioned. A League Pass subscription allows you to watch every game feed (home, away, mobile view, plus additional languages and camera angles) on your TV, computer, tablet, and smartphone. Games are available three hours after completion in the video archives. You also get anytime access to a curated selection of “classic” games. For $159.99 a year or $24.99 per month, you can upgrade to NBA League Pass Premium, which enables you to stream a game on three devices at once and watch all games commercial free. With an NBA League Pass subscription, you can stream live out-of-market games to your TV, computer, or mobile device.Martyn Williams/Foundry NBA Team Pass That’s a big investment if you only want to follow your favorite team. NBA Team Pass is a less-expensive alternative. For $89.99 a year, you get access to all your squad’s local broadcasts for both home and away games. The rub is that NBA blackout rules still apply. If you live in your team’s “home” market—a Warriors fan residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, for example—you still won’t be able to watch their games even with a Team Pass subscription (this goes for League Pass as well). Your team’s home market, however, isn’t necessarily defined by your town’s city limits. In the NBA’s own words, the league determines blackout zones “using zip code (if watching via a satellite television provider), a combination of zip code and cable system distribution territory (if watching via a cable television provider), or by the IP address associated with your internet connection or your mobile device’s GPS coordinates.” That means this isn’t a cord-cutting option for everyone. You can see which teams are not available in your area in the blackout section on this page when you choose your subscription. NBA streaming is still 50-50 ball Streaming live NBA games continues to be a mixed bag for cord-cutters. The availability of national broadcasts through streaming services gives you a courtside seat for some of the biggest matchups of the season. But local fanbases who want to follow their team continue to be left on the bench, for the most part. Until streaming options for regional sports networks become more widely available, you might want to dust off your radio. Read...

Who said gaming laptops need to be expensive? If you know what to look for, and if you’re patient for a good deal, you can score a reasonably powerful beast at a great price! This Lenovo LOQ gaming laptop is a good example now that it’s on sale for just $839.99 at Best Buy with a $260 discount, slashed down from its original $1,099.99. This Lenovo LOQ 15IRX10 has a solid configuration that’s more than capable of current-gen PC gaming, let alone your day-to-day needs between Windows 11, work apps, media streaming, and more. The 15.6-inch IPS display is beautiful, the 1920×1080 resolution crisp, the 144Hz refresh rate speedy, and the RTX 5050 card powerful enough to bedazzle you with smooth, lush visuals. This is a great price to pay for access to Nvidia’s latest DLSS 4 features like multi-frame generation. Under the hood, it chugs along thanks to its 13th-gen Intel Core i5-13450HX processor, 16GB of fast DDR5 RAM, and decent 512GB SSD for storage. (You’ll want an external drive or two if you have lots of games and/or videos to store, but you’ll fortunately be able to afford them thanks to the excellent price drop on this machine.) I also appreciate the HDMI port, USB-C video port, triple USB-A 3.2 ports, and 3.5mm audio. It’s a bit chunky at 0.94 inches thick and 5.06 pounds heavy, and it has unimpressive battery life up to about 7 hours per the manufacturer, so it ain’t the most portable thing. But for gaming at home with the option to occasionally take it on the go, it’s not bad. All in all, the Lenovo LOQ 15IRX10 is an affordable gaming laptop option if you want to experience the newness of an RTX 50-series card, and now’s a good time to snag it with it being on sale for just $839.99 at Best Buy! Grab it before this deal vanishes into thin air. This affordable RTX 5050 gaming laptop just got even cheaperBuy the Lenovo LOQ 15IRX10 via Best Buy Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Attractive and luxurious design Built-in kickstand and magnetic display cover Extremely slim and light Very wide color gamut and great color accuracy Excellent sharpness from 14-inch 2560×1600 display Cons IPS Black display panel can’t match OLED’s contrast Only offers USB-C input; no HDMI No Adaptive Sync Our Verdict The HP Series 5 Pro 514pn is a portable monitor that places its focus on attractive yet functional design. That gives it an edge over most competitors, though the image quality of its IPS-LCD display can’t match OLED alternatives. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: HP Series 5 Pro 514pn Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The most inexpensive portable monitors can be had for less than $100, and while they have limitations, they more or less do the job. That can make more expensive portable monitors, like the HP Series 5 Pro 514pn, feel hard to justify. But HP makes a convincing argument for the higher price tag with the monitor’s attractive, lightweight design and superior image quality. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best portable monitors for comparison. HP Series 5 Pro 514pn specs and features The HP Series 5 Pro 514pn’s technical specifications are a bit unusual for a portable monitor. It has a 14-inch display (technically 14.3 inches), but the resolution is 2560×1600 rather than 1080p. And the display panel is IPS Black with Neo:LED rather than standard IPS or (more rarely) VA, a pair of older technologies. This will become important when I test the portable monitor’s image quality. Display size: 14.3-inch 16:10 aspect ratio Native resolution: 2560×1600 Panel type: IPS Black with Neo:LED Refresh rate: 75Hz Adaptive Sync: None HDR: None Ports: 2x USB Type-C with Power Delivery and power pass-through Audio: None Additional features: Built-in kickstand Dimensions: 12.62 x 8.21 x 0.35 inches Weight: 1.4 pounds Price: $299.99 MSRP The monitor is priced at $299.99 MSRP. It’s not yet available at time of this writing, with the retail launch coming in the holiday shopping season. So you should expect you’ll end up paying around $300, unless you’re reading this from the summer of 2026—in which case, hey, how’s the weather? HP Series 5 Pro 514pn design The HP Series 5 Pro 514pn’s IPS Black with Neo:LED panel is unusual for a portable monitor, but it’s arguably the design that really helps the 514pn stand apart from the hundreds of alternatives on the market. It has a solid aluminum chassis that allows very little flex. Aluminum is common even among budget portable monitors, but the HP 514pn ups the ante with a unibody design. Matthew Smith / Foundry Many portable monitors, particularly those that are less expensive, have a two-piece design where a flat aluminum panel is attached to a separate bezel. Here, those two elements are one piece of aluminum, which makes the monitor rigid. Most portable monitors feel like I could snap them over my knee if I really put some effort in, but there’s no way I could do the same to the 514pn. The monitor also has a built-in kickstand with 90 degrees of movement, which translates to 45 degrees of tilt. This isn’t a rare feature: the MSI Pro MP165 E6 also has a kickstand, and it’s much less expensive. However, the HP 514pn’s kickstand is wider and made from aluminum, which makes the monitor feel planted. It’s seemingly impossible to knock the monitor over unless you yeet it straight off your desk. In horizontal orientation, at least. The kickstand also supports vertical use, but it’s less stable and doesn’t offer tilt adjustment, instead sitting at a fixed angle of about 21 degrees. This is a common downside for a portable monitor, however. Matthew Smith / Foundry HP also ships the monitor with a clever magnetic screen cover instead of a sleeve or case. The magnetic cover completely covers the display, but it’s extremely light, which keeps the monitor’s all-in weight down to just 1.4 pounds. It’s also just 0.35 inches thick. The downside? It’s possible for the screen cover to slip off if other items rub against it. I do like HP’s approach, but that’s something to keep in mind if you travel with your portable monitor stored in a suitcase alongside other items. The HP Series 5 Pro 514pn’s design and build quality is certainly a highlight. I’ve complained in the past that mid-range portable monitors, like the Dell Pro 14 Plus, don’t always do enough to stand out from budget peers. The HP 514pn is a different story. It’s attractive and light, yet functional. Most portable monitors feel like I could snap them over my knee if I really put some effort in, but there’s no way I could do the same to the 514pn. HP Series 5 Pro 514pn connectivity The HP Series 5 Pro 514pn’s connectivity is easy to explain. It has two USB-C ports, one on each side, and both provide Power Delivery. Power pass-through up to 65 watts is supported, which means you can connect a USB-C charger to the 514pn and then pass power to a connected laptop, which will also charge. Of course, that also means the monitor lacks HDMI, which is a notable omission. HDMI remains an incredibly common video standard, of course, and one you might need to use if connecting an older device. You’ll need an adapter or HDMI to USB-C cable to do it here, and neither is provided with the 514pn. HP does provide an L-shape USB-C cable, though, which is handy. This style of cable puts the cable at a 90-degree angle to the USB-C connector, which reduces the profile of the cable when it’s connected to the monitor. That keeps the cable out of your way and reduces clutter on your desk. HP Series 5 Pro 514pn menus, audio The HP Series 5 Pro 514pn has three buttons on the right flank; two for brightness and one for power. Holding down the brightness up button for two seconds opens a color mode menu, which has a few basic options like Warm, Cool, Neutral, and Night (a low blue light mode). Monitor options can also be controlled with HP Display Manager, but image quality adjustments remain limited. HP Display Manager is only available on Windows 10 and 11, so Mac users will have to make do with the on-screen menus. In a break from competitors, the HP 514pn doesn’t have built-in speakers. The speakers built in to portable monitors are often bad, so this isn’t a huge downside. Still, it’s something to keep in mind. HP Series 5 Pro 514pn SDR image quality The HP Series 5 Pro 514pn has an IPS Black Neo:LED panel produced by LG. If you’ve not heard of it before, IPS Black is a newer type of IPS panel that provides deeper, more lifelike black levels, which can improve the panel’s contrast. Neo:LED, meanwhile, appears to be a name used by LG to describe an LCD panel with quantum dots (though LG has not directly confirmed this; this is speculation based on the panel’s characteristics). The 514pn is the first portable monitor with an IPS Black Neo:LED panel, and that gives it a unique image quality edge. Matthew Smith / Foundry HP gets off to a good start in brightness with a maximum measured SDR brightness of 394 nits. As the graph shows, that’s a high level of brightness for a portable monitor, defeated only by the Dell Pro 14 Plus and Viewsonic VX-1655-4K-OLED. High brightness is important if you travel, because you’ll often lack control over the lighting in your environment. The HP 514pn can still look dim in a very bright, sunlit room with many windows, but it’s otherwise easy to view. The HP 514pn also has an anti-glare finish with a semi-gloss look. It doesn’t entirely mitigate glare, and is actually a bit more reflective than the very matte finish found on many budget portable monitors. However, the HP 514pn’s display is a lot less reflective than the glossy finish that OLED portable monitors typically use. Matthew Smith / Foundry Next up is contrast, a traditional weakness of IPS-LCD displays. The IPS Black panel helps to mitigate that with a maximum measured contrast ratio of 1710:1. Your view on that result depends on the comparisons you draw. A contrast ratio of 1710:1 is great for an IPS-LCD portable monitor, and the image looks more immersive than on many such alternatives. When placed next to OLED, though, the HP 514pn’s contrast ratio isn’t going to stand out. The image will look flat in a direct comparison to OLED. Matthew Smith / Foundry IPS-LCD displays also typically lag OLED in color gamut, but here the HP 514pn is an exception to the rule. The Neo:LED panel serves up an incredible color gamut that spans 100 percent of sRGB, 100 percent of AdobeRGB, and 99 percent of DCI-P3. As the graph shows, this is an exceptional result that really stands out in the portable monitor category. It even stands up to or defeats OLED alternatives, which typically display a similar breadth of the DCI-P3 color gamut but a bit less of AdobeRGB. The wide color gamut gives the HP 514pn a vibrant and inviting look that pops when viewing bright and colorful content. It also makes the HP 514pn a decent choice for video and photo editors, as well as digital artists (though the lack of built-in image quality adjustments could prove frustrating). Matthew Smith / Foundry Color accuracy is also a win for the HP 514pn, as it posts one of the best color accuracy scores I’ve seen from a portable monitor. In truth, a lot of mid-range portable monitors are good enough—but the HP 514pn’s accuracy is of the caliber I’d recommend for people who are serious about image accuracy including (once again) artists, photographers, and videographers. Better still, the great color accuracy result is reached with good color accuracy scores across all colors. No single color posted an error value above 2.0, which is fantastic performance for a portable monitor. The color temperature and gamma results are great too. I measured a color temperature of 6500K, which is spot on the target. Gamma came in at 2.3, a bit above the target value of 2.2. The image can appear a bit darker than it should and may lack details in very dark portions of an image, but the difference is subtle. Sharpness is a perk thanks to the HP 514pn’s 2560×1600 resolution. Though it’s not the headliner 4K resolution would be, it still packs roughly 211 pixels per inch. That’s actually a much higher pixel density than a 27-inch 4K monitor, which has 163 pixels per inch. Note, too, that the monitor has a display aspect ratio of 16:10 rather than 16:9. While 16:10 is fairly common in 2025, many portable monitors still have a 16:9 display. The added vertical display space that a 16:10 display provides makes the HP 514pn feel larger than the 14.3-inch panel size would suggest. HP Series 5 Pro 514pn HDR image quality and motion HDR is not supported by the HP Series 5 Pro 514pn. While that might seem like a downside, it’s to be expected from a portable monitor with an IPS-LCD display. Portable monitors currently struggle with HDR, with only high-end OLED models like the Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED providing a passable experience. Motion clarity is modest, too. The monitor has a 75Hz refresh rate, which is a minor bump over the more typical 60Hz, but an increase that small is difficult to notice. The monitor doesn’t have Adaptive Sync support, either, so PC games won’t feel as smooth as they could. Should you buy the HP Series 5 Pro 514pn? The HP Series 5 Pro 514pn is a fantastic pick if you want an attractive, lightweight portable monitor with solid sharpness and decent color performance. Though the HP 514pn’s IPS Black display can’t match the quality of OLED in contrast, the 514pn is able to meet or beat OLED alternatives in color performance. It’s also bright, which is useful when traveling. These perks more than justify the monitor’s $299.99 MSRP. Read...

This week, there’s a lot of attention being shined on Windows 10, Windows 11, and the differences between them. But one thing you should be using on both operating systems is PowerToys, Microsoft’s free goodie bag of expanded features for advanced users. The latest version of the app includes something the OS really should do on its own already: automatic light/dark mode switching. The new Light Switch (nice name) module is the headline feature of PowerToys 0.95, available as a direct download right now, no beta required—and it’s a pretty great implementation of this idea. Not only can you set a schedule for dark/light modes based on a specific time (or sunset to sunrise), you can even offset it or tie it to a specific location for sunset time. And just like Windows itself, you can choose if lighting modes apply to the full interface, specific apps, or both. Michael Crider/Foundry Here’s my favorite part as a shortcut junkie: You can apply a “theme toggle shortcut” to manually switch between light and dark modes at any time. Nice! By default, this is Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + D. To use the new Light Switch feature—and a bunch of other smaller improvements to the other functions in PowerToys—launch the app and check for an update, or download it from the Microsoft Store or GitHub if you don’t have it already. Read...

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That’s what’s happening with CNN, which is taking another swing at a standalone streaming subscription service.  CNN’s new “All Access” subscription plan comes three years after the colossal failure of CNN+, an attempt at a supplemental streaming service for CNN “superfans” that lasted for less than a month.  The new CNN streaming plan will be a “centralized destination for CNN’s journalism,” but the official CNN press release stops short of promising a simulcast of the CNN basic cable channel.  Priced at $6.99 a month and slated to go live on October 28, the CNN “All Access” plan will offer a “selection of CNN’s live US and International programming,” as well as access to a thousand hours of on-demand CNN Original Series and CNN Films content.  Also on tap is “exclusive new” on-demand CNN shows and special features, “exclusive” live events, and everything in CNN’s basic subscription tier, including all CNN.com articles and subscriber-only content.  Current pay-TV subscribers will get CNN’s new streaming content for free, although they’ll have to subscribe to CNN’s basic tier for full CNN.com access.  CNN has a checkered history when it comes to streaming subscriptions, to put it mildly.  CNN+ was an instant flop, debuting in March 2022 with its own slate of “original, live, on-demand and interactive programming” and shuttering barely a month later. The service cost $5.99 a month and—notoriously—lacked a live feed of basic-cable CNN.  A year later, CNN launched a live 24/7 stream on HBO Max, but that feed will go away on November 17 to make way for the new CNN streaming subscription tier.  So, will the new CNN subscription service deliver a live CNN simulcast? That’s not entirely clear yet, with CNN saying that the “full schedule and content offering will be available at launch.”  It’s worrisome, however, that CNN is promising only a “selection” of live CNN programming, rather than a full-on simulcast of the CNN cable channel. If that’s in fact the case, CNN may face an uphill battle—again—in terms of convincing news junkies to pay up for the new service.  At least early subscribers will get a discount, with CNN offering a year of its All Access tier for $41.99 if you sign up by January 5, 2026. The usual annual rate will be $69.99. Read...