TL;DR: You can get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for $30 for a limited time (reg. $229). Why are you paying for the whole Microsoft 365 suite if you only use Word and Excel? The subscription-based apps may be fancy, but if you aren’t taking full advantage of them, you’re basically paying $10 a month for, well, nothing. You should grab the lifetime version of Microsoft Office instead. This way, you can pay $30 only once instead of $10 monthly—and endlessly. While there are a few differences, the most important part is that you’ll get your favorite apps, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access, for life. While Microsoft 365 gives you cloud storage and mobile app access, are you really using those features? We’ve found that only advanced users do, and everyone else is overpaying. And, if you want to work offline, you’re probably running into issues. This version gives you easy offline access, even if you can only access them from your PC. Download Microsoft Office for Windows while it’s on sale for $30 for a limited time (reg. $229). No coupon is needed to get this price.   Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

TL;DR: Streamline your workday by letting WordPop AI generate copy, translate content, and more for $49.99 (reg. $1,170). Generating unique, compelling copy on a regular basis can be tiring and time-consuming. Instead of spending hours drafting social media copy or trying to SEO-optimize an article, let this content creation AI tool help. For only $49.99 (reg. $1,170) for life, you can get WordPop AI and get assistance with language translation, content generation, and so much more. Want to streamline your workday and save time writing copy? WordPop AI is here to save the day with its content-focused features. Check out what you’ll get from this platform: 100 ready-to-use templates for smooth content generation, whether that’s a poem, script, marketing copy, or an article. SEO content optimization tools so you can boost your website’s organic traffic. An AI writing editor that can rewrite live content, generate new ideas, swap the tone and style of your copy, etc. Document management tools that let you extract text from different document types. The ability to translate your content into 120+ languages. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to use your 250,000 monthly AI credits (aka your in-app currency) to have WordPop AI rewrite content, generate copy, or summarize text. Your credits automatically renew each month. Content generation can be done in minutes when you grab lifetime access to WordPop AI, now just $49.99.   WordPop AI: Lifetime Subscription Only $49.99 at PCWorld StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Wonderfully faithful to the original Can run custom games from USB HDMI and multiple USB ports Cons No power adapter included Difficult controls for some Games can be difficult Our Verdict The Spectrum faithfully recreates the 80s original with its rubber keys and classic games, delighting older gamers, while younger players may face a steep learning curve due to tricky controls and tough gameplay. However, modern features like save and rewind help mitigate that frustration. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today 1982 saw the arrival of the ZX Spectrum, a British home computer from Sinclair that was both small and cheap. It was made with as few components as possible and connected easily to the TV. Programs ran from compact cassettes, some of you may remember listening to music from these before the advent of CDs. It was possible to program in Basic and play some games. The ZX Spectrum’s competitor was the Commodore 64, a popular machine that Retro Games had already recreated. Nowadays we’ve got The Spectrum, which is ready to take you back to the 80s (but with a modern twist). The Spectrum: Feeling true to the original The Spectrum is incredibly similar to the original. Best of all, Retro Games has managed to recreate the feel of everything from the rubber keys to the gaming experience. However, I wouldn’t recommend playing on a large modern TV, as it just feels wrong. Go for a smaller screen with HDMI instead. The cables that come with it aren’t long enough to sit comfortably with the computer on your lap on the sofa anyway. The press release comes with a thick and comprehensive manual, which is gratifying. It describes all the games, including their controls, as well as explanations of the missions. I was able to navigate more difficult games thanks to this manual. I’m also grateful that The Spectrum has modern features like the ability to save (four slots per game). There’s even a feature that lets you rewind 40 seconds to correct mistakes. Note the faithfully recreated details. The rubber keys give just the right 80s feel and the Basic commands are printed at every key.Ida Blix You get 48 classic games built into the machine, but you can also run your own from USB sticks. The Spectrum supports USB hand controllers (though you may have to program the buttons yourself), but everything can be run directly from the keyboard. I was a little to young to have experienced this machine when it first came around, so the controls were an adventure to master. In the box you’ll find an HDMI cable (provides 720p at 50 or 60 Hz) and a USB cable (power adapter not included). It may look modern with USB-C, but you need to choose a simpler power adapter with 5V and 1A. My modern GAN charger did not work, but an older iPhone charger did. On the back are the home and power buttons along with HDMI and USB for charging and connecting controllers or USB sticks.Ida Blix The Spectrum: Not for everyone As with all retro consoles that are re-launched as a new edition, The Spectrum isn’t for everyone. For new users, there’s a steep learning curve. I don’t have any memories of Sinclair’s wonderful little home computer, but my first gaming memories have the same graphics and feel, so it was a pleasure to take on this experience. For those who had a ZX Spectrum and want to experience it again, The Spectrum is a fun purchase where you get a lot for your money. Specifications: The Spectrum Product: The SpectrumManufacturer: Retro GamesTested: February 2025In the package: Console, HDMI cable, USB cableConnections: 1 USB-C (for power), HDMI, and four ports for hand controllers or USB sticksNumber of games: 48Price: Rating: 4 out of 5 Included games Alien Girl: Skirmish Edition Ant Attack Army Moves Auf Wiedersehen Monty Avalon Bobby Bearing Cosmic Payback Devwill Too Exolon Fairlight Firelord Football Manager 2 Freddy Hardest The Great Escape Head over Heels Highway Encounter The Hobbit Horace Goes Skiing Jack the Nipper Knot in 3D The Lords of Midnight Manic Miner Match Day II Movie Nodes of Yesod Penetrator Phantis (Game Over II) Pheenix Pyracurse Quazatron Robin of the Wood Saboteur! Remastered Shovel Adventure Skool Daze Snake Escape Spellbound Starquake Starstrike II El Stompo Stonkers TCQ Target: Renegade Technician Ted – The Megamix Tenebra Trashman The Way of the Exploding Fist Wheelie Where Time Stood Still Read...

Eighty bucks is pretty cheap for a monitor, but not unheard of if you’re limiting yourself to a budget 24-inch 1080p panel. But with extra features thrown in, it becomes a great value. I’m talking a speedy 180Hz refresh rate that makes for a pretty good gaming display and an IPS panel for superior color accuracy. You can get such a deal on Amazon today: this Aopen by Acer monitor is on sale for $79.99. (That’s 38% off!) First, that brand name. “Aopen” isn’t a household name for PC gear, but it is in fact a subsidiary of Acer that’s mostly focused on B2B sales, and the “Fire Legend” label is Aopen’s attempt to break into affordable gaming monitors. So yes, this is an Acer design—at least nominally—and it should offer better support than most of the white-label gear on Amazon. Aopen has a three-year parts and labor warranty for all of its monitors, according to this US support page. This monitor earns a 4.3 star rating out of 5 from over 700 Amazon buyers, for whatever that’s worth. For just $80, I can’t overstate how great a deal this is. It’s a very basic design, sure, with only single DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4 connections according to the specs. Zooming in on the rear shots, it looks like this thing has a VGA port (wow, been a while, huh?) and a headphone port. You don’t get any USB extras or fancy lighting, and at 24 inches and 1080p, it’s about as small as desktop monitors get in 2025. But a 180Hz IPS panel—not VA like most budget gaming displays—is nothing to sneeze at. I also appreciate that it has a VESA mount for using a monitor arm. (Again, not a given at this price point.) This is also a fantastic deal if you want to add one (or two, or more) displays to a multi-monitor setup for more screen real estate. In addition to Amazon, a poster at SlickDeals spotted the same discount for this Aopen 24KG3Y model at Walmart and Newegg. Keep your options open if this one sells out on Amazon. Wow! Get a 180Hz IPS gaming monitor for just $80Buy now at Amazon Read...

Nope, Sony isn’t quite done with Blu-ray yet.  Barely two months after announcing that it’s exiting the recordable Blu-ray business, Sony has revealed something of a surprise: its first new Blu-ray player in roughly five years. Just keep your expectations in check as far as features go. Slated to go on sale in Japan during the April-May timeframe, the Sony UBP-X700/K is 4K Blu-ray player that’s a variant of the older UBP-X700, the latter of which is a popular choice for budget-minded physical media aficionados. What’s different about the UBP-X700/K is what it doesn’t have, with FlatpanelsHD reporting that the player drops the bulk of the X700’s wireless networking abilities and services, including Spotify Connect, screen mirroring, and video streaming channels, such as Netflix.  The spec sheet for the X700/K says nothing about integrated Wi-Fi (a feature on the older player), but the new device does offer an ethernet port, likely for firmware updates. Otherwise, the X700/K has most of its predecessor’s video and audio features, including Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos, and DTX:X support.   It’s not clear if the UBP-X700/K will arrive in the U.S., but you never know. Curiously, FlatpanelsHD notes that the Japanese list price for the new player represents a 25 percent markup compared to the older X700. As a former owner of the UBP-X700, I can say from experience that losing the player’s networking abilities is no big loss. I never used them, instead opting for the streaming services on my Apple TV set-top box. And while I did (very rarely) update the player’s firmware via Wi-Fi, you can just as easily do so over ethernet.  A welcome (if unlikely) improvement on the UBP-X700/K would be automatic detection of Dolby Vision HDR on a UHD Blu-ray disc. The older UBP-X700 doesn’t auto-detect Dolby Vision, meaning you must remember to engage the setting before playing a Dolby Vision disc—or, conversely, turn it off before watching an HDR10-only disc. I can’t tell you how many times I’d forgotten to toggle the setting (or lost track of which discs offer Dolby Vision and which don’t), and getting the HDR setting wrong does make a different in image quality.  Another UBP-X700 issue that’s hopefully been addressed (again, don’t hold your breath) is how the player handles triple-layer UHD discs. My X700 player routinely froze when switching between the second and third disc layers—meaning, for example, my Top Gun: Maverick disc would always freeze on Tom Cruise’s eye as he lay in the snow after ejecting from his F/A-18 fighter jet. For that reason, I ultimately ditched the X700 for the much pricier Panasonic DP-UB820.  All that aside, the big news with Sony’s latest UHD Blu-ray player isn’t it’s feature set, but the fact that Sony is making a new Blu-ray player of any sort. Most of the other big players in this space, including LG, Oppo, and Samsung, departed the field long ago, leaving just Panny and Sony (which quit the recordable Blu-ray market back in January) as the lone big-name manufacturers still making Blu-ray boxes.  In other words, Blu-ray is still not dead. Long live Blu-ray! Read...

The Raspberry Pi single-board computer and all its variants have captured the imaginations of DIY enthusiasts and budding hobbyists alike. With the latest model, the Raspberry Pi 5, the mini-PC is more capable than ever, with an upgraded four-core 2.4GHz system-on-chip (SoC) that’s up to three times faster than previous models. Much of the coverage you’ll see around the web focuses on the more fantastical projects—magic mirrors, portable gaming handhelds, intelligent drones, and so forth. Those maker masterpieces certainly show what sort of power the sub-$100 mini-PC is capable of in the hands of someone with a little imagination and a bin full of spare electronics.  But most people, particularly beginners, won’t use the Raspberry Pi to whip up crazy creations. There are near-endless practical uses for this bare-bones kit, from media streaming to extending the range of your Wi-Fi network, as the following 10 projects demonstrate. Time to put that lil’ computer to real work. Heck, many of these projects will even work with the $10 Raspberry Pi Zero. Further reading: I built a maxed-out Raspberry 5 PC with an SSD for under $200. You can too HTPC media streaming The original $35 Raspberry Pi may have been revolutionary to makers, but it took off with PC enthusiasts as well thanks to its ability to double as a dirt-cheap home-theater PC. That allure may have waned a bit in recent years as dedicated devices like the Chromecast hit the streets at similarly low prices, but using a Raspberry Pi as a media-streaming box still offers far more power than those streaming-centric sticks, especially if you have a sizeable local media collection. There are a slew of HTPC-centric Raspberry Pi operating systems out there, each revolving around slapping your HD videos on the big screen. OSMC is built around the popular Kodi media center software (formerly XBMC), while RasPlex transforms your Pi into the ultimate Plex streaming box. The $21 Raspberry Pi TV Hat accessory, meanwhile, can grant your mini-PC the ability to read over-the-air TV signals. Give a dumb TV smarts Likewise, if you have a dumb TV that you’d like to add web browsing and other basic computing abilities to, the Raspberry Pi does the trick without costing anywhere near as much as a proper home theater PC. You’ll want to use a Raspberry Pi 2, 3, or 4, though—the original Pi and the Raspberry Pi Zero are just pokey enough to be frustrating for general tasks. With the right case, the Pi can look downright stylish in your home theater, too. Bonus: If you’re connecting the Raspberry Pi to your TV, you can use it to stream web videos, too! File storage server You can also have your Raspberry Pi play wingman for the other devices in your house, serving as a centralized device that performs helpful tasks. Case in point: You can use the mini-PC as a cheap NAS box for general file storage if you connect an external USB hard drive to the machine. Hit those links for technical details, and one tip if you’re planning to convert the computer to a file server: Use a wired ethernet connection rather than Wi-Fi if you’re able. Make sure you grab a solid external drive, too! Wireless network printer Printing isn’t as prevalent as it used to be, but the Raspberry Pi can help you transform that chunky old USB printer in your closet into a networked printer that every device in your house can use. You’ll need a power source for each gadget, obviously, as well as a USB connection between the devices, but setting it up is pretty straightforward. This MakeUseOf tutorial walks you through the process step-by-step. Extend your home’s Wi-Fi network Raspberry Pi doesn’t make the home networks you use, but it can make the home networks you use better if you configure the mini-PC as a wireless range extender, tapping into the device’s ethernet and USB ports. Doing so can help your Wi-Fi signal reach the farthest corners of your house and help wipe out dead zones. Configuring the device to bolster your home network will take a bit of time, and you’ll need to buy a USB Wi-Fi adapter to do it, but again, it’s relatively straightforward with a guide. Check out Adafruit’s reader-friendly tutorial. Old-school gaming emulator Gaming emulators are a legal gray area, but there’s no doubt that using the Raspberry Pi as a butt-kicking console emulator is a popular use for the machines. It can play games from a wide variety of consoles right on up to the PlayStation 1 era if you manage to snag some legal game ROMs, though the older the system being emulated, the better the performance. Curious? Check out PCWorld’s complete guide to turning your Raspberry Pi into a retro gaming console for the full scoop. A music streaming machine The Raspberry Pi’s media chops aren’t limited to video streaming alone. Numerous operating systems have also been released that transform the device into a high-fidelity music player when connected to a speaker, sort of like a more powerful, flexible version of Chromecast Audio. The various music-oriented OSes available offer different features; poke around the FAQs and features of each to see which is right for your needs. Here are tutorials on how to have your Raspberry Pi turn dumb speakers into smart music solutions with Volumio and Rune Audio (pictured), both of which offer mobile apps so you can control your tunes with your phone. Learn programming You could always use the Raspberry Pi as it was originally intended, too: As a low-cost introduction to programming and computer science. The mini-PC’s loaded with all sorts of software that encourages deep-level tinkering. Beyond the command-line terminal, you’ll need to wade in often, you’ll also find versions of Wolfram Mathematica, Python program creation tools, and Scratch, an animation coding IDE for kids, in the Raspbian operating system that the Raspberry Pi Foundation encourages new users to install. Get smart! Play Minecraft Or you could play Minecraft. There’s a free Raspberry Pi version of Minecraft that anybody can download at no cost. Even better, it’s designed to teach you how to use the Python programming language as you build out the world. (Hey, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella did say that part of the reason the company purchased Mojang was to lure kids into computer science.) Download Minecraft: Pi Edition and jump in. Affordable productivity PC With options of 2GB, 4GB, and now 8GB models, the Raspberry Pi 4 packs a heftier punch than previous RPi iterations—making it suitable for basic everyday tasks like web browsing, watching video streams, and document editing. Setting up one as a PC goes fast, too, with the bulk of the hour setup time devoted to waiting for the operating system installation to complete. As a starter or secondary computer, it’s hard to beat, especially given its build cost of $100 (or even less, if you opt for the 2GB version and not the 4GB). Check out PCWorld’s full guide in how to put together a $100 Raspberry Pi PC for everything you’ll need. Crazy awesome experiments Let’s finish where we began. Once you’ve wrapped your head around the Raspberry Pi’s potential, why not try your hand at one of those awe-inspiring inventive projects? PCWorld’s look at 10 insanely innovative, incredibly cool Raspberry Pi creations can help with the inspiration, while the project guides at Instructables, Hackaday, and the Raspberry Pi Foundation website itself are ready to walk you step-by-step through the really awesome stuff like the magic mirror above. Also check out our roundup of the best Raspberry Pi kits. Whether you’re a newbie who just wants to get all the basics with one purchase, or an experienced tinkerer looking to build a specialized project, a kit could be the way to go. Editor’s note: This article is updated periodically to include new info, most recently to resurface these projects for Pi day (March 14, 2024) and note the release of the Raspberry Pi 5. Read...

You typically have a choice between Windows fullscreen or Windows borderless viewing modes while gaming on PC, which begs the question: Which mode is better? The short answer that you’ll get from any AI chatbot and most tech websites, is that Fullscreen is better for gaming performance. Otherwise, if you need to jump between programs, multiple monitors, or other tasks on your PC, borderless window mode is better. But is that a blanket rule? Read on for a more personal answer. Benefits of Windows fullscreen mode Windows fullscreen mode is the default gaming mode running whenever I launch a game in Windows. In this mode my games are displayed across my entire display and Windows gives them full control of the screen’s output. I use fullscreen mode for almost all my games, but my reason for doing so hasn’t really got to do with performance. In fact, I’ve found there’s very little difference. For example, running Cyberpunk 2077 on my PC’s Ryzen 5 and RTX 2070 Super at 1080p yields an average of 77.6 fps, whereas I get an average 77.2 fps in borderless mode — so there’s no real performance gain to be had. That may come as a surprise to many gamers, but I’ve witnessed similar results across most of the graphically demanding games in my library. That’s not to say there isn’t optimization happening in fullscreen mode. Windows optimizes my resolution and will focus more resources on running these games, but this just doesn’t have a substantial impact on my frame rates. Further reading: The best gaming monitors we’ve tested There are several caveats to that. One is that those results are specific to my hardware and my gaming setup. Secondly, I’m not running anything too taxing in the background in borderless window mode — if you’re running applications that utilize a high portion of CPU/GPU resources, you may see a more substantial drop in performance with borderless. On the point about jumping programs, what you will read elsewhere is true. It is a lot harder to switch tabs and jump between multiple displays in fullscreen mode. For me it can take the good part of a minute while my PC allocates resources to the new tasks and takes me out of my game window. The upside to that, though, is that my cursor and other things that I need for my game to run smoothly are locked and secure in my game window, so there’s less chance that a prompt or cursor glitch will disrupt my game. When I will typically use borderless window mode Occasionally I’ll take the time to switch to borderless window mode when I’m super busy and I need to multitask. In case you’ve never used it, borderless window mode is designed to look like fullscreen mode, however in reality your game’s image is just stretched across the screen to mimic it. This mode allows you to move quicker through tabs and access applications outside of your game’s window using task switcher and commands like Alt + Tab, because you’ve never really left Windows. I’ll generally use this mode when I have a chat box open and I’m expecting messages, when I’m writing up observations about a game and want to quickly switch between Microsoft Word or Notepad, or when I’m watching a Let’s Play or walkthrough on a separate monitor and want to control the playback. In borderless window mode the game image is streched across the display to appear like Fullscreen mode.  Pexels: Jethro C The biggest benefit is that Windows won’t automatically minimize my game when I switch tabs, so I can easily control my apps and return to the game without any fuss. While it used to be the case that most games required fullscreen mode to run certain features, I’m finding that the number of games that allow seamless control of games in borderless window mode is now quite large thanks to developers utilizing DirectX 12. A small subset of games may have resolution or scaling issues in borderless window mode, but most game developers will try to resolve these when brought to their attention. I also have to occasionally watch settings for Nvidia’s graphics technologies, which need a little fine-tuning for some games, but other than that most just run smoothly. Rather than one being better than the other then — whether you use Fullscreen or borderless window modes, or like the idea of mixing it up — it really comes down to your personal choice. So, be sure to play around with both options to see what works best for you. Read...

How do you merge disk partitions in Windows 11/10/8/7? Can you merge two disk partitions without losing data? EaseUS Software provides two options (EaseUS Partition Master and Disk Management) to help merge both adjacent and non-adjacent partitions, and below we offer step-by-step guides to ensure a smooth process without data loss. How to merge disk partitions Merging disk partitions is useful to optimize disk space, especially when managing multiple partitions on a single disk. However, Windows Disk Management can only merge adjacent partitions, and it requires deleting a partition during the process, which will cause data loss. Besides, you may encounter an “extend volume grayed out” error if the unallocated partition is non-adjacent to the target partition. Fortunately, EaseUS Partition Master is an ideal solution for merging disk partitions without losing data. Check the table below to learn more about the difference between the two disk management tools. Comparison1?? EaseUS Partition Master2?? Disk ManagementPremiseNoOnly works when the unallocated space is on the right side of the target partitionData LossNoYes, delete a partitionFunctionsMerge adjacent partitionsMerge non-adjacent partitionsOnly merge adjacent partitions Method 1. Merge partitions without losing data EaseUS Partition Master Professional comes with a “merge partitions” feature and can merge both adjacent partitions and non-adjacent partitions. Without deleting any partition, you can merge two partitions into one. Compatibility: Works perfectly on Windows 11/10/8/7 Data Loss: Merge partitions without losing data (no need to delete a partition) Key Features: Merge adjacent partitions; merge non-adjacent or separate partitions Interface: Well organized and clear Operational Difficulty: Easy. Merge partitions without typing any command lines Storage Devices Supported: Merge partitions on an external hard drive, SD card, USB, SSD, and HDD Here are two methods for merging partitions on a disk: Guide 1. Merge adjacent partitions When the two partitions are adjacent, EaseUS Partition Master can merge them without deleting any partition. Here’s how to achieve this: Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, navigate to the “Partition Manager” section, right-click on the partition you want to keep and select “Merge” from the context menu. Step 2. Select the adjacent partition you want to merge into the target partition and click “OK”. Step 3. Click the “Execute Task” button and then click “Apply”. This will merge the space and files to the partition you want to keep. Guide 2. Merge non-adjacent/separate partitions EaseUS Partition Master can merge non-adjacent partitions that are separated by a recovery partition or other partitions. Here’s how to achieve this: Step 1. Open EaseUS Partition Master and go to the “Partition Manager” section. Step 2. Right-click the partition you want to keep and select “Merge”. Step 3. Choose the non-adjacent partition you want to merge into the target partition and click “OK”. EaseUS Step 4. Click the “Execute Task” button and then click “Apply”. Wait for it to finish. This will combine two separate partitions without deleting any data. Method 2. Merge disk partitions via Disk Management [with data loss] Disk Management doesn’t directly support merging two partitions. It can combine partitions only if there is unallocated space on the right side of the target partition. Hence, you need to delete a partition to create an unallocated partition first. ??Data Loss Warning: Back up data before you begin – deleting a partition will remove all data from it. Here’s how to merge two partitions using Disk Management: Step 1. Open Disk Management and locate the two partitions you want to merge. (Identify which partition you want to keep and which partition you want to delete. For example, if you want to merge C and D, you need to verify whether to keep C or D.) Step 2. Right-click the partition you want to delete and select Delete Volume. Confirm your action by clicking Yes. (This will delete all data on that partition, so ensure you have backed up any important files.) Step 3. Reload the disk information, right-click on the partition you want to merge, and select “Extend Volume”. Then, type the amount of unallocated space (in MB) you want to merge into the target partition. Step 4. Click “Next” and then “Finish” to merge the two partitions into one. Conclusion This post covers two ways to merge disk partitions in Windows 11/10/8/7. EaseUS Partition Master stands out for its ability to merge both adjacent and non-adjacent partitions without losing any data or deleting existing partitions. On the other hand, Disk Management can’t merge partitions directly without unallocated space on the right side of the partition you want to extend. Hence, for beginners, EaseUS Partition Master is the safer and more user-friendly option. Read...

The OPPO Find X8 Pro is a smartphone with a blend of innovative design, powerful performance and state-of-the-art features. As one of OPPO`s flagship models, the Find X8 Pro deliver an exceptional user experience. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Integrated display shows you who’s on the other side of the door Robust build quality, with mostly solid operation Scads of features No subscriptions needed (unless 16GB of local storage is insufficient) Cons Enormous and very heavy Palm vein reader can be a quirky Long feature list contributes to a high price tag Our Verdict The feature-laden FamiLock Max S3—the first smart lock we’ve seen with an integrated video screen on its interior escutcheon—works well, but its onboard camera won’t make sense in some home environments. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today As if on steroids, smart locks have been advancing in amazing and surprising ways over the last year, with each few months bringing a new “first” to the market. Eufy’s FamiLock S3 Max offers yet another smart lock innovation that would have been unthinkable just weeks ago: It’s the first model we’ve seen that has a built-in, 4-inch video screen on its interior escutcheon, relaying video from a camera mounted on the exterior escutcheon, no secondary device required. It’s a neat idea but right off the bat, it’s clearly not a lock that’s going to make sense for everyone. Like many homeowners, I have a massive window set into the center of my front door, so having a small video screen that displays what is happening on the other side of that door isn’t going to do me much good. However, those with fully opaque doors—especially apartment dwellers –might find this a much more compelling proposition than a peephole. Specifications The Eufy FamiLock S3 Max has a lot going on, and as a result it consumes a huge amount of space. Both interior and exterior escutcheons are enormous, with the exterior measuring 7 x 2.5 inches in size (HxW) and the interior 8 x 3 inches. Both elements are more than 1 inch thick. The full weight of the device is a significant 2 pounds, 11 ounces, although you’ll probably be aware of that only during installation. It carries a weatherization rating of IP65, so according to our IP code decoder, it’s entirely protected from particulate matter, like dust, and that it can withstand blasts of water from a tightened nozzle (but not a pressure washer). Eufy also obtained an ANSI Grade 1 certification, which our ANSI/BHMA guide tells us is the highest rating for physical security. No other smart lock packs as many features as the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max: Video doorbell, palm reader, numeric keypad, rechargeable battery, and ANSI Grade 1 certification. The list of features on the lock goes far beyond its video capabilities, but that’s where we’ll start. The four-inch display relays video from the front-mounted camera, which captures square-shaped video at a maximum resolution of 1600 x 1600 pixels, with a 180-degree (diagonal) viewing angle. Standard infrared video is built in. Video is stored locally by default on 16GB of non-upgradeable storage. A cloud backup service is available, but it’s certainly not required unless you’re concerned about someone stealing the lock itself. The plan runs $3/month or $30/year for one device or $10/month or $100/year for up to 10 devices. Both plans store a copy of all videos online for 30 days. (These prices however are going up on April 1, 2025.) The unit also functions as a doorbell, courtesy of a large button that becomes ringed in blue light when motion is detected. There’s no interior chime included with the lock, but you can configure an Amazon Echo device to serve as a chime if you install the appropriate skill. This worked well in my testing. The massive Eufy FamiLock S3 Max needs two cables to enable all its features.Christopher Null/Foundry As far as access goes, the unit has two primary avenues of operation. First, a numeric touch-sensitive keypad supports a maximum of 100 PINs. Second, the unit includes a now trendy palm vein reader, allowing for touchless authentication by simply holding your hand a few inches away from a reader mounted on the top of the exterior escutcheon. The lock can store 50 different palm scans (up to two per user). Lastly, in addition to app-based access, the unit includes a physical keyhole that can be accessed by popping out the doorbell button, although note I found it to be a little difficult to get back into place securely. The unit is uniquely powered by a rechargeable 15,000mAh battery and four AAA batteries that serve as backups in case the primary cell dies. These are wedged into the interior escutcheon atop the primary cell, which is part of the reason why the interior escutcheon is so large. Eufy says the primary cell should last at least six months, with one additional month of operation provided by the AAA cells in reserve. There is no emergency power port on the exterior escutcheon, so don’t ignore the notifications of the primary battery’s state—at least not for long. With all of that prologue, we can finally delve into how well all of this works. The short answer, all around, is quite good. Setup and installation The wide array of settings in the Eufy app reveals the long list of features this smart lock has to offer.Christopher Null/Foundry Physical installation isn’t difficult, but it does take a few small extra steps due to the needs of the video system. As is common, the exterior escutcheon is bolted to an interior frame with two screws, which in turn attaches to the interior escutcheon with an additional four screws. Two electronics cables are needed to connect the two pieces together, although these are easy to properly route and get seated properly. There’s an additional piece on top of the interior escutcheon that houses the video screen, this snaps on without the need for additional hardware, covering up the battery packs. All of this goes together quickly and cleanly, despite the few extra pieces in the mix. Setup in the revamped Eufy app (no longer called Eufy Security) involves little more than scanning a QR code on the interior escutcheon. Oddly, this is labeled as a Matter code (more on Matter support later), but it also functions directly with the Eufy app. In my testing, the app connected quickly to the lock and I had it onboarded and connected to my 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network (5GHz networks are not supported) in less than a minute. Incorporating a palm reader, a video doorbell, a numeric keypad, and a rechargeable battery requires a large form factor.Christopher Null/Foundry The Eufy app is a sprawling system that isn’t particularly difficult to navigate, but it does require a significant amount of time to master because it has so many moving parts. The app is now a do-it-all system with separate tabs for “lights,” “security,” “clean,” and “care,” and it handles everything from smart locks to robotic mowers to smart scales and breast pumps. You’ll find the FamiLock in the security section, where a widget with the most recent thumbnail from the lock’s camera can be seen, along with quick access to the lock/unlock icon. Tapping the thumbnail takes you to a larger, live view of the camera, along with quick access to on-demand recording, screenshot, up to 3 “quick responses” that you record with your own voice, and two-way talk. You’ll also get to this screen automatically if someone rings the doorbell and you tap the notification. Recordings are managed through the Events tab at the bottom of the screen, and they’re presented as a chronological view of all activity—door lock/unlock actions, motion detections, and doorbell rings—with all videos accompanied by a thumbnail. You can set the camera to record on all motion or only when humans are detected (and you can dial the detection range from 3 to 20 feet). The onboard AI does a good job of determining if a human is in the video or not. An activity zone, loitering detection mode, and “leaving detection mode” that notifies you if someone departs are all also available. Performance Video quality is fine but nothing earth-shaking. The ultra-wide-angle view makes for quite a distorted view, and unless your visitor is less than a few feet away from the door, I found it was virtually impossible to make out their face. Night vision is solid, in part because of multiple lights on the front of the device that illuminate when motion is detected.Clips loaded quickly throughout my testing and could be easily downloaded without trouble. User management is tied to individuals, and you can configure each person to have 24/7 access, scheduled access (expiring at a set time or based on time/day of week), or one-time access, using a PIN that you set. Only after a PIN is added are you invited to add up to two palm vein scans for the user, though these are optional. I had no trouble using either PINs or palms to gain entry to the lock, although the lock sometimes struggled with palm scans if my hand was presented at an angle instead of vertically. The camera in the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max suffers from a bit of barrel distortion.Christopher Null/Foundry Additional features I haven’t yet covered include auto-locking (5 seconds to 3 minutes, schedulable) and configurable wrong-try protection that locks down the device for up to 5 minutes after 3 to 10 wrong attempts. A variety of power-management modes are available as well that let you determine when and for how long to record video. (“Optimal surveillance” will record for up to 60 seconds when motion is detected, while “Balance surveillance” will max out at 20. “Optimal battery life” won’t record on motion detection at all.) Should you buy the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max? As noted previously the device supports Matter and can be onboarded directly to a Matter hub by scanning the same QR code on the interior escutcheon. I was able to add the lock to iOS Home by scanning the code, but soon found there’s very little point to doing this, as there’s no support for most of the advanced features of the lock through Matter—including palm vein scanning and any of the video features. If you’re just looking for a Matter lock that lets you assign PINs, there are many more affordable and simpler options around. Further reading: This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart locks. Lastly, at $400, there’s no way around the fact that the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max is extremely expensive—more than the combined cost of a separate video doorbell and quality smart lock. That said, does work very well considering its complexity; as such, it might make sense for those who prefer a single device and who can make good use of the integrated video screen. If you do have a window in your door—or sidelights next to it—you might want to consider the Eufy FamiLock S3, instead. It has the same features except for the integrated camera and display, and it costs $50 less: $349.99. Read...