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Evidence is growing that Ikea is warming up to Matter over Thread, with yet another Thread-enabled Ikea device reportedly being spotted in the wild.  This time, it’s a smart switch, with Homewithapple (via Notebookcheck) sharing an image (below) of what it says is a dual-button switch with Matter-over-Thread support.  The Ikea Bilresa Dual Button is still in the “internal testing phase,” Homewithapple says on Threads.  There’s no word on when the Bilresa may actually arrive, or how much it might cost. We’ve reached out to Ikea for comment.  Of course, the most interesting bit of trivia about the rumored Bilresa smart switch is that it supports Thread, a low-power, mesh-networking protocol that forms one of the pillars of the Matter standard.    Could this be a new Thread-enabled smart switch from Ikea? Homewithapple Ikea already has plenty of smart products that work with Matter, the new smart home standard that helps Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and other major smart home platforms play nice with each other.  Currently, Ikea’s Matter-ready devices depend on the Dirigera smart hub, which bridges those products into Matter households via Wi-Fi.  But earlier this month, an FCC filing surfaced that detailed the Ikea Timmerflotte, a temperature and humidity sensor with an onboard Thread radio.  The discovery of the Timmerflotte documents fueled speculation that Ikea might be moving toward Matter-over-Thread connectivity, which would allow Thread-enabled Ikea devices to communicate directly with other Matter devices, controller apps, and routers.  And while Ikea’s Dirigera hub doesn’t currently support Thread connectivity, it does come with a dormant Thread radio that could theoretically be activated with a software update.  While the Bilresa Dual Button would be Ikea’s first smart switch with Thread connectivity, it’s not the brand’s first smart switch in general.  Ikea currently offers three wireless smart switches, including the Somrig remote, the Styrbar dimmer, and the Rodret. The products sell for $9.99, $13.99, and $8.99, respectively. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Many display quality options, software, and bundled remote Excellent color accuracy and gamut performance Lots of Thunderbolt and USB-C connectivity Great motion clarity for a work/productivity display Cons Limited contrast ratio HDR is supported, but not great 32-inch 4K QD-OLED monitors are stiff competition Our Verdict The BenQ PD3226G is a monitor for creative professionals, but it’s not bad in PC games, either.   Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Monitors meant for gaming and entertainment have traditionally existed in a separate realm from monitors for professional and creative productivity. That, however, has started to change with the rise of remote work and the proliferation of independent creative professionals who work for themselves—and, as a result, find themselves at the same desk both on and off the clock. The BenQ PD3226G is a monitor built for this modern vision of work, as it combines an accurate image and great color performance with a refresh rate of up to 144Hz and adaptive sync for smooth PC gaming. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best monitors for comparison. BenQ PD3226G specs and features The BenQ PD3226G is a 31.5-inch widescreen monitor with 3840×2160 resolution. However, unlike many high-end monitors meant for professional creative work, the PD3226G has a refresh rate of up to 144Hz and supports adaptive sync. Display size: 31.5-inch 16:9 widescreen Native resolution: 3840×2160 Panel type: 10-bit IPS LCD Refresh rate: 144Hz Adaptive sync: AMD FreeSync Premium HDR: HDR10, VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified Ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x Thunderbolt 4 with 90 watts of USB Power Delivery and DisplayPort, 1x Thunderbolt 4-out with 15 watts of USB Power Delivery, 1x Thunderbolt 3-out for daisy chain video connection, 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 upstream 10Gbps data only, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 downstream with 10Gbps data and up to 4.5 watts USB Power Delivery, 1x USB-C Gen 2 downstream with 10Gbps data and 4.5 watts USB Power Delivery, 3.5mm headphone jack VESA mount: 100x100mm Audio: 2x three-watt speakers Warranty: 3 years Additional features: Wireless remote, KVM switch Price: $1,099.99 MSRP (U.S.) It also leans heavily into Thunderbolt. Though it lacks the extensive connectivity of some recent Dell monitors, which include Ethernet, it can connect to a PC over Thunderbolt and provides both Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C downstream ports. It also has a Thunderbolt 3 port for daisy-chaining a video connection to a second monitor. BenQ asks $1,099.99. That’s expensive but not uncommon for a high-end 32-inch monitor. It places the BenQ PD3226G in the same price range as 32-inch 4K QD-OLED monitors, however. BenQ PD3226G design The BenQ PD3226G is part of the company’s Designer series. That word—“Designer”— speaks to its target audience, but also describes the monitor’s look and feel. It’s a slick, elegant, well-built monitor that uses silver and white materials for a modern look. The design is subtle and doesn’t immediately grab attention, but the plastics used feel sturdy when handled. Looks aside, the BenQ PD3226G is functional. It has an ergonomic stand that adjusts for height, tilt, swivel, and can pivot 90 degrees for use in portrait orientation. While many 32-inch monitors in this price range can adjust for the first three, pivot is less common and sets the PD3226G apart from less expensive competitors. Matthew Smith / Foundry The stand has a small, flat base, which means it doesn’t take up excessive desk space, and the space it does occupy can still be used. The stand also provides cable management in the form of a clip-on cable guide, though it’s a bit finicky and may not be enough to handle every cable if you end up using all the monitor’s many ports simultaneously.  A 100x100mm VESA mount is available and makes the display panel usable with third-party monitor stands and arms. BenQ PD3226G connectivity The BenQ PD3226G’s video connectivity includes one HDMI 2.1 port, one DisplayPort 1.4, and one Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort. That makes for a total of three video inputs. I would have liked to see a fourth, but three video inputs is enough for most people. Thunderbolt connectivity is a key feature, and the monitor uses it in several ways. The Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort also includes 90 watts of Power Delivery, so it can be used to power a connected laptop. There’s also a Thunderbolt 4-out port for data that handles up to 15 watts of power, which is enough to charge a smartphone and many tablets. A Thunderbolt 3-out is included, too, for daisy-chain connections to a second display. If you connect a laptop to the monitor’s Thunderbolt 4-in, for example, you can connect a second monitor to the BenQ PD3226G’s Thunderbolt 3 port. It’s a handy feature that most monitors don’t provide, though competitors like the Dell U3225QE also offer it. Additional connectivity includes USB-C upstream and downstream ports and three USB-A downstream ports. A KVM switch is included, as well, for easy swapping between multiple connected PCs. BenQ PD3226G menu and features The BenQ PD3226G’s menus and features can be controlled with a responsive joystick behind the lower-right bezel. You might never touch it, however, because the monitor also ships with BenQ’s unique puck controller. This dial-shaped control (which, with the PD3226G, is wireless) provides full access to menus and settings. You can also bind it for use in Windows software (to scroll, for example). It’s incredibly useful if you’re the type of user who needs to dig into the options to customize and calibrate the image or frequently use features like the monitor’s picture-in-picture/picture-by-picture modes. The monitor’s features can also be controlled with Display Pilot 2, a software utility for Windows and Mac. Matthew Smith / Foundry The monitor’s image quality options are extensive and include color temperature values in specific degrees kelvin (like 6500K), specific gamma modes, 6-axis color hue and saturation controls, a luminance uniformity mode, and sRGB, DisplayP3, DCI-P3, and Rec.709 presets, among other features. These features mark the BenQ PD3226G apart from monitors that target more general professional productivity, like the Dell U3225QE, and from monitors that target both entertainment and professional use, like the HP Omen Transcend 32. You’ll also find support for a range of software utilities designed to help users target specific color accuracy targets and conform to a specific color gamut. These include Palette Master Ultimate (which is used for image calibration with a hardware calibration tool) and ColorTalk (which is used for color matching without a calibration tool). As I’m not a professional designer or artist, I can’t judge these tools in much detail. Even so, they’re another feature that sets the PD3226G apart from a more general-use productivity monitor, which won’t include such software. What about audio? The BenQ PD3226G includes a pair of three-watt speakers that provide acceptable sound at lower volumes but, like most monitor speakers, they sound hollow and tinny when the volume is turned up. Most people will want to use external speakers or headphones, and the monitor has a 3.5mm audio jack for passing audio through to these devices. The PD3226G comes with a unique puck controller that provides full access to menus and settings, and can also bind to Windows software (to scroll, for example). BenQ PD3226G SDR image quality SDR image quality is important for the BenQ PD3226G. Shoppers planning to buy this monitor don’t just want a display that looks nice, but one that objectively achieves high scores and has great color performance. The PD3226G delivers, though its competitors are right there with it. Matthew Smith / Foundry First up is brightness, which is a strength of the BenQ PD3226G. The monitor can achieve a maximum brightness of up to 468 nits, which is high for any monitor in SDR, and better than most competitors. Brightness this high isn’t usually required and, in fact, many users will prefer to use the monitor at a much lower level of brightness. I’d even recommend leaving the brightness at a low level, as an overly bright display can cause eye strain. However, a high maximum brightness means the PD3226G remains usable in brighter rooms and lighting conditions. That’s handy if your room has poor light control, or if the monitor will be used in an office with bright lighting. Matthew Smith / Foundry Contrast, on the other hand, is a weakness for the PD3226G. It achieved a maximum measured contrast ratio of 1180:1 at 50 percent of maximum brightness. As the graph shows, this is low for a monitor in this category. It’s not that the PD3226G’s IPS LCD panel performs poorly. On the contrary, it’s good for a conventional IPS LCD panel. However, competitive panel technologies, including IPS Black and OLED, deliver much better contrast performance. Both the BenQ PD3225U and Dell U3225QE have an IPS Black panel. In practice, the PD3226G’s limited contrast is noticeable. The image can look dull and flat next to some alternatives with IPS Black and OLED panels. I also noticed significant “IPS glow,” which caused a grayish sheen to appear across darker images. This is a trade-off, however. The IPS display’s contrast doesn’t hold up, but going for this panel allows the display to provide better motion clarity, which I’ll touch on later in this review. Matthew Smith / Foundry The BenQ PD3226G strikes back in color performance. It provides color that spans 100 percent of sRGB, 99 percent of DCI-P3, and 92 percent of the AdobeRGB color gamut. As the graph shows, this is towards the upper end of what’s typical for even high-end monitors. The PD3226G’s performance in DCI-P3 was particularly strong, as very few monitors have ever achieved 99 percent of DCI-P3 in this test. On the other hand, the HP Omen Transcend 32’s QD-OLED panel might be preferable if you intend to work with the AdobeRGB gamut (or Rec.2020). Matthew Smith / Foundry The BenQ PD3226G also does well in color accuracy. While the graph might seem to show a loss, in truth an average color error below 1.0 is effectively indistinguishable to the human eye and considered an extremely good result. As the graph shows, many high-end monitors can now achieve this level of accuracy. The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV is the only monitor that falls much behind the pack, but it’s also by far the least expensive monitor in this comparison. Importantly, the BenQ PD3226G’s great color accuracy is matched with great gamma and color temperature performance. I expect a gamma curve of 2.2 and color temperature of 6500K, and the PD3226G hit both targets. However, different people may expect different targets. Here, too, the PD3226G again does well, as it provides both image quality controls and calibration software to finely tune the image for your needs. It’s not uncommon for price-competitive monitors to offer at least some of these features, but the PD3226G hits all the marks. BenQ PD3226G HDR image quality The BenQ PD3226G supports HDR and is VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified. However, it’s not a great display for enjoying HDR. This is not only because of its brightness, which in my test didn’t exceed the monitor’s SDR brightness while in HDR mode, but also its contrast, which isn’t any better in HDR than in SDR. As a result, the PD3226G can’t provide the extra luminance detail that HDR is meant to offer, and HDR content tends to look flat and dull compared to a more capable HDR monitor. However, this flaw is rather common to monitors in the PD3226G’s category which have an IPS LCD panel, including monitors with newer IPS Black panels (like the Dell U3225QE and BenQ PD3225U). You’ll need to opt for a Mini-LED or OLED monitor for better HDR performance. BenQ PD3226G motion performance BenQ doesn’t come out and say that the “G” in PD3226G stands for gaming, but it’s an easy connection to make. The monitor’s 144Hz refresh rate is the highest I’ve yet seen from a monitor meant for creative professionals, beating Dell’s IPS Black alternatives, which reach up to 120Hz. BenQ’s marketing pitch says the refresh rate is optimized for “game development and animation,” among other tasks. The PD3226G also provides official Adaptive Sync and AMD FreeSync support, which is notable, because many monitors in this category omit it. A refresh rate of 144Hz already puts the PD3226G ahead of most competitors, which typically have a refresh rate of 60Hz to 120Hz, but it’s not the whole story. The PD3226G also quotes gray-to-gray pixel response times down to 1 millisecond. By comparison, monitors like the Dell U3225QE quote response times of 5 to 8 milliseconds. Put simply, a lower pixel response time means pixels can change color more quickly, which reduces ghosting behind fast-moving objects. The benefit is obvious. While displays like the Dell U3225QE offer good motion clarity compared to a 60Hz office monitor, they still look a bit blurry. The PD3226G’s motion clarity provides a lot more detail to moving objects and significantly reduces ghosting behind moving text. Reading text that scrolls on the PD3226G is often quite comfortable, which isn’t true on many competitive monitors. This is the silver lining to the PD3226G’s modest contrast ratio. IPS Black panels in monitors like the Dell U3225QE and PD3225U offer much better contrast, but I’ve yet to see an IPS Black panel that quotes a pixel response time below 5 milliseconds. So, the PD3226G has an advantage in motion clarity. Of course, there’s an elephant in the room: OLED. An OLED monitor like the HP Omen Transcend 32 can provide a refresh rate up to 240Hz and pixel response times down to 0.03 milliseconds. Because of that, 32-inch 4K QD-OLED monitors will clearly defeat the PD3226G in motion clarity, which makes OLED preferable for PC gaming. Even so, the PD3226G’s motion clarity is great for a professional monitor. Should you buy the BenQ PD3226G? The BenQ PD3226G is another strong option in the company’s line-up for professional artists, designers, and content creators, and it stands out from the competition in several areas. It has a wide range of connectivity, good motion clarity, many image quality features and options, and top-tier color performance. These strengths are balanced, though not outweighed, by the monitor’s lackluster contrast and so-so HDR, which are noticeable downsides when compared to 32-inch 4K QD-OLED peers. Even so, the PD3226G is a great choice for people who want a monitor for professional creative work that also holds up in gaming and entertainment. Read...

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Scams are increasing in frequency and scope. You’re probably tired of reading about them. I’m disappointed that I need to keep writing about them. Unfortunately, none of us will catch a break any time soon. Things are likely to get worse. Typically, scams cast a wide net. A recent common topic has been unpaid parking tickets or tolls. However, these kinds of scams aren’t the type I’m most worried about. (I live in an urban area with good public transportation. What’s a car?) What’s far more concerning are personalized scams—ones that zero in on details of my life to trick me. And this evolved kind of scheme is set to take off as AI tools continue to improve. It’s the number one warning that comes up when I’ve talked to cybersecurity experts in recent months. They’ve repeatedly told me that AI reduces the work of focusing on specific individuals, through better refinement and automation of their campaigns. “[In 2025], there’s no doubt we’ll see increasingly more AI-driven attacks,” said Paige Schaffer, CEO of Iris, an identity protection service. “We already see plenty of AI-created phishing emails that look incredibly realistic, impersonating trusted individuals or companies.” But AI also creates opportunities for fraudsters to target specific individuals instead of relying on more general tactics. “By analyzing large datasets, AI systems can help criminals identify psychological vulnerabilities (or certain individuals) more susceptible to these types of attacks and exploit their unique biases or predispositions,” said Schaffer. Foundry What kind of vulnerabilities? Consider this scenario presented by Abhishek Kamik, Head of Threat Research at McAfee, who says more personalized scams include those that play off of strong emotions like fear or desperation: “Imagine being one of the 36 percent of people who say they’ve gotten fake job offers, often for remote or urgent roles that seem too good to be true. If you’re not desperate for a job, you may pause and think twice before replying—but if you need to find a job to make ends meet, you may click and end up giving up personal information.” More carefully crafted scams don’t need to be exotic or wildly detailed, either. They still involve tried and true ploys—think banking or credit card fraud—but just become far more convincing. “Thirty-seven percent of Americans have received fake alerts about supposed issues with their bank accounts or credit cards,” says Kamik. “To make things even trickier, two out of three people admit they’re not confident they could tell the difference between a voicemail created with AI and one from a real person.” Yes, deepfake audio calls are a real thing now—and they can be spun into hyperpersonal scams. More than just impersonating the right bank when asking you to “verify” your account, such ruses go straight for the emotional jugular. They synthesize the voice of someone you love, then create audio begging for help with a desperate situation. Further reading: How AI impersonators will wreck online security in 2025 Deepfake videos (as pictured above) aren’t the only thing that can be used for impersonation—deepfake audio is a thing too, and easier to produce.McAfee Fortunately, despite this increased sophistication, you can still protect yourself. The first step is knowing that scammers want your money—and that they’ll go after it through phishing attacks that steal your login information, infostealers that record everything you do (including signing into financial accounts), and ransomware that lets them extort you, as well as duping you into paying fake bills and donating to nonexistent charities. A second big protective measure is to always stop and consider the validity of the alerts you receive. If you receive a notification about a data breach and are advised to reset your password, a quick Google search can reveal if that was in the news. Your package is delayed? Your online account should show you the package status. Bank called saying your account has been frozen? Log in (or call the number on your statements) and verify. This can sound like a lot of work, and it can be. I find it simpler to take a blanket approach with my wariness: I immediately go directly to the source. Data breach? I open a new tab, log in, and change my password. Package is late? I skim through my email to see if I’m actually expecting a shipment. Bank account got frozen? I call the number on my statements fired up with the power of a thousand suns. Is this slightly more work than using the provided links in an email? A little. But it’s a lot less thinking for me on busy days. Our favorite Antivirus Norton 360 Deluxe Read our review As a backup, you can also look to security software. Independent antivirus software is getting its own AI shot in the arm. Companies like Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender, and others are using AI for better scam detection, including deepfakes. This level of defense isn’t bulletproof yet—not in the thorough way that antivirus software stops malware—but it’s ramping up steadily. Fraudsters target the ordinary details of our lives, hoping no one pays close enough attention. And now that I know it’s easier for them to really nail their targets, I also know to be more vigilant. Yeah, you and I are small fries. But what we’ve got in the bank is big to us—and worth guarding. Read...

The wait is almost over. You can get Lenovo’s curvy new Legion Go S gaming handheld right now if you’re okay with it running Windows. But if you’re like me, you’re eagerly waiting for the SteamOS variant, which will be the very first third-party gaming handheld to run Valve’s SteamOS. That one is now up for preorder at Best Buy. The retailer is offering two models of the Legion Go S Powered by SteamOS, its full and unwieldy title. The $550 base model comes with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB storage drive, and an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor. For $750, you can bump that up to 32GB of RAM, a full 1TB of storage, and the older but more powerful Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip. According to the preview page, they’re scheduled for release on May 25th, at least in the United States. (I’ll point out that $550 is 10 percent more than the price we heard back at the announcement… but a lot has happened in the last couple of months.) The Legion Go S ditches the blocky body and Switch-style removable controllers of the original Legion Go handheld, but keeps a lot of the other features intact. While the more ergonomic body is a definite improvement, it’s not enough to get over the general jankiness of running Windows on an 8-inch device, and that lower-power chip certainly doesn’t help with the software overhead. Being a poor deal compared to the Steam Deck sure doesn’t help. For more info, check out our review. Before Lenovo confirmed it would ship the first non-Valve PC handheld to run SteamOS back at CES 2025, we’d heard that Valve was also looking at the Asus ROG Ally family. The most recent preview version of SteamOS mentions that it’s laying down the groundwork for that hardware expansion. But if you’re tired of waiting, you can always try rolling your own with some Linux-based alternatives. Read...

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