About two years after Sightful’s Spacetop first emerged as a sort of display-less virtual computer, Spacetop is ready for liftoff — this time as a subscription-based Windows app that runs on third-party hardware, including laptops with NPUs. What’s Spacetop? Using a pair of AR glasses from XReal, Sightful’s Spacetop AR platform surrounds you with a gigantic 100-inch virtual screen so that you can work on a virtual “multi-monitor” setup virtually anywhere. The primary appeal is to help you work in a cramped environment like a plane or a hotel room, where the virtual workspace offers you some of the advantages of a home office. In 2023, Sightful showed off the Spacetop, which was like a Chromebook without a display. Sightful now utilizes the xReal Air ultra 2 AR glasses in place of the previously tethered AR glasses. If you didn’t own multiple displays and a Thunderbolt dock, fine — the AR setup surrounded you with virtual displays. Today’s Spacetop Bundle makes some changes, though the concept remains the same. Instead of AR glasses that were essentially tethered to the computing solution, Sightful uses the XReal Air Ultra 2 AR glasses instead. The most significant change involves the computer: you’ll need a laptop with an NPU of some sort (a Copilot+ PC isn’t necessary, but a basic NPU like a Core Ultra 100 series is) to power the Spacetop app itself. Yes, Spacetop is now a subscription-based application that runs on top of Windows, and it’s $200 per year. The old Sightful Spacetop.Sightful The Xreal Air Ultra 2 AR glasses output at 1080p per eye, at up to 120 Hz, with three dimming levels so that you can essentially block out extraneous light. Custom lenses are available: prescription single-lens inserts cost $50, while prescription progressive lenses cost $150. Unfortunately, you can’t wear glasses with the Spacetop/XReal headset. This concept might sound a bit like Apple’s Vision Pro — but Spacetop’s AR glasses from Xreal weigh 83 grams, while Apple’s headset weighs up to 650 grams. That’s a neck cramp waiting to happen. Yes, it’s a hefty price: the $899 Spacetop Bundle includes the AR glasses and a year’s worth ($200) of the Spacetop subscription. But you’ll need to either buy or own your own laptop on top of that, too. Sightful has been selling preorders of the bundle for $950, with a two-year Spacetop subscription offering for $1,050. (The subscriptions renew at $200 per year.) Spacetop running on a Windows machine.Sightful Work on the road and in the air Spacetop aims to enable you to bring an office-like environment with you wherever you go, utilizing AR technology. We’ve heard this concept before: part of Meta’s ill-timed metaverse push around the Meta Quest Pro was a virtual workspace, where you were surrounded by virtual screens. It didn’t work, in part because the screens were simply too low-resolution to be useful, and the headset was too heavy. Likewise, Microsoft’s original HoloLens, which I loved, was paired with a Microsoft Mixed Reality headsets — which bombed — but included an ability to pin “screens” inside of a workspace that could remain persistent while you walked around. Spacetop combines elements of both. It not only allows you to move and pin applications on what the company calls a 100-inch virtual screen but also set up a “travel mode” where the screens move with you as you move around. All of that happens via the NPU. At CES 2025 in January, Sightful representatives informed me that the company shifted its strategy in 2024, following the introduction of the Copilot+ PC and the NPU in general. They also announced plans to launch the Spacetop later that year in May 2024. On the Spacetop’s laptop, the NPU simply offloads some of the functions that were previously assigned to the CPU and the GPU — it fits within the traditional role of the NPU, which is to perform some AI-specific tasks much more efficiently than elsewhere. The idea is that efficiency translates into longer battery life. Early customers also didn’t like that the first Sightful iterations were essentially Android phones, with no ability to run Windows apps. It’s not entirely clear whether you’ll be able to run Chrome, or Edge, or a browser with plugins, let alone take a Zoom call while your face is obscured by a headset. The question is, will such a specialty device take off? Spacetop’s launch seemed less certain a couple of years ago, essentially requiring a specialized device for plane use. But now it looks much more useful as just another Windows app combined with a laptop and AR glasses that you can store in your carry-on. Read...

Last week I spent a few days watching the Asus and Best Buy websites like a hawk, waiting for that slinky little Zenbook A14 to start shipping. It’s a really cool, lightweight laptop with battery life for days, literally. But it has one design problem that I see all too often on otherwise good laptops: The USB-C ports are only on one side. This sucks. Allow me to use several hundred words to explain why. There are a lot of great things about USB-C. Access to incredibly fast data transfers. Video capabilities on a (somewhat) universal standard. But the greatest for me, by a wide margin, is that you can use it to charge up almost any device with the same cable. I want every single device that I own with a battery to allow charging via a USB-C port. And we’re almost there. My phone, my tablet, my laptop, my headphones, even my portable batteries that I use to charge all of them on the go, each one uses USB-C. All of this is good. But for most of the time, a phone, a tablet, headphones, et cetera only need one USB-C port. That’s all that’s practical for these devices. A laptop needs multiple USB-C ports. At least two, if only so you can charge it up and use one extra device like a flash drive without needing to bring along a dongle. And at least one of those should be on both sides of the laptop. Further reading: Buying a USB-C cable? Beware these 6 crucial gotchas Flexible charging is important In my case, this is specifically so that you can charge it up from the left or the right. And it’s important for laptops in particular, because laptops are mobile devices, and mobile devices that are bigger and bulkier than phones and tablets. My ThinkPad X1 Nano, pictured above, was considered pretty premium when it came out three years ago. It’s super lightweight and designed for business travel. And yet both of its USB-C ports — its only ports — are on the left side. Extremely frustrating! Pexels/Thirdman When you’re on the go and you need a charge, you can’t always find an ideal spot for it. Maybe you’re in a cafe and the charger is on one side of the table against the wall. Or in a hotel where it’s only on one side of the bed. A bus where the outlet beneath your seat is busted and you have to ask your fellow passenger if you can politely invade their space. (Fix your busses, Martz, the Wi-Fi hasn’t worked in years.) The point is that if you can only charge on one side of your laptop, you’re going to be put in an awkward position up to half of the time. You can twist yourself into an uncomfortable pretzel, or just get a super-long charging cable and carry it with you. And I’ll point out that both of those were solutions from the Before Times, when every brand had its own barrel port or proprietary charger. But you shouldn’t have to — laptops should be designed with this basic use case in mind. Some are, but many aren’t, even “premium” designs like that aforementioned Zenbook A14, which only features a lonely little USB-A port on the right (which can’t charge up the device). Even Apple, a company that proclaims its meticulous design process in its advertising, has USB-C ports on only one side of the MacBook Air. If you want the basic creature comfort of charging on either side, you have to step up to the MacBook Pro. Foundry Here’s what really steams me. When I’m travelling I often carry a USB-C monitor, specifically a ThinkVision M14. This is made by Lenovo, the same company that made my laptop. And it has USB-C ports on both sides, specifically to make it easier to charge, both for itself and its pass-through laptop charging feature. Why are laptops like this? I’ve spoken about this little pet peeve with many of my fellow tech writers, and plenty of regular laptop users too. I’ve never met one who didn’t agree with my viewpoint. So I’m absolutely certain that laptop makers are aware of our desires here. In fact, I know it: I spoke to a former tech writer person I’d worked with, who now works for a PC manufacturer and asked them if they’d raised the point with their new employer. They said that yes, they had in fact spoken with the engineering teams that decide where to put laptop ports and told them that people want USB-C charging on both sides. The engineers responded that it added expense to the design, so it doesn’t make it into some models. Mattias Inghe I’m sure that’s true. My own knowledge of the ins and outs of electronics design is just enough that I don’t doubt it. A modern USB-C port is complicated — it needs extra design work and electronics elements for battery charging, for video output, for standards like Thunderbolt and the fastest data. Every small adjustment, every tiny decision made in the design process has a cost that affects the final manufacturing and, thus the eventual retail price of a product. But I reject this as a definitive reason to make this choice. You can say the same thing about tons of other elements of laptop design — say, using a trackpad that supports multi-touch gestures or a keyboard that has LED backlighting. Asus told me it spent a huge amount of time and resources engineering the hinge on the Zenbook A14, to make sure it can easily open with just one finger. And the presenter was immensely proud of the “Ceraluminum” coating on the entire laptop — as they should be, it’s really nice! None of these elements are strictly necessary. You can operate a laptop without them. But all of them add to the overall experience of a product. Little things that we as end users barely think about, sometimes don’t even notice, can have a huge impact on our final impression of a device. It’s worth the extra work However much extra it might cost to get a USB-C port on both sides of a laptop, it’s worth it. Again, that’s according to me, every other tech writer who reviews laptops, and everyone else they’ve spoken to on the subject. Note that both the Framework Laptop and Intel’s new modular guidelines allow for full-power USB-C on both sides of the laptop, and these devices are made for sustainability with far more engineering necessary than a permanently soldered port. And while I don’t have a component breakdown to make my case, I’m pretty darn confident that it’s not an unattainable design goal for laptops, especially once you get out of the budget category. Allow me to illustrate. This is a Lenovo Legion Go. It costs $700. It has a USB-C port on the top and on the bottom. Mattias Inghe This is the Asus ROG Gaming Phone. It costs $849. It has two USB-C ports, one on the side and one on the bottom, and I’m pretty sure it takes a lot more engineering work to fit two ports on a phone than on a laptop. This is the Nintendo Switch 2. I don’t know how much it costs yet, but given Nintendo’s mass-market savvy and the price of the original, I’d be flabbergasted if it’ll launch at anything north of $500. It has USB-C ports on the top and bottom. Nintendo This is the Lenovo Chromebook Duet, a small, cheap, ChromeOS-powered tablet, topping out at $399 for the most expensive model. How many USB-C ports does it have? I’ll give you three guesses, but you’ll only need one, because it’s two. Two USB-C ports, on two different sides. And again, this is the same company that made my laptop in the header image, equipping a cheaper device with this handy design feature. Michael Crider/IDG I think I’ve made my point. If all of these devices can fit a secondary USB-C charging port, into both their design and their budget, there’s no reason that manufacturers can’t do this for every laptop with USB-C capability. And they absolutely should. Further reading: The best USB-C cables for charging and data transfer Read...

A virtual private network, aka VPN, is one of the best tools you can use to boost your online privacy and security. But in the vast ocean of available services, it can be incredibly difficult for most people to find the best VPN for their needs. Thankfully, we at PCWorld are VPN experts and we’re here to help. When looking for the best VPN, you’ll want to consider a few things: First and foremost, does it have a good privacy record; how are its average connection speeds; is it able to effectively and consistently unblock streaming services; and finally, does it have a large enough server network for your location needs? All of my curated picks below deliver these essentials and more. PROMOTIONSpecial deal: Save big on NordVPN today Up to 77% off NordVPN + 3 extra months! Secure your traffic and shield your IP for better privacy. Take your cybersecurity to the next level with Threat Protection Pro™, NordVPN’s solution that blocks phishing, malware, trackers, and ads. Experience cutting-edge digital protection with the world’s most advanced VPN. Get the Deal NordVPN – Best VPN overall Pros Loaded with tons of VPN configuration options Outstanding speeds Multiple independent no-logs audits Included antivirus and password manager Cons Expensive 2-Year Plan $3.09 a month1-Year Plan$4.99 a monthMonthly Plan$12.99 a month Who should use NordVPN? It’s difficult to select the best overall VPN. For many years we chose the best VPN based purely on privacy, but VPNs have evolved to be more than just tools to browse online anonymously. Privacy is still important, to be sure, but so are speeds, extra features, server network size, and ease of use. NordVPN has it all, and that’s why it’s my top choice for VPNs and a truly solid option for everyone. Nord is the most full-featured service on the market with tools that will appeal to power users as well as an easy-to-use app that is intuitive and straightforward even for beginners. The service also carries out regular independent audits and uses RAM-only diskless servers for increased security, so the privacy-conscious user can rest assured their data will remain anonymous. For those who deem speed a priority, NordVPN will impress as well. Speeds in my testing averaged 72 percent of the base internet speed across all servers — making it the fastest VPN I’ve ever tested. NordVPN: Further considerations NordVPN’s desktop app is very easy to use and offers a ton of different features including access to the TOR network over VPN, multi-hop connections, Meshnet file sharing network, a security suite complete with ad- and malware-blocking, and Nord’s latest password manager and link-checker safety tool. Also, there will be no problems accessing any streaming service while using NordVPN and it has an extensive server network to connect to all over the world. The only real downside is that NordVPN’s pricing can be more expensive than many other VPN services. Even with the discounts offered by long-term plans, it can still seem pricey. Still, you get what you pay for and in this case, it’s more than worth it. Read our full NordVPN review ExpressVPN – Best VPN runner-up Pros Excellent speeds Easy-to-use interface Unblocks all streaming services Great security and privacy practices Cons More expensive than many competitors Light on some features for a top VPN 2-Year Plan$4.99 a month1-Year Plan$6.67 a monthMonthly plan$12.95 a month Who should use ExpressVPN? Just like my other top pick, I think ExpressVPN is a great option for everyone. VPN novices will find that they can easily download the software, choose their server location, and connect — it’s as simple as that. But more advanced users will be able to choose from features such as split-tunneling, protocol optimization, kill switch, and more. Plus, ExpressVPN has one of the most expansive device support networks I’ve ever seen. So the VPN can be used across practically any and all platforms no matter what device you’re trying to protect — with up to eight simultaneous device connections. The only reason I placed it second is due to the slight edge NordVPN has in regards to features and speed. Still, you can’t go wrong if you decide to go with ExpressVPN as your VPN of choice. ExpressVPN: Further considerations ExpressVPN’s servers are all diskless, running everything in RAM so no data is ever stored long-term. The service also has wide device support, as well as a smart DNS feature for set-top boxes, consoles, and more. It’s even begun branching out to take a more holistic approach to security for users, adding ad- and tracker-blocking and, most recently, a password manager to the service, as well. It’s not the cheapest VPN out there, but you do get excellent value for your money, and the service is regularly bringing in third-party auditors to validate its privacy credentials. Read our full ExpressVPN review Surfshark – Best cheap VPN Pros Unlimited simultaneous device connections Works well with Netflix Built-in extras such as ad tracker and malware blocking Low price on long-term plans Cons Indicators for ping or server load are not readily available Based in the Netherlands and subject to government data sharing requests Starter 2-Year Plan (+ 3 free months)$1.99 a monthStarter 1-Year Plan (+ 3 free months)$3.19 a monthStarter Monthly Plan$15.45 a month Who should use Surfshark? Surfshark one of those VPNs that does everything well. It has blazing-fast speeds, a robust feature set second only to NordVPN, and excellent privacy credentials thanks to its no-log policy and multiple independent audits. A subscription comes with all of your standard VPN features, plus infinitely customizable dynamic multi-hop connections, identity protection alerts, and antivirus/malware protection. But the best thing about Surfshark is the price. Taking advantage of its 2-year plan offer will net you comprehensive protection for just over $2 per month. That’s basically unheard of for a premium VPN service. Surfshark is a great all-around VPN option for most people. That being said, those who don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for their VPN will find that Surfshark easily meets their needs without breaking the bank. If you want to save some money and get one of the best VPNs on the market, look no further. Surfshark: Further considerations While the price for a monthly subscription to Surfshark might be exorbitant, the long-term plans are much more affordable. I typically advise against long-term VPN plans as the market changes so frequently, but Surfshark is a rare exception. It’s an established company with a reliable track-record and consistently good service. The only other thing that potential users should be aware of is that Surfshark is based out of the Netherlands. The country itself has strong personal privacy laws, but it’s a member nation of the 14 Eyes Data Sharing Alliance, meaning the government could require Surfshark to share user data if asked. It shouldn’t matter due to the company’s no-logs policy, but it’s still something privacy-conscious users should be aware of before committing. Read our full Surfshark review Private Internet Access – Best cheap VPN runner-up Pros Multiple independently verified no-log audits Unlimited simultaneous device connections Vast server network Great extra features such as multi-hop and split tunneling Cons App is a little awkward to use Speeds are fairly pedestrian 2-Year Plan (+4 free months)$2.19 a month6-Month Plan$7.50 a monthMonthly plan$11.99 a month Who should use Private Internet Access? Private Internet Access (PIA) has been around for awhile and has demonstrated that it can continue to innovate and improve with each passing year. The latest version of PIA is no different. By putting itself through yet another independent audit of its no-logs policy it keeps proving that user privacy is its top priority. I think it can be a great VPN for all users. However, where PIA really shines is in its price and extensive customizable feature set. It has one of the least expensive subscription plans of any top VPN, both monthly and long-term. Plus, power users and those who like their apps to be customized to their individual needs will especially love all of the tweaking that this app allows you to do. Private Internet Access: Further considerations PIA also provides generous unlimited device connections and an absolutely insane server network that claims to have over 35,000 available servers, but with fewer country locations than other top competitors on this list. The service does have a rather outdated interface and I found a few awkward interface issues. It’s also not the fastest service I’ve ever tested, with speeds well below the fastest I’ve seen. But neither of these issues should take away too much from the great value PIA offers. Read our full Private Internet Access review Proton VPN – Best free VPN Pros Excellent free plan Great privacy tools Reliable and transparent no-logs policy Cons Expensive 2 years$107.76 ($4.49/mo)1 year$59.88 ($4.99/mo)1-device limited planFreeSee all plans & pricing at ProtonVPN Who should use Proton VPN? Whether you opt for the free or paid version, Proton VPN is a good option for anyone. The free version specifically will appeal to those on a tight budget, or those who just need a VPN to do the occasional online task safely and securely online. Many free VPNs come with either ridiculous limitations or annoying ads. Mercifully, Proton VPN has no ads and the restrictions are fairly tame compared to other services. For the low, low cost of nothing, you’ll get a one-device connection limit and access to five servers located in Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and the U.S. In my testing I also found that speeds were very good even with the free version, ranking in the top 10 of all VPNs, paid or free. And since there are no monthly data limits on Proton’s free VPN servers, it’s also an excellent option if you want to stream videos while using a VPN — just be aware, the free servers don’t promise to work with Netflix like some of Proton’s paid servers do. Overall, you get a lot for paying nothing and this easily makes it our favorite free VPN. Proton VPN: Further considerations The VPN is from the same company behind Proton Mail, a privacy-focused email service, so it’s very easy to integrate the VPN into the whole Proton ecosystem if you so wish. The company has undergone multiple independent audits confirming its no-logs policy — including the free VPN, as well. The monthly price for the premium version does come in at the expensive side though, so I would recommend trying out the free version first before you upgrade. Read our full ProtonVPN review Mullvad – Best VPN for privacy Pros Good speeds Inexpensive monthly plan Unrivaled anonymity Open-source Cons Struggles with unblocking streaming services Smaller server network Lacks some extra features that other VPNs offer 1 month€5/mo ($5.26)1 year€5/mo ($5.26)1 decade€5/mo ($5.26)See all plans & pricing at Mullvad Who should use Mullvad? Mullvad is the undisputed king of privacy and anonymity. I’ve never seen another VPN that actively resists knowing who you are the way Mullvad does. Mullvad doesn’t ask for your email address, name, or anything else. Instead it assigns a random account number that acts as your identifier and login. The service accepts payments using standard methods such as credit cards and PayPal, but you can also mail your payment in cash to remain as private as possible. Mullvad has a no-logging policy and doesn’t collect any identifying metadata from your usage. The name of the game with Mullvad is privacy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a more than capable VPN for any user. But the ultra-privacy conscious will find the most to like in its anonymized payment system, commitment to not collecting metadata, and strong privacy promises. Mullvad: Further considerations Mullvad is also fast, ranking among our top five for speeds, and offers a standardized fee across all plan lengths. While this makes it very affordable month-to-month, it does lose value compared to other top VPNs that significantly reduce their prices in the long-term. I also found some hiccups when trying to access streaming services, so users who want their VPN to bypass location-restricted content may want to take that into consideration before subscribing. Read our full Mullvad review Hotspot Shield – Fastest VPN Pros Very fast Large country selection and plenty of servers Cons Domain visits are recorded, though not tied to you Expensive Monthly rate$9.99/moYearly rate$79.99 ($6.66/mo)BasicFreeSee all plans & pricing at Hotspot Shield Who should use Hotspot Shield? Hotspot Shield is for those looking to maintain the fastest connection possible with the minimum loss of base speed. While other top picks on this list boast above-average speeds, Hotspot Shield is on another level. No other service (beyond NordVPN) comes close to hitting the speeds I’ve seen with Hotspot Shield. This isn’t just a one-off occurrence either; Hotspot Shield has consistently been at the top with speeds that are 12 to 15 percentage points above the competition. In my tests, Hotspot Shield maintained around 66 percent of the base speed. That’s substantially faster than you’ll see with most VPN services — with the obvious caveat that your experience may vary on a number of outside factors. Regardless, it is still one of the best around if connection speed is your main concern. I also found that it can access location-restricted content on most major streaming services. This, combined with its excellent speeds, makes it a good option if you mainly use a VPN to access streaming content. Hotspot Shield: Further considerations Hotspot Shield comes with a smaller feature set that some of the other top VPNs and its privacy policy may not sit well with some. It has also unfortunately never undergone an independent audit so those who are concerned with privacy, may want to look elsewhere. Also, while Hotspot Shield in the past was far and away the fastest VPN on the market, in recent years other services have been catching up. It’s worth it to weigh how much speed means to you before committing to the service. If you’re unsure then I recommend trying out the free version to take it for a spin. Read our full Hotspot Shield review CyberGhost – Best VPN for travelers Pros Independently verified no-log policy Seriously impressive server spread Generous 45-day money-back guarantee Cons Server speeds can be hit-or-miss Lacks some extra security features offered by competitors 2-Year Plan (+ 2 free months)$2.19 a month6-Month Plan$6.99 a monthMonthly Plan$12.99 a month Who should use CyberGhost? If you travel frequently then you want variety and wide coverage in the server locations from your VPN. CyberGhost provides both by offering a staggering 9,000+ servers for users to connect to, which is more than twice as many as most other VPNs on this list. Unlike some competitors, these servers aren’t all concentrated in the U.S. or Europe, either. The server spread totals 120+ countries all across the world. The service even recommends optimized servers to users for various needs such as gaming, streaming, and torrenting. Due to its plethora of servers and locations, CyberGhost is one of the best options for finding a server no matter where you are in the world. For those who travel a lot or just need access to a diverse and vast server spread, CyberGhost is definitely worth consideration. CyberGhost: Further considerations CyberGhost also has a well-designed Windows app that is intuitive and easy to use, even when tweaking settings. It lacks some of the power-user features that other VPNs on this list provide such as multi-hop and IP rotation, but that shouldn’t be a deal breaker for the average user. In my testing I found that some of the servers were faster than others, with servers located in Europe having excellent speeds and servers in Asia not fairing as well. But overall, the speeds are good enough to do most of what you want to do with a VPN — web browsing, streaming, etc. Read our full CyberGhost review Other VPNs we liked While we believe that the above VPNs are currently the best money can buy, there are a few other noteworthy services that deserve attention: PrivadoVPN is a strong overall service, but the free version of the VPN really stands out and is second only to Proton VPN. Windscribe Pro is not only very affordable, but it’s also really easy to use and offers great security, with both a Windows client and browser extension that work in tandem to keep your browsing private and pop-up free. Hide.me is a well-rounded service that ticks almost every box and the fantastic array of configurable settings make it a power-user’s dream. U.S.-based IPVanish nails all of the basics: good speeds, a large server network, and privacy promises backed up with independent audits. TunnelBear is an undeniably charming VPN that is extremely easy to use, and doesn’t overwhelm with too many features or country options, which makes it ideal for VPN novices or those who aren’t the most tech-savvy. I’m continuously evaluating new VPNs and reevaluating services I’ve already tested on a regular basis, so be sure to come back to see what else we’ve put through their paces. Can I get a better VPN deal? Here at PCWorld, we are regularly hunting down the best VPN deals to help you get the most bang for your buck. VPN services are frequently running deals throughout the year, so you should have a few chances to snag your favorite VPN on a steep discount if you can time it right. While the prices for all VPNs on this list are updated daily, they do not account for special deals or offers. It’s best to keep checking our deals article to see what new limited-time discounts are on offer each week. Additionally, sales events such as Amazon Prime Day in mid-July and Black Friday at the end of November provide excellent opportunities to find even cheaper VPN deals. How we test VPNs We judge VPNs on a variety of criteria including server network, connection speeds, privacy protections, ease-of-use, additional features, and cost. For a more detailed guide on our evaluation process, check out PCWorld’s comprehensive guide on how we test VPN services. Speed tests are kept as simple as possible. We average the connections between different global locations for any given VPN and then compare them to our baseline internet speed to get a good picture of the overall connection speeds. We thoroughly research and analyze the privacy policies and histories of each VPN and note any outstanding discrepancies or data collection issues. Experience and ease-of-use are subjective, but we try our best to give an accurate representation of how it feels to work with the VPN. And finally, we compare the value of the service based upon its price and additional features to the industry average to help you gain an accurate picture of what you’ll get for your money. Why you should trust PCWorld for VPN reviews and buying advice Here at PCWorld we’ve been testing computer hardware, software, and services since the 1980s. As reviewers and users of PC hardware and software, we put every product through its paces using rigorous benchmarking and hands-on evaluation. We’d never recommend something we wouldn’t want for ourselves. Who curated this article? Sam Singleton is PCWorld’s VPN beat reporter and jack of all trades. When he’s not on the hunt for the best computer deals he’s covering VPNs, productivity software, laptops, and a wide gamut of consumer-grade hardware and software. How to choose the best VPN One of the first things you should look for when shopping around for a VPN is the number of servers and locations. It’s difficult to judge any VPN by just one feature, but a semi-reliable way to tell if a VPN is even worth your time is to look at the server network. Anything with 1,000 or more servers and 30 or more country locations will do. Speed The next thing to consider is a VPN’s speed. This may be tricky to do since you aren’t likely to be able to test connection speeds without paying to use the service. Reading reviews online will give you a general estimate. Look for reviews, like ours, that give you a relative average of connection speeds rather than direct Mbps speed comparisons, for a more accurate picture. Privacy You’ll also want to read up on a VPN’s privacy protections. Does it have a no-logs policy? Has it undergone any independent audits of its servers? Where is the VPN company located? All of these will give you an idea of whether or not a VPN is transparent with its data collection policies and if it’s subject to government data sharing requirements. Price As with all subscription services, you’ll want to review the price of a VPN service. Do you want a monthly or yearly subscription? Some top VPNs might be pricey month-to-month, but actually become quite affordable with long-term plans. Additional features Other factors you’ll want to take into consideration are the overall ease-of-use, user experience, and any additional features. Some of these features, such as split-tunneling and kill switches, can be extremely useful for certain purposes and might sway your subscription decision one way or the other. FAQ 1. What is the best VPN? NordVPN is our pick for the best VPN. Not only does it have the fastest speeds and a large server network, but it’s also the most full-featured VPN on the market. There is currently no other VPN on the market that provides as much value or as extensive a feature-set as NordVPN and that’s why it’s our top pick. 2. What is the best cheap VPN? Surfshark is our pick for the best cheap VPN. Not only does it provide great speeds, but it also comes with a robust feature and excellent privacy credentials. If you opt for a long-term plan, Surfshark offers all of this for pennies on the dollar compared to many other VPNs. In terms of budget-friendly services, Surfshark simply can’t be beat. 3. What is a VPN? VPNs create a secure tunnel between your PC and the internet. When you connect to a VPN your web traffic is routed through the chosen VPN server to make it appear as though you’re browsing from that server’s location, and not from your actual location. The VPN app will also encrypt your data so that any third parties such as your ISP can’t see your specific online activities. A VPN can be a great response to a variety of concerns, such as online privacy, anonymity, greater security on public Wi-Fi, and, of course, spoofing locations. 4. Can I be tracked with a VPN? While VPNs certainly offer you better privacy and security, they don’t make you completely anonymous nor keep you from being tracked entirely. A VPN will keep your ISP from seeing your traffic, but there are a mindboggling number of ways that other companies or sites track you across the internet. For example, when you sign into a website, your identity is still revealed to that website, VPN or not. Or when you log into your Gmail account while using a VPN, Google can now collect personalized cookies based on your browsing. 5. Will a VPN protect me on public Wi-Fi? Yes, a VPN can help protect you when using public Wi-Fi by encrypting your data and masking your IP address. This makes it much more difficult for hackers to hijack your online traffic and steal sensitive information like passwords or credit card details. Public Wi-Fi is often vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, where hackers intercept your data en route to the server. A VPN can protect against this by encrypting the connection, thereby making your data unreadable and all but useless to any potential snooping third parties. It’s worth noting however that VPNs can only protect you from certain threats and it won’t make your device or traffic completely secure. It’s always good practice to use strong passwords, enable extra layers of security such as two-factor authentication, and regularly update your apps and devices to patch any vulnerabilities. 6. Will a VPN slow down my internet? Most likely you will see a moderate speed decrease to your internet while using a VPN. This is mainly due to the process of your internet traffic being rerouted and encrypted through a VPN server before heading on to its destination. The amount of latency you will experience through this process is down to what country’s server you choose to route your traffic through. If you choose a server located on the other side of the world, then you will generally notice a much greater hit than if you were to connect to a server nearby in your same country. Thankfully, most modern VPNs should have the infrastructure to maintain high-speed, secure data transfer rates. So it’s likely you can still browse and stream without much of a noticeable impact while using a reliable VPN like those on this list. Related content PCWorld software reviews Should you use a VPN browser extension: What you gain, what you give up 9 things you realize when you first start using a VPN VPNs and the law: How often does law enforcement actually request VPN logs? 5 VPN features you need to start using today 14 VPN terms and features everyone should know Best VPN for streaming Netflix Fastest VPN Best free VPN Best VPN for Android Best free VPN for Android Best VPN for torrenting Read...

If your phone’s battery life is disappointing nowadays, or you simply use it so much throughout the day that it runs out fast, then a portable power bank is essential to have on you at all times. In particular, one that’s compact, magnetic, and offers convenient wireless charging. I’m talking about something like the Baseus Picogo MagSafe power bank, which is ultra-slim, cute, and affordable at just $40 on Amazon right now. That’s a hefty 43% discount with the on-page coupon. This power bank has a 10,000mAh capacity that’s enough to recharge most phones about two full times (unless you have a massive flagship phone with a huge battery, in which maybe one full time). If you use a USB-C cable, it can output 27 watts of charging power… but the star feature here is that it’s magnetic, meaning it locks onto your phone and delivers 15 watts of wireless charging. (You’ll need a MagSafe-compatible iPhone or Android case to take full advantage of that.) It’s also extremely thin and tiny, making it the perfect power bank for traveling and commuting. It’s only 0.5 inches thick and weighs 0.38 pounds, so you can easily carry it around in your pocket. It also has an anti-scratch and wear-resistant silicone exterior for longevity. Between its compact size, robust build, and magnetic wireless capabilities, this portable charger could not be more convenient. What are you waiting for? This is a fantastic price for the Baseus Picogo MagSafe power bank, so clip the on-page coupon and score this Amazon deal while you still can. Save 43% on one of the best travel power banks out thereBuy now at Amazon Read...

It’s never easy to decide what to pack for a trip. Whether you’re packing light for some quick business or heading out on the next big family vacation, it’s important to bring the right tech. Here at PCWorld we’re continually testing the latest gadgets to sort the good from the bad. This means we’ve had the opportunity to find the best tech gear and accessories built for travel. From voltage converters to noise-cancelling headphones, we’ve curated a list of the very best tech gear to optimize your next travel experience. The items below are worthy of any packing list and will help you prepare for anything you may encounter on the road—or in the sky. Manage electrical needs with a voltage converter BESTEK Universal Travel Adapter 220V to 110V Bestek, Mapambo When you’re traveling from the U.S. to Europe, for instance, you don’t just need a different type of plug for your chargers and gadgets, but also a voltage converter because Europe runs on different settings. The Bestek Universal Travel Adapter will convert 220V outlets to U.S.-standard 110V, thus ensuring that your devices don’t burn out. It’s not only affordable, but it has three AC outlets and four USB ports. Plus, the product comes with a couple of extra plug adapters. If a more compact version is all you need, then the Mapambo converter will work just fine with one AC plug, two type-C, and two type-A ports. Buy the BESTEK Universal Travel Adapter at Amazon Buy the Mapambo 220V to 110V Voltage Converter at Amazon Take control of tangled cords Rolling Square inCharge 6 Portable Keychain Charger Cable Rolling Square If you’re like most travelers, you bring multiple electronics to make the most of your experience—we’re talking camera, phone, laptop, headphones, etc. But along with all of these items, you’ll need to carry all of their charging cables. That can take up space and lead to a tangled web of cords in your bag if you’re not careful. With the Rolling Square inCharge 6 Portable Charger Cable on Amazon, you have the option of USB-C or USB-A inputs and Micro USB or USB-C outputs all in a cable that is small enough for your keychain. Buy the Rolling Square Portable Charger Cable at Amazon Keep your devices charged with a portable power bank Anker GaN Prime Power Bank 2-in-1 10,000mAh portable power bank with wall charger Anker Traveling is always fun, but ending up with a depleted phone battery in an unknown place can be terrifying. This Anker Prime power bank takes up two roles in one. On one hand, it can plug into a wall outlet and give you the recharge you need while you’re at your hotel, for instance, but it can also act as a power bank when you’re out and about exploring. 10,000mAh is enough to charge your phone twice over (or close to that). There are three ports on this Anker hybrid charger, two of which are type-C that can reach 65W charging. It’s available for $110, but you can often find it closer to $70 when on sale. Buy the Anker GaN Prime Power Bank 2-in-1 Charger at Amazon Never lose your valuables again Apple AirTag, Tile Pro, Samsung SmartThings, Tile Slim Apple, Tile, Samsung We’ve all been there. You arrive at your destination and you’re waiting for your checked bag to show up on the carousel, but it never does. Baggage handling is at it again. With a Bluetooth tracker you can easily keep tabs on where your bag is and maybe even help TSA locate it, should it be lost. There are quite a few Bluetooth trackers on the market that you can get. Apple users should look into the AirTag, while Android users can choose Samsung’s SmartTag2. Anyone can go for the Tile Pro. If you’re more worried about your wallet, Tile’s Slim tracker will neatly fit in there. These are all around $30 a piece, but you can quite often get them for less or in bundles, thus lowering the price even more. Buy the Apple AirTag at Amazon Buy the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 at Amazon Buy the Tile Pro at Amazon Buy the TIle Slim at Amazon Enjoy an in-flight movie without annoying headphone cables Twelve South AirFly Pro or Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver Ugreen, Twelve South Twelve South’s AirFly Pro Bluetooth wireless audio transmitter for $54.99 on Amazon (although it’s frequently on sale) allows you to turn any audio jack into a wireless Bluetooth transmitter. Simply plug in the device to the headphone jack on the back of the airplane seat and connect your wireless headphones. Then sit back and relax while you enjoy the in-flight entertainment on your sweet noise-canceling headphones. Alternatively, you can also go for the more affordable Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver, which is $36.99 but often drops below $30. Either will allow you to connect up to two earbuds or headphones. Buy the Twelve South AirFly Pro at Amazon Buy the Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver at Amazon Drown out noise with noise-canceling earbuds AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) or Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 Apple, Bose Flying on an airplane is loud. Engines roar, babies cry, passengers snore. That’s why you need noise-canceling headphones, which have become essential tools in making your flight as easy as possible. And because you’re traveling and bag space is a premium, your headphones need to be small. Not just for iPhone users, but for anyone who needs good headphones, the AirPods Pro 2 for $225.00 on Amazon continue to be the best choice due to their convenient size and noise-canceling capability. If you’re an Android user, you may want to look into the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, which deliver something our buddies at TechAdvisor have called “astonishing noise cancellation” on top of superb sound quality and a secure fit. Get the AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) at Amazon Buy the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 at Amazon Or get some noise-canceling headphones Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max Apple, Sony If earbuds aren’t for you, then perhaps a pair of proper headphones will do the trick. The Sony WH-1000XM5 are easily some of the best noise-canceling headphones out there (as our friends at TechAdvisor attested with a 5-star review), delivering phenomenal audio and a comfortable build. Apple fans may want to look into the AirPods Max that are also known for what our friends at MacWorld call “industry leading active noise cancelling”. Buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 at Amazon Buy the Apple AirPods Max at Amazon Capture and print your favorite memories Fuji Instax Mini 12 instant camera Fujifilm Sure, you could bring a giant SLR camera with multiple lenses and an extra special carry-on bag to store everything. Or for those who aren’t professionals, you can opt for a small, retro instant camera such as the Fuji Instax Mini 12 for $143.95 on Amazon. Just like an old-school Polaroid, you can take a picture and instantly print it out to capture the moment. Just be aware that you’ll need to purchase and carry the film separately. Buy the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 at Amazon Keep your wires from getting crossed Bellroy Tech Kit Bellroy Bellroy is known for making great tech cases and kits, and the Bellroy Tech Kit for $59.00 on Amazon is our favorite. This well designed, travel-friendly bag allows you to keep all of your cables and small peripherals stored and organized with ease. The folio style means that you can open the entire kit out flat for easy access to everything stored inside. Plus, the fabric is waterproof so you shouldn’t have to worry about a little liquid spilling on your precious gear. Buy the Bellroy Tech Kit at Amazon Game in-route to your destination Steam Deck, Switch OLED, or Backbone One Backbone, Nintendo, Valve The Steam Deck for $399 on the Steam store is a great handheld gaming system that allows you to play your favorite PC games on the go. It wasn’t so long ago that the Steam Deck was sold out everywhere and people were clamoring to get one. Thankfully, Valve has increased its supply and it’s easier than ever to get your hands on this excellent gaming portable. Play games from your Steam library on the go or load up on new titles for your next vacation. Gaming makes those long-haul flights a breeze. If you’d rather go for a different platform, the Switch OLED is an absolutely fantastic gaming console. And yes, we know the Switch 2 is en route, but good luck getting your hands on one of those anytime soon. If you’d really just play on your phone, but have an upgraded experience, the Backbone One will mold to your phone, whether that’s an Android or iPhone model, and will help you play anything you want, including titles in your Xbox, PlayStation, or Steam libraries. Buy the Steam Deck at Steam Store Buy the Nintedo Switch OLED at Amazon Buy the Backbone One at Amazon Keep your hands and wrists happy while typing Logitech MX Keys Mini Logitech Laptop keyboards are cramped and can lead to some serious wrist pain if you type on them for long enough. Save yourself the carpal tunnel and grab a wireless keyboard like the Logitech MX Keys Mini. This compact keyboard is not only easy to travel with, but offers convenient features such as a semi-customizable layout, multi-device switching, and more. And the most important part is that it offers a great typing experience with comfortable and quiet keys that won’t bother your fellow travelers. The MX Keys Mini is currently $99.99 on Amazon. Buy the Logitech MX Keys Mini at Amazon Carry a library everywhere you go Kindle Paperwhite Amazon Books are a great thing to have around on vacation, but they’re heavy and they take up precious space in your luggage. Instead opt for an e-reader like the Kindle Paperwhite for $159.99 on Amazon and bring an entire library worth of books in this lightweight tablet. Plus the Paperwhite version comes with an anti-glare screen and adjustable brightness settings making it perfect for a bright beach or dark airplane. Not sure which Kindle to buy? Check out our handy Kindle buying guide to help you make the right choice. Buy the Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon Grab a mobile hotspot to stay in range of Wi-Fi range Solis Lite 4G LTE WiFi Mobile Hotspot Solis Those who travel a lot know that Wi-Fi is essential. From being able to work online while on the road or just looking up restaurant recommendations in another country, it’s an invaluable tool to get the most out of your travel experience. There are quite a few services nowadays offering pocket Wi-Fi for travelers, but Solis is one of the best with reliable global coverage across 135 countries. Plus, it has flexible plans depending upon your needs. You’ll need to purchase the Solis Lite Mobile Hotspot for $159.99 on Amazon before registering for a Wi-Fi plan, but it’s only a one-time fee and you can then use it on all of your future trips. Buy the Solis Lite Mobile Hotspot at Amazon Never worry about safe tap water again Philips Water GoZero self-cleaning water bottle Philips No matter if you’re traveling to a new city or going camping, making sure that you have access to clean and potable water is a necessity. The Philips Water GoZero bottles bring in some smart technology to ensure the water is safe to drink. Available for $73.89 at Amazon (or lower when on sale), the bottle uses UV technology to eliminate up to 99.999 percent of bacteria and 99.9 percent of viruses in just a few minutes. Even when empty, the cap can disinfect your bottle and remove odors. Made out of stainless steel and double-walled, the bottle won’t just purify your water, it will also keep your drinks hot for up to 12 hours or cold for 24 hours. Buy the Philips Water GoZero water bottle at Amazon Mount your smartphone on anything Universal in-flight airplane phone holder mount Perilogics This Universal in-flight airplane phone holder mount for $13.97 on Amazon allows you to easily clip your phone onto an airplane seat for hands-free convenience. Maybe you loaded up that latest season of your favorite show or have a game to occupy that long-haul flight. Either way, holding your phone with a craned neck for hours and hours is bound to give you a strain. Just hook this bad boy up to the back of the seat in front of you on the airplane then sit back, relax, and enjoy. Buy the Universal in flight phone holder at Amazon Travel with an ultraportable laptop Asus ZenBook S 14 Thomas Rau If you’re going to get a super-light laptop, the Zenbook S 14 is a fantastic pick because it weighs just 2.65 pounds, which make sit lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air. We gave this one a 4.5-star rating and our Editors’ Choice award, appreciating the fantastic battery life and lovely large OLED screen. Plus, the laptop has an Ultra 7 processor, 32GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. You can also check out our other best ultraportables or our best laptop roundup for even more options. Buy the Asus ZenBook S 14 at Best Buy Or opt for a 2-in-1 for even more versatility HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 IDG / Josh Hendrickson If you want a more versatile laptop, then a 2-in-1 model will do like our very favorite HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14. The 360-degree hinge will make it easy for you to turn this laptop into a tablet and into a Netflix-watching tent in a blink. The 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED touch display is absolutely gorgeous and the 500 nits make it perfect to use everywhere you go. Buy the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 at Amazon Increase your screen real-estate with a travel monitor Azorpa A1 Gamut Matt Smith Sometimes you just need a second monitor, even when you’re traveling. The extra screen really helps productivity for business travelers and it makes for a great way to play your portable games on a larger screen while on the road. We really like the Azorpa A1 Gamut which delivers good image quality for an extremely budget friendly price—the A1 Gamut is usually about $70 on Amazon. It also comes with useful connectivity options and a solid build quality that will stand up the rigors of travel.  Buy the Arzopa A1 at Amazon Grab some extra storage Crucial X9 Pro IDG If you plan on taking about a million pictures and videos and you want to have a safe way to back them up without relying on random hotel Wi-Fi, then you can also grab a portable SSD. The Crucial X9 Pro is the best external SSD for most folks because it’s not only affordable but also super fast. We gave the X9 Pro a near-perfect score and our Editors’ Choice award, utterly impressed with the 10Gbps performance and the small form factor. Buy the Crucial X9 Pro at Amazon Stream content in your hotel room Amazon Fire TV Stick HD Amazon If you’re going to travel, you may as well keep up with your shows. The Amazon Fire TV Stick HD makes it super easy to bring all your favorite shows with you anywhere you go. You’ll just need to pop this thing in the TV, connect it to the hotel’s Wi-Fi (or the hotspot you set up), and just have fun. It’s also super affordable, available for $35 (although it’s frequently on sale for $20 or less). Buy now at Amazon Read...

The interchange will relieve pressure on existing routes and shorten travel times. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Repairable and upgradeable Great keyboard Display is easy on the eyes Cons High up-front cost Battery life lags way behind Not quite seamless design Our Verdict The Framework Laptop 13 falls behind similarly priced systems in many ways, making it a bit of a hard sell for buyers looking to get a new machine. But its reparability and more affordable upgrade pathway can make it a much more compelling value for certain types of users. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today The Framework Laptop 13 (2025) isn’t so much a new computer, per se, as it is a refresh of some of the parts of the prior Framework Laptop 13. Aside from a new CPU (and the mainboard it comes packaged on) and a revised keyboard, much of this new Framework Laptop 13 is identical to the model tested last year. While this sameness may not make it an exciting system to upgrade to from earlier models, especially when considering the $1,946 price tag for the configuration tested here, current Framework Laptop 13 owners get to enjoy the much more affordable upgrade pathway that sets Framework apart from its competing brands. The mainboard in our test unit is just $699 after all.   This upgradeability may make the Framework Laptop 13 a compelling option for certain types of users who pursue performance upgrades but want consistency otherwise. But for those who need a reliable system today and enjoy occasional changes, many of our favorite laptops are available at lower prices. Even if upgrades in the future are more expensive, you can try to defray those future costs with the sale of your old machine or simply enjoy the second life it can have in the hands of a friend or family member.  Editor’s note: The Framework Laptop 13 (2025) is now available for pre-order, with shipments expecting to begin in May 2025. Framework Laptop 13 (2025): Specs and features CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 Memory: 16GB DDR5-5600 Graphics/GPU: AMD Radeon 860M Display: 13.5-inch, 2880×1920 matte IPS with 120Hz refresh rate (rounded corners) Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD Webcam: 1080p Connectivity: 4x configurable and swappable ports, 1x combo audio jack Networking: WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: Windows Hello fingerprint Battery capacity: 61 watt-hours Dimensions: 11.7 x 9 x 0.6 inches Weight: 2.99 pounds MSRP: $1,946 as-tested ($1,109 base w/o Windows license or power adapter) The new Framework Laptop 13 is built around AMD’s new Strix Point Ryzen AI 300 series CPUs with integrated graphics and discrete XDNA 2 NPUs. Framework offers both DIY (assemble-yourself) and pre-built versions with the Ryzen AI 5 340 (starting at $989), the Ryzen AI 7 350 (starting at $1,349) tested here, and the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (starting at $1,829). Each base configuration includes a 2256×1504 matte display, but Framework offers a $140 upgrade to a 2880×1920 matte display with a 120Hz refresh rate (albeit also with rounded corners). The plastic bezel around the display is also customizable with a variety of opaque and translucent colors — black and clear are free, but all others cost $10. The keyboard and deck are also included in the price, though Framework has a few special options for $10 more.  The base configurations listed come with no storage, memory, operating system, charger, or expansion cards to give the laptop I/O like USB-C ports or HDMI. You can select these items while configuring your laptop, and they’ll raise the price in turn. If you already have any of these, then you’re able to skip these items and avoid the extra cost at checkout. However, if you don’t have these and need to have a ready-to-use laptop, the actual base price will change a bit. For instance, the $989 base rises to $1,109 for a complete laptop, and that’s still before adding a $139 Windows license (you could use Linux for free instead) and a $59 charger. Framework Laptop 13 (2025): Design and build quality  IDG / Mark Knapp The 2025 Framework Laptop 13 doesn’t really change much from its predecessors, and that’s by design. Since Framework’s laptops are upgradeable, they feature a consistent chassis that new parts can slot into. So this new model continues to feature the same all-aluminum construction of its predecessors, and combines that silver with a black keyboard. It’s surprisingly thin for an upgradeable system, and it’s not overly flexible. The display hinge is a bit wiggly. After opening it or making adjustments, it will wiggle for a couple of seconds before coming to a rest. But otherwise, the system feels pretty sturdy.  In the effort to make it accessible, Framework appears to have struggled some with seamlessness, though. There’s a clear seam between the lower and upper panels of the base, and while they fit quite closely around the sides, they don’t at the front edge. The front edge is held together with just two screws in each corner, and this setup doesn’t create enough pressure in the middle, leaving an unsightly gap between the panels. IDG / Mark Knapp Each side features four slots for different I/O models, which have a fairly smart retaining mechanism. They slide on rails and have a small catch to lock them into place. They fit in securely, but they also show unsightly and uneven seams. Alas, that just appears to be the cost of customizability, and it may be a tradeoff worth making.  The customization does come with some fun options. Our test unit included a translucent purple display bezel that harkened back to old N64 controllers, for instance. Unfortunately, it had square corners that didn’t quite line up with the rounded corners of the display — not a glaring aesthetic issue, but a minor upset. The display didn’t get the most competitive bezels either, boasting thicker top and bottom bezels than you’d typically find on a similarly priced laptop in 2025.  Framework Laptop 13 (2025): Keyboard, trackpad IDG / Mark Knapp The Framework Laptop 13’s new Gen 2 keyboard is largely satisfying. After a little over an hour of use, I was able to get up to a typing speed of 115 words per minute with 97 percent accuracy in Monkeytype, and by the end of my testing, I bumped that to 121 words per minute and 98 percent accuracy. On an exceptional keyboard, I find I can go a bit faster with still more accuracy, but that’s not a bad result for the Framework Laptop 13. I find the keys have decent travel and stabilization, but a slight sponginess holds them back slightly. The keys feature white backlighting with several levels of brightness. These bleed out a little around the keycaps, but they also effectively illuminate the legends.  The trackpad included on the laptop is modestly sized, offering decent width and height for swiping and multi-finger gestures. It’s nowhere near as massive as I’ve seen on some Asus or Dell laptops, but it’s a respectable size and avoids running into my palm while I’m typing. My fingers glide smoothly across its glass surface, and it tracks my movements well. It depresses slightly when pressed, offering a mostly silent but tactile click.  Framework Laptop 13 (2025): Display, audio IDG / Mark Knapp The display on the Framework Laptop 13, as configured, is great. It’s not winning any awards for its quality, but its utility is top-notch. The screen gets incredibly bright, reaching almost 540 nits in my testing. That, combined with its excellent anti-glare finish, makes it exceptionally visible in most conditions. For its size, it’s sharp, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes everything smooth. Even its contrast is surprisingly strong for an IPS display, reaching 1710:1 in my testing. Color isn’t its strong suit, though. It offers a solid 100 percent coverage of the sRGB color space, but it comes up lacking in DCI-P3 color, where it only achieves 86 percent coverage.  The speakers are similarly utilitarian. They can push out a decent amount of volume focused in the mid-range, giving human voices plenty of sound, but they can drop off considerably at the low end and can sound boxed in depending on what’s playing. They offer a nice enough performance for music, but not an impressive one, especially with their lacking bass.  Framework Laptop 13 (2025): Webcam, microphone, biometrics The webcam on the Framework Laptop 13 is decent. It offers 1080p resolution and has a fairly wide angle, making it easy to frame yourself. While it ends up with a lot of noise in low-light scenes, it does a good job boosting the exposure to avoid crushed shadows while also steering clear of clipped highlights. The mic isn’t so impressive. Even in a quiet room, I sounded a bit distant, and there was some room echo. Both the camera and microphones have hardware switches at the top of the display bezel for disabling them. These are nice to see, though they feel a little flimsier than the rest of the laptop’s build. For signing into the system, the Framework Laptop 13 has a square fingerprint reader at the top right corner, above the keyboard. This has worked on occasion, but like many fingerprint readers on Windows laptops I’ve tested, it’s not terribly consistent. Framework Laptop 13 (2025): Connectivity IDG / Mark Knapp Connectivity on the Framework Laptop 13 is what you make of it. Beyond a built-in 3.5mm audio jack, the system includes four slots for customizable I/O, and Framework offers USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, 2.5Gb Ethernet, DisplayPort, microSD, and SD card slot modules. Most will sit flush with the side of the laptop, but size constraints meant that the Ethernet card had to stick out from the side of the laptop.  While you get all these options, there are some limitations depending on which modules you insert where. All four slots support charging with USB-C modules. But the front slot on either side has limited bandwidth, so a USB-C module on those slots will only offer USB 3.2 speeds, and DisplayPort modules will only offer DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3. The same modules in the rear slots would offer USB4 and DisplayPort 2.0 UBR20, respectively. Framework has also noted that using USB-A modules in the rear slots will come with higher power consumption.  Framework’s I/O options are good for a laptop this size, and the flexibility may be worthwhile for some. There are certainly laptops in this class that offer worse and more limited I/O. That said, you can find models that have more. Generally you won’t find full-size DisplayPort, but other than that, you can find models with multiple USB-A and USB-C ports, microSD or full-size SD, and an HDMI port.  Framework rounds out its wired connectivity with strong wireless connections. It includes an AMD RZ717 Wi-Fi card with support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Framework Laptop 13 (2025): Performance The key update to the 2025 Framework Laptop 13 is the under-the-hood upgrade to the latest mobile AMD Ryzen processors. Our test unit gets the mid-level Ryzen AI 7 350, though there are more and less powerful alternatives available. With this, it’s ready to challenge some of the latest and greatest ultrabooks on the market, like the $1,689 HP OmniBook Ultra 14, $1,754 Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6, $1,899 Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10, and $1,599 MSI Sumit 13 AI+ Evo. The new Framework Laptop 13 puts on a good show, but not the absolute best. It’s a step up over its earlier configuration, which ran on an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. In the holistic PCMark 10 test, the Framework Laptop 13 keeps up with its competition for the most part. But it doesn’t have enough horsepower to pull away from the back by any wide margins. The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 and Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 (Gen 10) put it in a tough spot, as both cost less but run faster overall.  In raw CPU performance, the Framework Laptop 13 gets more of a leg up. The CPU is a potent one for encoding, which can hit CPUs hard. It thoroughly outperforms the MSI laptop here, highlighting the Framework’s effective cooling, which always helps to keep the encode times from stretching on. The potency of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 even lets the Framework outpace the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 (Gen 10), albeit by a narrow margin. But again, the value goes to the HP OmniBook Ultra 14, which benefits from AMD’s new architecture as well but brings an even more powerful chip at the same time.  Cinebench R24 only further confirms the standings. The Framework Laptop 13 is indeed potent among its competition, with much faster CPU performance than the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V-powered rivals in multi-core workloads and keeping a healthy lead over the Snapdragon-powered ThinkPad. It steps up considerably from the earlier Intel chip on offer from Framework. Single-core performance actually lags a little bit behind, though, but is still enough to keep the system feeling snappy. But again, the HP OmniBook keeps its lead thanks to the four extra cores it brings along.  While the Framework Laptop 13 has a powerful CPU, Intel still shows its might in the graphics department. Even the older Framework Laptop 13 baseboard had faster graphics performance in 3DMark. The newer Intel chips in the MSI and Lenovo Yoga laptops only further widen that gap. In day-to-day operation, the Framework Laptop 13 held up well enough, and it offers more than the Snapdragon X Elite in the ThinkPad, but it won’t do much beyond light gaming. And again, the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 touts more value thanks to the doubling of GPU cores it gets, allowing it to better keep pace with the Intel Arc graphics in these other machines, even if it’s still not matching the Yoga Slim 9i 14 (Gen 10) in this department.  Framework Laptop 13 (2025): Battery life The Framework Laptop 13’s 62.3Wh battery is one of the smallest in this group, but it’s not far off. Only the ThinkPad’s 58Wh battery is smaller. It stands to reason that the Framework might suffer a slightly shorter battery life as a result, but it fared considerably worse than expected. In our 4K video playback test, the Framework Laptop 13 ran for just over 11 hours. The next closest machine was the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14, which beat it by more than 2 hours despite its demanding OLED display, and even that was a disappointing result in our testing. The rest all topped 16 hours, which is more in line with what we want from ultrabooks trying to contend with recent MacBooks. The MSI Summit 13 AI+ Evo took it even farther with over 21 hours of runtime. And for all its shortcomings in performance, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 remains a standout for its mind-blowing 23.5-hour battery life.  On the bright side, the Framework Laptop 13 is relatively long-lasting for everyday use. It doesn’t quite match its video playback performance, but I was able to stretch the battery for 8-hour workdays quite consistently, albeit with the brightness somewhat lower at 50 percent. Framework Laptop 13 (2025): Conclusion The Framework Laptop 13 is a good laptop all around, but without factoring in its key differentiating feature, it fails to ascend to greatness. At any given moment, when you have the choice between buying this Framework model and all its constituent components or going with something else from competing laptop makers, you can get a more competent machine for your money by going with the latter. It’s a challenge of up-front cost that will likely always hinder the Framework Laptop 13.  But what’s important here is that you’re still getting a good laptop if you make that up-front investment. Once you have, you could end up benefiting from upgrade pathways from Framework that would make it far more competitive against its rivals. For instance, if you want to upgrade from an old laptop to the HP OmniBook Ultra 14, you’ll pay $1,689. By contrast, if you already have a Framework Laptop 13 and want to upgrade to this one, you don’t need to pay the $1,946 this complete unit costs — you can just buy the $699 baseboard instead, or even the $999 Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 baseboard to come even closer to the OmniBook Ultra 14’s specs. By upgrading only the parts you need to upgrade, you save money on things like the display, keyboard, speakers, battery, and chassis that you don’t upgrade.  This ultimately may leave some elements of the Framework Laptop 13 lagging behind, but since it’s generally decent all around, you at least won’t get stuck with bad parts. There are still plenty of variables you’ll want to consider, like whether you tend to sell or give away your old laptops as hand-me-downs — options the Framework Laptop 13 precludes. But if you tend to upgrade your laptop every couple of years to keep its performance up-to-speed, the Framework Laptop 13 gives you a good piece of hardware and the potential of increasing value the longer you keep it in service with upgrades through the years. Read...

TL;DR: Get a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card* when you sign up for a Costco 1-Year Gold Star Membership online for $65 Purchasing a Costco Gold Star Membership online isn’t just convenient; it has some added value. Right now, when you become a new Gold Star Member, you’ll receive a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card* through this online promotion after signing up. Costco is trusted for offering brand-name products, travel opportunities through Costco Travel, access to Costco Services*, and one-stop shopping across more than 500 warehouses in the U.S. Here’s how to get started: Purchase your membership online and redeem it using the instructions provided in your confirmation email. You must enter a valid email address to receive your Digital Costco Shop Card, which will arrive by email within two weeks of redemption. This promotion is only valid for new members or those whose memberships have been expired for 18 months or longer. Memberships must be redeemed by June 30, 2025. Get the Costco 1-Year Gold Star Membership + $20 Digital Costco Shop Card for $65 today. *Services are provided to Costco members by third parties. Costco 1-Year Gold Star Membership + $20 Digital Costco Shop CardSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

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Even when researchers are more inclusive, their plans can fail to account for the difficulties disabled people face with travel, communication and physical access. Read...