At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Solid performance for Lunar Lake Speedy integrated GPU 32GB of RAM Great price for the hardware Cons Battery life doesn’t impress Not optimized for multi-threaded CPU performance Our Verdict The Acer Aspire 16 AI is seriously good value, with lots of capable hardware at a good price. But this machine trades some of Lunar Lake’s battery life for higher performance. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Acer Aspire 16 AI Retailer Price $1,096.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices The Acer Aspire 16 AI, available for $1,099 at Costco, is a 16-inch productivity laptop with generous hardware for your dollar. With an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, this machine delivers impressive single-threaded CPU performance for a Lunar Lake system and an NPU fast enough to run Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC features. The integrated Intel Arc GPU punches above its weight, too. While Acer is pushing the AI angle here — and this machine does have an NPU — Acer’s marketing is underselling how good the GPU is here. On a recent walk-through Costco’s laptop section, I saw a wide variety of laptops around the $1,000 mark. But they weren’t all capable of modest gaming like this machine is.                  Acer Aspire 16 AI: Specs The Acer Aspire 16 AI we reviewed came with an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V CPU. This isn’t like most Lunar Lake CPUs I’ve benchmarked in machines like the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360. This particular CPU is a higher-tier processor that cranks the TDP to 30W. This is Intel’s fastest Lunar Lake CPU, but it also uses more battery power. This has Lunar Lake’s impressive Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics and an NPU capable of delivering Copilot+ PC features on Windows 11. The single-threaded CPU performance on this Intel Core Ultra 9 processor is greater than what you’d expect from the average Lunar Lake processor, although the multithreaded CPU performance still lags older Intel processor architectures. Combine that with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB solid-state drive and, for $1,099, this machine has seriously impressive hardware for the money, especially when RAM and SSD prices are so high. Model number: A16-52MT-91B0 CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 288V Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X RAM Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc 140V NPU: Intel AI Boost (48 TOPS) Display: 16-inch 1920×1200 IPS display with 30Hz to 120Hz variable refresh rate Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe 4 SSD Webcam: 1080p webcam Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C), 2x USB Type-A (USB 3.2 Gen 1), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x MicroSD card reader, 1x combo audio jack Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: IR camera for Windows Hello facial recognition Battery capacity: 65 Watt-hours Dimensions: 13.97 x 9.85 x 0.63 inches Weight: 3.4 pounds MSRP: $1,099 as tested At an MSRP of $1,099, the Acer Aspire 16 AI is excellent value for a midrange laptop. Acer Aspire 16 AI: Design and build quality Foundry / Chris Hoffman This machine, in a “Steel Gray” color, won’t win any design awards. It’s a big piece of gray plastic. Acer has chosen to allocate this laptop’s budget to the hardware, not a fancy chassis. However, plastic is fine. The chassis feels good and doesn’t have a lot of flex. It’s a solid machine that inspires confidence. The hinge is solid and doesn’t wobble as you type. At 3.4 pounds and 0.63 inches thin, it’s fairly light and compact for a 16-inch laptop. It’s quite good for a midrange laptop that opts for a plastic chassis and strong internal hardware. The display hinge will let you lie it flat, too, opening to 180 degrees for extra flexibility. The taskbar and Start menu are a little cluttered with bloat out of the box. The taskbar has a shortcut to Booking.com, for example. Even if you use Booking.com to book travel, I doubt you use it so often that you need it pinned to your taskbar! Likewise, the Start menu comes with shortcuts to free-to-play games like Forge of Empires. They’re still easy to unpin with a right-click. Acer Aspire 16 AI: Keyboard and trackpad Foundry / Chris Hoffman The Acer Aspire 16 AI has a full-size keyboard complete with a number pad at the right side. Some people prefer having a number pad on a 16-inch laptop, while others find it cramped. That’s a matter of personal taste. This machine’s keyboard is fine — the keys don’t feel mushy, and there’s clear physical feedback when you hit the bottom. A more premium keyboard would feel “snappier” when you hit the bottom of the key, but again, this one’s totally fine. It also has a white backlight. This machine’s trackpad is a substantial size that’s larger than the trackpads on some competing 16-inch laptops I’ve reviewed. The surface is smooth and responsive, and the large size makes it easy to perform multi-touch gestures, like swiping up with four fingers to activate Task View and see your open windows. Acer Aspire 16 AI: Display and speakers Foundry / Chris Hoffman The Acer Aspire 16 AI has a 16-inch 1920×1200 IPS display. The standout feature here is a variable refresh rate from 30Hz up to 120Hz, which is nice to see. The image quality and colors here are fine. They’re about what you’d expect from a productivity-focused 16-inch laptop — no better and no worse. If you’re looking for colors that really pop, you’ll want to hunt down a laptop with an OLED screen. If you want higher detail, you might look for one with a 4K panel. But this is a solid panel. This display delivers up to 350 nits of brightness. That’s middle of the road, but the display’s matte surface, which makes it more resistant to reflections, helps a lot. Acer managed to include a touchscreen, too. Touchscreens are normally glossy and prone to reflections, so that’s an extremely practical choice. The speakers are better than the average midrange laptop I review, with a substantial amount of volume and a clear sound. Bass is lacking, but the sound quality is better than I expected it to be. However, I’d still recommend headphones or external speakers when you really want to enjoy your media. Acer Aspire 16 AI: Webcam, microphone, biometrics Foundry / Chris Hoffman The Acer Aspire 16 AI has a 1080p webcam. For a midrange laptop, the image quality here is good — maybe even better than average in this price range. And, as this is a Copilot+ PC, you get Windows Studio Effects for AI effects that tweak your webcam’s picture in real time. The webcam also has a physical privacy shutter you can close to block it. This machine’s microphone also sounds better than average for a consumer laptop in this price range, picking up clear audio. The webcam, microphone, and speakers are the little touches where a lot of laptops cut corners, and it’s nice to see Acer delivering a solid baseline here. The Acer Aspire 16 AI has an IR camera for Windows Hello, so you can quickly sign into your PC with your face. It worked well. There’s no fingerprint reader on this machine. Acer Aspire 16 AI: Connectivity Foundry / Chris Hoffman The Acer Aspire 16 AI offers a good selection of ports. On the left side, this machine has two Thunderbolt 4 (USB4 Type-C) ports, a USB Type-A (USB 3.2 Gen 1) port, and an HDMI 2.1 out port. On the right side, Acer included a microSD card reader, a combo audio jack, a second USB Type-A port (also USB 3.2 Gen 1), and a security lock slot. This is a good number of ports with modern specs — it’s a nice setup. This machine charges via USB-C, so you’ll be plugging into one of the ports on the left side to power it. Thanks to Intel’s Lunar Lake platform, the Acer Aspire 16 AI supports modern Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless standards, too. Acer Aspire 16 AI: Performance The Acer Aspire 16 AI is a fascinating machine performance-wise. While Intel’s Lunar Lake processors are normally slow and sip power, the Intel Core Ultra 9 288V processor here runs at higher power and delivers more performance with lower battery life. The machine performs well and, honestly, if you’re not looking for 24-hour battery life, this Lunar Lake CPU is probably a better choice than the other ones. We ran the Acer Aspire 16 AI through our standard benchmarks to see how it performs. I set the Aspire 16 AI to “Best Performance” mode while plugged in via the Windows Settings app, as that’s how you’ll likely want to use it. Foundry / Chris Hoffman First, we run PCMark 10 to get an idea of overall system performance. With a PCMark 10 score of 8,923, the performance was surprisingly high. The results here outperform what I’d expect to see any Lunar Lake system deliver. Foundry / Chris Hoffman Next, we run Cinebench R20. This is a heavily multithreaded benchmark that focuses on overall CPU performance. It’s a quick benchmark, so cooling under extended workloads isn’t a factor. But, since it’s heavily multithreaded, CPUs with more cores have a huge advantage. Unsurprisingly, the Acer Aspire 16 AI stumbles here. While this CPU runs at higher power, it’s still a Lunar Lake chip with only eight cores, four performance cores and four efficiency cores. The higher power helps single-threaded performance, but it can’t compete in multithreaded performance without more cores. (Intel’s next-generation Panther Lake hardware doesn’t have that same problem, but it’s just starting to arrive on the market.) Foundry / Chris Hoffman We also run an encode with Handbrake. This is another heavily multithreaded benchmark, but it runs over an extended time. This demands the laptop’s cooling kick in, and many laptops will throttle and slow down under load. The Acer Aspire 16 AI took an average of 1,405 seconds to complete the encode — that’s a bit over 23 minutes. The results here are a bit better than the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 and its Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, likely because this machine’s CPU is running a bit faster with that extra power. These benchmarks are focused on multithreaded performance. This machine’s single-threaded performance is quite impressive, as shown by the PCMark benchmark, and it’s snappy in day-to-day desktop use. Foundry / Chris Hoffman Next, we run a graphical benchmark. This isn’t marked as a gaming laptop, but the Intel Arc 140V GPU here can deliver decent gaming performance in many games. This isn’t the slow integrated graphics you’ll find in Intel’s Arrow Lake or Meteor Lake platforms. We run 3DMark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU performance. With a 3DMark Time Spy score of 4,621, this machine delivered better 3D gaming performance than the average Intel or AMD laptop with integrated graphics. This is as good as it gets without a discrete GPU in this price range, and that’s awesome to see. Even Doom: The Dark Ages was playable on this laptop, although I would’ve had a better experience with a few more FPS. But most PC games are less demanding than that. Overall, the Acer Aspire 16 AI delivers solid performance at its price level, complete with a variety of modern features. While multithreaded performance suffers, I think a lot of PC users would rather have the strong single-threaded performance alongside the speedy GPU here than better multithreaded performance and a slow integrated GPU. This machine can play games that an Arrow Lake or Meteor Lake laptop with integrated graphics just can’t. Acer Aspire 16 AI: Battery life The Acer Aspire 16 AI has a 65 watt-hour battery. It delivered okay battery life for a 16-inch laptop, but not the kind of battery life you’ll see from the average PC with a Lunar Lake CPU — and not the up to 23 hours, as Acer advertises. But our battery life rundown test is more demanding than what Acer likely uses internally. Foundry / Chris Hoffman To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled until the laptop suspends itself. We set the screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmarks. In many ways, this is a best-case scenario for any laptop since local video playback is so efficient, and real battery life in day-to-day use is always going to be less than this. The Acer Aspire 16 AI lasted an average of 702 minutes in our tests — that’s just under 12 hours. The Qualcomm Snapdragon version lasted 15 and a half hours when we benchmarked it. That was a lower-than-expected result for a Snapdragon machine, too, and this Intel-powered machine has a more power-hungry CPU. 16-inch laptops tend to have lower battery life, the large display uses more power. Plus, the Intel Lunar Lake CPU here uses more power than the average Lunar Lake configuration. But, while this is low for Lunar Lake, it’s also more than enough battery life if you want to primarily use this laptop at a desk. Just don’t count on keeping it unplugged all day long. Acer Aspire 16 AI: Conclusion The Acer Aspire 16 AI is a serious value at $1,099, combining a CPU with speedy single-core performance, a surprisingly fast GPU that can play more games than you might expect, and an NPU that lives up to Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC requirements. Plus, you get 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. It’s tempting to overlook this machine’s strengths because of Lunar Lake’s compromises. Yes, you aren’t getting the battery life you would on other Lunar Lake machines. And yes, the multithreaded performance here is low because Lunar Lake doesn’t have enough cores. However, for the average PC user picking up a 16-inch machine with integrated graphics, this is one of the absolute best options. Between the solid single-threaded CPU performance, impressive GPU, and all-around decent hardware, the average PC user would be happier with this machine than a laptop with a faster CPU and a GPU that can’t handle modern games. At an MSRP of $1,099, the Acer Aspire 16 AI is excellent value for a midrange laptop. Read...

TL;DR: Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac or PC gives you the latest Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook in a one-time purchase you can use offline forever. Subscriptions are everywhere, but productivity software doesn’t have to be one of them. Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business brings the classic Office experience back to a one-time purchase, with modern upgrades that actually make day-to-day work easier. This version includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote—installed directly on your Mac or PC so you can work online or offline. Office 2024 builds on what people already like, with noticeable improvements. Excel handles larger datasets faster and adds smarter data insights. PowerPoint now supports recording presentations with voice and video, making it easier to create polished remote presentations. Outlook includes better search and accessibility tools, while the refreshed Fluent Design keeps everything consistent and easy to navigate. There’s also deeper collaboration, from real-time co-authoring to built-in comments and Teams integration—helpful whether you’re running a small business, managing family logistics, or juggling school and work projects. If you want dependable productivity tools that don’t lock you into a subscription cycle, Office 2024 Home & Business delivers familiar apps and modern features. Get a Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024 lifetime license for just $99.97 (MSRP $249.99) for a limited time. Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime LicenseSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

There are a few important options that you should check and configure correctly in the settings in order to run Windows 11 effectively. Here are some helpful tips for additional Windows 11 features that should remain permanently active in everyday use — or be deliberately deactivated to avoid unnecessary data collection, performance slowdowns, and distractions. Remove recommendations and account notifications from the Start menu By default, Windows 11 displays recently used files, app recommendations and account-related notifications in the Start menu. This content creates distraction and requires additional usage data. Open the settings with Windows key + I, switch to Personalization and then to Start. Deactivate “Show recently added apps”, “Show most used apps” and all switches in the “Recommended” area. In Windows 11, you can also select the “Show most used apps” layout to completely suppress the recommendation area. Sam Singleton Control system-wide notifications and app pop-ups Notifications are one of the biggest distractions. Open Settings, go to System and Notifications. First, disable the global “Notifications” option. If you want individual applications to continue sending messages, activate “Do Not Disturb” instead and configure individual apps specifically under this option. In the same menu, scroll down to “Additional settings” and deactivate “Receive tips and suggestions when using Windows”. This will permanently remove setup pop-ups and advertising notices. Microsoft regularly expands this area and sometimes changes the names of the menu items. However, this does not change the fact that it is worth taking a look here. Sam Singleton Protect your lock screen from data leaks Notifications on the lock screen can display content in plain text. Open Settings, go to System and Notifications and deactivate “Show notifications on the lock screen”. This will keep content hidden as long as the device is locked. Sam Singleton Disable advertising ID, language list and app tracking By default, Windows creates usage profiles for personalized advertising and app statistics. Open Settings, go to Privacy and security and General. Disable “Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID”, “Let websites show me locally relevant content by accessing my language list” and “Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches”. The system will continue to function as before, but will not create profiles. Microsoft also changes the names of the settings at regular intervals. Sam Singleton Keep Inking & typing personalization local The “Inking & typing personalization” function analyzes keyboard and pen inputs. Open Settings, go to Privacy and security and Inking & typing personalization. Deactivate the “Custom inking and typing dictionary”. Input remains fully usable without text entries being evaluated. Strictly limit diagnostic data and turn off feedback Open Settings, go to Privacy and security and Diagnostics & feedback. Leave only “Send required diagnostic data” enabled. Deactivate “Send optional diagnostic data”. Expand all other areas and set “Feedback frequency” to “Never”. Use “Delete diagnostic data” to remove any information that has already been stored. Sam Singleton Disable or restrict location services Open Settings, go to Privacy and Security and Location. Disable location access completely or restrict it to individual applications. Weather apps will continue to work with a manually set location. Under Privacy and security, you will find the areas “Camera”, “Microphone”, “Contacts” and other sensors. Open each category and revoke access for applications if it’s not absolutely necessary. It is important to check apps from the Microsoft Store, which often request more permissions than necessary. Limit background activities of apps Many applications continue to run in the background. Open Settings, go to Apps and Installed apps. Open the Advanced options for individual programs and set “Background app permissions” to “Never”. This noticeably reduces memory and CPU load. However, these options are not available for all apps. Sam Singleton Restrict app installation to verified sources For systems used by less experienced users, it’s advisable to restrict app sources. Open Settings, go to Apps and Advanced app settings. Under “Choose where to get apps from”, set the option to “Microsoft Store only”. This will allow only verified applications to be installed. Consistently clean up autostart Right-click on the taskbar and open the Task Manager. Go to Startup apps and disable all programs that are not absolutely necessary for system startup. Manufacturer tools and update utilities in particular slow down the startup process. Thomas Joos Open Settings, go to Apps and Installed apps. Go through the entire list and uninstall any software that is not used. This reduces background services, autostart entries and security risks. Permanently display file extensions To immediately recognize dangerous file types, open File Explorer, click on the three dots and select Options. Go to View and deactivate “Hide extensions for known file types”. Confirm with “Apply”. Restrict delivery optimization for updates By default, Windows also distributes updates to other computers. Open Settings, go to Windows Update, then to Advanced options and Delivery optimization. Disable “Allow downloads from other devices” or restrict the function to the local network. Consciously control update restarts Under “Windows Update” and “Advanced options”, you can specify whether Windows automatically restarts after updates. Enabling automatic restarts increases security, but can interrupt ongoing work. Set the behavior to suit your own working style. Optimize power settings Open the Control Panel, go to System and Power and battery. Click on “Lid, on/off, and standby mode button controls” and adjust the settings to your requirements. Here, Windows also shows the power consumption of individual applications in detail. Identify conspicuous apps and limit their background activity. On notebooks, this significantly extends the runtime. Configure user account control sensibly Enter “User Account Control” in the search field and open Change User Account Control settings. Select a level that allows queries for app installations but not for internal Windows actions. This reduces queries without completely removing protection mechanisms. Disable game background recording Open Settings, go to Gaming and Captures. Disable background recording. This reduces GPU and CPU load, even when no games are actively being used. Use night mode permanently Open Settings, go to System and Display and enable “Night light”. Configure the schedule so that the mode is activated automatically. Alternatively, it can be switched on directly via Windows key + A. Enable advanced clipboard Open Settings, go to System and Clipboard. Activate “Clipboard history”. You can then paste multiple copied items using Windows key + V. Read...

If you buy storage like the way you buy bottled water — by getting the most for your money regardless of brand — a new site called BuyPerUnit.com might be worth watching. Established by former Microsoft and Docusign exec Jon Levesque, the origin of BuyPerUnit came when he was trying to buy hard drives in bulk. Instead of focusing on the end price (as we do), the site simply organizes SSDs and hard drives by the amount you’ll pay per gigabyte or terabyte. Right now, Levesque notes that the site is in its early stages — “a rough V1,” as he puts it. Instead of paying for API access, BuyPerUnit has been scraping sites like Best Buy and Amazon for the best prices, which isn’t always the most efficient way of proceeding. Still, the site favors a barebones approach, simply offering a list of filters for various products (at press time: 332 hard drives and SSDs, 108 SD cards, and 79 USB drives) by size, form factor, and other criteria. You can sort by price per terabyte or price per gigabyte, see what you’ll pay in bulk, and then link back to the site to make the purchase. One thing that the site has taught me already is that a refurbished SSD might actually be the best bet in keeping costs low, if you’re shopping aggressively for bulk storage. BuyPerUnit’s page for buying internal SSDs. BuyPerUnit.com performs a useful service to counter the ongoing storage shortages that currently plague the PC industry. Still, the site doesn’t (currently) make any provisions for criteria that enthusiasts might find useful such as read/write performance or just which interface an external USB drive uses, beyond USB-A or USB-C. You’ll have to perform such research yourself. As commenters point out, there are other competing sites to check out such as the extremely-responsive DiskPrices.com, which updates prices every four hours, but seems to exclusively pull from Amazon alone. Levesque says that he’s soliciting advice, so here’s mine: separate “hard drives” into separate categories for SSDs and rotating drives, and consider expanding the site into memory modules. Performance should be measured. Levesque has a roadmap in store, though, so presumably those features will arrive some day. Either way, BuyPerUnit just came online within the last few days. It already looks like something to bookmark if you’re in the market for additional storage. Read...

Anyone who works a desk job should be familiar with this problem: traditional desktop PCs take up too much space, they’re noisy, and they consume more power than necessary when idle. That’s why there’s growing demand for compact and quiet mini PCs, especially for home offices. These still offer enough performance for office work, multimedia, and everyday tasks, but they’re much smaller and cheaper. The Geekom A7 Max is a powerful mini PC with AMD’s Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU and is clearly aimed at users who are looking for classic desktop performance in an ultra-compact format. Unlike many competing models, it uses upgradeable DDR5 RAM and combines high CPU performance with comparatively powerful integrated graphics. The 2026 refresh of the Geekom A7 Max retails for $949, but right now you can score a massive deal on it if you head over to the Amazon page and clip the digital coupon. That brings it down to just $699, an enormous savings of $250 on a fantastic mini PC. View this Amazon deal The Geekom A7 Max’s best features At its heart is an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS with 8 cores and 16 threads. In everyday use, this CPU offers responsive performance, short loading times, and smooth multitasking, even with multiple applications running at once. The CPU also delivers integrated Radeon 780M graphics, which is sufficient not only for 4K multimedia but also for light gaming. Another clear advantage is the use of regular DDR5 RAM instead of soldered LPDDR. The memory can be expanded up to 128 GB, which makes the mini PC flexible for long-term use. The onboard 16 GB of RAM is sufficient for typical office, creative, and productivity tasks. Meanwhile, the 1 TB Gen4 SSD ensures short startup and loading times. Additional drives can also be installed, which is particularly relevant with how much data we deal with these days. For cooling, the Geekom A7 Max relies on a metal housing with heat pipes and an active fan. The system is quiet during normal operation, and the fan audibly spins up under load but never reaches disruptive decibels. Four performance modes allow for performance and power consumption adjustments based on what apps you’re running. Connection options include dual USB4 ports with 40 Gbps data speeds, several USB 3.2 ports, dual HDMI, SD card reader, and dual 2.5 Gbps LAN ports. This makes the A7 Max suitable for quad-monitor setups, fast external storage, and more demanding network environments. We reviewed the Geekom A7 Max When we reviewed the Geekom A7 Max, we found that it’s an excellent machine that builds on the proven concept of the A9 Max before it. But instead of maximum AI power, the emphasis here is on classic CPU performance, fast integrated graphics, and an overall balanced platform. In the review, this mini PC impressed above all in productivity, multimedia, and demanding all-round tasks. With over 380 reviews on Amazon and an average rating of 4.4 stars, users generally like it as well. Buyers praise the fast operation, compact housing, and quietness in everyday use. That it comes with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed is another cherry on top of the other stuff we already mentioned (user-upgradeable RAM and SSD, lower power consumption with different modes, multi-monitor support, etc.). Some users criticize the fact that the fan can be loud under heavy load. Others say the mini PC is only suitable for modest gaming. If you want to connect a large number of external devices at the same time, you may also need to use a USB hub to get that done. Overall, the Geekom A7 Max is a powerful machine at a great price, especially now that it’s available for just $699. Go clip that Amazon coupon and take advantage of this offer while you can! Save 26% on this Ryzen 9 mini PC with 16GB DDR5 RAMBuy now via Amazon Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Comprehensive strength training, functional units and programs in one system Very compact design despite high performance High-quality materials and stable mechanics Fast, smooth app operation directly on the device Extensive and sensibly coordinated accessories Cons Weight adjustment during certain exercises is cumbersome Some functions require a subscription Our Verdict The Speediance Gym Monster 2 is a well-designed, technically advanced home gym for anyone who wants to train seriously and regularly. It replaces traditional weights, saves a huge amount of space, and impresses with its intelligent training control. Price when reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best pricing today Best Prices Today: Speediance Gym Monster 2 Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices The Speediance Gym Monster 2 is positioned as a latest-generation digital strength training station and is aimed at ambitious home gym users who want to replace traditional dumbbells with intelligent resistance technology. Within the growing market for connected fitness products, it represents the approach of combining as many forms of training as possible in a single, compact system — controlled via an integrated display and cloud-based training logic. Design and workmanship As soon as the pallet is delivered by a shipping company, it becomes clear that the Gym Monster 2 is no toy. Three large packaging units (with a total weight of just under 353 pounds, or 160 kilograms), one of which is extremely heavy and bulky, require some planning and strong helpers to transport them to the desired installation location. This can be a real challenge in narrow stairwells or small basement rooms, and the main module, which makes up half that weight, is almost impossible to move safely on your own. However, after unpacking and disposing of the packaging material, the initial effort is quickly put into perspective: Instead of having to screw together a large number of individual parts, as was the case with my EX90 PLUS cross trainer, the Gym Monster 2 is delivered largely pre-assembled. The device has a simple, modern design and is very cleanly manufactured. The gaps, surfaces, and mechanics appear well thought-out and durable; nothing rattles or seems improvised. Christoph Hoffmann When unfolded, it measures 72.8 inches (185cm) in height and just under 27.5 inches (70cm) in width. With the base plate, the Gym Monster 2 is around 48 inches (122cm) deep; when folded, the space requirement is reduced to 14.5 × 27.2 × 72.8 inches (D × W × H). With its slim, tall body, the Gym Monster 2 clearly stands out from classic multi-function stations, which often require a lot of floor space. Despite its small footprint of less than 3 square feet (without benches), the technology is completely integrated into the device: two 800-watt electric motors generate the resistance and allow not only classic loads, but also dynamic modes such as chain, eccentric or constant, which would be difficult to replicate with conventional weights. Added to this is the adjustable cable pull with several height positions, so that in practice the device covers a wide range of exercises, from rowing and pressing to pulling and isolation exercises, without a cable pull tower dominating the room. I tested the Gym Monster 2 in the Family Plus version. In addition to the actual device with its base plate and screen, the adjustable bench, barbell hooks, triceps rope, extension straps, ankle straps, handles, clips, and rings, this version also includes a rowing bench. This allows the station to be used more like a modular system, whereas classic fitness stations often remain tied to a fixed exercise logic and require more compromises in terms of handle and bench setups. Christoph Hoffmann The included accessories present a mixed picture. The barbell is quite heavy and gives a stable, confidence-inspiring impression. The individual handles are not quite up to par in terms of quality and appear to be of a much simpler design in direct comparison. There is also room for improvement with the bench: Instead of practical quick-release fasteners, Speediance relies on conventional screw bolts. According to the manufacturer, the main new features compared to previous generations of devices are the improved mechanics of the cable guide and the finer resistance control, which now works noticeably more smoothly. The 21.5-inch touch display can not only be tilted, but also responds smoothly to swipe gestures — including a quick menu for volume, brightness, and system settings. In principle, the screen behaves like a large smartphone, including quick access to central functions. That may sound trivial, but it’s important. I never feel like I have to fight my way through “fitness equipment menus” — instead, I navigate through a modern training interface. Assembly and commissioning The actual assembly is surprisingly straightforward — despite the heavy weight. The assembly is logically structured so that even less technically savvy users can quickly achieve their goal without frustration. For someone like me, who rarely feels like doing complicated assembly work, this is a huge added value. For me, the entire process, including unpacking, took just over an hour, with the actual commissioning being completed surprisingly quickly. In about 10 minutes, the device was ready for use in its place — free-standing, with no need to screw anything to the wall. Then, at the touch of a button, the training platform is unlocked and folded down, the bench is assembled — in the adjustable version, this requires only two screws and no tools — and finally the power plug is connected. The system is then basically ready to go. It took me an additional 20 minutes or so to assemble the optional rowing bench from the Family Plus package. Christoph Hoffmann Good: Thanks to the integrated castors, the Gym Monster 2 can be easily positioned in the room for training. The initial setup follows the familiar smartphone principle: registration by email, a short introduction, and then the complete system is available. The screen responds precisely, the menu navigation is self-explanatory, and you can connect to your own user profile directly on the device. Christoph Hoffmann The way the Gym Monster 2 guides new users is particularly successful. Guided programs explain not only how to perform the exercises, but also how to use the accessories correctly. This significantly lowers the barrier to entry and makes the system accessible even to beginners. Within a few minutes, you get the feeling that you are working with a mature product that does not require lengthy configuration. In addition to the device display, the Speediance app is available for smartphones and tablets. It is not essential for training with the Gym Monster 2, but it does offer significant added value. Your training data is automatically synchronized so that you can view your progress, statistics, and training history at any time. Christoph Hoffmann What’s more, you can select, plan, and customize workouts and programs directly in the app and then start them on the device. The app thus serves as a central hub for planning, evaluation, and motivation, complementing your training on the Gym Monster 2. These training programs are available Several training programs and modes are available for the Speediance Gym Monster 2 Family Plus, which can be used via the integrated display and training software. Guided workouts & coaching: The Gym Monster 2 Family Plus offers over 500 guided training programs, ranging from strength and full-body workouts to functional units. These include structured strength training, HIIT sequences, flexibility, and core workouts, as well as programs specifically designed for specific goals such as muscle building, fat loss, or improving fitness. Strength training: Classic strength training series are well represented. These include programs for bench presses, squats, deadlifts, rows, and other basic exercises, where resistance and repetitions are specified or suggested. AI support automatically adjusts resistance and progression to your progress. Cardio training and short workouts: In addition to pure strength training, the system also offers cardio options — such as rowing sessions (with optional rowing machine in the Family Plus package) and dynamic short workouts. These programs are a good link between endurance and strength. Mobility, yoga, and flexibility: Gentler sessions for mobility, stretching, or yoga are also integrated. They are particularly suitable for warming up, regeneration, or as a supplement to strength training. Free training and custom workouts: In addition to the pre-designed programs, users can put together their own workouts and save them in the system — ideal for individual training plans or personal routines. Training plans with AI adaptation: Some versions offer structured training plans spanning several weeks, with AI dynamically adapting the program to performance and progress and making suggestions for optimal training sequences. More training options with a wellness subscription The Wellness+ subscription from $19.99 per month (on offer, otherwise $24.99) for the Speediance Gym Monster 2 adds AI-supported, personalized features to the training device. While you can use the Gym Monster without a subscription for classic strength training and many standard workouts, Wellness+ picks up where individual coaching begins. The system analyzes your training data, recognizes progress, and automatically adapts training plans to your goals — such as muscle building, fat loss, or general fitness. Christoph Hoffmann Over time, the AI learns which loads are appropriate for the user and makes recommendations on weight, repetitions, and recovery. Wellness+ also offers advanced evaluations and holistic approaches such as nutrition, sleep, and stress tracking, provided you use these functions. You also get access to additional programs and regular new content. Overall, Wellness+ makes the Gym Monster 2 less of a pure training device and more of a digital personal trainer. The subscription is subject to a fee and is particularly worthwhile for users who appreciate structured plans, motivation, and data-based optimization. The (daily) workout The real strength of the Gym Monster 2 becomes apparent in everyday training. Depending on the program I select, I am guided through the workout and always receive precise instructions on how and when to use the accessories correctly. The digital resistance of 110 pounds per motor completely replaces traditional weights and allows for finely graded adjustments without changing discs or moving dumbbells. Strength training, functional units, and even rehab-related workouts can be realistically simulated. The system really comes into its own with guided strength programs: pace, repetitions, and resistance work together effectively, making the training structured and challenging. Less convincing are programs that have little to do with the device, such as floor-based yoga sessions. Here, the display is too high to be used effectively during the exercise. Such content feels more like an additional offering. Therefore, I can only recommend pure training plans without using the device to a limited extent. In my opinion, weight adjustment during ongoing exercises is not always optimally solved. Since the adjustment is made via the touchscreen, this can be impractical for exercises such as bench presses when both hands are already on the bar. The Bluetooth ring, which serves as a practical remote control under load, significantly mitigates the problem, but it does not solve every situation in which one would actually expect haptic quick control directly on the bar. Apart from these points, the Gym Monster 2 impresses with its enormous versatility and, in practice, replaces a complete home gym in just a few square feet. Our experience after a few weeks of training: Strength and accessory workouts are very well suited to the device, because that’s when the Gym Monster 2 really comes into its own. Content that focuses heavily on mat work on the floor, on the other hand, is less elegant because the screen remains fixed to the device. Is the Gym Monster 2 worth it? The Gym Monster 2 from Speediance is one of the most impressive smart strength training devices for home use currently available. It combines genuine, progressive strength training with an extremely space-saving design and sophisticated digital training control. The workmanship, mechanics, and resistance feel are of a high standard and completely replace classic dumbbells in practice. The system is particularly strong when it comes to guided strength and accessory workouts, where resistance, tempo, and exercise selection are sensibly interlinked to enable structured, challenging training. The app integration directly on the large touchscreen is fast, intuitive, and easy to understand, even for beginners. Weaknesses are evident in the weight adjustment during individual exercises, which is not always ideal. Content that is not directly related to the device seems more like an add-on. Overall, the Gym Monster 2 is clearly aimed at ambitious users who train regularly, have limited space and are looking for a technically mature all-in-one home gym — and that’s exactly what it delivers. Technical data Dimensions: Unfolded approx. 48 × 27 × 73 inches, folded approx. 14.5 × 27× 73 inches (D × W × H) Weight: Approx. 172 lbs Display: Tiltable 21.5-inch HD touchscreen with 1080×1920 pixel resolution Connectivity: Wi-Fi (2.4GHz & 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C Resistance & motor: 2 × 800 watt PMSM permanent magnet synchronous motors Maximum digital resistance: 220 lbs, or 110 lbs per side Digital weight increments: Approx. 1 lb Audio: Stereo speakers 2 × 5 watts subwoofer 20 watts Resistance modes: Classic, increasing at end movement, increasing in the negative phase, uniform Read...

If you love a multi-screen setup for work and fun, then you might as well invest in a proper ultrawide monitor. And it’s been a while since we’ve seen a deal this good: Innocn’s 49-inch 1440p OLED ultrawide is 29% off on Amazon, bringing down its price to $711.99 (was $999.99). That’s well below what you can normally expect for an OLED of this size. This gorgeous OLED display delivers crisp, vivid images at a spacious 5120×1440 resolution. That’s an ultrawide 32:9 aspect ratio that’ll expand your field of view and provide maximum immersion while watching movies and playing games. That much screen real estate is perfect for spreadsheets, coding, stacking apps side by side, and gaming. With a 144Hz refresh rate, Adaptive Sync, and HDR 400, you’ll get smooth visuals in whatever you’re doing. One of the best features of this monitor is that if you have two computers, you can connect them both to the screen and split the view between them. How awesome is that? On top of having HDMI and DisplayPort connections, this monitor also comes with a USB-C video port that supports 90 watts of power delivery, so it’s even great for use with laptops. Stay charged while viewing it all in ultra glory! Save $288 on this massive 1440p ultrawide OLED monitor!Buy now via Amazon Read...

Once I’ve unpacked a new Windows PC, the anticipation wears off and reality sinks in. It’s time to get everything set up and that’s one heck of a time consuming process, it’s work. So, of course, I install my favorite programs. And there are quite a few. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro When it comes to browsers, I always choose either Chrome or Firefox. Edge is just there for the first few initial downloads. When it comes to image editing, I’m torn between the powerful but not intuitive GIMP and Paint.net, which is much easier to learn and use. I also want my messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp on the desktop. With all of these programs, I’ve got alternatives to choose from. This applies to Microsoft Office, which I can easily swap out for LibreOffice. Antivirus and VPN are also plentiful. But there’s one tool I don’t even think twice about. Total Commander is a must-have There’s only one tool in particular where I never have to choose between multiple options; I’ve always used a single one for decades. I’m talking about Total Commander, which you can download here and try free for 30 days. I’ve been loyal to this brilliant file manager since around 2000. Back then, this indispensable tool even had a different name: Windows Commander.  I grew up with Norton Commander in the 1990s . So, I absolutely want the convenient two-pane view. Total Commander offers exactly that. I’ve also maintained several websites for decades. For that, I needed an FTP client. Total Commander already has one built in, so I saved myself the trouble of having to use an additional program. The feature that allows me to rename a whole batch of files at once has always been very useful . It saves a lot of time and keeps my hard drive organized. The fact that Total Commander also unpacks archives isn’t as important anymore, since Windows can do that now, too. But the TC has always been able to do that. Truly lifelong What I find absolutely brilliant is that once you’ve licensed Total Commander or its predecessor, Windows Commander, you receive – as of today – free updates indefinitely. “Lifetime” is a promise that companies like to make every now and then. Until, suddenly, it’s over. But with Total Commander, things are different: pay once, never pay again, and still get regular updates with new features. Great. That’s why I always download Total Commander first onto a new Windows PC along with Edge. Only then do the other browsers end up on my computer to replace Edge. Read...

The one-off special features fan favourites Kermit and Miss Piggy, with guest stars Sabrina Carpenter and Seth Rogen. Read...

TechHive Editors Choice At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Sleek new design Impressive audio performance Packs Zigbee, Matter, and Amazon Sidewalk hubs Focuses on video chat participants Cons No privacy shutter Alexa+ is still a work in progress Spotty streaming video support Our Verdict Provided you’ve settled on the Alexa ecosystem, the 4th-gen Echo Show 8 is the smart display to get. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Amazon Echo Show 8 (fourth-generation, 2025) Retailer Price $149.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Amazon has a new crop of Echo devices designed specifically for its big AI revamp of Alexa, including a couple of new Echo speakers, the Echo Dot Max (which we’ve previously reviewed) and the Echo Studio (our review is in the works). Also in the mix are two Echo Show displays: the Echo Show 11 and the Echo Show 8, the latter of which we’re reviewing here.  With both of the new Echo Show displays, Amazon has served up sleek new spheroid designs for the base that make their displays appear to float in mid-air, and their sonics got makeovers as well. Under the hood, the Echo Show 8 ($179.99) has a new processor designed to make Alexa+ respond more quickly and accurately to the “Alexa” wake word, while new ambient sensor technologies help Alexa detect when someone’s in the room, and even who they are.  In terms of a mainstream smart display that you place in your kitchen or living room, the Amazon Echo Show 8 hits the sweet spot. The Echo Show 8 is also an entertainment and communication device, capable of streaming movies and shows on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, cranking tunes, and letting you connect with far-flung friends and loved ones, either on voice calls or video chat.  But the 4th-gen Echo Show 8 isn’t perfect, and it drops a key feature that might give privacy-minded users pause.  Design  The most striking thing about the new Echo Show 8 (8.2 x 5 x 5.9 inches, WxDxH) is its design; quite simply, it’s gorgeous, and a massive improvement compared to its chunky-looking predecessor. Gone is the wedge-shaped design of older Echo Show displays (the third-gen Echo Show 8 at least adopted an edge-to-edge screen and rounded corners). The new Echo Show 8’s screen is now mounted on a spheroid base that makes the slim panel appear to float in space.  The spheroid design of the Echo Show 8 makes the screen look like it’s floating in space.Ben Patterson/Foundry This display itself measures 8.7 inches diagonally, with slimmer bezels than the previous Echo Show 8 and its 8-inch screen. The volume buttons are on the right edge of the display, right below a privacy button that mutes the microphone array and electronically deactivates the camera lens (which sits in the top bezel). Nice, but the fourth-gen Echo Show 8 loses a key privacy feature of the third-gen version: a physical for blocking the camera lens, meaning you might want to think twice before putting the display in your bedroom.  The 4th-gen Echo Show 8 looks great on its own, but it looks even better when paired with Amazon’s optional stand, a premium-looking metal accessory that magnetically snaps onto the bottom of the display’s base. The Echo Show 8 attaches to Amazon’s optional stand with the help of a strong magnet.Ben Patterson/Foundry The stand feels reassuringly heavy and solid, and it allows you to tilt the Echo Show 8 up to 40 degrees or spin it a full 360 degrees—and yes, you can spin the display without having to hold the stand down with your other hand. Even though it tacks an additional $40 to the Echo Show 8’s price tag, the optional stand is well worth the added expense.  Inside the Echo Show 8’s fabric-covered spheroid base is a custom AZ3 Pro processor that’s been specifically designed for Alexa+, along with a revamped speaker array that includes a pair of full-range drivers and a 2.8-inch woofer, an upgrade from the two drivers and the passive bass radiator in the previous generation. I’ll delve further into the Echo Show 8’s Alexa+ and audio performance in a bit.  You can tilt the Echo Show 8’s display up to 40 degrees and swivel it up to 360 degrees when the device is sitting on its optional stand.Ben Patterson/Foundry Setup  I’ve complained in the past about the process of setting up an Echo Show display—namely, you had to type in your Amazon email address and your password using the on-screen keyboard, a process that’s easy to screw up if you have a strong password. For a regular Echo speaker like the Echo Dot, the process is much more seamless, as the Alexa app will simply detect the speaker and connect it. Why couldn’t the same thing happen with an Echo Show display?  Well, I’m happy to report that since my review of the previous Echo Show 8 (circa 2023), Amazon has given the Echo Show connection process a serious upgrade. Now you simply scan a QR code on the Echo Show display using your phone, and the Alexa app handles the rest.   There are some privacy disclosures and EULAs you’ll need to check off, and you also must designate which room the Echo Show 8 will reside in. You’ll also need to enroll your face if you want Alexa to recognize you via the Echo Show’s camera; the process is similar to setting up Face ID on an iPhone and takes only a few minutes. (Because I had previously enrolled my face for the 3rd-gen Echo Show 8, I didn’t need to do it again for the new model.)  Say goodbye to the wedge-shaped design of earlier Echo Show displays, like the 3rd-gen Echo Show 8 (left).Ben Patterson/Foundry Overall, the Echo Show 8 setup process was a smooth one, and I had the display up and running in roughly five minutes.  Customizing the home screen  The Echo Show 8’s home screen can show a plethora of content, from slideshows of your snapshots and breaking news headlines to popular recipes, smart home controls, sports scores, and shopping recommendations—including sponsored products; i.e., advertisements.  The presence of ads on a device you’ve paid good money for is a vexing one, and in my early days with the Echo Show 8, I grew tired of seeing shopping ads pop up that were clearly based on my Amazon searches. For example, after an afternoon of shopping for VESA mounts on Amazon, I woke to find VESA mount ads on the Echo Show’s home screen.   Luckily, it’s easy to customize what you see on the home screen—and just as importantly, what you don’t want. Under the Settings menu you’ll find a Home Screen Categories section where you can toggle various home screen elements on or off. Disabling the Shopping category nixed the suggested products, for example, and you can also choose whether you want to see local or national news, sports headlines, stock market updates, weather reports, and so on. You can still ask Alexa for shopping recommendations after disabling the Shopping home screen category, but the shopping ads won’t be pushed at you anymore.  You can also add widgets to the home screen for a dashboard-style view of your calendar, weather updates, recently played music, and—perhaps best of all—smart home controls, perfect for giving you touch controls for your various lights, smart plugs, and other smart devices. Alexa is also willing and able to control your smart home, a topic we’ll get to in a moment.  Finally, the Echo Show can display slideshows of either curated images and artwork from Amazon or snapshots from your Amazon Photos library. You can change the speed at which the Show rotates through the images (anywhere from 6 to 24 seconds per slide) and whether your photos should be cropped, “smart” cropped (meaning the display picks the most “interesting” parts of your images to focus on), or shown in their entirety.   Personally, I don’t love the Echo Show in its digital photo frame mode as it tends to sandwich portrait-style images between thick bars, no matter what crop setting you pick. Google’s Nest Hubs have a better solution: they intelligently pair portrait photos side-by-side, thus avoiding the whole window-boxing issue.  I don’t love the window-boxing effect for portrait images on the Echo Show 8’s slideshow mode.Ben Patterson/Foundry Smart hub connectivity  The 4th-gen Echo Show 8’s smart home connectivity options are unchanged compared to the previous version. For starters, the display will act as a Zigbee smart home hub, ideal for connecting Zigbee-enabled devices such as smart bulbs, smart plugs, remotes, water leak sensors, and similar smart gadgets. The Echo Show 8 also packs a Thread border router, meaning it can connect Matter-enabled smart devices to the internet and to each other. And it’s also a bridge for Sidewalk, the Amazon-backed “neighborhood network” protocol that leverages nearby Echo speakers and Ring cameras to connect low-power and far-flung smart sensors and devices (including the new series of Sidewalk-enabled sensors that Ring announced at CES in January).  That’s a fairly comprehensive array of smart connectivity options, but it’s worth noting that the Echo Show 8 doesn’t support Z-Wave, a wireless smart home and security protocol with its own rich ecosystem of devices. (No other Echo devices offer a Z-Wave hub either, although Amazon’s Ring Alarm and Ring Alarm Pro home security systems do.) Also, unlike several other Echo speakers, including the Dot and the new Dot Max, the Echo Show 8 can’t be configured to operate as a network node when connected to one of Amazon’s Eero mesh Wi-Fi routers.  Smart sensors  The Echo Show 8 boasts a collection of onboard sensors that are mainly geared towards detecting when people are nearby—and, if you allow the display to do so, it can recognize who is near it, which is ideal for helping Alexa to give you personalized responses.   The Echo Show 8 offers a wide range of smart home connectivity options, along with on-screen smart home controls.Ben Patterson/Foundry Using an Amazon technology called Omnisense, and with the help of its camera and ambient temperature and light sensors, the Echo Show 8 can detect when people are in the room and act accordingly. For example, the Show can change the style of its on-screen interface, boosting the size of graphical elements when you’re further away and shrinking them as you approach, all the better for adding more details when you’re closer.   Omniverse can also help Alexa—and namely, Alexa+—recognize individuals in its vicinity, allowing it to tailor its responses (such as when you ask about upcoming calendar events). The technology can also trigger Alexa routines when people enter or leave the room, perfect for turning lights on and off based on room occupancy or queuing up a playlist when you arrive home from work.  Alexa+ and smart home functionality  Of course, the star of the show when it comes to the Echo Show 8’s smart home abilities is Alexa+, the long-awaited AI revamp for Alexa that’s coming up to its first anniversary.   While it’s been out for nearly a year and is available for anyone Alexa users who ask for it (and some who didn’t), Alexa+ is still in an “early access” phase. As such, Amazon isn’t charging for Alexa+ yet; eventually, Alexa+ access will be free for Amazon Prime members but $20 a month for everyone else.  Alexa+ will work on practically any working Echo speaker (including the earlier puck-shaped Echo Dot models). That said, the Echo Show 8’s AZ3 Pro processor helps the display to respond to the “Alexa” wake work more quickly and accurately, and it also enables the advanced Omnisense presense-detection abilities I mentioned earlier.  Like the “classic” Alexa (which is still around and will remain free), Alexa+ can control your smart lights, take charge of smart plugs, manage your thermostats, and run automated routines at your command. But while the old Alexa demanded the use of somewhat stilted voice commands (“Alexa, set table lamp 3 to 70 percent”), Alexa+ can understand natural language commands. Say “Alexa, it’s dark in here, can you make it brighter,” and Alexa+ can—theoretically—figure out that a) you’re in the living room and b) that you want the brightness of the living room lights dialed up.   When it works, it’s pretty cool, but as I’ve written before, Alexa+ frequently disappoints as much as it impresses, variously mishearing commands or misunderstanding your intent. Sometimes it accurately guesses that it should send over your Roomba when you declare how dirty the carpets are; sometimes it will just give you a speech about the carpet manufacturing industry. Sometimes it’s juggling your streaming music playlists with ease, tossing your tunes from one speaker to another; other times it seems unbelievably dense, like the time it mistook a collection of Taylor Swift 1989 covers for the actual 1989 album and doubled down when I pointed out the mistake.  In short, Alexa+ is very much a work in progress, which is why it remains in an early access period (and why I’m not giving it a full review just yet).  Just like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude, Alexa+ is constantly evolving, and hopefully improving as it does so. It’s also worth noting that Alexa+ isn’t alone in having smart-home hiccups; Gemini at Home has its share of foibles, too. Finally, you can always go back to the old Alexa if you want; not so with Gemini, which won’t let you return to Google Assistant.  Video calling and communication  One of the best features of a smart display like the Echo Show 8 is two-way video chat, and in this regard the product shines. The vibrant 8.7-inch, full-HD display can’t swivel on its own like the motorized screen on the 3rd-gen Echo Show 10, but the 13-megapixel camera’s software can nonetheless zoom in and follow you if you choose to roam while you chat.  The Echo Show 8’s camera also offers some limited home-monitoring capabilities, allowing users to take a live look through the lens when away from home. That said, the display’s camera can’t function as a Ring camera in the same way that Google’s camera-equipped Nest Hub Max can double as a Nest camera.   Aside from its video-calling features, the Echo Show 8 can handle voice communication, too. For example, you can call or “drop-in” on any other Echo device by asking Alexa. Even better, you can use Alexa to call any number in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico for free, although there’s a catch: you’re limited to just 10 contacts (at least you can swap new contacts for old whenever you want).  In another handy perk, you can connect Alexa to your AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon mobile number. You can then ask Alexa to make hands-free calls, and as a bonus, Alexa can announce your callers, answer the call, or even hang up on an incoming call.  Media playback  It probably won’t be the biggest screen in your home, but the Echo Show 8 still works well for playing videos from the big streaming services, provided you’re subscribed to either Amazon Prime Video (which Prime members get for free, although you’ll need to pay a little more to avoid ads) or Netflix. Both of those services offer native apps for the Echo Show 8, making for much smoother navigation and streaming.  For everything else—Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, YouTube and other services—you’ll need to use the Echo Show 8’s Silk web browser, which works in a pinch but feels clunkier compared to the native video apps.  If you want a more well-rounded streaming video experience from an Echo Show display, you’ll need to step up to the Echo Show 15 (either the first or second generations) or the Echo Show 21, with those larger displays supporting the full-on Amazon Fire TV app, complete with support for all the big streamers as well as dozens of niche streaming services.  As far as music goes, you can link accounts from such streaming services as Amazon Music, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Spotify, Tidal, iHeartRadio, Sirius XM, TuneIn, Audacy, and Audible. Missing from the list: YouTube Music and Qobuz.  The Echo Show 8 supports most of the big music streaming services, including Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify.Ben Patterson/Foundry Audio performance  As I wrote earlier, Amazon has given the Echo Show 8 a serious audio upgrade compared to the previous generation, with the newer version swapping its predecessor’s passive bass radiator for a powered 2.8-inch woofer.  The result is much better bass, which became evident when I played Taylor Swift’s 1989 (yes, the same album I was arguing with Alexa+ about) on the 3rd- and 4th-gen Echo Show 8 displays in succession.   The older Show 8 sounded fine, perfectly serviceable for background music in the kitchen. The newer model, on the other hand, delivered audio performance that you could actually focus on and enjoy. We’re not talking Sonos levels of audio quality, mind you, but for a smart display, I thought the revamped Echo Show 8 sounded quite impressive.  Should you buy the Amazon Echo Show 8?  I certainly have my quibbles with the 4th-gen Echo Show 8. The lack of a privacy shutter for the camera is my biggest complaint, while the iffy video streaming support is somewhat ameliorated by the fact that the 8-inch screen isn’t ideal for serious video watching. And yes, Alexa+ is still a work in progress, although you can always stick with the old Alexa if you prefer.  But in terms of a mainstream smart display that you place in your kitchen or living room, the Amazon Echo Show 8 hits the sweet spot. It looks terrific, it sounds great, it offers a galaxy of smart home integrations plus a wide range of connectivity, it’s perfect for video chat and can even place mobile calls for you. Provided you’ve settled on the Alexa ecosystem and given that Google’s Nest Hub displays are getting long in the tooth, the 4th-gen Echo Show 8 is the smart display to get.  Should you upgrade from the 3rd-generation Echo Show 8? It depends. Yes, the 4th-gen Show 8 boasts a much sleeker design, while the newer Echo Show certainly tops the 3rd-gen’s audio performance, particular in terms of bass response. But the older Echo Show 8 does have a privacy shutter, it offers the same smart home hubs and connectivity as the newer version, it supports Alexa+ (albeit with an older Amazon processor), and while its screen is a tad smaller, it still looks just as good as its successor’s.  So, if you’re drawn to the new design of the 4th-generation Echo Show 8 or you demand bleeding-edge audio and processor performance, sure, go ahead and pony up for the newer display. But if you’re mainly concerned about smart home control, you’ll be fine sticking with the 3rd-generation device.  This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart speakers. Read...