It’s possible to eject a graphics card while you’re using your computer, if it’s an external model or some other non-standard setup. But if you’re using a desktop with a GPU installed on the motherboard, or a laptop with discrete graphics within the case, it’s generally a bad idea. Which is why some Windows 11 users were alarmed when their computers asked if they wanted to eject their graphics cards. This appears to be a Windows bug that adds graphics cards to a list of devices that can be ejected in the “Safely remove hardware and media” tool in the notification center. It’s that thing you’re supposed to use every time you unplug a flash drive, which I’ve never seen anyone use in the real world, ever. Some Reddit users, seeing the option to “eject” the very powerful, very expensive graphics card soldered into the guts of their laptop, were understandably confused. This bug has been showing up for years, apparently as an unintended UI expression of the option to disable some discrete laptop graphics and switch to integrated graphics to save power. (Note that “disabling” and “ejecting” are very different terms, and probably shouldn’t be conflated for regular PC users.) Windows Central notes that there are registry hacks available to turn off this alarming and apparently unintentional message. While hardly the worst user-facing bug for Windows, I can see how this would be concerning even if you’re fairly tech-savvy. “I’m afraid I might accidentally eject it one day and god knows what’s gonna happen to my laptop,” says one Reddit user on the Windows 11 sub. If you’re seeing something similar, and you don’t want to dive into a registry hack (which I think is very admirable caution), maybe just leave it alone. Read...

Cars are computers too, especially any car made in the last decade or so. And that means that they’re vulnerable to some of the same kind of hacking issues that affect computers, if not so frequently targeted. A newly discovered flaw in their Bluetooth system means vehicles made by Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Skoda are vulnerable to a “one-click” attack, including remote code execution. So sayeth PCA CyberSecurity, which has dubbed the vulnerability PerfektBlue. It’s an issue with vehicles that use OpenSynergy’s BlueSDK system, which include major infotainment and vehicle management systems in Volkswagen and Mercedes cars, with Czech manufacturer Skoda also confirmed vulnerable. A fourth manufacturer has been confirmed, but not named. Remote code execution on these systems is possible, i.e. installing a malware payload or other program, plus GPS location tracking and microphone recording with Bluetooth-connected hardware, among other issues. Alarmingly, software vendor OpenSynergy and its vehicle manufacturer partners have known about this issue for over a year, according to BleepingComputer. OpenSynergy confirmed that it had received PCA CyberSecurity’s report in May of 2024 and had issued security patches for BlueSDK by September, but many of the manufacturers using the system still haven’t issued software updates patching the vulnerabilities. Millions of cars on the road could be affected, though due to proprietary systems, it’s hard to nail down exactly which car brands and models have BlueSDK, and which version. While it is remarkably easy for an attacker to use the “one-click” PerfektBlue exploit, it still requires access via Bluetooth. That limits the effective range to about 30 feet, and it’s only possible while the car is operating. Read...

The ergonomics of your desk and chair greatly influence how good you feel after a long session at your PC. But you don’t have to spend a ton on an office chair or standing desk—especially not right now, with Amazon Prime Day still in full swing until midnight Pacific time. Discounts have popped for popular chairs and desks, and not just on Amazon. Deals include fan favorites like Staples’ Hyken, which is back down to nearly its all-time low. But you won’t have forever to shop; Amazon and rival retailers will all end their sales on July 11. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on office chairs Staples Cartwright Task Chair, Black – $50 (58% off at Staples) Staples Hyken Mesh Task Chair, Black – $120 (60% off at Staples) Staples Dexley Mesh Task Chair, Black – $160 (50% off at Staples) HON Crio High Back Task Chair, Black – $208 (15% off) HON Ignition 2.0 Armless Office Chair, Black – $332 (15% off) Staples always gives Amazon a run for its money with sales on affordable office chairs, and three of its more popular chairs are close (if not at) all-time low prices. Reddit’s beloved Hyken model leads the pack, with its wider-frame Dexley chair also on a sizable discount. Meanwhile, the more premium HON Ignition 2.0 is at its lowest price yet. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on standing desks Dekhaoxe 31?x15? Adjustable Height Mobile Computer Desk, White – $50 (38% off) Sweetcrispy 40?x24? Electric Standing Desk, Rustic Brown – $85 (15% off) Flexispot 48?x24? sit-stand desk, Black – $100 (41% off) ErGear 48?x24? Adjustable electric standing desk, Black – $100 (17% off) Fezibo 42?x24? Adjustable electric standing desk, Rustic brown – $80 (33% off) Comhoma 48?x24? Adjustable electric standing desk with monitor stand, White – $189 (30% off) Claiks 48?x24? Adjustable electric standing desk, Rusic Brown – $96 (20% off) Huanuo 48?x24? Adjustable electric standing desk, Black – $105 (34% off) Flexispot’s standing desks start at much lower prices than competitors, making them popular among Amazon shoppers to begin with. With additional discounts, they’re a great entry into motorized sit-stand setups. Other great Prime Day deals These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found. Best Amazon Prime Day tech deals: Great sales chosen by experts Best Prime Day PC computer deals: Gaming & mainstream desktops Best Prime Day laptop deals: Gaming notebooks, 2-in-1s, and more Best Prime Day deals on SSDs and storage Best USB flash drive deals for Prime Day 2025 Best monitor deals for Prime Day 2025: OLED, home office, and more Best Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs Best Prime Day mini PC deals: Big savings on tiny computers Best Prime Day deals on battery chargers and power banks Best Prime Day 2025 deals on Chromebooks Best Prime Day deals on office chairs and standing desks Standing desks and office chairs FAQ 1. What features should I look for in a standing desk? We like dual motor standing desks with programmable controls—they’re a little more expensive, but moving the desk up and down is smoother. Their frames usually have a better build overall, too, making for less wobble during height adjustments and while in use. Programmable controls means you can go back and forth between two or even three height positions with a single button press, which makes for much better quality of life. No need to wait and monitor the adjustment as it’s happening. (That might sound like not such a big deal, but if you do it multiple times a day over the course of the year, those seconds feel tedious. Trust me on this one.) 2. What makes for a good office chair? This question can be tricky to answer, since what’s comfortable is a little different for everyone. Generally, you want enough support for your back so it doesn’t take on a hunched position, but not so much you can’t feel relaxed while sitting. You also ideally want to keep pressure off your lower back if you’ll be sitting for long periods—office chairs usually have seats shaped for this, rather than the flatter surfaces of kitchen and casual desk chairs.  Armrests, head supports, and mesh fabric can also play a role in comfort, but you may want to try out those features on a sample chair that a friend owns or in a store to see if you need those features. The mesh is particularly good if you sweat or get warm. Wheeled models are also useful for easily moving the chair—and you can upgrade the casters, as Reddit recommends for an even smoother experience. 3. How do I know if I’m getting a good deal on standing desks or office chairs during Prime Day? The deals we select are chosen not just for the product, but because their prices are among the lowest we’ve seen, especially given the pricing history over the last year.  If you’re striking out on your own, be sure to look at reviews, as well as Amazon’s AI summaries of user reviews—avoid anything with high return rates, or a known flaw. Also look for brands with not just high user reviews, but independent reviews online. Many standing desks are just rebranded models, and so too for cheaper desk chairs. 4. Will tariffs affect office chair and standing desk prices? Should I buy now? Very possibly yes. A high portion of manufacturing happens overseas, and the U.S. government intends to resume imposing sizable taxes on imports from many countries on August 1. If that happens, costs for goods will likely rise over the second part of 2025—and because most items won’t jump in price immediately, choosing to shop sooner rather than later could be the savvier financial move. Read...

Summer means leisure time, and what better way to spend it than upgrading your PC setup? If you’re eager to jump on SSD and storage deals now, you’re in luck—the final 24 hours of Amazon’s annual Prime Day blowout still includes plenty of juicy deals on SSDs and portable drives. Shopping now can be a smart move, too, given the potential for further uncertainty around prices. The U.S. government has stated its intention to impose additional tariffs on South Korea and Japan, which produce a sizable portion of the flash memory in SSDs. The bargains you catch between now and the end of the Prime Day sale period (July 11) could be the best you’ll find for a while. Want to know the best drives out there? Have a look at our top picks for the best SSDs of 2025 and the best external drives of 2025. Looking for even more deals, including limited-time ones? Best Prime Day 2025 deals on internal SSDs 2.5-inch SATA SSDs Teamgroup T-Force Vulcan Z, 1TB – $48 (26% off) TeamGroup T-Force Vulcan Z, 2TB – $88 (14% off) Teamgroup’s Vulcan Z line is a solid choice for expanding storage affordably. That’s especially true if you’re looking to store games, photos, and other files–these benefit from faster read/write times, but don’t usually need premium speeds. M.2 NVMe SSDs Gen 4 Crucial P310, 2TB Gen 4 – $100 (22% off) Samsung 990 Evo Plus, 2TB Gen 4×4. 5×2 – $114 (36% off) Nextorage NEM-PAB2TB/N, 2TB Gen 4 – $120 (52% off on Newegg) WD Black SN770M, 2TB Gen 4 (Steam Deck compatible) – $150 (40% off) Crucial P310, 4TB Gen 4 – $200 (37% off) Gen 5 Corsair MP700 Elite, 1TB Gen 5 – $100 (31% off) Samsung Pro 9100, 1TB Gen 5 – $143 (29% off) Samsung Pro 9100, 2TB Gen 5 – $190 (37% off) Samsung Pro 9100, 4TB Gen 5 – $385 (30% off) SSD prices have largely held steady since last fall—a good thing given spring 2025’s fiscal volatility. So while the best prices now don’t match historical all-time lows, these are good prices on well-regarded drives. In particular, if you need a lot of storage, the 4TB Crucial P310 is at a sizable discount right now. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on external storage Samsung T7, 2TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 portable SSD – $120 (40% off) Crucial X9 Pro, 2TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 portable SSD – $120 (33% off) SK Hynix Beetle X31, 1TB, USB 3.2 Gen 2 portable SSD – $63 (28% off) WD Elements Desktop USB 3.0 External Hard Drive, 14TB – $170 (55% off at B&H) Samsung T9, 4TB, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 portable SSD – $265 (52% off) External storage sales are a bit sluggish during this year’s Prime Day, but if you need faster external SSDs, a couple of deals stand out—like the 2TB version of Samsung’s popular, fast T7, which is close to its all-time low price. Other great Prime Day deals These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found. Best Amazon Prime Day tech deals: Great sales chosen by experts Best Prime Day PC computer deals: Gaming & mainstream desktops Best Prime Day laptop deals: Gaming notebooks, 2-in-1s, and more Best Prime Day deals on SSDs and storage Best USB flash drive deals for Prime Day 2025 Best monitor deals for Prime Day 2025: OLED, home office, and more Best Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs Best Prime Day mini PC deals: Big savings on tiny computers Best Prime Day deals on battery chargers and power banks Best Prime Day 2025 deals on Chromebooks Best Prime Day deals on office chairs and standing desks SSD and storage deals FAQ 1. Why aren’t SSDs as cheap as they once were? The balance between demand and supply has shifted—with fewer drives on the market, prices drifted up over 2024. (Black Friday 2023 marked the end of a golden era.) The deals picked for this roundup may not always match those incredible 2023 prices, but they do hit a low for the period since the cost increases. 2. Do brands matter for SSDs and storage? Yes, but only to a point. Major manufacturers are generally reliable—think Samsung, Crucial, Western Digital (aka WD), SK Hynix, Corsair, Kingston, and even newer players like TeamGroup and Solidigm. Outside of that, you may be playing a bit fast and loose with your data’s longevity. However, everyone has that one horror story about a hard-disk drive that failed, and why they’ll never use, say, WD or Crucial again. That’s less commonly a manufacturing error, and more so a matter of luck. No drive is guaranteed to meet its life expectancy, which is why you should perform regular backups. 3. Is an SSD better than a HDD? SSDs are faster and take less room in a PC than a hard-disk drive (HDD), which gives them a strong edge. If you only have one storage drive in your PC, it should ideally be an SSD so you get faster boot times and quicker access to your files. A HDD as your primary drive will feel much slower. But HDDs still have their advantages. First, they’re much cheaper. The going price of a 2TB HDD is about the same as the sale price for a 1TB SSD. You also can get them in higher capacities than SSDs. If you work with huge files, you can pick up an 18TB or 20TB HDD (and as mentioned, since HDD cost less, you’ll spend as much or even less as a 4TB SSD). If you need secondary storage and you don’t need it to be fast, HDDs are a fantastic option. 4. How do I know if an SSD deal is good? Here’s the guideline we use for picking deals: First, it should be for an SSD that performs well (or in select cases, performs well for its MSRP), and is a reasonable price when not on sale. The discount should also be significant for that particular model. Ex: For SSDs that almost never go on sale, a reduction of $5 to $10 is already hefty. For others, that might be closer to $20 to $30. In other words, expect to pick up high-performing drives at an all-time low (or very close to that) during a Prime Day sale. Ignore the options that don’t meet this criteria. 5. Will tariffs affect SSD and storage prices? Possibly. As of this article’s publishing, the Trump administration intends to reinstate high tariffs on goods from many countries (and even impose additional ones), which could impact SSDs. If implemented, costs could increase in the second part of 2025. The smartest strategy is to buy now if you know you need the upgrade soon, especially on any discounted drives that you like. Read...

One of the easiest ways to enhance your PC experience is to get a better monitor. It doesn’t require any upgrades for your desktop or laptop, and it shines up the primary way you interact with almost everything: the visuals. Prime Day is upon us again, and up until midnight Pacific tonight, there are plenty of deals to be found on the best and most affordable displays. (Here’s how to get Amazon Prime for free so you can get in on the deep, deep discounts.) With U.S. tariffs affecting prices, to say nothing of general consumer trends, it might not be the smorgasbord of discounts we saw in previous years. But there are still savings to be had, on OLED monitors, gaming monitors, and standard office designs — and I’ve hunted down the best monitor deals in the list below. Even though it’s Prime Day, some of the best discounts can be found elsewhere on the web, so I’ve included those in the list as well. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on OLED monitors Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC 49-inch, 5120×1440, 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $899.99 ($700 off at Amazon) LG UltraGear OLED 34-inch 1440p 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $714.99 ($585 off at Amazon) ASRock 27-inch 1440p 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $479.99 ($166 off at Newegg) Alienware 27-inch 1440p 360Hz OLED gaming monitor — $599.99 ($300 off at Dell) Alienware 34-inch ultrawide 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $679.99 ($120 off at Amazon) Alienware 32-inch 4K 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $849.99 ($350 off at Dell) MSI 49-inch ultrawide 144Hz OLED gaming monitor — $749.99 ($350 off at Amazon) OLED monitors are the cream of the crop for gamers, thanks to incredible color vibrance and contrast, even if they’re not the absolute fastest on the market right now. For my money, MSI has the best deal at the moment…but then I’m an ultrawide fanboy and I love that gigantic 49-inch format. If you’re looking for an OLED upgrade at the lowest price, ASRock is leading the pack with a rare 27-inch pick under the $500 mark. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on gaming monitors KTC 24-inch 1080p 165Hz gaming monitor — $93.99 ($46 off at Newegg) Asus 25-inch 1080p 180Hz gaming monitor — $109.00 ($50 off at Amazon) ASRock 27-inch 1080p 240Hz gaming monitor — $104.77 ($85 off at Newegg) LG 27-inch 1440p 144Hz gaming monitor — $180.49 ($119.50 off at Amazon) Alienware 34-inch ultrawide 1440p 180Hz gaming monitor — $309.99 ($90 off at Dell) Gigabyte 28-inch IPS 4K 144Hz gaming monitor — $329.99 ($270 off at Newegg) LG 27-inch, IPS 1440p, 240Hz gaming monitor — $284.05 ($215.94 off at Amazon) For more affordable options for gamers, ASRock once again delivers with a 27-inch, 1080p display at just a hair over a hundred bucks. But I’d say that Gigabyte is giving the best bang for your buck with its 28-inch 4K option. Not only is it using an IPS panel for greater color accuracy, it’s packing a USB-C port for flexible video. It’s a great, affordable centerpiece to a setup that works for both, well, work and gaming. Prime Day 2025 deals on office monitors Acer 27-inch 1080p IPS 120Hz monitor — $99.99 ($50 off at Best Buy) = Dell 27-inch 1440p IPS monitor — $179.99 ($40 off at Amazon) LG 27-inch 4K IPS monitor — $229.99 ($150 off at Amazon) Asus 32-inch 4K IPS monitor — $198.55 ($100 off at Amazon) Samsung 34-inch 1440p ultrawide monitor — $219.99 ($110 off at Amazon) MNN 15-inch portable USB-C monitor — $59.97 ($30 off at Amazon) I can personally recommend Dell’s 27-inch, 1440p IPS monitors, because I’ve been using them for years on either side of my ultrawide center display. It’s a perfect way to expand your desk space, but unless you need some gaming-grade speed, it works great as a primary display too. For laptop users, there’s no easier way to expand your mobile capabilities than with a USB monitor (especially since they now include power and video). And there are a bunch of affordable options now, too. Other great Prime Day deals These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found. Best Amazon Prime Day tech deals: Great sales chosen by experts Best Prime Day PC computer deals: Gaming & mainstream desktops Best Prime Day laptop deals: Gaming notebooks, 2-in-1s, and more Best Prime Day deals on SSDs and storage Best USB flash drive deals for Prime Day 2025 Best monitor deals for Prime Day 2025: OLED, home office, and more Best Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs Best Prime Day mini PC deals: Big savings on tiny computers Best Prime Day deals on battery chargers and power banks Best Prime Day 2025 deals on Chromebooks Best Prime Day deals on office chairs and standing desks FAQ 1. What size of monitor should I buy? Monitor size depends on personal preference and location.  A 24-inch monitor is fine for a desk that is around 24 inches deep, or less. Its small size will still be sufficient because the monitor is closer to you. Most people, however, will want to go with a 27-inch monitor. The added size will make the monitor easy to see. This also opens up a wider range of 4K monitor options, as 4K is very rare on a 24-inch monitor. Larger monitors, such as a 32-inch widescreen or 34-inch ultrawide, are great for deep desks and people who want an immersive experience. Monitors this large can serve as a TV replacement in a small room.  Displays of even larger size, such as 42-inch or 48-inch HDTVs, are best for home theater setups or an unusually large office. You’ll want to sit four to six feet away from a display of this size. 2. What display input is best? (HDMI vs. DisplayPort vs. USB-C) USB-C is the best display input for most people. It works by bundling DisplayPort into USB-C, so offers all the same features as DisplayPort. Yet it retains the features of USB-C including optional support for Power Delivery to charge external devices. This is why we recommend a USB-C monitor for most people. DisplayPort is generally second-best. It supports higher resolutions and refresh rates than HDMI. This input is particularly common on desktop computers.  HDMI comes in third due to lower resolution and refresh rate support. This is improved by HDMI 2.1, but this feature remains hard to find and often adds to a monitor’s price. All three of the options above handle 1080p at 60Hz, which is the most common resolution and refresh rate available today. It’s also important to buy a monitor that has an input compatible with your PC. 3. Are all monitors compatible with Windows and MacOS? Modern monitors are compatible with all recent versions of Windows and MacOS. They’re plug-and-play, which means the monitor should display an image without the need to install driver software or mess with Windows or MacOS settings. 4. Are tariffs affecting monitor prices? Yes. Deals for monitors around this sale aren’t as good as they were during Amazon’s last big sale in October, particularly for the largest, most expensive models. That said, we have managed to avoid the complete shutdown of imported stock that seemed likely during the most tumultuous back-and-forth tariff negotiations…so that’s something. Prices are unlikely to improve later in the year, so if you find a delectable deal on a monitor you’re interested in, Prime Day may be one of your best bets of the year. Especially if you buy on day one of the event — President Trump says additional reciprocal tariffs will return on July 9, the second day of Prime Week, and could plunge prices into chaos. Read...

Amazon Prime Day 2025 is officially live, but the deals end at midnight Pacific on Friday — meaning you have just a few hours left to score some juicy deals on laptops. Just remember, you’ll need a Prime membership to access the deals. Here’s how to get it for free. If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with a curated list of the best laptop deals on Prime Day. Why should you care about what I’ve got to say? Fair question. I oversee all laptop and Chromebook review coverage at PCWorld. I also maintain our best laptop deals roundup daily, along with our best laptops of 2025 roundup weekly. That means I’m hunting for the best laptop discounts online every single day, so I’m pretty well-attuned to the landscape, while my hands-on knowledge helps me unearth the true gems. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on budget laptops Lenovo IdeaPad 1, Intel Celeron processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/12GB RAM/128GB eMMC + 256GB PCIe), $284.05 ($74.95 off at Amazon) Asus VivoBook Go, AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $329.99 ($100 off at Amazon) Dell Inspiron 15 3535, AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $410.77 ($39.22 off at Amazon) Our top pick: With 8GB of RAM, a comfortable 1080p display, and a spacious 512GB of storage, the Dell Inspiron 15 3535 really hits the sweet spot at this price point (under $500). If you want a laptop that remains peppy after weeks of use, then this is the one to pick. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on mid-range laptops Samsung Galaxy Book4 (AI), Snapdragon X Plus processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $701 ($198.99 off at Amazon) Dell Inspiron 5441, Snapdragon X Plus processor/14-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $717.34 ($82.65 off at Amazon) Apple 2025 MacBook Air, M4 chip/13.6-inch 2560×1664 display/16GB RAM/256GB SSD, $849 ($150 off at Amazon) Asus Vivobook 14 Flip, Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor/14-inch 1920×1200 OLED touchscreen display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $869.99 ($130 off at Amazon) Our top pick: The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is a great pick because you’re getting a high resolution 16-inch display (2560×1600), a good amount of RAM (16GB) and storage (1TB), and a powerful Intel Core?i7-13620H processor–all for under $800. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on premium laptops Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024), Snapdragon X Elite processor/13.8-inch ?2304×1536 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $969.99 ($430 off at Amazon) Apple MacBook Air, M4 chip/13.6-inch 2560×1664 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,049 ($150 off at Amazon) Samsung Galaxy Book5 360, Intel Core Ultra 7 processor/16-inch 1920×1080 AMOLED display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,049.99 ($300 off at Amazon) Asus Vivobook S 14, AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor/14-inch 3840×2160 OLED display/24GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,057.99 ($142 off at Amazon) Asus ZenBook 15 Pro OLED, Intel Core i7-13620H processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,099.99 ($100 off at Amazon) Our top pick: Just a little over a grand for the Asus Vivobook S 14? That’s an excellent price for a laptop with the latest AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor and a super crisp 14-inch 3840×2160 display. You’re also getting 24GB of RAM, which is more than most laptops get at this price point. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on gaming laptops Acer Nitro V, Intel Core i5-13420H processor/RTX 4050 graphics/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $649.99 ($150 off at Amazon) Acer Nitro 17, AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS processor/RTX 4050 graphics/17.3-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $979.99 ($220 off at Amazon) Asus ROG Strix G16, Intel Core i9-14900HX processor/RTX 4060 graphics/16-inch 2560×1600 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,589 ($110.99 off at Amazon) Lenovo Legion 16, Intel Core i9-14900HX processor/RTX 4070 graphics/16-inch 2560×1600 display/64GB RAM/2TB SSD, $1,999 ($239.74 off at Amazon) Our top pick: The Asus ROG Strix G16 really stands out. Not only does the RTX 4060 graphics card deliver excellent gaming performance, but you’re also getting 16GB of RAM (ideal for running modern games) and 1TB of SSD storage for large installs. The 16-inch 2560×1600 display also gives you slightly more vertical space than your standard 1080p panel.  Other great Prime Day deals These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found. Best Amazon Prime Day tech deals: Great sales chosen by experts Best Prime Day PC computer deals: Gaming & mainstream desktops Best Prime Day laptop deals: Gaming notebooks, 2-in-1s, and more Best Prime Day deals on SSDs and storage Best USB flash drive deals for Prime Day 2025 Best monitor deals for Prime Day 2025: OLED, home office, and more Best Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs Best Prime Day mini PC deals: Big savings on tiny computers Best Prime Day deals on battery chargers and power banks Best Prime Day 2025 deals on Chromebooks Best Prime Day deals on office chairs and standing desks FAQ 1. What kind of laptop should I get? Well, it depends on your needs and lifestyle. A 2-in-1, for example, is a good fit for someone who travels often. You can swing the screen back 360 degrees and use it in tablet mode for taking notes or you can prop it up like a tent for watching movies with friends. If gaming is a top priority, then you’ll want to look into a laptop with powerful graphics hardware and a display with a high refresh rate. For those of us who need a basic laptop for general web browsing, a low-powered Windows laptop should do you just fine. 2. How can I tell whether a laptop is a good Prime Day deal? I always use CamelCamelCamel, a free tool that tracks Amazon price history. Just create an account, enter a product’s ASIN (found in its Amazon URL and starts with the letter B), and you’ll see a graph of its price history over time. It’s an easy way to spot the good stuff and to also know if you’re getting the lowest price. 3. Do laptop brands matter? Not really, as long as you stick to well-known brands. Big manufacturers like Acer and Dell make solid machines and often offer steep discounts on their websites. You might have a personal preference, though, like maybe you’ve historically stuck with HP machines. 4. How much memory do I need in a laptop? I always tell my friends and family to aim for at least 8GB of RAM. Anything less, and you’ll likely notice things starting to slow down. If you can go higher than 8GB, even better. The more RAM you have, the snappier your laptop will feel, especially for everyday tasks like web browsing or working in spreadsheets. For more demanding work, 16GB is a solid choice for productivity and gaming, while 32GB and beyond is ideal for video editing and other intensive tasks. 5. Is now a good time to buy a laptop? Will tariffs affect laptop prices? Yes! Prime Day tends to offer some of the lowest laptop prices of the year, especially on budget and mid-range models. Prices on premium and gaming laptops are all over the place, but Prime Day is one of those rare times where you’ll see good discounts across every category.  As for external factors like tariffs, there are currently no major new tariffs affecting laptops in the U.S., but this can change fast depending on trade decisions. Manufacturers hike the prices up later in the year, especially if supply chain issues pop up again, so if you’re thinking about pulling the trigger on a new laptop, now’s a good time to do it. Read...

Amazon’s annual Prime Day event of the year is in full swing, but the deals draw to a close at midnight Pacific on Friday. This is your last chance to score some big savings! Here at PCWorld, we’e dug through thousands of Prime Day deals over at Amazon to find the very best ones. Our tech experts have been testing PC hardware and gadgets for decades and know what’s worth buying and what should get a pass. You’ll need to be a Prime member to seize advantage of the sales though! Here’s how to get Amazon Prime for free if you need it. We’re updating often, so make sure to check back frequently to see what deals we found. Best Prime Day deals on mainstream laptops and Chromebooks Apple 2025 MacBook Air, M4 chip/13.6-inch 2560×1664 display/16GB RAM/256GB SSD, $849 ($150 off at Amazon) Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024), Snapdragon X Elite processor/13.8-inch ?2304×1536 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $990 ($410 off at Amazon) Asus Vivobook S 14, AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor/14-inch 3840×2160 OLED display/24GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,057.99 ($142 off at Amazon) Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook, Intel Celeron N4500/8GB RAM/64GB SSD, 15.6-inch 1080p display, $189.99 (34% off at Amazon) Lenovo IP5 (Refurbished) Chromebook, Core i3-1215U/8GB RAM/128GB SSD, 16-inch 2560×1600 display, $268.99 (49% off at Target) Samsung Galaxy Book5 360, Intel Core Ultra 7 processor/16-inch 1920×1080 AMOLED display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1049.99 ($300 off at Amazon) HP Envy, Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor/17.3-inch 1920×1080 display/64GB RAM/2TB SSD, $1,399 ($291 off at Amazon) Acer Chromebook Plus 514, Core i3-N305/8GB RAM/128GB SSD, 14-inch 1080p display, $329.99 (18% off at Amazon) HP 2-in-1 Chromebook, Intel Core i3/8GB RAM/256 UFS, 14-inch 1920×1080 display, $479 (24% off at Best Buy) Best Prime Day deals on gaming laptops MSI Thin 15, Intel Core i5-13420H processor/RTX 4060 graphics/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $774 ($75 off at Amazon) Acer Nitro 17, AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS processor/RTX 4050 graphics/17.3-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $979.99 ($220 off at Amazon) Asus ROG Strix G16, Intel Core i9-14900HX processor/RTX 4060 graphics/16-inch 2560×1600 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,359.99 ($340 off at Amazon) Lenovo Legion 16, Intel Core i9-14900HX processor/RTX 4070 graphics/16-inch 2560×1600 display/64GB RAM/2TB SSD, $1,999 ($239.74 off at Amazon) Best Prime Day deals on gaming and mainstream desktops Skytech Azure, Ryzen 5 7600X/RTX 5070/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,749.99 (17% off on Amazon) MSI Aegis Z2, Ryzen 7 7700/RTX 4060/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,252.15 (11% off on Amazon) Alienware Aurora, Core Ultra 7 265F/RTX 5070 Ti/32GB/1TB SSD, $1,899.99 (17% off on Dell) Dell 24 AiO, Core 5 120U/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/24-inch 1080p touch display, $849.99 (24% off on Dell) iMac M4, M4/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/24-inch 5K display, $1,541.88 (9% off on Amazon) Best Prime Day deals on mini PCs Kamrui E3B – AMD Ryzen 5 7430U, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, triple display support – $224.09 (36% off, was $350) Acemagician Kron K1 – AMD Ryzen 5 7430U, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, triple display support – $236.55 (26% off, was $319) Bosgame P4 Light – AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, triple display support – $285 (29% off, was $400) GMKTec M2 Pro – Intel Core i7 1195G7, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, triple display support – $420 (34% off, was $640) Acemagician K1 – AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, triple display support – $249 (38% off, was $399) Peladn WO7, AMD Ryzen 7 7735U, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, quadruple display – $352 (20% off, was $440) Beelink S12 – Intel Alder Lake N100, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 500GB SSD, dual display support – $169 (23% off, was $219) Geekom IT13 – Intel Core i9 13900HK, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, quad display support – $599 (14% off, was $699) Best Prime Day deals on monitors Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC 49-inch, 5120x1440p, 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $900 (700 off at Amazon) Samsung Odysey OLED G95SC 49-inch, 5120x1440p, 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $891.04 ($909 off at Amazon) Alienware 27-inch 1440p 360Hz OLED gaming monitor — $599.99 ($300 off at Dell) Acer 27-inch 1080p IPS 120Hz monitor — $99.99 ($50 off at Best Buy) Dell 27-inch 1440p IPS monitor — $179.99 ($40 off at Dell) Samsung 34-inch 1440p ultrawide monitor — $219.99 ($110 off at Amazon) MSI 49-inch ultrawide 144Hz OLED gaming monitor — $729.99 ($370 off at Amazon) LG 27-inch, IPS 1440p, 240Hz gaming monitor — $284.05 ($215.94 off at Amazon) Alienware 32-inch 4K 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $849.99 ($350 off at Dell) MNN 15-inch portable USB-C monitor — $59.97 ($30 off at Amazon) KYY 15.6 1080p portable monitor — $69.98 (46% off at Amazon) Best Prime Day deals on SSDs and USB flash drives Teamgroup T-Force Vulcan Z, 1TB 2.5-inch SATA SSD – $48 (26% off) WD Black SN770M, 2TB Gen 4 SSD (Steam Deck compatible) – $150 (40% off) Samsung T7, 2TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 portable SSD – $120 (40% off) Samsung Bar Plus, 256GB flash drive, USB 3.1 — $22 (45% off, was $40) SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go, 1TB, USB 3.2, both USB-A and USB-C connections — $65 (41% off, was $110) Samsung Fit Plus, 128GB, USB 3.1 — $15 (35% off, was $23) SanDisk Ultra Flair, 512GB, USB 3.0 — $37 (21% off, was $47) Best Prime Day deals on USB-C hubs and Thunderbolt docks StarTech USB4/Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station, 98W charging, $248.36 (25% off at Amazon) Ugreen Revodok Max 208 8-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 Dock, 85W charging, $159.99 (36% off at Amazon) Microsoft Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock, 96W charging, $199.99 (33% off at Amazon) Anker 13-in-1 USB-C Docking Station, 85W charging, $139.99 (30% off at Amazon) Anker 5-in-1 USB-C Docking hub, $18.99 (24% off at Amazon) Ugreen Revodok Pro 6-in-1 USB-C hub, $13.29 (34% off at Amazon) Baseus 9-in-1 Laptop Docking Station USB-C hub, $37.98 (38% off at Amazon) Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station, 14-in-1, 140W charging, $339.99 (15% off at Amazon) Plugable 10-in-1 Dual HDMI docking station, $79.95 (38% off at Amazon) Best Prime Day deals on chargers and power banks Baseus Picogo Power Bank, 10,000 mAh/1 xUSB-A/2x USB-C/PD 45W Fast charging technology, $24.69 (38% off on Amazon) Baseus Laptop Power Bank, 20,000 mAh/1x USB-A/3x USB-C, $56.69 (43% off on Amazon) UGREEN Laptop Power Bank, 25,000 mAh/1x USB-A/2x USB-C, $79.98 (38% off on Amazon) Ugreen Nexode charger, 65W power/3x USB-C/ 1x USB-A, $23.99 (44% off on Amazon) Anker Nano II charger, 65W power/2x USB-C/1x USB-A, $25.99 (35% off on Amazon) Blavor Solar Charger Power Bank, 10,000 mAh/2x USB-C/1x USB-A, $22.79 (43% off on Amazon) Best Prime Day deals on office chairs and standing desks Staples Cartwright Task Chair, Black – $50 (58% off at Staples) Staples Hyken Mesh Task Chair, Black – $120 (60% off at Staples) HON Crio High Back Task Chair, Black – $207.51 (15% off) Huanuo 48?x24? Adjustable electric standing desk, Black – $100 (38% off) Fezibo 42×24 Adjustable electric standing desk, Rustic brown – $80 (33% off) Comhoma 48×24 Adjustable electric standing desk with monitor stand, White – $189 (30% off) ErGear 48?x24? Adjustable electric standing desk, Black – $99.98 (17% off) Best Prime Day deals on security cameras and video doorbells Aqara Camera Protect Kit Y100, AC-powered, integrated home security hub, 1440p resolution: $99.99 (39% off at Amazon) Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen) 2-pack, AC-powered, 1080p resolution: $59.98 (40% off at Amazon)   Tapo C120 Indoor/Outdoor Wi-Fi Security Cam, AC powered, 2K resolution: $23.73 (41% off at Amazon) Reolink Argus PT Ultra with solar panel, battery-powered, 4K resolution: $97.99 (30% off at Amazon) Roku Indoor Camera (2-pack), AC-powered, 1080p resolution: $29.99 (45% off at Amazon) Tapo C230 Indoor Pan/Tilt Security Camera , AC-powered, 3K resolution: $29.99 (25% off at Amazon) Arlo Essential Security Camera, indoor/outdoor, 2K resolution: $47.49 (53% off at Amazon) Blink Outdoor 4 bundled with Blink Sync Module XR: $89.99 (50% off at Amazon) Blink Video Doorbell (2nd Gen) with Sync Module, battery-powered, 1440 x 1440 resolution $29.99 (57% off at Amazon) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, wired or battery power, 1536 x 1536 resolution: $79.99 (47% off at Amazon) Other great Prime Day tech deals Amazon brands Kindle Scribe, 16GB — $260 (35% off at Amazon) Kindle Paperwhite, 16GB — $125 (22% off at Amazon) Amazon Kindle Kids, 16GB — $95 (27% off at Amazon) Echo Spot smart speaker — $45 (44% off at Amazon) Amazon Smart Plug — $13 (48% off at Amazon) Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet, 64GB — $140 (39% off at Amazon) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K — $25 (50% off at Amazon) Amazon Fire HD 10 — $70 (50% off at Amazon) Apple Apple iPad Mini A17 Pro, 256GB — $479 (20% off at Amazon) Apple AirPods 4, no ANC — $89 (31% off at Amazon) Apple AirPods Pro 2 — $149 (40% off at Amazon) Apple Watch Series 10 — $279 (30% off at Amazon) Apple Watch SE 2nd gen — $169 (32% off at Amazon) Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, 40mm — $160 (47% off at Amazon Samsung Galaxy Ring — $300 (25% off at Amazon) Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 — $15.50 (48% off at Amazon) Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro AI — $166.24 (34% off at Amazon) Samsung Pro Plus microSD memory card + adapter, 1TB — $90 (25% off at Amazon Cameras DJI OSmo Action 4 action camera, 4K, 120fps — $209 (30% off at Amazon) Vantrue N5 4 channel dash cam, 360-degree, 2.7K+1080p front rear inside – $265 (34% off at Amazon) 70mai 2.7K dash cam front and rear A500S – $75 (32% off at Amazon) Insta360 X4 action camera, 8K, 135 min battery life, waterproof – $349 (30% off at Amazon) Smart Home Petlibro automatic cat feeder with 1080p cam – $90.09 (44% off at Amazon) SwitchBot S10 robot vacuum and mop – $360 (70% off at Amazon) Yeedi M12 Pro+ robot vacuum and mop — $380 (53% off at Amazon) Dyson V15 Detect Plus — $570 (24% off at Amazon) Audio & TV Treblab Z2 headphones, ANC, 35H battery – $69.97 (46% off at Amazon) Beats Solo 4 — $97.99 (51% off at Amazon) JBL Clip 5 — $59.95 (25% off at Amazon) Soundcore Boom 2 speaker — $90 (36% off at Amazon) LG OLED Evo AI C3, 65-inch — $1,197 (10% off at Amazon) Roku Ultra 4K streaming device — $69 (31% off at Amazon) Gadgets Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 portable power station — $399 (50% off at Amazon) Segway Ninebot E2 Plus II electric scooter — $390 (35% off at Amazon) Other Prime Day deal roundups These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found. Best Amazon Prime Day tech deals: Great sales chosen by experts Best Prime Day PC computer deals: Gaming & mainstream desktops Best Prime Day laptop deals: Gaming notebooks, 2-in-1s, and more Best Prime Day deals on SSDs and storage Best USB flash drive deals for Prime Day 2025 Best monitor deals for Prime Day 2025: OLED, home office, and more Best Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs Best Prime Day mini PC deals: Big savings on tiny computers Best Prime Day deals on battery chargers and power banks Best Prime Day 2025 deals on Chromebooks Best Prime Day deals on office chairs and standing desks Amazon Prime Day deals FAQ 1. Do I need to be a Prime member to get Amazon’s Prime Day deals? Yes, as the name suggests, this this an event dedicated to Amazon Prime subscribers. While there will still be many deals that come with no strings attached, the vast majority will have the Prime stamp. Amazon’s Prime Day is, to an extent, a great way for Amazon to make its Prime subscription service even more enticing. It start with a 30-day free trial and continues with a $14.99 per month or $139 per year fee. Subscribers don’t just get access to amazing deals and faster shipping, but also access to Prime Video, Grubhub+, Amazon Music and Amazon Photos, and more. 2. When does Prime Day 2025 start and end? For the first time ever, this year’s Prime Day event will last for four days. It will kick off on July 8 at midnight PDT and will run until midnight on July 11. That’s a total of 96 hours of deals! 3. How can I tell whether a Prime Day deal is worth it? If you need to figure this out for yourself, the best way to figure out whether a deal is worth getting is to check the price history. There are several sites that help with that, including Camel Camel Camel or Keepa. But if you want to be certain something’s a good deal and a product worth buying, you’re better off with getting recommendations from our experts, so make sure to check back here at PCWorld. We’re tracking all the best Prime Day PC tech deals, category by category. Read...

With the deals ending at midnight Pacific, this is killer Prime Day flash drive deals. Everyone needs a great USB flash drive, and Prime Day is an excellent time to grab one for cheap. Why listen to my recommendations? I’ve been a journalist for 19 years, with 13 of those years focused on consumer technology. I love sifting through deals and spend every day hunting down the very best sales on the very best tech. With Prime Day, I’m exercising those muscles to help you find the best USB thumb drives worth your money. These hand-curated recommendations take price, reviews, and brand reputation into consideration. Best Prime Day deals on 64GB to 256GB flash drives Samsung Fit Plus, 128GB, USB 3.1 — $15 (35% off, was $23) SanDisk Ultra, 128GB, USB 3.0 — $12 (23% off, was $15.49) Samsung Type-C, 128GB, USB 3.2 — $18 (22% off, was $23) Lexar JumpDrive Dual, 128GB, USB 3.2 — $15.29 (30% off, was $22) PNY Turbo Attache 3, 256GB, USB 3.0 — $15 (25% off, was $20) Samsung Bar Plus, 256GB, USB 3.1 — $22 (45% off, was $40) Kingston DataTraveler Kyson, 256GB, USB 3.2 — $26.61 (11% off, was $30) PNY Elite-X Fit, 256GB, USB 3.1 — $23 (12% off, was $26) Kingston Ironkey Locker+ 50, 32GB, USB 3.2, Encrypted — $26.59 (37% off, was $42) Kindston Ironkey Keypad 200, 128GB, USB-C, USB 3.2, Encrypted — $150 (29% off, was $210) SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive, 256GB, USB-A/USB-C, USB 3.1 — $23 (15% off, was $27) The best deal of the lot is for the Samsung Bar Plus, where you can get 256GB of storage space for just $22. This is a super-fast flash drive that can reach up to 400 MB/s transfer speeds, comes with a rugged metal casing, and is even waterproof and shockproof. If you want a more affordable option, the Amazon Basics for $11 is a decent cheapie. Best Prime Day deals on 512GB to 2TB flash drives SanDisk Ultra Flair, 512GB, USB 3.0 — $37 (21% off, was $47) Samsung Fit Plus, 512GB, USB 3.2 — $60 (25% off, was $80) PNY Pro Elite V3, 512GB, USB 3.2 — $54 (11% off, was $61) SanDisk Ultra Fit, 512GB, USB 3.2 — $36.53 (20% off, was $50) SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go, 1TB, USB 3.2, both USB-A and USB-C connections — $65 (41% off, was $110) SanDisk Extreme Pro, 1TB, USB 3.2 — $90 (38% off, was $145) SanDisk Extreme Pro Dual, 512GB, USB 3.2 — $50 (29% off, was $70) Kindston Ironkey Vault Privacy 50, 512GB, USB 3.2, Encrypted — $170 (31% off, was $245) A superb pick off this list is the Ultra Dual Drive Go from SanDisk. This is a flash drive with both USB-C and USB-A connectors, thus it’s a lot more versatile. It can reach up to 400 MB/s read speeds, too! Other great Prime Day deals These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for the best expert-curated picks we’ve found. Best Amazon Prime Day tech deals: Great sales chosen by experts Best Prime Day PC computer deals: Gaming & mainstream desktops Best Prime Day laptop deals: Gaming notebooks, 2-in-1s, and more Best Prime Day deals on SSDs and storage Best USB flash drive deals for Prime Day 2025 Best monitor deals for Prime Day 2025: OLED, home office, and more Best Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs Best Prime Day mini PC deals: Big savings on tiny computers Best Prime Day deals on battery chargers and power banks Best Prime Day 2025 deals on Chromebooks Best Prime Day deals on office chairs and standing desks USB flash drive deals FAQs 1. What capacity do I need in a USB flash drive? This is a question that you need to answer yourself because it really depends on what you plan to use it for. If you’re only moving work documents around, a small capacity like 64GB will be fine. If you want to use a flash drive for backing up photos, videos, games, and other big files, then you might want to go 512GB or larger. 2. What features should I prioritize when choosing a USB flash drive? First of all, our recommendation is to look at the flash drive’s transfer speeds. To ensure you get fast read/write speeds, you should get a USB 3.0 or above. USB 2.x drives are sorely outdated. Then, you have to make sure the flash drive can survive living in your pocket, getting crushed by your laptop, falling through your fingers, and so on. Aluminum casings will offer better protection in such cases. If the flash drive offers 128-bit AES encryption or better, your data will also have some extra protection in case you lose it, as the drive will be inaccessible and block out others from reading your data. 3. How did we find the best USB flash drive Prime Day deals? Finding great deals can be difficult because not all discounts are worth covering. When looking for good Prime Day deals, we compare the prices on Amazon with the regular retail price and check pricing history to see if there have been any changes lately and that the price drops are truly noteworthy. We also check product reviews to see if they’re reliable in the long run and live up to their promises. Read...

Browser extensions can be just as dangerous as regular apps, and their integration with the tool everyone’s constantly using can make them seem erroneously innocuous. Case in point: a collection of more than 200 extensions for Chrome and other major browsers are being used to “scrape” website content. This essentially turns browser users into a free data center, with capacity sold off for profit. The Secure Annex report (spotted by Ars Technica) is an interesting one, documenting the MellowTel system. Here’s how it works: Step one, a developer of a legitimate extension is offered a tool that integrates a software library into the extension. Step two, this software library utilizes the “unused bandwidth” for a browser in ways that aren’t obvious to the actual PC user. What’s happening is that the extension is using some clever tricks to scan and “scrape” the website behind the scenes, in the same way search engines like Google do… but crucially bypassing some of the basic protections that are in place, like security headers and robots.txt. So not only are the extensions slipping past some of the web’s basic guardrails, they’re doing so while parked on an unsuspecting PC, using up the processing power, bandwidth, and electricity of a user who downloaded a free browser extension. This essentially makes the end user’s browser a “bot,” in the researcher’s words. Step three, that scraped data — extremely valuable in the age of AI training sets, among other useful things — is collected and sold. Step four, the developer of the extension, who may or may not be aware of all of this, gets paid… along with the creator of the software library, of course. Hundreds of Chrome, Edge, and Firefox extensions have been documented using MellowTel, though some have been removed for malware (possibly unrelated to the report) or simply taken out the library in an update. An updated list from researcher John Tucker is available here, along with links to the relevant pages on the Chrome Web Store, Microsoft Edge add-ons repository, and Firefox add-ons repository. Here’s the interesting thing. Though this behavior certainly mimics the processes of a botnet or other malware, it’s not actively malicious… at least in terms that would obviously hold up in court. The user downloaded and installed the browser extension (almost certainly without reading the fine print), the developer included the library. This isn’t too far removed from, say, the advertisements on this very page that are sharing a whole lot more data about you than you might feel comfortable with. The system that enables the scraping is even open source, available for anyone to inspect. That said, this is definitely stepping over an ethical line, in my (totally independent, non-accusatory, and non-culpable) opinion. Gobbling up “unused bandwidth” is a red flag — that’s bandwidth that the user paid for, used or not, and will definitely show up in a bill if you happen to be on a metered connection while mobile. Using someone else’s bandwidth without explicit informed consent, to say nothing of computing power, smacks of the same kind of behavior that had extensions mining cryptocurrency with strangers’ computers. And that’s without considering the security issues. Tucker notes that in addition to the scraping behavior, the extensions gather other data including the computer’s (and thus the user’s) location, and opens potentially unsafe connections to remote web servers to transmit the data. The potential for browser extensions to be malicious or unsafe isn’t new, but this kind of scraping and harvesting behavior is likely to become more common in the future. Read...

Right now, big deals on splashy products dominate the headlines—supercharged PCs (and components), fancy TVs, expensive vacuum cleaners. But you can save money on less dramatic items during Amazon Prime Day, too. Cables, lighting, desk accessories, chargers—these everyday products sound boring, but life sucks when you don’t have them on hand. When the discounts are this good, it’s a smart time to replace, restock, or finally bite the bullet. Here are my 10 favorites of the bunch. A gas monitor arm to save desk space ($35) Credit: Huanuo I always recommend a monitor arm as a desk accessory. And not just any kind, either—specifically, a gas monitor arm. It’s one of the best upgrades for a setup, especially if you share the space with others. Adjustments to height and tilt are very smooth, and it frees up a ton of tabletop space. This fan-favorite Huanuo model is at one of its lower prices right now, just $35. (I still boggle at how cheap that is compared to what I paid for my mount.) This version supports 13- to 32-inch monitors, VESA 75×75 and 100×100 mount brackets, and up to 19.8 lbs in weight. Get a gas monitor arm for $35View deal High-wattage USB-C cables ($9+) Credit: Anker Older USB-C cables can’t always support laptop charging, especially for more powerful models with higher wattages. So for most people, picking up a couple of 100W cables (like this Anker two-pack of 6-footers for $9) will ensure all your devices charge at max speed. This particular deal is for nicer, nylon braided cords too, with the option of red or white cables if you pay an extra buck. Have a super energy-hungry laptop? Grab this two-pack of 6-foot 240W Anker USB-C cables for just $10. Get two 100W USB-C cables for $9View Deal A compact, multi-device charger ($24) Credit: Anker A single, small charger can juice up all your devices—and for many people with a 45W laptop, phone, and tablet (or portable gaming console), this $24 UGREEN 65W 4-port GaN charger can take on that job adequately. Need to funnel more energy to your gear? Consider this $46 Anker Prime 100W 3-port model instead, which still can provide 65W of charging off the primary USB-C port when you have a second device (e.g., phone) plugged into a secondary port. Get a 65W GaN charger for $24View Deal A 14TB external hard drive for backups ($170) Credit: WD You shouldn’t compromise on backing up your PC. Syncing your files to a Microsoft, Google, or Apple account isn’t enough—you can accidentally delete files on both your computer and in the cloud, for example. An easy way to keep copies of your files is on a separate local drive—and one with a lot of storage, like this 14TB Western Digital external desktop hard drive, is perfect for the job. You get plenty of room for all your files and multiple versions of backups. Get a 14TB external desktop hard drive for $170View Deal A portable light for use around the house ($24) Credit: Letour Our editorial director Jon Phillips swears by these $24 Letour LED Tubes as a cheaper alternative to a lantern. He grabs one for all kinds of dark corners—under the hood of a car, a dark closet, or even whatever room he’s in during a power blackout. You recharge them via a USB cable, and they hold a charge for long stretches. (He says he only charges them twice a year!) Get a rechargable LED tube light for $24View Deal A five-pack of future-proof Ethernet cables ($27) Credit: Amazon Prefer a wired connection for your devices? Your current Ethernet cables could be limiting your speed. Such a discovery prompted my colleague Mark Hachman to upgrade his outdated setup with Cat5 cables to the latest Cat8 spec. Cat5 maxes out at 100Mbps, lower than many common internet plans. If you’re in his same boat, jumping to Cat8 with this five-pack of cables costs just $26 and will future-proof you for years—currently, plans from Comcast, AT&T, and other ISPs still lag behind Cat8’s max of 40Gbps. Your own home hardware hasn’t caught up yet either, as most PCs still top out at 1Gbps or 2.5Gbps right now. One nice touch about this particular set of Cat8 Ethernet cables? They’re color-coded, so you can easily tell apart devices plugged into your router or network switch. Get a five-pack of Cat8 Ethernet cables for $27View Deal A power bank for your devices while away from home ($30) Credit: Belkin Whether embarking on summer travel or just heading to and from your usual haunts, a power bank will keep your phone running all day. For $30, you can choose between 20,000 mAh models from Belkin, Mophie, and Anker right now. I personally favor the Belkin option, since you can choose more than just black as a color—you’re less likely to mistake yours for someone else’s. Get a 20K mAh power bank for $30View Deal A chair with good ergonomics ($120) Credit: Staples Staples is having its own sale right now to rival Amazon—and the discounts have dropped its popular Hyken office chair down to just $120 (60 percent off!). A favorite of both Reddit and PCWorld’s own staff members, this ergo-friendly chair is now close to its all-time low price. (Looking for alternative office chair options? Check out our roundup of the best Prime Day office chair and standing desk deals.) Get an ergo-friendly office chair for $120View Deal A docking station for your laptop ($160) The front and back views of the dock. (Credit: UGREEN) At home, your laptop can be so much more—just as with a desktop PC, you can have a full setup with multiple monitors, a dedicated microphone and video camera, USB accessories, and more. A hub or docking station lets you easily connect and disconnect your laptop from all the extras you’d plug in—and currently one of the better deals is Ugreen’s Revodok Max 208 8-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 Dock, priced at $160. The only small caveat about this model is that it’s more of a hub than a dock, so you’ll need an adapter for USB-C to HDMI (or to DisplayPort) for the video signal. But they’re not too expensive: the uni USB-C to HDMI cable is just $13 right now. Get a mighty docking station for $160View Deal A powered USB hub with all the ports ($40) Credit: ikuai Docking station too rich for your blood? Or you only need more ports for your PC and nothing else? (Few things about computers are as annoying as not having anywhere to plug in a needed peripheral or accessory.) This $40 powered 11-in-1 USB hub from ikuai takes care of any such problem. It offers a ludicrous number of ports—3x USB 3.2 (with speeds up to 10Gbps), 7x USB 3.0 (with speeds up to 5Gbps), and a single USB-C 20W power delivery charging port. Get a USB hub with a ton of ports for $40View Deal Read...