
Search results for 'Features' - Page: 6
| ITBrief - 25 Mar (ITBrief) Milestone Systems has unveiled XProtect 2025 R1, enhancing cloud integration and vehicle analytics for improved security and urban planning solutions. Read...Newslink ©2025 to ITBrief |  |
|  | | PC World - 25 Mar (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
Pros
Decently affordable for USB 3.2×2
Good 20Gbps performance
Maintains decent speed during uber-long writes
Cons
Not the fastest of the breed
Low TBW rating
Our Verdict
Good 20Gbps performance and handsome looks are Addlink’s formula for the P21 external SSD. It also maintains solid numbers when writing off secondary cache.
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If you’re looking for better-than-average 20Gbps performance that won’t break the bank, then Addlink’s P21 belongs on your short list. And thanks to modern TLC NAND, the write rate doesn’t sink precipitously when it runs out of secondary cache. Our only qualm, an exceedingly minor one, is a low TBW rating.
Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best external drives for comparison.
What are the Addlink P21’s features?
The Addlink P21 is a USB 3.2×2 (20Gbps) external SSD with NVMe internals. The SSD inside uses a Phison P27T controller, which means it’s DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 — it uses your device memory for primary caching duties. The NAND is 162-layer TLC, and of a modern variety according the test results.
Though my artistic photos obscure the fact, the P21’s housing is actually midnight blue, not dark gray. It’s an aluminum-shelled enclosure that measures approximately 4.5-inches long, by 1.5-inches wide, by a half-inch thick and weighs 1.9 ounces. For what it’s worth, I find it a cut above average in appearance.
One end of the drive sports the Type-C port and status light, while the other is home to a button that unlocks the slide out-tray that houses the electronics and NVMe SSD. That’s a bit unusual with pre-populated drives, and more normally a feature of buy-your-own-drive enclosures.
The interior of the P21 revealing the 4TB WD SN850X inside.
The P21 is warrantied for five years, but sports a rather low 300TBW rating (terabytes that may be written under warranty). That’s about half the TBW we normally see with TLC SSDs. It’s more in line with QLC SSDs, so I’m not sure of the reasoning.
A button on the P21 unlocks a slide-out tray that houses the electronics and NVMe SSD — an uncommon feature in pre-populated drives.
How much does the Addlink P21 cost?
The P21 retails for $84.44/1TB, $149.44/2TB, and $312.44/4TB flavors according to Addlink PR. But at this writing, it can be found for less on Amazon, with the 2TB and 4TB going for $138.44 and $288.44, respectively. While the quoted prices are decent for 20Gbps 3.2×2 storage, prices in the category have dropped dramatically recently due the advent of USB4.
I must admit that I find it a bit puzzling that vendors continue to release USB 3.2×2 SSDs rather than the more compatible USB4. Not that I don’t love a 20Gbps transfer rate, but USB 3.2×2 drops to 10Gbps on most Thunderbolt ports, where USB4 does not.
How fast is the Addlink P21?
The Addlink P21 isn’t the fastest USB 3.2×2 (20Gbps) SSD I’ve tested, but it’s hardly the slowest either — 7th among 16 drives of its ilk overall. If Addlink had sent me the 2TB version (like the other drives in the charts), it would likely have written the 450GB file more quickly and ranked higher.
Bear in mind that all 20Gbps SSDs are pretty fast, and as you can see below, CrystalDiskMark 8 thought very highly of the P21 — reinforcing my theory about the 2TB version possibly ranking higher.
As you can see, CrystalDiskMark 8 thought very highly of the P21’s sequential transfer prowess. Longer bars are better.
CrystalDiskMark 8 was equally high on the P21’s random 4K transfer abilities. It blew away the other drives in the queued write test. Note that Windows does not use NVMe queues.
CrystalDiskMark 8 was equally high on the P21’s random 4K transfer abilities. Longer bars are better.
The P21 was very fast in our 48GB transfers, but was sabotaged to some degree by a slow folder read. The Crucial X10 Pro is aces at this kind of stuff. The other drives are the Lexar SL600 and Samsung T9.
The P21 was very fast in our 48GB transfers, being slightly sabotaged by a slow folder read. The Crucial X10 Pro is aces at this kind of stuff. Shorter bars are better.
The 1TB P21 ran out of secondary cache in about half the time of the 2TB competition, with the write rate dropping to the TLC’s native 650MBps to 850MBps. Most 2TB SSDs have enough secondary cache that the writes will never slow during this 450GB write.
The 1TB P21 ran out of secondary cache in about half the time of the 2TB competition, with the write rate dropping to the TLC’s native 650MBps to 850MBps. Shorter bars are better.
Note that the P21 never dropped below 600MBps even during multiple consecutive 900GB writes. Of course, this is more a testament to modern TLC which writes natively at the described speeds, than anything Addlink or Phison did. But there’s nothing worse that watching your SSD write below 100MBps as sometimes happened with old TLC and still happens with modern QLC.
Again, the P21 might’ve ranked quite a bit higher if I’d tested the 2TB version. I’m going to go out on a limb here and rate it on par with everything USB 3.2×3 I’ve tested — other than the Crucial X10 Pro, which is a beast in real-world transfers.
Should you buy the Addlink P21?
Despite the low TBW rating, yes — at the right price. The P21 is a good performer, good looking, and won’t break the bank. But competition is fierce and any of the SSDs on the charts will serve you well.
Please note that 20Gbps USB ports are hardly universal. If you don’t have one, go 10Gbps for a lot less money, or USB4.
How we test
Our storage tests currently utilize Windows 11 (22H2) 64-bit running on an X790 (PCIe 5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 modules (64GB of memory total). Intel integrated graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a Samsung 990 Pro 2TB, which also contains the operating system.
Each test is performed on a newly formatted and TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that as any drive fills up, performance will decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, and other factors.
The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped as well as the capacity tested. SSD performance can vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to read/write across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching (writing TLC/QLC as SLC). Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report (systems being roughly equal), by all means—let us know. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 25 Mar (PC World)Philips Hue appears ready to expand its line of home security devices, with clues to the manufacturer’s plans hidden within its own app.
The leak details an unannounced product that would round out Hue’s existing catalog of security cameras, floodlights, and motion and contact sensors: a video doorbell, which would mark a logical next step in terms of brand’s smart security lineup.
As HueBlog.com reports, intel about the purported doorbell was discovered by a reader doing a deep dive into the Philips Hue app. Details about the device remain sketchy, but we can be reasonably sure it’s in the pipeline.
For starters, it appears the doorbell offers both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, with the former designed to aid discovery during setup. Scanning a QR code may also figure in the setup process, Hueblog.com notes.
Another clue about the potential Philips Hue doorbell comes from an LED troubleshooting screen with a caption that reads, “Your doorbell may not be connected to power. Make sure it’s properly wired in,” suggesting that the device will depend on wired power rather than a battery.
The leak doesn’t provide other key details, including the video resolution of the doorbell’s camera, whether it offers motion sensing or AI-powered object recognition, support for motion or privacy zones, or other common video doorbell features.
When might the Philips Hue video doorbell arrive? Good question. In recent years, Hue has saved its biggest product announcements for the fall IFA technology conference in Berlin, so it seems reasonable that the doorbell might make its appearance then.
We’ve reached out to Philips Hue for more details.
Philips Hue first made the leap to home security products back in August 2023, where it unveiled a suite of three security cameras—including a wired camera, a battery-powered cam, and a spotlight—along with a contact sensor.
The Hue cameras all top out at 1080p resolution, and they also offer such features as motion sensing, on-device, AI-powered person, pet, vehicle, and package detection, plus end-to-end encryption.
Controlling the cams is the security center in the Hue app, which lets users view video feeds and recordings, arm or disarm the Hue security system, receive motion alerts, or “take action,” including calling 9-1-1 or triggering “light alarms” intended to spook intruders or alert neighbors to a disturbance.
As with Ring and other home security brands, Philips offers a paid subscription plan for those looking to store recorded videos in the cloud, with the Hue Secure Basic plan giving a single camera 30 days of storage for $3.99 a month or $39.99 a year. The Hue Secure Plus plan will handle all your Hue cameras for $9.99 a month or $99.99/year, while upping the video storage to 60 days. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 25 Mar (PC World)Microsoft has been ramping up its efforts to signal the end of Windows 10 support and get users switching over to Windows 11 sooner than later. Yet, while the official deadline isn’t until October 14, it seems users are already dealing with some nuisances leading up to that day.
A few days ago, the company announced via the Microsoft 365 Message Center that support for OneNote for Windows 10 will also be discontinued on the same day alongside Windows 10:
“As we continue to enhance OneNote with a unified and modern experience, we want to remind you that OneNote for Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. To avoid disruptions, we strongly urge your organization to fully transition to OneNote on Windows (OneNote M365) and uninstall the legacy application as soon as possible. Migrating ensures continued access to the latest features, security updates, and a modernized experience.”
What does this mean for you? As explained on this support page, it means no immediate change, but OneNote for Windows 10 will stop receiving updates in the future. Furthermore, OneNote for Windows 10 is no longer searchable or installable in the Microsoft Store. (It’s been replaced by OneNote for Windows, which will be Microsoft’s primary OneNote focus going forward.)
Starting June 2025, you’ll start to experience “slower sync performance, impacting real-time collaboration and multi-device access.” And starting July 2025, you’ll start to see “see in-app banners prompting [you] to switch to OneNote (M365), which could impact [your] workflows.” Eventually, you’ll stop getting updates and bug fixes altogether, leading to potential performance issues and reduced functionality.
It’s important to note that only OneNote for Windows 10 is affected by end of support. The desktop version for Windows 11, which you get with Microsoft 365, will continue as usual going forward. You can keep using either app for now, but the Windows 10 version will grow increasingly problematic with time, especially without security updates.
Microsoft therefore recommends switching to the latest version of OneNote in Microsoft 365 as soon as you can. Or opt for the free web version, which doesn’t require a download. Or switch to alternatives such as SharePoint, Evernote, Google Keep, or Google Docs. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 24 Mar (PC World)The firewall is one of the most important security features in a computer environment.
In the classic sense, a firewall is set up on an appliance, such as a computer that fulfills just a single, narrowly defined task — those found in companies, public authorities, and scientific institutions, for instance. A firewall of this type monitors the connection between two networks, such as the internal LAN and the internet, to prevent against unauthorized access.
There are also personal firewalls such as the one that’s preconfigured in Windows, or available as freeware or as a paid software solution.
In contrast to a classic firewall, a personal firewall does not protect an entire network, but only the individual computer on which it is installed. It’s the barrier that prevents any harmful elements from accessing the files that you have stored locally.
The Windows firewall
Microsoft calls the integrated Windows firewall the Windows Defender Firewall. This is the most important thing to know about the Defender Firewall:
As the configuration of a firewall is a complex matter and requires a lot of prior knowledge from the user, Microsoft has defined three standard configurations for the Defender firewall.
Which of these is activated depends on the selected network profile.
If you select the public profile in the Windows Settings under “Network and Internet,” Windows seals off the computer from the outside world. In this case, the computer cannot be found on the network and it is not possible to share files and printers with other users.
If you are not connected to a domain, you can choose between two network profiles in Windows, “Public” and “Private.” If you select “Public,” Windows largely closes the doors.Chris Hoffman / IDG
However, if you set the private profile, you can share folders, files, and printers with others and use apps for internal communication.
Windows also provides a domain profile for professional networks.
Windows Firewall in practice
The Windows firewall is active immediately after the operating system is installed and analyzes all incoming data packets to determine whether they have been requested by an application.
This is called Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI), so the Windows firewall is a Stateful Packet Inspection firewall.
However, programs such as Facebook Messenger or remote maintenance tools such as Teamviewer would not work if they were unable to receive unsolicited messages or calls. When they are installed behind a firewall, they therefore open one or more ports via which they receive incoming messages.
They also customize other firewall settings. Readjustment by the user is not necessary.
Teamviewer and other applications that react to signals from outside set the Windows firewall accordingly during installation.
Foundry
Verdict on the Defender firewall
The Windows firewall protects the computer from malware that has infiltrated another PC and now wants to spread via the network. It is therefore strongly recommended not to deactivate it.
However, at least in the default setting, it cannot prevent malware that has managed to infect one computer from trying to spread it to other PCs. Specialized firewall applications can do this better.
Firewalls from third-party manufacturers
The Comodo firewall can block applications, hide the PC in the network, and list which programs are currently connected to the internet. However, it only comes in a complete package with an antivirus program.Comodo
If you travel a lot and use your notebook to connect to other people’s LAN and WLAN networks, you naturally have no control over the router settings.
In this case, we recommend using a third-party firewall. The Comodo Firewall, which is sold as part of the Comodo Internet Security package, is widely used. Unfortunately, the package can only be installed as a whole, and the setup also includes the Comodo antivirus program.
Once the installation is complete, click on the shield icon labelled “Protection” on the left-hand side and click on “Firewall” in the next window.
You can then prohibit or allow applications to connect to the internet, you can block incoming connections via port blocks or have them reported, you can manage your network connections and the active connections to the internet.
If you are travelling and in a foreign WLAN, for example, it is advisable to hide the ports and only allow the applications that you actually need.
In some cases, you may need to allow several program files to access the internet. You can often find information on this from the manufacturer or in the help forums on the internet.
Mobile PCs require a more comprehensive protection function than stationary computers. A more configurable and feature-rich firewall from a third-party manufacturer is recommended for them.
Sandbox for isolation
Sandboxes are a component of many personal firewalls. Under “Protection,” you can access Comodo’s sandbox function, which is called “Containment” here. A sandbox is used to run individual, selected applications in a closed memory area where it cannot cause any damage to the rest of the PC.
In a sandbox, for example, suspicious downloaded EXE files and other programs can be executed without the user having to worry about catching a virus.
You must first activate the Windows sandbox via “Programs and Features” in the Control Panel.Foundry
Windows Pro also has a sandbox, but you have to activate it first. (It’s not available for Windows Home.) To do this, open the Control Panel and go to “Programs and Features” in the icon view. In the following window, click on “Enable or disable Windows features,” scroll down, and tick the box next to “Windows sandbox.”
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Windows 11 Pro
After confirming with “OK,” Windows installs some files and then reboots. After logging in, you will see a window with a second Windows desktop. To test programs there, you can copy them to the sandbox using the clipboard.
You can close the sandbox window like any other window. To open it again, enter Windows Sandbox in the search field of the taskbar and press Enter.
Further reading: Be safe! How I set up a ‘Paranoid PC’ with Windows Sandbox to surf the risky web
Professional firewall for home use
Professional firewalls usually run on appliances, i.e. their own hardware, and therefore cost several thousand dollars.
However, there is a cheaper option: The free open-source firewall Ipfire is also available for the Raspberry Pi from version 4b with 1GB RAM and more.
The software can shield entire networks from the outside world, is easy to use, and even offers an optional intrusion detection system (IDS) that monitors for changes that are typically caused by malware. With IDS, however, the memory expansion should be 4GB or more. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | ITBrief - 24 Mar (ITBrief) Confluent unveils new features in Confluent Cloud aimed at simplifying the development of real-time AI apps, enhancing workflows and boosting cost efficiencies. Read...Newslink ©2025 to ITBrief |  |
|  | | PC World - 23 Mar (PC World)TL;DR: Get lifetime access to an AI-powered Adobe Reader alternative for $47.97 — edit, convert, and annotate across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android without a subscription.
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Unlike Adobe Reader’s free download options that lack unique features, UPDF lets you modify PDFs on the fly. Whether adding text, inserting images, or adjusting formatting, UPDF works seamlessly across your devices.
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StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 22 Mar (PC World)TL;DR: Windows 11 Pro is $14.97 — AI-powered features, DirectX 12 for gaming, and top-tier securityWant to squeeze every last drop of power from your PC? Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is a quick and easy upgrade offering exceptional gaming performance, AI-powered productivity tools, or enterprise-grade security.
Windows 11 Pro introduces DirectX 12 Ultimate, delivering higher frame rates, improved ray tracing, and lower latency for a smoother gaming experience. If you want faster load times and better graphics, this is your chance to optimize your rig. Plus, with AutoHDR and DirectStorage, Windows 11 Pro ensures snappier gameplay and richer visuals.
On the AI side, Windows Copilot, powered by OpenAI, acts as your built-in assistant, helping with everything from system settings to generating text and images on demand. Need help writing an email? Want to summarize a web page? Copilot has you covered.
This upgrade also includes enterprise-level security features like BitLocker encryption, secure boot, and enhanced malware protection to keep your data safe.
More Pro Features
Snap Layouts & Virtual Desktops for better multitasking
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Remote Desktop Access to control your PC from anywhere
Hyper-V & Windows Sandbox for virtual machine testing
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StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 22 Mar (PC World)Windows 10 remains one of the most robust versions of the operating system, which is why so many users see no reason to switch to Windows 11. However, this month’s KB5053606 update is proving problematic and causing concern for Windows 10 users, reports Windows Latest.
For starters, some users aren’t able to install the update in the first place, with the installation process failing with error codes like 0x80070020. For others, the installation takes an unusually long time, which is out of the ordinary for a small update that doesn’t bring any new features. Still other users are finding that the update installs even though automatic updates are disabled for their system. (It’s worth noting, however, that KB5053606 is an important security update. As such, Windows 10 is supposed to install it automatically.)
Get Windows 11 Pro for cheap
Windows 11 Pro
For the rest who are able to install KB5053606, that’s when the real problems start. Some have complained about icons disappearing from the taskbar, while others have mentioned that individual customizations to the desktop are being reset to factory settings. Windows 10 is also apparently slowing to a crawl and sometimes getting a delay with keyboard input, resulting in a sluggish experience.
Windows 10 PCs that are still being used in the corporate sector are also experiencing printer problems. Windows Latest quotes one user as saying: “Our clients got KB5053606 yesterday and most could work just fine today, until they did a restart. After a restart, something in the user profile seems to be broken. Print spooler has many issues, like slow loading, programs crashing, and no passthrough into Citrix.”
On the update’s support page, Microsoft has acknowledged the issues with Citrix and USB printers, but none of the other problems. There are no known solutions yet, so if you’re affected, you’ll have to wait for a fix. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 22 Mar (PC World)At HP Amplify 2025, the company’s big annual conference for showcasing its latest products and services, HP unveiled nearly the entire set of its new PCs for the year. I lost count at some point, but HP claims over 60 new models of laptops and PCs.
While technically true, it’s a bit fudged—the company counts some variants of the same computer as separate. For example, if the same laptop comes in Intel, AMD, and Snapdragon options, then each one is a distinct “model” even if everything else is the same. That also goes for screen sizes, 2-in-1 variants, and so on.
The calm before the storm, just before HP Amplify 2025 kicked off.Mattias Inghe / Foundry
Even so, there were a lot of computers. I was there in person, wandering around the showroom with everything on display, along with plenty of other innovations (especially for business customers), such as management systems, security and printing solutions, etc. But I was there for the computers, from neat little desktop PCs to mighty workstations to laptops of all kinds. There were so, so many laptops.
OmniBook takes over the laptops
It was hard to tell them apart, but HP aims to make them easier to distinguish than before. The older, confusing sub-brands—Pavilion, Envy, and Spectre—have been scrapped and replaced by OmniBook. HP ushered in that line with a few OmniBook laptops last year, but now everything will be OmniBook going forward.
These OmniBooks are then divided by suffixes. For example, the OmniBook 3 is cheap and simple, the OmniBook 5 more “normal” and mid-range, the OmniBook 7 more luxurious and lighter, and the OmniBook X supposedly at the top… except for the OmniBook Ultra, which is really the high-performance tier.
Lots of new business laptops being shown off at HP Amplify 2025.Mattias Inghe / Foundry
Are HP’s laptops now easier to parse? Maybe. Maybe not. I’ll have to come back in a year or two when all the older models have disappeared and OmniBook reigns alone.
But to make matters a bit more confusing, there’s also the new OmniDesk line of desktop PCs and OmniStudio line of all-in-one machines. HP’s gaming PCs retain the names Omen and Victus (with only a single model launched in the latter). Business laptops are still called ProBook and EliteBook, but specialized model names are apparently being phased out here as well. (I didn’t see any new “Dragonfly” ultra-light business laptops, for example, but some EliteBooks were really slim.)
I saw all kinds of consumer PCs, like these stylish desktop OmniDesk models.Mattias Inghe / Foundry
Finally, there’s the Z series of powerful workstations for professionals, which get to keep their names. Plenty of new ZBook laptops and Z desktop PCs were also on show.
AI is creeping into everything
It’s no secret that HP is making a major investment in AI. Expect all new releases, starting with the OmniBook 5 and up, to be equipped with an NPU that can run local AI features. What about the budget-focused OmniBook 3? It’s unclear whether that one will also come with AI capabilities. I didn’t see any, but maybe with time.
And even more computers! It just never ended.Mattias Inghe / Foundry
I couldn’t quite figure out if there was Copilot+ certification across the board, but HP has added several of its own AI features to its machines, right down to the cheapest models.
For example, there are Poly Studio (which adds webcam effects and controls, plus noise reduction for microphones) and AI Companion (HP’s own AI app that indexes local documents and lets you do semantic searches via a chat interface). All of this happens locally on your computer’s NPU to keep your data private and secure.
My 5 favorites from all the ones I saw
Mattias Inghe / Foundry
HP Omen 16 Slim. The new gaming laptop that’s barely 0.89 inches thick and only weighs 5.29 pounds but has a fast 16-inch display, massive cooling elements, and heavy performance under the hood with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics. Learn more about it in PCWorld’s hands-on experience of it.
Mattias Inghe / Foundry
HP OmniBook 7 Aero. A very stylish 13-inch laptop that weighs about 2 pounds and packs plenty of performance thanks to its AMD Ryzen AI 300 processor. It has decent graphics performance, 50 TOPS for AI, and low-power operation. I’m really looking forward to trying this one.
Mattias Inghe / Foundry
HP OmniBook 5. This one comes in sizes from 14 to 16 inches and feels very stable, comfortable, and well-built for something that starts around $800. That’s a great price for a quality laptop with AI performance, and it could be many people’s first AI PC.
Mattias Inghe / Foundry
HP Z2 G1a. When I tested Asus’ monster ROG Flow Z13 tablet, I wondered what a compact desktop PC with the same processor (Ryzen AI Max Pro 395) could do with more cooling and higher power. The answer is here. HP has put it in a compact mini PC format and is selling it as an HP Z workstation. It really does go fast—and it costs. The AMD rep I spoke to said it would be released globally, but couldn’t say for sure if it was for all markets. I hope so because I want to test it.
Mattias Inghe / Foundry
HP EliteStudio 8. This all-in-one computer seriously lives up to its “all in one” epithet. With a large, built-in Poly webcam that pops up, speakers built for clear voices, and AI-powered microphone management, along with Poly Studio software, this machine is perfect as a video conferencing workstation. With its last-gen Intel Core Ultra processor, AI performance isn’t quite up to scratch, but it’s good enough for most tasks. KVM functionality means you can also use it to dock your laptop. It certainly seems complete and very all-in-one.
There could of course be more highlights in the deluge of computer news. If I were to ask HP, they’d say every single one was a highlight, so I was none the wiser. But these made my tester fingers itch and I hope all of them can be found and reviewed during the year. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
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