Microsoft has announced that Microsoft 365 subscribers with certain Copilot Plus computers will now have access to a new feature: automatic captions, or alt texts, in Word and PowerPoint. Microsoft When you add an image to a Word or PowerPoint document, the Copilot Plus computer should automatically generate a caption for it. You can choose to approve the caption directly, or edit it first. You should also be able to generate captions for images that are already in your documents. Microsoft The automatic captions should now be available to paying subscribers of Microsoft 365 version 2512 (Build 19530.20006). However, the feature requires the neural processing unit in your Copilot+ computer to be at least 40 TOPS. Further reading: I’m in love with an ultra-specific Windows Copilot+ feature Read...

Research firm IDC predicts that the average price of computers could rise by up to 8% in 2026 due to a global shortage of memory chips (RAM and NAND). The background is the sharp increase in demand for HBM memory for AI data centers, which is prioritized over the production of consumer memory, which is less profitable for manufacturers. Meanwhile, IDC predicts that the PC market could also shrink by between 2.4 and 8.9 percent in 2026 as a result of the shortage. “If the smartphone market is facing pressure, the PC market is bracing for disruption. The timing of the memory shortage creates a perfect storm for the PC industry, colliding with the Microsoft Windows 10 end-of-life refresh cycle and the AI PC marketing push. PC vendors are signalling broad price increases as cost pressures intensify into H2 2026. Lenovo, Dell, HP, Acer and ASUS have warned clients of tougher conditions ahead, confirming 15-20% hikes and contract resets as an industry-wide response. …White box as well as lower tier (often local) vendors, on the other hand, will bear the greatest burden of the shortage, and that would include DIY systems, oftentimes built by gamers. That in turn represents an opportunity for large OEMs to gain share from smaller assemblers in the gaming space by positioning pre-built systems as offering higher value.” In an interview on PCWorld’s Full Nerd Network channel on YouTube, Cameron Crandall of Kingston — known for its flash memory products — said that anyone looking to upgrade their system should aim to do so as soon as possible instead of waiting for lower prices. “I think the best thing to do if you’re looking at upgrading your system is to do it now and not wait because prices are going to continue to go up,” he said. “My advice today would be to not hold off on that purchase because it will be more expensive 30 days from now, and more likely it will be more expensive 30 days after that.” Read...

Did you know there’s an “efficiency” feature in both Windows 10 and Windows 11 that actually isn’t very efficient at all? At least not when it comes to sysetm memory usage. The feature is called Delivery Optimization and its main purpose is to “optimize” the downloads of updates and apps from Microsoft: You can use Delivery Optimization to reduce bandwidth consumption by sharing the work of downloading [Windows update, upgrade, and application] packages among multiple devices in your deployment. Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn’t managed to fully optimize the Delivery Optimization feature—it might be useful for what it does, but it takes up more of your computer’s system resources over time. Apparently, one user (spotted by Neowin) mentioned that Delivery Optimization “will eat up all your memory and just sit there for fun.” Then, a Reddit user named Niff_Naff ran some tests and found that “the service can eat up loads of your system memory” over time: Niff_Naff / Reddit Fortunately, it’s possible to turn off Delivery Optimization, which is done via Windows Settings. Simply navigate to Windows Update > Delivery Optimization. There, untick “Allow downloads from other computers.” Hopefully, you should now have a bit more system memory left for more important processes! Further reading: 12 easy Windows 11 tweaks for a faster PC Read...

LG is getting serious about mini LEDs with its Micro RGB Evo, which the company says will establish a new state of the art for LED-backlit LCD TV color and processing. The Micro RGB Evo uses mini LEDs for backlighting, which as you might guess, are smaller than older LEDs–so small these days that the industry has taken to referring to them as “micro” LEDs. Where mini-LEDs are generally considered to be 100 to 200 microns in size, micro-LEDs are less than 100 microns (that’s smaller than a grain of salt). RGB, of course, simply means there are three of them–red, green, and blue–acting as subpixels to form every pixel. LG is renowned for using a fourth white subpixel to increase brightness in its OLED TVs, but there’s none of that here. LG touts “OLED precision” which simply means they are using the same processor in the Micro RGB Evo featured in their OLED TVs. The CPU (Smart TVs are computers with a display, inputs, and a tuner) is monikered the Dual AI Engine-based a (Alpha) 11 AI. Geez, how many times can you put AI in one name? Hear me now and believe me later: Most things mentioning AI don’t really have it. Certainly not a CPU. It simply has cores that are optimized for the operations that mimic AI. Regardless, all that computing power allows for features such as Dual Super Upscaling (really good upscaling, in plain English), RGB Primary Color Ultra (vivid and accurate color that meets 100 percent of the color gamut in the BT.2020, DCI-P3, and Adobe RGB color space standards, ditto), and Micro Dimming Ultra (there are more than 1,000 dimming zones, same). The Micro RGB Evo runs WebOS and will be available in 75-, 86-, and 100-inch screen sizes. Yup, no runts in this litter. Fill that wall! We haven’t laid eyes on the Micro RGB Evo TV, but there’s no reason to believe that LG’s new mini-LED-backlit LCD TV shouldn’t be as fantastic (or more so) as any of the company’s other flagship LCD models. I spend a lot of time giving the company grief for its gobbledygook marketing lingo, but it does make really good stuff. Read...

I don’t know about you, but I love the holidays. The decorations, the hot cocoa, the snuggling under a fuzzy blanket with my Kindle. Yes, the holidays are great—save for the absolute madness of shopping malls. So, what do I do? I go shopping online. (Surprise!) And this year, I’m adding my own nerdy self to the holiday shopping list. I love all sorts of gadgets and gaming, and my friends and family do too. So, I went digging online for the perfect nerdy presents. Bottom line: I’d buy all these for myself in a blink. I’m PCWorld’s daily deals writer, so I did my best to focus on value, and zeroed in on top-rated products before sharing them with you. Play cards with the Lich King – Bicycle World of Warcraft playing cards Bicycle These are absolutely drop… dead… gorgeous! I’m annoyed I didn’t find this 3-deck collection of WoW playing cards a couple of weeks ago when I bought the Burning Crusade deck, because I bet the others are just as gorgeous. The cards are beautifully drawn, well made, and you’ll just love how all the characters are made. The set includes three decks for Warcraft Classic, Burning Crusade, and Lich King, as well as an acrylic display case if you want to keep them together. View at Amazon Press play — SK2 Magnetic Levitation Bluetooth Speaker YFLSTR They don’t specifically say what inspired the design of this super cool levitating Bluetooth speaker, but we can all see it, right? It’s like you can already hear the Imperial March blasting through, right? Anyway, this is a levitating speaker and if that’s all I said about this product, it should be enough, because how cool is that? The speaker features a battery that’s good for more than 10 hours or music playback. When that runs out, you just take it down and use the Type-C port to recharge it. Magic! View at Amazon Coolest charger ever – GravaStar 65W GravaStar I’m sorry, I recommend Anker and Baseus and Ugreen aaaaal day long — and they’re absolutely awesome and powerful and well made. But none look as cool as this GravaStar Alpha65 model. This is simply simply something else. Featuring two USB-C ports and one USB-A, you can recharge all your gear, from smartphones to tablets to laptops. Under the hood, this particular model uses GaN technology, which means it’s more energy efficient and doesn’t heat up as much. Oh, and the prongs fold! View at Amazon Gather ’round and strategize — Asmodee Sid Meier’s Civilization: A New Dawn board game Asmodee Civilization has to be one of the most iconic games ever and has been around for more than three decades. There are multiple games in the series, so it’s no surprise that a board game also joined the line. The game is recommended for ages 14 and above and you need between 2 and 4 players to get a round in. You’ll spend a couple of hours having fun directing the course of your very own civilization, deciding how much they develop scientifically and culturally, and just how far you’ll take military production. View at Amazon Bring the tavern at home — The Düngeonmeister Cookbook Jef Aldrich/Jon Taylor How many times have you read a book, played a game, or watched a movie and wished you could try some of that tavern food mentioned? Well, the Düngeonmeister Cookbook aims to help with that, delivering 75 recipes you can share with friends. This D&D cookbook will guide you through making Dwarven Battle Pasta, Icy Burst Bananas, or Spicy Devil’s cupcakes. Those Mimic Munchies look absolutely amazing and I’m pretty sure I’ll be making them soon. Just cross these off as you host LAN parties and DnD sessions; everyone will love them. View at Amazon Take Pac-Man everywhere — My Arcade Pac-Man Pocket Player Pro My Arcade How cool is it that you can take Pac-Man with you anywhere you go? This legendary video game has been around for decades, and it’s been a part of many of our lives since we were kids, running around eating all the dots while avoiding those annoying ghosts. This thing needs four AA batteries or can be powered via USB-C. And while I picked Pac-Man because it’s one of my personal favorites, the same shop also sells editions for Street Fighter, Space Invaders, Ms PacMan, MegaMan, and Galaga. There’s also an Atari version with 100 separate games. The best part is these handhelds are quite affordable, with the most expensive one going for $40 right now. If you want the Pac-Man version, however, it’ll cost you only $30. View at Amazon Be on time — Nixie Tube Clock ClockTeck Do I even have to explain why I’d buy this in a blink for myself my friends? Look at it! How cool does this thing look?! The retro-future-looking tubes can tell the time in regular monochrome, or you can go RGB and bring color to your life. There are so many modes to choose from, it’ll be hard to pick one. This LED clock is a replica of a Nixie vacuum tube clock, making it much more affordable than the $300 versions you need to order from Eastern Europe. It can be linked to your local Wi-Fi, so it will always tell the time perfectly. You can also set up alarms and switch between a 12 and 24-hour format. If you guys want to get me one… just saying. This model from ClocTeck is $70 at the time of writing with no active discounts. View at Amazon Add magic to your bookshelf — Criolpo book nook kit Criolpo If you’re a book dragon who can’t help but always add new books to the cart, then you’re going to absolutely love this Criolpo Book Nook. I’m going to have to be completely honest here and say that I’ve already fallen for the cuteness of the book nook trend and bought one. The kit is not yet complete, but I’m working on it. I cannot wait to have it on the shelf between two heavy books and to light it up. It’s basically a 3D wooden puzzle. You assemble it yourself (and that’s more than half the fun!) to bring a miniature world into your home. What’s not to love? This one in the image above is $34 at the time of writing, but it’s on sale. If you want a more cyberpunk model, you can certainly find one of those too. View at Amazon We have arcade games at home — Foosball table Best Choice Products Now, don’t tell my husband, but I actually got him a foosball table for Xmas. Shh! This thing looks great, and it will be so much fun to play over the holidays. It’s perfectly sized for gamers of all ages, and even features two cup holders for, ehm, beer hot chocolate? You can play this one 1v1 or 2v2, so you can have tons of fun with friends. It also comes in multiple colors, so you can pick whichever matches your furniture better. It’s only $120 to get right now since it’s 25% off. Now, I have to figure out how to ensure my husband doesn’t read this article… View at Amazon Dungeons and Dragons (and dice) Zhoorqi/Medikaison Can we even talk about nerdy gifts without listing a few cool dice sets? We really don’t think you can. There are so many options out there that we’re having a hard time picking. My kid really loved these LED light-up rechargeable dice (I mean, fair, they’re gorgeous), while I’d go for something more practical like the metal dice on the right, especially since you can actually roll the dice in the box. Whatever floats your boat! There’s an endless list of possibilities when it comes to DnD dice sets. View at Amazon May the Funko Pop be with you — Darth Vader Funko Pop Suggesting Funko Pop figures for a present seems like a “duh” situation, but here we are — how about a Funko Pop with Darth Vader? If they’re into Star Wars, this one’ll definitely be a hit. But then again, Funko Pop has about a gazillion models for just about any fandom, from Stranger Things to Wicked, from Scream to Pokemon, sports teams, anime, Disney, music artists, Marvel, Harry Potter, and soooo much more. They’re pretty affordable, too. This Darth Vader one is only $10 right now. View at Amazon Play with energy — National Geographic Circuit Maker Kit National Geographic So, is this Epic Circuits Science Kit theoretically meant for kids? Sure. Does that mean you can’t have fun with it as an adult? Absolutely not! National Geographic has some insanely fun STEM kits, including this one where you can set up over 120 projects, figuring out how circuits work and more. You can even create songs or make cool light shows, and that’s fantastic at any age. Embrace the kid inside and snag one of these Nat Geo kits for $44. View at Amazon LEGO! — Boost Creative Toolbox 17101 LEGO Who doesn’t want LEGO as a gift? I mean, I don’t know anyone who’d pout over receiving a set like this? Especially this set. I actually bought this a while back, and it’s absolutely amazing. Insanely fun to play with, since you can build one of five models and then hook it up to a tablet and have fun. You can get the little robot to move in certain patterns, and then rebuild it into Frankie the Cat, or into a funky guitar to play music. The LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox is definitely pricey, but it’s a set you can have fun with for years to come. You can even pretend you got it for your kids… as I did. View at Amazon Rest your wrist — Strebito mini electric screwdriver set Strebito If you’re always tinkering with computers and other tech at home (or you know someone who is), then getting one of these 70-in-1 electric screwdriver kits makes perfect sense. The electric mechanism is powerful and will handle all those pesky screws in a blink. There are 64 magnetic bits in the set, so you can be sure those tiny screws won’t get dropped in the void, forever lost somewhere in the computer case. There are three torque levels to choose from, but you can also use it in manual mode if need be. The best part is that you can charge it via the USB-C port. Oh, and it’s only $50. View at Amazon DIY a tiny computer — RasTech Raspberry Pi 5 RasTech There’s an endless list of things you can do with a Raspberry Pi. This RasTech kit is absolutely tiny and it can be such a cool DIY project. The kit features a Pi5 8GB board, a 65GB card, two card readers, a cooler, a case, a power supply, and several cables. There’s even a tiny screwdriver in the pack, but you can always just get the Strebito electric one we mentioned just now. So, whether you want to turn your dumb TV into a smart one or you want to make an old-school gaming emulator, this kit is fantastic. Check out more awesome Raspberry Pi projects you can have fun with. View at Amazon Old school gaming, tiny mode — Retro mini Arcade Game Arcade Classics Hey, remember those big arcade games we used to play? Well, you have adult-money now, so you can get one. Joking. I mean, you can, but this $20 Retro Mini Arcade is probably the type of thing you could purchase without too much drama, right? This tiny handheld game console lets you use joysticks to play Pac-Man, Tetris, WWE, or Ms. Pac-Man. I mean, you could say they’re for kids, but we know who’s really going to play with them. View at Amazon Neat, organized, and pixelated — Numskull Minecraft gaming accessory locker & storage stand Numskull Listen, whatever your age, this Numskull Gaming Accessory Locker is absolutely cool. It’s shaped as a Creeper, and it’s (of course) Minecraft-green. There are four controller holders on the sides, and a “head” holder for headphones. There’s room for up to ten DVDs inside the locker, and the little drawer on the bottom can hold cables, remotes, and other accessories. You can set this thing up next to your console or on your desk and have everything within reach. There are other theme variations available too, like Harry Potter, Fortnite, or Sonic, to name a few. They’re all about $30. View at Amazon Bring your projects to life — Bambu Lab A1 mini 3D printer Bambu Lab Man, I have soooo many projects I could get done with a 3D printer. It’s something I’ve been waiting to get for a while, holding off mostly due to lack of space. But if I were to get one right now, it’s this one: the Bambu Lab A1. I have a friend who reviewed a ton of printers and he’s talked about this one several times. It’s not too big, it’s well-priced, and it’s also fairly quiet, AND it can print in color! View Deal Make it fly — DJI mini 4K drone DJI Haven’t you always wanted a drone to fly across an awesome landscape to record gorgeous video? Can’t just be me! This DJI Mini Drone captures 4K video, which is absolutely amazing considering just how your vids will turn out. Not only will the videos look gorgeous, but they’ll also be steady, given the 3-axis gimbal stabilization. The coolest part is that this drone is absolutely tiny. How tiny? Well, it weighs under 249 grams, and it fits in the palm of your hand. Just imagine what cool vacation vids you’ll capture. View at Amazon Germs be gone — PhoneSoap 3 phone sanitizer PhoneSoap Did you know how disgusting your phone is? You touch that thing all the time, you place it everywhere without worry, you take it with you anywhere you go — it’s so full of germs it might as well be a petri dish. Well, this portable phone sanitizer offers complete disinfection with the help of UV-C lights in just 10 minutes. You can take this with you anywhere you go since it features a battery, and you can recharge it with a USB-A or USB-C cable. Easy peasy! One of these is only $68 right now. Just think how useful it’s going to be to you, your family, and all your friends. Perfect stocking stuffer if you ask us! View at Amazon Read...

Welp, it finally happened.  I was deep in the throes of a complex edit when I heard a crackling noise. It was faint at first… then it got louder. It wasn’t long before an unpleasant burning smell filled my office.  The power strip underneath my desk was in the process of jumping ship and, in a panic, I shut down my PC and yanked out all the plugs. My power strip didn’t have surge protection, so I knew my electronics were in immediate danger. Fortunately, I was there when it happened and I was able to intervene before my electronics went kaput. But what if you’re not home? How do you spot the warning signs of a failing power strip before disaster strikes? Let’s get into it. The warning signs The most obvious signs are the ones I ran into myself (a weird sound plus an unpleasant smell). You should also get a close look at the power strip itself. If you can see damage on the strip, that’s usually bad news. Other signs include devices randomly losing power or an indicator light that refuses to turn on. Anker And whatever you do, don’t test a suspicious power strip on an electrical device you can’t afford to lose. You could risk destroying said electrical device. Further reading: 42 incredible tech accessories for a tricked-out home office Power strips vs. surge protectors — the real difference I feel it’s important to give a little more context here and explain the difference between surge protectors and power strips since they look identical. A basic strip is really just an extension cord with lots of outlets. It’s absolutely handy to have, but it doesn’t protect your stuff from an unexpected power surge. It’s fine for things like lamps and fans, but for computers and gaming consoles? Yeah, you’ll want a surge protector.  A $10 surge protector is such a minuscule expense in the grand scheme of things. I’d rather pay $10 for peace of mind than replace my entire computer setup, which costs a heck of a lot more. Surge protectors, on the other hand, resemble power strips—at least on the outside! Inside, they’ve got special parts that soak up extra voltage in the event of a surge. Basically, it safeguards your electronics by taking the hit for them. Surges typically happen during lightning storms or when something big kicks on in your home like an air conditioning unit. Okay, so what should you do right now? If the power strip feels hot or looks weird in any way, just pull the plug… literally. Unplug your devices first, then unplug the strip from the wall outlet it’s connected to.  Next thing is to get it away from anything flammable. I know this sounds dramatic, but it can spiral into a really dangerous situation, so it’s better to be overly cautious. Anker If you’re not sure whether the problem lies with your device or the strip itself, try plugging your device into a new power strip. If it turns out the power strip is the problem child, you’ll want to safely dispose of it. You can drop it off at a local recycling center as long as they accept electronics, or you can ring up your nearest Best Buy and see if they’ll take it off of your hands. Some retailers will accept small electronics for free.  When to reset a strip (and when to toss it) If you’ve got a power strip with surge protection, it should have a tiny breaker button that pops out when something goes awry (usually if there’s an overload of some kind). If the button pops out, unplug a couple of devices and reset it. If it pops out again, the strip is probably done for and you should probably replace it. If the strip is warmer than it should be or it’s producing a bad smell, skip the reset and just replace the thing. Choosing a replacement without overthinking it A power strip should have a lot of outlets, full stop. That said, the number of outlets isn’t everything. What really matters is whether it offers surge protection. The first thing you should do is check the joule rating. The higher the number, the more protection it offers.  Lesson learned I was really lucky to have been sitting at my desk when my power strip decided to jump ship. Most of the time, you may not notice the warnings.  A $10 surge protector is such a minuscule expense in the grand scheme of things. I’d rather pay $10 for peace of mind than replace my entire computer setup, which costs a heck of a lot more. Even advanced surge protectors with tons of outlets and ports can be found for around $20. It’s money well spent. Read...

This is not a drill! The makers of the popular text editor Notepad++ are warning that the Notepad++ updater, which goes by the name WinGUp, links to malware servers. This is a case of traffic hijacking. Hackers occasionally redirected WinGUp traffic to malicious servers, which then led to the download of infected executable files on users’ computers. The Notepad++ developers then actually found a vulnerability in the “way the updater checks the integrity and authenticity of the downloaded update file. If an attacker is able to intercept network traffic between the updater client and the Notepad++ update infrastructure, they can exploit this vulnerability to cause the updater to download and execute an unwanted binary (instead of the legitimate Notepad++ update binary).” Background information on the incident can be found in this blog by the security experts who discovered the exploit. In the meantime, however, the programmers have been able to close this security hole. Notepad++ users should now download the latest version of Notepad++, v8.8.9. You can find the free download here. Please note: You must download and install this update manually. the best av we`ve tested Norton 360 Deluxe Read our review You should also scan your computer for malware using an up-to-date virus scanner. Our roundup of the best antivirus tools can help if you need it. Notepad++ is a free text editor that supports a variety of character sets and automatically recognizes and visually structures programming languages, making it popular with developers. The tool also recognizes older languages such as Fortran and Cobol and highlights the syntax using color coding, to make structural elements and keywords stand out clearly. Read...

I’ve been building computers for the better part of two decades. And most of them look like little avant-garde refrigerators. I don’t do RGB, and I definitely don’t do screens on the inside. So my immediate reaction to the Corsair Frame 3000D LCD RS ARGB is…well, to take a deep breath after saying that name. But my second reaction is to cringe at the tablet-sized touchscreen on the side. Not to yuck anyone’s yum [editor’s note: he’s absolutely doing that, what a hater], but at least with a Xeneon Edge touchscreen on the front of the case you can make a claim for utility. If it’s on the side, even if the case is on your desk, how are you going to actually get anything done with that touchscreen without reaching waaaaay over and tapping stuff? You’d have to angle it towards yourself…which I guess makes sense if the point of your desk setup is to show off $800 worth of RGB RAM sticks. But my point here is…what are you possibly doing on the 2560×720 screen bolted to the side of your PC that you couldn’t accomplish more easily with that screen sitting on your desk in front of your keyboard, which is already an option? Hell, what are you doing on that little mini screen that wouldn’t be better served by using your mouse and keyboard to operate your PC, with the one or more displays you already have on your desk? Am I crazy, or am I just getting old? Please don’t @ me, fellow kids, that was rhetorical. Corsair Aside from the side panel with that screen mounting kit, the Frame 4000 LCD RS ARGB is otherwise pretty similar to Corsair’s existing Frame 4000D, with support for 360mm radiators on the front, top, and side, with a maximum of 13 120mm fan mounting points and compatibility with motherboards that have rear-facing connections, like Asus’ BTF series. The case and screen combo is a hefty $400 USD, currently shipping on Corsair’s US store. But if you already have a 4000D or 5000D case, you can upgrade it with a side panel that fits in the screen, according to KitGuru. I have to admit that’s really cool…though between the $40 panel and the $250 Xeneon Edge touchscreen, you’re most of the way there in terms of price. But the screen now comes in Atomic Purple with a matching desk stand (which you should absolutely use instead of strapping it to your PC), so I am obliged to gush over it. Read...

I don’t know about you, but I love the holidays. The decorations, the hot cocoa, the snuggling under a fuzzy blanket with my Kindle. Yes, the holidays are great—save for the absolute madness of shopping malls. So, what do I do? I go shopping online. (Surprise!) And this year, I’m adding my own nerdy self to the holiday shopping list. I love all sorts of gadgets and gaming, and my friends and family do too. So, I went digging online for the perfect nerdy presents. Bottom line: I’d buy all these for myself in a blink. I’m PCWorld’s daily deals writer, so I did my best to focus on value, and zeroed in on top-rated products before sharing them with you. Take Pac-Man everywhere — My Arcade Pac-Man Pocket Player Pro My Arcade How cool is it that you can take Pac-Man with you anywhere you go? This legendary video game has been around for decades, and it’s been a part of many of our lives since we were kids, running around eating all the dots while avoiding those annoying ghosts. This thing needs four AA batteries or can be powered via USB-C. And while I picked Pac-Man because it’s one of my personal favorites, the same shop also sells editions for Street Fighter, Space Invaders, Ms PacMan, MegaMan, and Galaga. There’s also an Atari version with 100 separate games. The best part is these handhelds are quite affordable, with the most expensive one going for $40 right now. If you want the Pac-Man version, however, it’ll cost you only $30. View at Amazon Be on time — Nixie Tube Clock ClockTeck Do I even have to explain why I’d buy this in a blink for myself my friends? Look at it! How cool does this thing look?! The retro-future-looking tubes can tell the time in regular monochrome, or you can go RGB and bring color to your life. There are so many modes to choose from, it’ll be hard to pick one. This LED clock is a replica of a Nixie vacuum tube clock, making it much more affordable than the $300 versions you need to order from Eastern Europe. It can be linked to your local Wi-Fi, so it will always tell the time perfectly. You can also set up alarms and switch between a 12 and 24-hour format. If you guys want to get me one… just saying. This model from ClocTeck is $70 at the time of writing with no active discounts. View at Amazon Add magic to your bookshelf — Criolpo book nook kit Criolpo If you’re a book dragon who can’t help but always add new books to the cart, then you’re going to absolutely love this Criolpo Book Nook. I’m going to have to be completely honest here and say that I’ve already fallen for the cuteness of the book nook trend and bought one. The kit is not yet complete, but I’m working on it. I cannot wait to have it on the shelf between two heavy books and to light it up. It’s basically a 3D wooden puzzle. You assemble it yourself (and that’s more than half the fun!) to bring a miniature world into your home. What’s not to love? This one in the image above is $34 at the time of writing, but it’s on sale. If you want a more cyberpunk model, you can certainly find one of those too. View at Amazon We have arcade games at home — Foosball table Best Choice Products Now, don’t tell my husband, but I actually got him a foosball table for Xmas. Shh! This thing looks great, and it will be so much fun to play over the holidays. It’s perfectly sized for gamers of all ages, and even features two cup holders for, ehm, beer hot chocolate? You can play this one 1v1 or 2v2, so you can have tons of fun with friends. It also comes in multiple colors, so you can pick whichever matches your furniture better. It’s only $120 to get right now since it’s 25% off. Now, I have to figure out how to ensure my husband doesn’t read this article… View at Amazon Dungeons and Dragons (and dice) Zhoorqi/Medikaison Can we even talk about nerdy gifts without listing a few cool dice sets? We really don’t think you can. There are so many options out there that we’re having a hard time picking. My kid really loved these LED light-up rechargeable dice (I mean, fair, they’re gorgeous), while I’d go for something more practical like the metal dice on the right, especially since you can actually roll the dice in the box. Whatever floats your boat! There’s an endless list of possibilities when it comes to DnD dice sets. View at Amazon May the Funko Pop be with you — Darth Vader Funko Pop Suggesting Funko Pop figures for a present seems like a “duh” situation, but here we are — how about a Funko Pop with Darth Vader? If they’re into Star Wars, this one’ll definitely be a hit. But then again, Funko Pop has about a gazillion models for just about any fandom, from Stranger Things to Wicked, from Scream to Pokemon, sports teams, anime, Disney, music artists, Marvel, Harry Potter, and soooo much more. They’re pretty affordable, too. This Darth Vader one is only $10 right now. View at Amazon Play with energy — National Geographic Circuit Maker Kit National Geographic So, is this Epic Circuits Science Kit theoretically meant for kids? Sure. Does that mean you can’t have fun with it as an adult? Absolutely not! National Geographic has some insanely fun STEM kits, including this one where you can set up over 120 projects, figuring out how circuits work and more. You can even create songs or make cool light shows, and that’s fantastic at any age. Embrace the kid inside and snag one of these Nat Geo kits for $44. View at Amazon LEGO! — Boost Creative Toolbox 17101 LEGO Who doesn’t want LEGO as a gift? I mean, I don’t know anyone who’d pout over receiving a set like this? Especially this set. I actually bought this a while back, and it’s absolutely amazing. Insanely fun to play with, since you can build one of five models and then hook it up to a tablet and have fun. You can get the little robot to move in certain patterns, and then rebuild it into Frankie the Cat, or into a funky guitar to play music. The LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox is definitely pricey, but it’s a set you can have fun with for years to come. You can even pretend you got it for your kids… as I did. View at Amazon Rest your wrist — Strebito mini electric screwdriver set Strebito If you’re always tinkering with computers and other tech at home (or you know someone who is), then getting one of these 70-in-1 electric screwdriver kits makes perfect sense. The electric mechanism is powerful and will handle all those pesky screws in a blink. There are 64 magnetic bits in the set, so you can be sure those tiny screws won’t get dropped in the void, forever lost somewhere in the computer case. There are three torque levels to choose from, but you can also use it in manual mode if need be. The best part is that you can charge it via the USB-C port. Oh, and it’s only $50. View at Amazon DIY a tiny computer — RasTech Raspberry Pi 5 RasTech There’s an endless list of things you can do with a Raspberry Pi. This RasTech kit is absolutely tiny and it can be such a cool DIY project. The kit features a Pi5 8GB board, a 65GB card, two card readers, a cooler, a case, a power supply, and several cables. There’s even a tiny screwdriver in the pack, but you can always just get the Strebito electric one we mentioned just now. So, whether you want to turn your dumb TV into a smart one or you want to make an old-school gaming emulator, this kit is fantastic. Check out more awesome Raspberry Pi projects you can have fun with. View at Amazon Old school gaming, tiny mode — Retro mini Arcade Game Arcade Classics Hey, remember those big arcade games we used to play? Well, you have adult-money now, so you can get one. Joking. I mean, you can, but this $20 Retro Mini Arcade is probably the type of thing you could purchase without too much drama, right? This tiny handheld game console lets you use joysticks to play Pac-Man, Tetris, WWE, or Ms. Pac-Man. I mean, you could say they’re for kids, but we know who’s really going to play with them. View at Amazon Neat, organized, and pixelated — Numskull Minecraft gaming accessory locker & storage stand Numskull Listen, whatever your age, this Numskull Gaming Accessory Locker is absolutely cool. It’s shaped as a Creeper, and it’s (of course) Minecraft-green. There are four controller holders on the sides, and a “head” holder for headphones. There’s room for up to ten DVDs inside the locker, and the little drawer on the bottom can hold cables, remotes, and other accessories. You can set this thing up next to your console or on your desk and have everything within reach. There are other theme variations available too, like Harry Potter, Fortnite, or Sonic, to name a few. They’re all about $30. View at Amazon Bring your projects to life — Bambu Lab A1 mini 3D printer Bambu Lab Man, I have soooo many projects I could get done with a 3D printer. It’s something I’ve been waiting to get for a while, holding off mostly due to lack of space. But if I were to get one right now, it’s this one: the Bambu Lab A1. I have a friend who reviewed a ton of printers and he’s talked about this one several times. It’s not too big, it’s well-priced, and it’s also fairly quiet, AND it can print in color! View Deal Make it fly — DJI mini 4K drone DJI Haven’t you always wanted a drone to fly across an awesome landscape to record gorgeous video? Can’t just be me! This DJI Mini Drone captures 4K video, which is absolutely amazing considering just how your vids will turn out. Not only will the videos look gorgeous, but they’ll also be steady, given the 3-axis gimbal stabilization. The coolest part is that this drone is absolutely tiny. How tiny? Well, it weighs under 249 grams, and it fits in the palm of your hand. Just imagine what cool vacation vids you’ll capture. View at Amazon Germs be gone — PhoneSoap 3 phone sanitizer PhoneSoap Did you know how disgusting your phone is? You touch that thing all the time, you place it everywhere without worry, you take it with you anywhere you go — it’s so full of germs it might as well be a petri dish. Well, this portable phone sanitizer offers complete disinfection with the help of UV-C lights in just 10 minutes. You can take this with you anywhere you go since it features a battery, and you can recharge it with a USB-A or USB-C cable. Easy peasy! One of these is only $68 right now. Just think how useful it’s going to be to you, your family, and all your friends. Perfect stocking stuffer if you ask us! View at Amazon Read...

No matter how much memory gets produced by the likes of Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, there just isn’t enough to go around anymore. With gigantic orders from all the major AI data center builders, there’s now a major shortage of memory chips worldwide—and it’s spiking the prices of DDR memory and NVMe storage by hundreds of percent. Lenovo is stockpiling RAM to keep prices reasonable, but companies like Raspberry Pi and Framework are being hit hard, and Samsung can’t even buy memory from itself. Micron is ending its Crucial consumer memory brand altogether. With memory prices shooting up, it’s not just memory that’s at risk. We’re already seeing a knock-on effect on products that use memory and storage, and it’s only going to get worse. Buckle up. The AI-driven memory apocalypse is nigh. If you want to get ahead of the curve and buy stuff before prices rocket up, here are some things that are going to get more expensive soon. Pre-built PCs Ella Don / Unsplash This one might be a bit obvious, but it’s worth pointing out. If memory costs more, then it’s going to cost more to build a PC—and if it’s costing more for you and me, then it’s definitely costing more for the big system builders, too. Are they going to eat the loss and continue giving us great deals? Ha, of course not. CyberPowerPC announced at the end of November that once Black Friday is over, they would have to raise prices on all its systems. This follows what it claims were 500% increases in memory prices and over 100% jumps in SSD storage costs. Maingear PC told Wccftech a few weeks ago that it was looking at impending price climbs and longer lead times for systems due to aggressive memory price hikes. They didn’t give a deadline, though. In fact, they suggested they had taken steps to insulate customers against price hikes, but alas, they were all but inevitable. It’s not just gaming PC builders that are being hit, either. Giants like Lenovo and Dell have announced impending price rises. TrendForce notes that Dell has warned of prices rising by up to 10 or 15 percent by mid-December, and Lenovo is thinking of doing the same in January 2026. That’s going to hit laptops just as much as desktop systems. HP CEO Enrique Lores has also warned that, if memory pricing trends don’t change course by the second half of 2026, they too will have to start raising prices. With memory making up between 15 and 18 percent of a full system’s total cost, any increases there can have a sizable effect on the final price tag of a PC, prebuilt or not. Graphics cards Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry When aren’t graphics cards expensive? But if you thought they were expensive now, then wait ’til they’re hit by the impending RAM shortage. Just when we’d gotten over the crypto spikes of years past and both RTX and RX graphics cards are finally well-stocked enough to be had at reasonable prices, it’s time to spike them up again. AMD has boosted its graphics card pricing for all current-generation models by $10 per 8GB of VRAM. The RX 9070 XT now has a new recommended retail price of $619 ($20 more than its launch price), the RX 9070 is now $569, the 9060 XT 16GB is now $369, and the 8GB version of that is now $309. (That said, how likely do you think partners are to stick to these “recommended” prices?) Fortunately, Nvidia hasn’t announced any price rises yet. That might be because it’s the only company making any real money from this spate of AI deal-making and infrastructure building, despite their own gargantuan investments. (Gaming is only a small fraction of their revenue stream now.) But they might have delayed—or even cancelled—the RTX Super launch because of these price rises, so even Nvidia isn’t unaffected. Raspberry Pi and other microcomputers Raspberry Pi Microcomputers are still computers, which means they need memory. That’s why the credit-card-sized Raspberry Pi system is also seeing price rises. The base Raspberry Pi 4 with 4GB of RAM is going to be $5 more expensive, but the top Raspberry Pi 5 model with 16GB of RAM will set you back an additional $25, over 20% more on its original retail price. As a way to work around some of these price rises for anyone who doesn’t need much memory for their projects, the Raspberry Pi Foundation launched a new Raspberry Pi 5 model with just 1GB of RAM that you can buy for $45 from CanaKit. Banana Pi, the maker of fellow miniature PC system, has also announced price rises. No specifics were given in the announcement, but they cited memory and eMMC storage price rises, prompting a need to make their own “price adjustment” across their entire product line-up. Although OrangePi didn’t announce any official price changes, fans did notice them. Some Redditors noted a doubling in price for the Orange Pi Zero 2W, going from $19 to $39. Smartphones, tablets, laptops TippaPatt / Shutterstock.com This is just the beginning with these RAM-shortage-inspired price hikes. With projections that memory will be in short supply for at least another year—but potentially as long as a decade, which isn’t helped by Micron exiting the consumer memory space—the prices of just about anything that needs RAM will go up in turn. TechPowerUp cites a TrendForce report that breaks down just how bonkers the memory price increases have been recently and suggests that it’s going to spread out to almost every other industry. Entry-level smartphones will likely be hit first, but the bigger margins on higher-end models only give manufacturers so much wiggle room to eat losses. We all know how (un)likely they are to actually do that. Similarly, expect the same kinds of increases to hit tablets, starting with entry-level models with slim margins and later higher-end models. Laptops are also likely to follow, although we’re already hearing the first hints of that from the likes of Lenovo, Dell, and HP. Don’t worry about CPUs One bright spot in all of this is that CPUs aren’t going up in price, despite what some sources have claimed. AMD has made no statements or suggestions to its distributors that prices for Ryzen CPUs would be rising, and we’ve even seen some of the lowest Intel prices in recent weeks. Black Friday and Cyber Monday played their part, of course, but Intel chips are genuinely great value now, especially if you want super-fancy memory. (Which you probably can’t get… given the state of things… D’oh.) Shrinking memory demand could help There are conspiracies going around about memory manufacturers colluding to reap the rewards of the ongoing RAM pricing spikes, but pay no mind to those. There will be a correction to this insane trend at some point, somewhere along the way. Although there’s no guarantee that the AI bubble will pop and open up some of the hoarded NAND chips for the rest of us, prices can only rise so much before people and companies simply stop buying. Once that happens, there’s potential for prices to return to a more reasonable, pre-increase level. No one can promise anything, as there’s no clear end in sight for upward RAM pricing… but in the long term, it has to shake out eventually. Right? Read...