PCWorld isn’t a site about cars or trucks, so I thank my editor and you for indulging me in this story. To be clear, I’m a Texan who’s been raging at gigantic 20-foot-long F-150 pavement princesses for a more than a decade now—and yet, my desktop PC-building heart is going thump-thump-thump for the Slate electric pickup truck. Slate is an American electric vehicle (EV) startup, and it’s far from the only one. We’ve seen almost every company that tried to follow in the footsteps of Tesla stumble and fall, dealing with the realities of a hugely competitive market that’s very difficult to break into. But Slate has the eye of the car-buying press because it’s shooting for a small, low-cost pickup truck, something that American buyers have been desperately missing for a long time. It probably doesn’t hurt that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is a high-profile investor—that’ll get you some headlines. The Slate pickup, with a name the same as the company, is aiming low. And I mean really low. The base model is expected to debut at $27,500 or so when it hits the streets in 2026, which would make it $20,000 if the US federal EV tax credit holds. (That seems pretty optimistic at this point.) But even without the credit, it would be cheaper than the Ford Maverick, the least expensive pickup truck on the US market right now. (Miss me with the “it’s not a truck” arguments. Again, the site is called PCWorld.) And it would be the cheapest electric pickup by far, with the F-150 Lightning starting at around $50,000. How does Slate plan to do this? Well, again, it’s a very small pickup truck. By length it’s shorter than the Maverick, only a little longer than the 2-door Jeep Wrangler. This is the kind of teeny pickup Americans haven’t seen since the 80s, and enthusiasts have even taken to importing teeny-tiny “Kei trucks” to get their fix when all they can buy at dealers are giant gas guzzlers. Slate is well aware of this hole in the market and leaning into it, combining it with electric guts for maximum appeal to small truck fans, tech nerds, and those who just want something affordable. But Slate is more than just a name. It’s a philosophy. See, the Slate is kind of like the truck version of an ATX desktop or a Framework laptop. When you buy the base model, it is indeed a base model. It has manual, wind-up, wind-down windows. It has no interior entertainment system and no speakers. It only has a tiny LCD screen for the speedometer and instrument cluster. It does have a phone holder, because it expects you to navigate and get your tunes from the phone in your pocket. This thing doesn’t even have paint—it only comes in slate gray (ha) and will wrap its big, flat external panels if you want something else. The Slate’s interior comes with a phone charger and not much else, not even power windows. You can add in all the electronics yourself, from Slate or your own gear.Slate There’s the rub. Slate is both rejecting the car trend of upselling you tons and tons of extras, and embracing customization options at the same time. You can configure the Slate in near-endless ways. You can add a rear roof and an extra row of seats to make it an SUV. You can order a lift kit to make it more capable off-road (though sadly there’s no AWD or 4×4 option at launch). You can add extra range with a bigger battery. You can add in all the extra little creature comforts in the exterior that’ll bring it up to modern standards, including speakers and power windows. And here’s the crucial thing that gets me excited: you can add all of these elements to the truck yourself. Slate will sell the parts directly to you and give you videos on how to install them. While this was generally an option for modern cars, it’s far from easy, and plenty of installations require some advanced knowledge or tools. Slate plans to make it easy for anyone with a basic home tool box and access to YouTube, and it’s calling the instructional videos “Slate University.” Slate While Slate will be happy to sell you all these customizations pre-installed, you can also buy them and install them yourself at any time, even swapping them out to reconfigure the truck for specific purposes. Suddenly got a new family member and need an extra row of seats? Just order the SUV kit and break out the ratchet set. And since it’s all designed to be as accessible as possible, even for non-greasemonkeys, I imagine that the aftermarket parts makers (especially those that are already selling gear for pickup trucks and Jeeps) are going to have a feeding frenzy. Again, the variability and invitation to tinker remind me of the wide-open possibilities when building a desktop PC. And this “customize it however you want” approach is pretty much exactly what Framework is doing with its excellent laptops, right down to the modular USB-C ports that can be swapped almost instantly. Granted, shifting a bog-standard Slate pickup to a full SUV would take a lot more time and effort. But it wouldn’t take a trip to the dealership, and that’s the appeal for me. Slate Slate is currently taking reservations for its initial deliveries, planned for late 2026. A refundable $50 deposit saves your spot, and in the meantime you can use Slate’s very fun customization tool to tweak your little dream electric truck to your heart’s desire. There’s a lot that can happen in the next year and change—just ask anyone who’s trying to run a US-based PC business right now. I wouldn’t bet more than fifty bucks on Slate making that timeline in the current chaos, or keeping to that low starting price. But for the first time in a long time, a new car has me genuinely excited. Just get me that AWD option before too long, please, because a rear-wheel drive pickup is not going to get up a gravel driveway in five inches of snow. Read...

Roku is going small with its latest streaming players, unveiling a new pair of streaming sticks that are up to 35 percent smaller than its competitors, the company says. Revealed Wednesday during a press event in New York City, the Roku Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus are designed for streamers on the move, with slimmed-down profiles that (hopefully) won’t block other HDMI ports. The players have also been optimized to run off a TV’s USB power port (a USB-C to USB-A cable is included). With each player measuring 3.7 x 0.8 x 0.45 inches and weighing in at just 0.9 ounces, the HD-only Streaming Stick ($29.95) and 4K-enabled Streaming Stick Plus ($39.99) replace the Roku Express and Roku Express 4K respectively. That leaves just five players in Roku’s streaming lineup, including the Streaming Stick 4K (which adds Dolby Vision HDR, as the newer Streaming Stick Plus supports only HDR10), the high-end Roku Ultra (which offers ethernet and a backlit remote), and the Streambar SE soundbar. Both the Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus will ship with Roku’s Voice Remote, allowing you to navigate the players’ streaming interfaces as well as control basic TV functions with your voice. That’s a step up from Roku’s now-legacy Express player, which included just a standard Roku remote. The new Roku Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus both ship with Roku’s Voice Remote.Ben Patterson/Foundry The new streaming players support dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity and Apple AirPlay casting, typical for Roku’s compact streaming sticks. Neither device offers native Dolby Atmos support, but they will pass through Dolby audio, including Atmos, to an Atmos-capable TV or A/V receiver. Both the Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus are available for pre-order now, and are slated to ship May 6. Roku made some other home-entertainment announcements during its New York press event, including the introduction of mini-LED backlighting for its step-down Roku Plus Series TVs. The Plus Series is also getting the scene-by-scene Smart Picture Max image enhancement mode that previously debuted with its high-end Roku Pro Series TVs, along with an integrated remote finder button and cable management channels. Expect the new sets to arrive in the “coming months.” We can also expect Roku to land on even bigger screens, with the company announcing the release of a design specification that third-party manufacturers can use to build Roku-branded portable video projectors. More details on Roku’s projector plans will be coming soon, Roku said. This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best media streamers. Meanwhile, the Roku OS is getting a “Coming Soon to Theaters” row featuring in-cinema releases that you can add to your “save” list, along with short-form content rows in the All Things Food and All Things Home hubs, plus “award-winning” badges for video titles. Also coming to the Roku OS is a personalized highlights row for sports fans as well as notifications for favorite teams. In the smart home arena, Roku unveiled a pair of new battery-powered security cameras. We’ll have a report on those shortly. Read...

TechHive Editors Choice At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Renders the remote control easier and more comfortable to grip Protects your remote control from drops Can accommodate a tracking tag to locate a lost remote control Cons Costs about half as much as a new remote (when not on sale) Adds bulk to the remote control Won’t prevent the remote’s buttons from wearing out with use Our Verdict This ingenious silicone sleeve will protect your streaming device’s remote control while making it easier to use and to locate when the remote gets lost in the house. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: GripStand (for Apple Siri Remote 2nd & 3rd Generation) Retailer Price $19.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket I came this close to laughing off the PR pitch for 73&Sunny’s GripStand remote control cases. Who needs a case for their streaming device’s remote control? It turns out that everyone needs one–and not just to shield the remote from damage when it inevitably falls onto the floor. Made from a rubbery silicone, the sleeve wraps your remote in a tight embrace, with cutouts for its buttons and ports: USB-C, Lightning, headphone jack, microphone, volume controls, and so on, depending on the model. The manufacturer makes them for the Amazon Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote Pro (2022 model), the Apple TV Siri remote (second and third generations), the Roku Express remote, and the Roku Voice Remote. I received four samples in a variety of colors, but this review is primarily based on my experience with the Apple TV Siri remote. GripStand cases are available in various colors for the Amazon Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote Pro (2022 model), Apple TV Siri remote (2nd and 3rd generations) (left), Roku Voice Remote, and the Roku Express remote. Michael Brown/Foundry The silicone material makes the remotes supremely easy to grip, but a lanyard and a strip of vertical ridges in the middle of the backside of the sleeve makes this even easier. The extra-thick back and sides of the sleeves cushion the remote and should protect it from a drop from just about any height onto just about any surface. Finally, the bottom of the sleeve flares out, allowing the remote to stand up vertically. But the design also provides a second function: It can harbor a Tile Tracker or an Apple AirTag. The bulged bottom and the grippy sleeve already make it difficult for the remote control to get lost in the couch cushions; but should that happen anyway—or if the remote wanders off through some other means—putting a Bluetooth tracker inside it will make it a snap to find. This last feature is less valuable for the Alexa and Roku Voice remotes, which already have their own remote finder features, but the Apple and Tile trackers might offer better range. The bulged bottom of the GripStand Remote Case lets you stand the remote up on its bottom, but you can also put a Bluetooth tracker in that cavity.Michael Brown/Foundry GripStands are available in both wild and tame colors, depending on the model. The Siri Remote version I reviewed has the most options: Lime Glow, Sky Glow, Ultra Black, Army Green, Slate Ocean, and Fiery Red. The Glow colors, as you’ve probably guessed, glow in the dark. The two versions of the Roku remote GripStand are available in the same colors as the Siri Remote model, except for Fiery Red. The Alexa Voice Remote Pro version of the GripStand has the fewest color options, just Coral (pink), Green, or Yellow. Should you buy a GripStand Remote Case? Prices, which are generally about half the cost of buying a new remote, are the one reservation I have about recommending the GripStand. And, for whatever reason, the Siri Remote version costs more than the rest of the collection: $24.99 compared to $19.99 for the Amazon and Roku versions. At the time of this writing, however, the Apple remote was on sale for $19.99, the Roku Express model was slashed to $9.99, and the Roku Voice Remote was discounted to $14.99. Those sale prices make the GripStand a better value, but it’s a great product even at full price. It will make your streaming remote easier to hold and use, and it should eliminate the annoyance of sitting down to watch some TV entertainment only to realize you can’t find the remote. Read...

The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is powerful, fast, and has a gorgeous 16-inch OLED touchscreen that’ll knock your socks off—and right now, it’s only $1,149 at B&H. That’s a massive $550 discount! There are so many great features to enjoy with this Lenovo laptop that make it a powerhouse device for work, leisure, and gaming. The IdeaPad Pro 5i features a 16-core Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and a massive 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM. Those are fantastic specs for anyone who needs a laptop for tasks that require a lot of power, including video editing, 3D rendering, and data analysis, to name a few. This IdeaPad Pro 5i also comes with an RTX 4050 graphics card, making it possible to game on decently high settings. This isn’t the newest or the best graphics card currently available, but it’s well-priced for the performance you get, especially in tandem with all the other stuff packed into this laptop. The large 16-inch OLED touch display is vivid and deep, perfect for both productivity and entertainment. Between the fast CPU, lots of memory, discrete GPU, and gorgeous OLED screen, you’re getting quite the deal at this price. And it’s all rounded out by a sizable 1TB M.2 SSD. That’s large enough to hold all your apps, games, and files, not to mention the speedy load times. Don’t delay! Laptops are about to get way more expensive due to Trump’s trade war, so snag the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for $1,149 at B&H and take advantage of this $550 discount while you can. Save $550 on Lenovo`s powerhouse OLED laptop todayBuy now from B&H Read...

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

The NHL postseason begins Saturday, April 19. Games will air on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT, TBS, and truTV, with TNT set to broadcast the Stanley Cup Final. Luckily, there are plenty of streaming options for puck heads to catch all the coverage. Here’s a look at the best streaming services for watching the Stanley Cup playoffs so you don’t miss a single goal, hit, or heart-stopping overtime. Over the air The Televes Bexia is a rigid antenna that can be mounted to a wall or  set on a window sill or piece of furniture.Martyn Williams/Foundry ABC is scheduled to broadcast both the Eastern and Western Conference Quarterfinals. You can watch them for free with an over-the-air TV antenna that’s capable of pulling in your local ABC broadcast affiliate. You’ll find our top antenna picks here. Sling TV Pros Lower base price than most other live TV services Easy-to-navigate app and grid guide Video quality settings help avoid data caps and buffering Cons DVR storage is frustrating to manage 60-frames-per-second channel support is limited Multiple base packages and add-ons can cause confusion Best Prices Today: $60.99 at Sling TV (Orange + Blue) Sling TV offers ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS and ABC, and you can get them together with the Sling Orange package for $46 a month. Currently, you can get 50 percent off your first month. Read our full Sling TV review DirecTV Stream Pros Familiar remote for cable converts Great grid guide and fuss-free cloud DVR Smooth video and surround sound support Cons Optional streaming box doesn’t support Amazon Prime or Hulu More latency and less reliability than cable Best Prices Today: $101.98 at DirecTV Stream DirectTV Stream also offers ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and TBS, and you can get them all in its Entertainment package for $84.99 a month. You might also be able to get ABC, but availability varies by package and location. You can enter your Zip code on the DirecTV Stream website to see if ABC is available in your area. Read our full DirecTV Stream review Hulu + Live TV Pros Excellent value for Disney bundle subscribers Expansive on-demand catalog Recommendations and staff picks make the app fun to explore Cons Live TV can be inefficient to navigate Hard to figure out which programs allow ad skipping Can’t watch on TV devices while traveling Best Prices Today: $82.99 at Hulu.com Hulu’s live TV streaming service is available as a single, flat-fee package that includes more than 95 live and on-demand channels—including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and TBS. You get them all, in addition to Hulu’s original content, its streaming library, and Disney+ for $82.99 a month. Read our full Hulu + Live TV review YouTube TV Pros Simple interface makes live TV easy to navigate Unlimited DVR allows for a huge on-demand library (with skippable ads) Broad selection of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels Cons Can’t delete recordings or mark them as watched on TV devices One-off recordings only work for live sporting events Menu doesn’t clearly separate DVR and on-demand video (with unskippable ads) Best Prices Today: $82.99 at YouTube TV YouTube TV also offers a flat-fee package of more than 100 channels that includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT and TBS. Subscriptions are $82.99 per month, but the service is currently offering the first two months for just $59.99 per month. Read our full YouTube TV review Read...

If there’s one thing laptops have too few of, it’s ports. Thankfully, that’s easily fixable with a USB-C hub like this Anker 5-in-1 model that’s only $25 on Amazon right now, or 29% off its MSRP. This Anker USB-C hub will turn one of your laptop’s USB-C ports into five connections: one HDMI, two 5Gbps USB-A, one 5Gbps USB-C, and one USB-C with 100W of power delivery. That’s a solid assortment of connections to transform your single laptop into a full-blown workstation with an external monitor, peripherals, and pass-through charging. The HDMI port on this hub supports up to 4K resolution at 30Hz, so while it isn’t exactly suitable for gamers or high-frame-rate video editing, it’s perfect for office work, everyday web browsing, and entertainment like streaming YouTube, Netflix, or Twitch. The hub itself is sleek and slim, making it pretty darn portable. You can toss it straight into a bag with your laptop, flash drives, and what not. You won’t have to worry about a thing. If you’re tired of your laptop’s limited ports, you need a hub pronto—and it’s hard to do better than this one for the price. Grab this 5-in-1 Anker USB-C hub for just $25! This 5-port USB-C hub with 4K HDMI is a solid get for $25Buy now at Amazon Read...

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A high-quality monitor is something every office setup needs. Think about how many hours you spend in front your computer, staring into a display that acts as the window into your work, leisure, and entertainment. A good monitor is worth it—and you don’t even have to pay much for one. Right now, you can score Alienware’s 27-inch 1440p gaming monitor for just $219 on Amazon, a whopping 41% off its usual $370 price. The Alienware AW2724DM is a sizably large monitor with a 27-inch diagonal and a crisp resolution of 2560×1440. That’s the “sweet spot” among PC gamers these days, and this one has a 165Hz refresh rate (or up to 180Hz overclocked) that’ll look great with those higher frame rates. Response time is 1ms. The IPS panel delivers truly accurate colors, but the monitor also comes with VESA Display HDR 600 certification for high-contrast visuals and cinema-grade color coverage, and plus ComfortView Plus for built-in blue light reduction that doesn’t affect color accuracy. It’s a perfect middle-of-the-road gaming monitor that’s affordable yet powerful enough for all but the most hardcore of gamers. Grab the Alienware AW2724DM for $200 while you can! Save 41% on this Alienware 1440p 180Hz gaming monitorBuy now at Amazon Read...

What’s the best computing solution for home offices these days? A mini PC! They’re way more space-efficient than traditional desktop PCs and way more affordable than equivalent laptops. Take, for instance, this Kamrui E3B mini PC that’s plenty decent for only $249 on Amazon with Prime. (Snag a free Prime trial to score this exclusive deal price.) The Kamrui E3B packs an AMD Ryzen 5 7430U processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB M.2 SSD—a configuration that’s powerful enough to handle daily activities, work tasks, and simple entertainment like streaming Netflix. It has enough memory to support Windows 11 without stuttering or choking, which is surprising for the price. In other words, it offers a solid price-performance ratio for a casual home PC. But you can always upgrade it later, with up to 64GB of RAM (across two SO-DIMM slots) and 2TB of storage. Those upgrades won’t cost you much, so there’s tons of potential packed into this budget device. And productivity isn’t an issue with the Kamrui E3B because you can hook up to three 4K@60Hz monitors between the full-sized HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 video ports. You also get an additional two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 and four USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports for external drives and peripherals, plus a 3.5mm audio jack, a Gigabit Ethernet connection, and both Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. Don’t miss out on this special Prime-only deal that slashes this already-affordable mini PC down to extra-cheap levels. Snag a free Prime trial and score this Kamrui E3B mini PC for just $249 while you can! Save 29% on this triple 4K mini PC for home productivityBuy now at Amazon Read...