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| PC World - 8 Feb (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
Pros
Very good performer
Affordable
Sexy name
Cons
Slowed drastically during 900GB write
Our Verdict
The WD Black SN7100 was the fastest PCIe 4.0/host memory buffer design I’ve tested — but it hit occasional snags writing huge amounts of data. Still, it’s our number one for the average user.
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The WD Black SN7100 is the latest of the company’s NVMe SSDs marketed for the gaming community. Hence the “Black” in the moniker.
The big pitch is that games have grown enormous so you need a larger SSD. No argument there, but WD might’ve highlighted the excellent (mostly) performance more saliently.
Read on to learn more about this killer drive, and then see our roundup of the best PCIe 4.0 SSDs for comparison.
What are the WD Black SN7100’s features?
The Black SN7100 is a single-sided, 2280 (22mm wide, 80mm long) PCIe 4.0, NVMe SSD featuring a Sandisk (a subsidiary of WD) A101-000172-A1 controller and layered BiCS8 NAND — the latest.
It’s a host memory buffer (DRAM-less) design, meaning it uses your device’s system memory for primary caching duties. A certain amount of NAND will be written as single-layer cell (1-bit) for secondary cache duty.
The retail box for the 2TB WD Black SN7100.
The SN7100 is warrantied for five years and the TBW rating (guaranteed terabytes that may be written) is 600 per TB of capacity — average for a budget TLC SSD. While users are unlikely to hit that TBW, the worst that can happen is the drive will simply go into read-only mode. You won’t lose any data.
How much is the WD Black SN7100?
At the time of this writing, the WD Black SN7100 is priced on Amazon as follows: 500GB capacity for $60, 1TB for $80, and 2TB (tested) for $160. It’s not the cheapest SSD around, but certainly competitive in that regard.
How fast is the WD Black SN7100?
In initial testing with synthetic benchmarks, the 2TB Black SN7100 proved the fastest PCIe 4.0 host memory buffer (HMB) design SSD we’ve put through the wringer so far. Not by a huge margin, but noticeably, as you can see in the CrystalDiskMark 8 sequential transfer numbers below.
The SN7100 mastered its competitors in the CrystalDiskMark 8 sequential tests. Longer bars are better.
Random performance under CrystalDiskMark 8 was also excellent. Consider the Lexar NM790’s performance in this test an aberration as it was otherwise a very fast performer.
The SN7100 again was top dog CrystalDiskMark 8’s random 4K tests. Longer bars are better.
While still fast at our 48GB transfers, the SN7100 was not the fastest. These tests have a margin of error of 2 or 3 seconds.
This is a good aggregate 48GB transfer time for the SN7100, but not the fastest of the four. Shorter bars are better.
The margin of error in the 450GB write is also several seconds, but certainly not the 20-second gap that the Kingston NV3 pulled on the other SSDs. Host memory buffer implementations are far better than they were at first, but still vary.
The 2TB Black SN7100 proved the fastest PCIe 4.0 host memory buffer (HMB) design SSD we’ve put through the wringer so far.
The reason for the Teamgroup MP44’s slower 450GB performance was a rather parsimonious helping of secondary cache.
This is a very good 450GB write time from the SN7100, though not record breaking. Shorter bars are better.
Once the official tests were finished I tried writing another, larger 900GB — something I do to quickly fill the drive to test it with limited free NAND. The write pace during this operation plummeted to around 100MBps (average) in a fashion normally associated with QLC. Not something I was expecting from modern layered BiCS8 TLC NAND.
I was not expecting write speeds to plummet like this with BiCS8 NAND, which is some of the newest on the market. Normally modern TLC will manage well over 500MBps when writing natively.
On several subsequent 900GB writes, speeds started dropping sooner (after around 100MB) and vacillated wildly between 50MBps and 2GBps — albeit mostly closer to the slower speed. Note that the PCIe 5.0 Crucial T700 used as the source drive is capable of reading at close to 14GBps.
On the other hand, several subsequent 450GB writes showed what I’d expect when writing modern TLC natively — a relatively stable 500MBps to nearly 1GBps. Go figure. Perhaps the drive was intimidated by the uber-large file — or, more likely, the controller caching or HMB logic couldn’t handle it.
This is more the type of slowdown I expect from modern TLC NAND — 500MBps to 1GBps.
I immediately got on the horn to WD, but the company hadn’t sussed out the issue or relayed any theories as of this writing.
Realistically, most users spend the vast majority of their gaming time reading data, not writing 900GB chunks of it. As writing a 450GB chunk proceeded normally, my discussing these aberrations is much the tempest in a teapot.
Should you buy the WD Black SN7100?
Though I’d feel more secure in my assessment if the WD Black SN7100 hadn’t had issues with the 900GB write, that’s far outside the realm of normal use, so I’m still calling it one of, if not the top dog in the PCIe 4.0/HMB category. Just a tiny bit shy of greatness, but for everyday use — fantastic.
How we test
Drive tests currently utilize Windows 11, 64-bit running on an X790 (PCIe 4.0/5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 4800MHz modules (64GB of memory total). Both 20Gbps USB and Thunderbolt 4 are integrated to the back panel and Intel CPU/GPU graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB of total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a 2TB Samsung 990 Pro which also runs the OS.
Each test is performed on a newly NTFS-formatted and TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that in normal use, as a drive fills up, performance may decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, as well as other factors. This can be less of a factor with the current crop of SSDs with far faster late-generation NAND.
Caveat: The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped and to the capacity tested. SSD performance can and will vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to shotgun reads/writes across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching. Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report, by all means, let us know. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 8 Feb (PC World)It only took about nine years, but I’ve finally made Windows Task View part of my everyday workflow.
Task View arrived with Windows 10 in 2015, providing an alternative to cramming all of your open windows into the space afforded by your screen. By clicking the Task View button on the Windows taskbar — or just pressing Windows key + Tab — you can see all your open windows and arrange them into separate workspaces, known as virtual desktops.
It’s the kind of feature I should theoretically love, but my earlier attempts to use it always ended in failure. Too often I’d forget about those extra virtual desktops I had set up and would gravitate back toward opening all my windows in one place.
By rethinking my approach to Task View — and by taking advantage of some new Windows features — I’ve finally made a habit of using it in a way that saves time and helps me focus.
This column first appeared in Advisorator, Jared’s weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up to get tech advice like this every Tuesday.
Task View for layouts, not tasks
Task View is right next to the Start button.Jared Newman / Foundry
My light bulb moment with Task View was actually inspired by the Stage Manager feature in macOS. Stage Manager displays your most recently viewed windows on the left side of the screen. If you drag multiple windows onto the desktop, Stage Manager remembers that layout when you switch to another app, so you can bring it back with one click.
Stage Manager comes in handy when I’m trying to focus on writing. I’ll put my writing/notetaking app (Obsidian) on one side of the screen and my web browser (Vivaldi) on the other, so I can research and write without being distracted by anything else. If a message comes in on Slack or I need to check my email, I can click over to those apps, then use Stage Manager to go right back to my split-screen setup.
(Yes, macOS also has a separate virtual desktop feature called Spaces, but I find Stage Manager easier to work with in this scenario.)
Stage Manager in macOS.Jared Newman / Foundry
I realized that with Windows, I should be approaching Task View the same way, with split-screen layouts that correspond to specific tasks. My current setup now consists of four virtual desktops:
Writing: Obsidian covers one half of the screen and Vivaldi covers the other.
Communication: A three-column view with Slack, Gmail, and Proton Mail.
Socials: Full-screen views for BlueSky, Mastodon, and Threads.
Other: Everything else on an ad-hoc basis, like gaming or any particular app that requires a clean layout.
Without Task View, these layouts would quickly fall apart as different apps overlapped and jockeyed for screen space. Assigning each layout to its own virtual desktop helps keep them intact.
Task View isn’t a replacement for having multiple monitors (or an ultrawide monitor, for that matter). If anything, it’s more of a supplement, as you can quickly switch between layouts that span multiple screens (or one extra-wide screen).
Getting more out of Task View
Jared Newman / Foundry
Having committed to using Task View, I’ve also made an effort to remember some of its extra features and shortcuts:
Windows key + Tab, as I mentioned earlier, is the quickest and most convenient way to bring up Task View.
Windows key + Ctrl + Left Arrow and Windows key + Ctrl + Right Arrow switches between virtual desktops.
Hovering your cursor over the Task View icon shows all of your virtual desktops in a pop-up menu.
While Task View is open, you can drag windows from one virtual desktop to another.
You can also right-click an app and select “Show windows from this app on all desktops.” This is useful if you’re listening to music and want to control playback from any of the virtual desktops.
In Task View, right-click any virtual desktop to reorder it, rename it, or give it a unique wallpaper.
If you have a mouse with extra buttons on the side, you might also want to map those to Task View functions as well. With my Logitech MX Master 3S, I’ve mapped the two side buttons to flip between virtual desktops while the thumb button brings up the overall Task View.
One other option worth considering: In Windows, under Settings > Accessibility > Visual Effects, you may want to disable “Animation effects.” This turns off all the gliding and sliding animations, which can feel sluggish when switching between virtual desktops.
Saving Task View layouts for later
Saving my “Communications” layout with Workspaces.Jared Newman / Foundry
Windows Task View pairs especially well with Microsoft PowerToys. PowerToys is a collection of helpful Windows utilities, including one feature called “Workspaces” for saving your favorite window layouts.
I’ve used Workspaces to capture my Writing, Communication, and Social layouts, with quick-launch icons on my desktop for each one. If I need to reboot my computer, or if my layouts get messed up for any reason, this lets me restore them with one click. (You can read more about Windows Workspaces with this primer from Mark Hachman.)
Of course, you can be perfectly happy using Windows without ever touching Task View — as I did for much of the last decade. But if you’re often juggling a few distinct tasks, it might be the organizational feature you’ve been missing.
This column first appeared in Advisorator, Jared’s weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up to get tech advice like this every Tuesday. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 8 Feb (PC World)Recently, I’ve started to consider my own impact on the environment. As someone who occasionally reviews laptops, there are times when I’ve accumulated a collection of them in my home office. Whenever I gaze upon this backlog, I’m reminded of my own contribution to the omnipresent problem of electronic waste, which is why my next laptop will be an eco-friendly one.
Laptops, as you may or may not know, are not great for the environment! They often contain rare earth materials like lithium. Not only does lithium take a lot of resources to mine, but its extraction can also upset natural ecosystems. Plus, when it’s time to dump an old laptop, all or parts of it will end up sitting in landfill and contaminating nearby ground waters.
The impact laptops have on the environment is bigger than you may think.
Further reading: Best laptops 2025: Premium, budget, gaming, 2-in-1s, and more
What is a sustainable laptop?
Before I dive into the reasons why I’m switching to an eco-friendly laptop, I should first establish what that means. A sustainable laptop is designed to minimize the impact it has on the environment. This is done by using recycled materials and/or a repairable/upgradeable design.
Framework laptops, for example, have a modular design that makes it easy to swap out old parts for new ones, thus extending the life of the laptops. Acer Vero laptops, on the other hand, consist of recycled materials like oyster shells and post-consumer recycled plastics.
Choosing a refurbished laptop over a new one can help offset the environmental impact, as well. It takes a lot of materials to make a brand-new laptop, so by picking a refurbished one you’re circumventing that process. If you’re going the refurbished route, then I’d recommend buying from an official manufacturer. Getting a warranty with your purchase is always a good idea, too.
Upgradability is a must
I love the idea of a laptop you can upgrade over time, which is one of the main reasons why I’m making the switch. Most laptops aren’t upgradeable, which means you’re stuck with the internal components until they age out. In this case, the only way to get a laptop with the latest hardware is to buy a new one, which eats up carbon emissions and generates more electronic waste (otherwise known as e-waste).
A laptop with a modular design, for example, allows you to easily remove the module components and then slot in new ones. Framework is a company that makes this process so easy it’s ridiculous. If you crack open a Framework laptop, you’ll see that each part is marked with a bar code, which you can then scan with your smartphone. The link that pops up will direct you to the exact part on Framework’s website.
You can also get a laptop with a removable chassis. As long as you have access to the internal components, you’ll likely be able to upgrade things like the RAM and storage.
Framework Laptop 13
Read our review
I love the way the Acer Vero line of laptops look
Acer’s Vero laptops are sustainable, which is great, but I’ve always liked the look of them. Just because they’re made of recycled materials doesn’t mean they have to be unsightly. The 2023 Acer Aspire Vero, for example, features a bluish-green colorway with flecks of lighter green embedded throughout the exterior. It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen and it’s more exciting than a boring gray slab.
I’m currently eyeballing the 2025 model of the Vero for myself. Not only is it partially made of biomaterial from oyster shells, a first for a sustainable laptop, but it also features the same speckled look that I’m such a fan of. If I’m going to invest in an eco-friendly laptop, I might as well like how it looks, yeah?
Acer Aspire Vero 16
Read our review
Recyclable packaging makes me happy
Nothing sets me off quite like piles of cardboard and bits of packing material flying around the house. Whenever I unbox a new laptop that I’m going to review, I’m always stunned by the amount of packaging I have to go through. I’m not someone who can easily operate in a mess–I don’t like it when a bunch of cardboard just sits around and takes up space. Fortunately, some eco-friendly laptops, like the Acer Aspire Vero 16, come with fully recyclable packaging. So, what does that mean exactly?
Well, it’s packaging that can be recycled multiple times and made into different things. In fact, many major laptop manufacturers are sending laptops out with recyclable packaging nowadays. According to Dell’s sustainability brochure, the company promises that “100 percent of [their] packaging and more than 50 percent of [their] product content will be made from recycled or renewable materials” by 2030.
Laptop companies are also doing a lot of other cool things to lower their carbon footprint. Dell makes it incredibly easy to recycle your laptop, which helps cut down e-waste. Lenovo even offers a “reduced carbon transport” to their service centers. You can read more about that in their sustainability brochure.
The fact is that laptop manufacturers are doing their due diligence to cut down on e-waste and those efforts should definitely be applauded.
A laptop with a metal unibody is nice, but I don’t need it
I don’t mind a plastic build, I really don’t. I’m very careful when handling my electronic devices whether it’s a laptop, a smartphone, or a handheld gaming device. I’m careful not to place them in precarious positions where they’re in danger of falling, and I don’t travel with my laptops. My lifestyle is relatively low-key and I’m a more cautious person than most, so I don’t need a laptop with a metal chassis.
Many sustainable laptops are made of recycled plastics, which might bug some people. I personally don’t mind the look and feel of a plastic build. All I care about is that the hinge that connects the screen to the keyboard feels firm. A metal chassis is more durable, sure. It’s a stronger material, after all. But mining metal (especially aluminum) is definitely more harmful for the environment, as it generates more carbon emissions. I also don’t mind the slight flex of a plastic build, as long as it’s sturdy and holds the components inside like it’s supposed to! Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | ITBrief - 7 Feb (ITBrief) GitHub has unveiled significant updates to GitHub Copilot, introducing features aimed at boosting coding efficiency and collaboration for developers worldwide. Read...Newslink ©2025 to ITBrief |  |
|  | | PC World - 7 Feb (PC World)Ready to turn your house into a smart home? Replacing your dumb bulbs with smart ones is perhaps the easiest way to start. Many smart bulbs can be screwed into existing light sockets, and they can be controlled remotely, put on schedules, change colors, and more.
If you’re feeling more ambitious, you can venture into smart string lights, light strips, wall and ceiling fixtures, smart lamps, and even smart lighting for the yard or other outdoor areas.
Our guide to the best smart lighting can help you navigate the thicket of options, from the various smart light manufacturers (like Philips Hue, LIFX, Nanoleaf, and Wyze) to the connectivity standards (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Matter). We’ll also let you know which voice assistants (like Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant) work with which lights.
Why you should trust us
TechHive’s editors and contributors have been testing smart bulbs and lighting products practically since the category was invented. We continuously test the latest smart lights, accessories, and the apps that control them. We also have deep experience with a broad range of smart lighting devices, from smart A19 bulbs and color light strips to outdoor lighting and touch-sensitive light panels. You can trust us to guide you to the best smart lights for your home, office, back yard, and more.
Our top picks in smart lighting products
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance — Best color smart bulb
Pros
Bluetooth support eliminates the need for the Hue Bridge
Excellent light quality and smooth dimming
Hue ecosystem is unrivaled in terms of size and depth
Supports Apple HomeKit ecosystem
Cons
Philips Hue products are much more expensive than the competition
Relying on Bluetooth limits you to 10 Hue devices
You need the Hue Hub to assign Hue devices to rooms
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What we like about the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance smart bulb
Philips (now known as Signify) was one of the first players in this market, and the company’s experience shows. The addition Bluetooth support obviates the need for the $60 Philips Hue Bridge (although most smart home denizens will want the Bridge anyway). Signify’s Philips Hue lighting ecosystem is the industry’s deepest and broadest, with bulbs of every shape and size imaginable, not to mention lighting fixtures landscape lighting.
Who should buy the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance smart bulb
Just about anyone looking to get started with smart lighting would do well with the Philips Hue White and Color Ambience smart bulb. It offers easy setup, doesn’t require the Hue Bridge (although you can always add one later), works with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant, and boasts terrific reliability (our editors have been using them for years and have yet to report any serious failures). And while Hue bulbs tend to be a tad pricier than the competition, they’re worth the extra cost.
Read our full
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) review
Wyze Bulb Color — Best color smart bulb, runner-up
Pros
Very inexpensive
Connects via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth–no hub or bridge required
Surprisingly bright considering the price
Cons
Can’t be grouped with the tunable white Wyze Bulb
Only available as a 2- or 4-pack
No competition for Philips Hue in terms of lighting ecosystem
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Wyze
$34.99
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Why we like the Wyze Bulb Color
Wyze Labs can’t match Philips Hue in terms of the breadth of its smart lighting ecosystem, but it beats Signify’s brand by a country mile in terms of pricing, and Wyze has a much broader array of product offerings when it comes to other areas of the smart home–most importantly in terms of home security. Wyze also now offers an excellent BR30 color smart bulb.
Who should buy the Wyze Bulb Color
Wyze’s color bulbs are among the most affordable on the market, and you don’t need a bridge to add one–or many–to your home. They’ll also work in tandem with your Wyze Cam, meaning you can set your Wyze camera to trigger a Wyze bulb if the cam detects motion. But the Wyze Bulb Color doesn’t support Matter, which means it’s a no-go for Apple HomeKit users, and the Wyze lighting ecosystem can’t match Philips Hue’s.
Read our full
Wyze Bulb Color review
Philips Hue White Ambiance (Bluetooth + Zigbee) — Best white smart bulb
Pros
Bluetooth support eliminates the need for the Hue Bridge
Excellent light quality and smooth dimming
Hue ecosystem is unrivaled in terms of size and depth
Supports Apple HomeKit ecosystem
Cons
Philips Hue products are much more expensive than the competition
Relying on Bluetooth limits you to 10 Hue devices
You need the Hue Hub to assign Hue devices to rooms
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$25.40
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Philips Hue
$29.99
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Why we like the Philips Hue White Ambiance (Bluetooth + Zigbee) smart bulb
Our choice won’t surprise anyone who’s been following this market. Philips dominates this space and is also our top pick for best color LED smart bulb. The latest Hue bulbs can be controlled via Bluetooth or Zigbee (the latter requires the Philips Hue Bridge), they deliver high-quality light, and are backed by a strong warranty. We only received the BR30 form factor for our review, but apart from form factor, that bulb is the same as the A19.
Who should buy the Philips Hue White Ambiance (Bluetooth + Zigbee) smart bulb
As with Philips Hue’s color smart bulb, we recommend the Hue White Ambiance for most folks who want to add smart lighting to their homes, although the A19 form factor is more appropriate for lamps and the like). It’s easy to set up, works with all the major smart home ecosystems, and the Hue Bridge is entirely optional (although certainly nice to have). The Hue White Ambiance is also considerably more affordable than the Hue White and Color Ambiance bulb, so peppering them around your home won’t break the bank.
Read our full Philips Hue White Ambiance (Bluetooth + Zigbee) review
Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED — Best budget smart bulb
Pros
Very inexpensive
Good quality light, plus colors
No hub requirement
Several other form factors in the Cree Connected Max family
Cons
We experienced slight delays during our testing
No Apple HomeKit support
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$9.89
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Why we like the Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED bulb
You can’t beat the price of the Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED considering you get both tunable white and full color. Cree Lighting’s Connected Max family includes a full range of form factors, too, including BR30, PAR38, vintage filament, tape lighting, and even retrofit downlights. It’s not HomeKit compatible, but it does work with Siri Shortcuts.
Who should buy the Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED bulb
If you’re on a tight budget and absolutely don’t want a smart bulb that requires a bridge, the Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED is your best bet. It delivers impressive lighting quality for the price, you can easily expand your collection of Cree lights with other form factors, and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant.
Read our full
Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED (Tunable White + Color Changing) review
Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus (2020) — Best LED light strip
Pros
Bright and colorful
Supports both Bluetooth and Zigbee
Apple HomeKit compatible (with the Hue Bridge)
Robust scheduling and automation features
Cons
Much more expensive than competing products
Power cable saddled with a chunky wall wart
Lights can’t be animated without a third-party app
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Why we like the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus
The Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus makes for a great and easy way to add accent lighting to kitchen counters, stairways, and other indoor areas. The Philips Hue ecosystem is bigger than any other smart lighting solution, but Hue products are also much more expensive than the competition.
Who should buy the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus
It may be pricier than other light strips on the market, but we still recommend the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus even if you’re on a budget. The reason: Smart light strips are notoriously prone to failure, particularly the cheap ones. But a Hue Lightstrip Plus has been working flawlessly for years in a TechHive editor’s kitchen, and Hue has been good about replacing defective units if the need arises. Aside from reliability, the Hue Lightstrip Plus benefits from Hue’s robust ecosystem, support for all the major smart home platforms, and the fact that the Hue Bridge is optional.
Read our full
Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus (2020) review
TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip KL400L5 — Best LED light strip, runner-up
Pros
Affordably priced
Alexa, Google Assistant, and SmartThings integrations
Solid collection of animated effects
Plenty of scheduling, scene, and grouping options
Cons
Cumbersome Wi-Fi setup
Can’t sync its LEDs with your music
Flimsy construction
Can’t be extended with additional light strips
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$19.98 ($1.22 / Foot)
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$19.98 ($1.22 / Foot) at Amazon
Why we like the TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip KL400L5
TP-Link built more features into this light strip than we expected for the price, and it even offers one feature that our top pick doesn’t: animation sequences. The Philips Hue product, on the other hand, feels much more durable, and you can add extensions to the end of a strip. The biggest factor in TP-Link’s favor? The price tag.
Who should buy the TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip KL400L5
If you must spend less on a smart light strip, we’ll point you in TP-Link’s direction. While you can’t extend this light strip, you can put it on a schedule, group it with other Kasa lights, and use it with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings, and you can even tee up some nifty animated lighting scenes.
Read our full
TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip KL400L5 review
Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons — Most innovative lighting design
Pros
Beautiful and interactive lighting scenes
Touch actions let you control other smart devices
Alexa, Google Assistant, Thread, and HomeKit compatible
Surprisingly easy to install
Cons
Panels can be difficult to remove from a wall (but don’t appear to cause any damage)
Chunky AC adapter
Expensive
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Nanoleaf
$199.99
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Why we like the Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons
This is the first of Nanoleaf’s Shapes interactive light panels, and it set the stage for several other equally fun versions. This modular lighting system won’t illuminate a room–that’s not it’s intended purpose–but it can set a mood like nothing else on the market today.
Who should buy the Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons
Whether you’re a Twitch streamer who wants to add some eye candy to their setup or you simply want to decorate your office or another room, Nanoleaf’s Shapes light panels are the way to go. They’re easy to install–and, crucially, remove when the time comes. They also work with Matter (following a software update), and their touch functionality remains unmatched.
Read our full
Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons review
LIFX Ceiling — Best smart ceiling light
Pros
Extremely easy installation
A bevy of lighting features thanks to dual zones
Very high quality light, with ample range
Cons
Built-in wiring connectors aren’t the most secure and won’t work for all environments
LIFX app remains a bit obtuse
Draws quite a bit of power
Why we like the LIFX SuperColor Ceiling
The best feature LIFX’s SuperColor Ceiling light may well be how easy it is to install. Thanks to a cleverly designed mounting bracket and a handy clip that holds the fixture a few inches below the ceiling, the LIFX Ceiling light has an almost idiot-proof setup process. We also love the two-zone lighting as well as the Matter support.
Who should buy the LIFX SuperColor Ceiling
With its easy installation, the LIFX SuperColor Ceiling is a great choice for those who might otherwise balk at installing a smart light in their ceiling. And thanks to its Matter support, the LIFX light will work in Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings households
Read our full
LIFX SuperColor Ceiling review
Philips Hue Lily — Best outdoor spotlight
Pros
Robust aluminum housing, glass lenses, and IP65 weatherization to withstand the elements
Full color light, with up to 600 lumens of brightness
Can be scheduled, controlled by Alexa or Google Assistant, and triggered by a Philips Hue Outdoor Sensor
Low-voltage cables can be buried
Cons
Requires Philips Hue Bridge
Range is impacted by having the the Hue Bridge inside your home, hardwired to your router
Expensive, and each add-on spotlight costs another $100
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$339.99
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$265.99 at Amazon$339.99 at Best Buy$339.99 at Lenovo
Why we like the Philips Hue Lily
Signify’s Philips Hue product line includes the most complete collection of outdoor and landscape LED lighting. In addition to the Lily spotlight, there’s the Lily XL spotlight, the Calla Bollard light, the Econic Outdoor Pedestal, the Amarant linear outdoor light, no fewer than 9 wall or ceiling-mount outdoor lights, and even outdoor LED light strips. That diversity, and the high-quality design and construction of these luminaires, justifies Signify’s high price tags.
Who should buy the Philips Hue Lily
Already invested in the Philips Hue ecosystem for your indoor lights? If so, then ponying up for Hue outdoor lights is a no-brainer, and the Lily spotlight is a great place to start. It’s weatherized for the elements, works with all the major smart home ecosystems (now that the Hue Bridge has been updated with Matter), and plays nice with a variety of Hue outdoor accessories, including the Hue Outdoor Sensor.
Read our full
Philips Hue Lily outdoor spotlight (3-spotlights and 1 power supply) review
Hampton Bay Hubspace Landscape Spotlights — Best outdoor spotlight, runner-up
Pros
Comparatively inexpensive
Hubspace ecosystem is increasingly comprehensive
Can be powered by any 12/15-volt transformer, if you have already one
Cons
Spotlights are more fragile and wiring system is less sophisticated than the pricier competition from Philips Hue
Transformer and wire sold separately from the spotlights
There’s history of retailers abandoning their proprietary smart home ecosystems
Why we like the Hampton Bay Hubspace Landscape Spotlights
These budget-priced landscape spotlights deserve to be compared to the much-pricier Philips Hue Lily product line. The trade-offs include less-robust construction, less-sophisticated wiring, slightly dimmer brightness, and a less-complete smart lighting ecosystem, but you will spend significantly less money, especially if you deploy a lot of lights. Buyers should also be aware, however, that there is a long history of retailers abandoning their proprietary smart home platforms. For the record: We have not seen any indication of this from Home Depot; the company has released several new Hubspace products since we received this kit for review.
Who should buy the Hampton Bay Hubspace Landscape Spotlights
If you’re not already a Philips Hue user or you don’t have a Hue-sized budget, you can still up your outdoor lighting game with this affordable kit from Home Depot. It’s relatively easy to deploy, works with an increasingly wide range of Hubspace lighting devices, an–so far–Home Depot appears to be sticking by its smart home brand, unlike other retailers we’ve seen.
Read our full
Hampton Bay Hubspace Landscape Spotlights (3-pack) review
Philips Hue Calla — Best outdoor pathway light
Pros
16 million of color, plus temperature-tunable white light
Robust construction and protection from the elements
A component in the broad Philips Hue lighting ecosystem
Cons
Delivers only 600 lumens of brightness
Must be hardwired to a plug-in power supply
Very expensive compared to run-of-the-mill pathway lighting
Why we like the Philips Hue Calla
The Philips Hue Calla outdoor pathway light adds sophisticated safety to outdoor walkways and patios, and Philips has the most complete smart lighting ecosystem in the industry. But you’ll need an outdoor outlet to power this and all other Hue landscape lighting, and the components are very expensive.
Who should buy the Philips Hue Calla
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Philips Hue’s lighting products are well worth their premium prices, particularly when it comes to outdoor lights like the Calla. That makes them the best choice for those who want to light up their outdoor pathways, especially if you’re already a Hue user, and they’ll work seamlessly with any other Hue lights in your yard.
Read our full
Philips Hue Calla outdoor pathway light review
Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight — Best outdoor pathway light, runner-up
Pros
Battery powered with integrated solar panel
Built-in motion sensor
Can be integrated into the robust Ring home security ecosystem
Once you have the bridge, add-on lights cost only $35
Cons
Fabricated entirely from plastic
Much more expensive than dumb pathlights
Requires Ring Smart Lighting Bridge (included), which connects only to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks
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Why we like the Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight
Ring’s smart lighting system isn’t as broad as Signify’s Philips Hue, but it covers the bases, and these Ring pathlights boast a couple of features that Hue’s don’t: solar charging as well as built-in motion detection. While we were initially concerned about the all-plastic housing, we’ve had one of the lights deployed for more than two years and haven’t detected significant deterioration.
Who should buy the Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight
Have a Ring Alarm protecting your home? If that’s the case, going with Ring outdoor lighting is a natural next step, and the Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight has much to recommend it, provided you’re already using the Ring Smart Lighting Bridge.
Read our full
Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight starter kit review
Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights — Best outdoor string lights
Pros
Wi-Fi control, with Alexa and Google Assistant support
Bright, vibrant colors, plus white light in six color temperatures
Very good app with lots of customization and scheduling options
Additional strings can be daisy-chained, up to 200 feet
Cons
No IFTTT or Apple HomeKit compatibility
Bulky control unit housing the power supply and Wi-Fi adapter
Expensive compared to a plethora of “dumb” alternatives
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Why we like the Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights
Jasco’s Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights are certainly expensive, but they’re also very pretty, highly customizable, and exceptionally durable for year-round outdoor installations. There’s also surprisingly little competition in this admittedly specialized segment of outdoor lighting. Signify has outdoor Philips Hue light strips, for example, but that’s a very different look from café-style lights.
Who should buy the Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights
Provided you have the budget, the Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights is a good choice for decorative outdoor string lights that respond to Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. These café lights are also a great pick if you have a lot of ground to cover, given that the strings can be daisy-chained together.
Read our full
Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights review
Enbrighten Eternity Lights — Best permanent holiday lights
Pros
Robust, weatherized components
Bright, vibrant color and white lights
Fun programming options
Extendable up to 200 feet
Cons
Power supply not sold separately, so you can’t install spare strands in another location
No Apple Home, IFTTT, or Matter support
Lights can’t be synchronized to music
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Why we like Enbrighten Eternity Lights
The winter holidays aren’t the only time it’s fun to decorate your house, but no one wants to drag the ladder out of storage several times a year to hang and then take down outdoor lighting. With the Enbrighten Eternity Lights, you don’t have to: Once you’ve installed them, they can stay up forever and you can program for every season–or just highlight your home’s architecture with tunable white light. They connect to your Wi-Fi network, of course, and they can operate on a schedule, with geofencing, or with voice commands spoken to Alexa or Google smart speakers.
Who should buy Enbrighten Eternity Lights
You don’t need to be a smart home enthusiast to enjoy these lights, all you really need is a Wi-Fi router, a smartphone, an outdoor outlet you can plug their power supply into, and the desire to decorate your home with light. Enbrighten Eternity Lights can glow in lots of colors as well as different temperatures of white light, and they can be programmed to flash, sequence, and dance in preset patterns or you can customize your own lighting scenes. These lights are compatible with Amazon Echo and Google Home ecosystems, but if your home revolves around Apple Home, you want to standardize with Matter, or if you like to use IFTTT to for cross-platform automations, you’ll want to know that these lights are compatible with any of them.
Read our full
Enbrighten Eternity Lights review
What to look for when shopping for smart lights
Color and/or tunable white
With their rainbow of hues and myriad party tricks, color LEDs get all the press in the world of smart lighting. It’s fun stuff, but the reality is that most of us will rarely find much of a need to turn all the lights in the house blue or red—unless it’s time to celebrate our team winning the World Series. Even then, you’ll probably want to turn them all back to white after the celebration.
White light is also important in its own right, as today there is plenty of science to show how various shades of white—with variations in color temperature—impact our psychological state. Cool light that’s closer to blue has an energizing effect, and is best in the morning. Warm light is relaxing, and is best after the sun goes down. Note, however, that not every white LED smart bulb is color-temperature-tunable. Check out the specs before you buy.
White smart bulbs downplay the party features that are a staple of color-tunable bulbs. On the other hand, white smart bulbs are less expensive than color bulbs, making it more affordable to roll them out in multiple rooms.
Smart lighting protocols and features
Three control technologies continue to vie for leadership in the smart bulb market (Z-Wave is a major contender in smart lighting, but you won’t encounter it in bulbs—just in switches, plug-in modules, control panels, and smart-home hubs).
Zigbee: Bulbs that use the popular smart-home networking protocol require a bridge to communicate with your home Wi-Fi network. This is the technology Philips has adopted for its Hue lineup, but it’s not the only one.
Wi-Fi: This class of bulb talks directly to your Wi-Fi router, no hub or bridge required. LIFX and TP-Link both manufacture excellent Wi-Fi smart bulbs, but neither company comes close to Signify’s Philips Hue lineup in terms of the depth and breadth of the Hue ecosystem.
Bluetooth: These bulbs skip your home network altogether and pair directly with your smartphone or tablet. As such, they can’t be controlled from outside your home. GE and a number of other manufacturers make Bluetooth bulbs, some of better quality than others. Signify has recently added Bluetooth radios to its Philips Hue line of smart bulbs, which eliminates the need to deploy the Philips Hue Bridge. Taking the bridge out of the equation reduces the overall cost of deployment, but adds some limitations. You can read more in our review of the new Philips Hue bulbs.
Each of these technologies has pros and cons, so before you attempt to settle on a specific bulb, first try to determine which tech is right for you. If you want to hook your bulbs into a broader smart-home system—such as SmartThings or Nest—Bluetooth bulbs are out. You can control more than one bulb with your phone, but you can’t connect it to sensors or other systems inside your home. Don’t like the idea of pairing a bulb to your phone? A Wi-Fi bulb will work best for you, though you won’t have quite as many options as you’ll find with a Zigbee product.
Smart bulb, or smart switch?
There’s a significant argument about the best way to install smart lighting, and two approaches present themselves. You can either go with expensive smart bulbs and control them all individually, or you can use cheap dumb bulbs and install smart switches to control all the lights on that circuit. Both approaches make sense: With smart bulbs, the biggest issue is cost, but there’s also complexity to deal with. While bulbs can usually be grouped based on location, this is only as intuitive to manage as the bulb control app.
Smart switches, on the other hand, are far more complicated to install—to the point where some users might be uncomfortable dealing with exposed wiring and would prefer to hire an electrician. Smart switches, however, provide more flexibility in many installations.
Habituated from years of flipping hard-wired switches, many users (or their children) will instinctively use the wall switch to turn the lights out when they leave a room. Once that happens, all the apps in the world won’t be able to turn the light back on until the switch is returned to the on position. While this won’t be an issue if you install smart switches, they can’t change a bulb’s color or color temperature.
That said, smart bulbs, no matter what the technology, still won’t be right for everyone. Notably, most of these bulbs cannot be dimmed via a hardwired wall switch (it messes with the power going to the radio, rendering them useless). A few will fail even if a dimmer is present on the circuit and dialed up to full power.
The good news is that bulb prices are going down, so it’s easier to get started with smart bulbs and less punishing should you find that a product doesn’t work for you.
Frequently asked questions about smart lighting
1.
Do smart lights require a hub?
As we noted above, if a smart light doesn’t use either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to connect to your home wireless router or your phone, it will likely require a separate hub to bridge the gap.
For example, Ring lighting products, which use Ring’s proprietary wireless protocol, require the Ring Lighting Bridge, while (older) Zigbee-only Hue lights need the Hue Bridge to connect to your home network.
But there are plenty of smart lights that do connect directly to either Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or both. Wyze and Cree smart bulbs connect via Wi-Fi, for instance, while most recent Philips Hue lights can connect directly to your phone via Bluetooth. (The latest Hue bulbs boast Bluetooth and Zigbee radios).
Of course, there are benefits to smart lights that use a bridge or a hub—namely range. When connecting via Zigbee, for example, Philips Hue bulbs double as range extenders, with one Hue bulb able to connect to the next, rather than each bulb having to make a direct connection to your Wi-Fi router. A smart hub may also enable better responsiveness than bulbs that connect via Wi-Fi.
2.
Can you control smart bulbs when you’re away from home?
In most cases, yes. Both Wi-Fi-enabled and hub-controlled smart lights typically can be controlled from anywhere, using either the manufacturer’s app or via the app of a compatible smart home ecosystem (Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and so on). The same goes with smart lights that rely on a hub, like the aforementioned Ring lights.
A key exception are Bluetooth-only smart bulbs. As we mentioned earlier, Bluetooth has a limited range—just 33 feet or so, and you must be in the same room to control a Bluetooth smart light with your phone. That’s a key factor to consider if you buy a Bluetooth- and Zigbee-enabled Philips Hue light without a Hue Bridge—no Bridge, no out-of-home control.
3.
What’s the difference between tunable white bulbs and dimmable white bulbs?
“Tunable” white bulbs allow you to tune the white color to different color temperatures, from warm while (2200K, or Kelvin) to soft white (3000K) to bright white (4000K) and daylight (6500K). Warm white, for example, is a nice, relaxing color temperature for a dining room or bedroom, while cooler color temperatures are better suited for workspaces, such as a kitchen counter, a desk, or a workshop bench.
“Dimmable” bulbs, as you probably guessed, allow you to change the brightness of the emitted light, from very dim to 100-percent brightness.
Some smart bulbs are both tunable and dimmable, while others are only dimmable. In the latter case, such bulbs are fixed at a specific white-color temperature. Before you buy a dimmable-only bulb, be sure that the set temperature is to your liking.
4.
What’s the benefit of grouping smart lights together?
White you may occasionally want to control only an individual smart light, it’s far more convenient to take change of a whole group of lights at once, and this is a feature we expect from most smart bulbs.
Generally speaking, you’ll be able to group lights in a room—meaning, for example, you’ll have your “Bedroom” lights, your “Kitchen” lights, and so on. Some smart lighting ecosystems (like Philips Hue’s) may allow you to group “zones” of lights, such as all upstairs or downstairs lights.
Once your lights are properly grouped, you’ll be able to control all the lights in a room or zone with a tap, or by asking you voice assistant, “Turn on kitchen lights” or “Set bedroom lights to 60 percent.”
Besides grouping lights, you should also be able to create lighting scenes that automatically set your lights to predetermined brightnesses or color temperatures. For example, a “Movie” scene in your living room might turn off most of your lights while dimming those in an adjacent hallway. You can usually trigger light scenes with a tap within an app or via a voice command.
5.
How do you put a smart bulb back into pairing mode?
Out of the box, smart bulbs are usually already in pairing mode, meaning they’ll be discoverable by a compatible smart app as soon as they’re screwed in and/or powered on. But what if you want to put a smart bulb back into pairing mode? After all, with a standard A19 bulb, there’s no obvious button to push.
The precise answer depends on the manufacturer, but generally speaking, the trick is to turn the bulb on and off a set number of times in rapid succession. Check your user manual for the exact details.
Other notable smart lights we’ve reviewed
We’ve evaluated many other smart lights. If none of our top picks check all the boxes for you, take a look at these other products. We’ve also listed some smart lights to avoid.
Govee Neon Rope Light 2: More flexible and now with Matter, Govee’s Neon Rope Light 2 makes for an easy way to add an animated and eye-catching splash of color to practically any living space.
Govee LED Strip Light M1 with Matter: This affordable, easy-to-install light strip works with all the major smart home ecosystems thanks to Matter, and will keep you busy with its myriad features and light animations.
Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels: Govee’s smart light panels are essentially bargain-priced Nanoleaf knock-offs, but they chop a lot of features and they’re not that much cheaper.
LIFX String Light: LIFX is back with a 24-foot string light that boasts 12 big, chunky cylinders attached to a thick, rubberized wire. These attractive, three-zone lights can add an appealing splash of color to any backyard space, and they throw off an impressive amount of brightness compared to typical string lights.
LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21: Bright, easy to install, compliant with Matter, and packed with features, the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 makes for a compelling smart bulb, even if it’s a tad heavy and chunky.
LIFX SuperColor Spot: You can add a burst of color to your landscaping with the LIFX SuperColor Spot, but be mindful of all the extra wiring it requires.
Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Lightstrip: Nanoleaf’s Matter-enabled light strip is bright, affordable, and easy to install, but getting the strip to work with Matter involves jumping through some hoops.
Nanoleaf Outdoor String Lights: Nanoleaf’s string lights are long and offer lots of flexibility, but the light quality leaves something to be desired.
Philips Hue Iris: A cinch to set up and compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit, the Bluetooth-enabled Iris makes for an easy and inexpensive way to warm up a room.
TP-Link Kasa Smart WiFi Light Bulb (model KL125): The most affordable color smart bulb in TP-Link’s Kasa Smart lineup has some nifty tricks up its sleeves and deep scheduling functionality, even if other aspects of the bulb are rough around the edges.
WiZ Bar Linear Light: Connected by a detachable cable, these smart light bars make it easy to cast multicolored splashes of light, and they even detect motion.
WiZ Mobile Portable Light: The WiZ Mobile Portable Light makes for a lightweight companion that can glow in multiple animated colors, and it can even detect motion when grouped with other WiZ lights. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 7 Feb (PC World)Tech giant Microsoft has announced that you can now try out the Super Resolution feature in the Teams app, but only if you have a Copilot+ PC with a Snapdragon X chip. (If you don’t have a Copilot+ PC, you don’t have the hardware needed to run AI features like this.)
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Super Resolution uses AI to improve the resolution of video calls in Teams, even if you have a poor internet connection that forces you to stream resolutions as low as 360p. Using the AI capabilities of Copilot+ PCs, Super Resolution can artificially scale up the resolution of a video stream without compromising the overall picture quality.
To avoid draining your laptop battery — because using AI to upscale video calls can be demanding — the default setting is that Super Resolution can only be used when you’re plugged into power.
Want to give it a whirl? Super Resolution is currently available in the Public Preview version of Microsoft Teams. To enable Public Preview, click the three-dot menu in the top navigation of Teams, then navigate to Settings > About Teams > Early access and tick the box for “Public preview.” (Don’t see it? Your administrator may have disabled your permissions to use preview features.) Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 7 Feb (PC World)Chrome’s security features are simple, but as of late, they’ve been improving at a faster rate. Google wants you to know it, too—the most current version of its What’s New page highlights two improvements that aren’t strictly fresh, but likely new to many users.
First up: Easy group sharing of passwords. If you’re part of a family group, you can send credentials through Google Password Manager’s Share feature. The What’s New page promotes the mobile option, but you can do so on PC, too. Head to Settings > Autofill and passwords > Google Password Manager. Click on the desired password entry, then on the Share button. A small overlay will pop up, showing your family group members that you can choose from.
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Sharing with only a family group (a free feature) is restrictive, but Google’s seeming logic makes sense—arguably, you’d really only share passwords with family members. Or at least, anyone close enough to you to be considered family.
(Still, I’d love to see Google add the option to share with other specific Google users, like for Google Drive documents. Occasionally, I need to share a password with someone who isn’t close enough to be added to a family group. Plus with only six slots available, group members sometimes have to be chosen carefully.)
OUr favorite password manager
Dashlane
Read our review
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Also newish is the ability to manually verify use of your stored payment info. Previously, Google would ask for your credit card’s CVC number (the three or four digit number used to confirm you’re in possession of the card). But you can now protect your card details with your device’s biometrics or PIN. On PC, hop over to Settings > Autofill and passwords > Payment methods, then turn on Manually verify every time you pay using autofill. This option is also available through the mobile Chrome browser, too.
Browsers have gotten a bad rap in the past for their security features, mainly for being too simplistic and not as secure as third-party password managers, but these two small tweaks help boost their viability. Because let’s be realistic—the security software you use is the one that’s the best. For a lot of people, that’s Chrome. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 7 Feb (PC World)If you’re looking for the best way to watch the Super Bowl in 2025, the answer is more complicated than it should be.
Between cable providers, live TV streaming services, free streaming options, and a trusty antenna, there are an assortment of ways to watch the game. Unfortunately, many of them offer varying levels of video and audio quality, yet it’s weirdly difficult to get precise details on what those differences are.
Seriously, I shouldn’t have to spend hours chasing down PR contacts and interrogating them on 4K, HDR, and surround sound options for the Super Bowl. This stuff should just be posted online by the companies involved.
But since they won’t, I will. These are what I believe are all the Super Bowl viewing options, ranked from best to worst:
1. Comcast’s “Enhanced 4K” feed
Quality: 4K, Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos, low-latency
Requirements: X1 box for low latency
Though it’s painful to admit, the highest-quality Super Bowl broadcast is only available on cable; specifically, via Comcast and its X1 cable boxes.
As with the Paris Olympics last year, Comcast is offering an “Enhanced 4K” feed that supports both Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio, a combo that no other streaming platform will offer. The company is also promising “ultra-low latency,” which should only trail behind live action by about 10 seconds.
Comcast will also offer Enhanced 4K through its Xfinity Stream app, but a spokesperson confirms that it won’t support ultra-low latency. That means you’ll need an X1 box if you want no risk of social media spoilers. (The app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung TVs, LG TVs, Xumo devices, and Xfinity Flex boxes.)
2. Tubi
Quality: 4K HDR, 5.1 surround sound, possibly low latency
Requirements: Compatible Roku, Fire TV, Android TV/Google TV, or Apple TV for 4K HDR and surround sound
Tubi is Fox’s free streaming service, and this year it will stream the Super Bowl for the first time. Tubi will carry the same exact broadcast as Fox proper, and it will support 4K HDR video and surround sound on compatible Roku, Fire TV, Android TV/Google TV, and Apple TV devices.
Note that Fox is not natively broadcasting the game in 4K, and is instead upscaling a 1080p signal. Still, Tubi should provide an overall better picture than over-the-air broadcasts if you have the proper hardware. Hopefully it also provides the same low-latency feed that the Fox Sports app did in 2023.
There’s just one potential snag: Tubi’s app will have a sign-in requirement, and you’ll need to create an account if you don’t already have one. Given that Tubi has never covered a live event at this scale before, and that lots of people will suddenly be signing up on game day, there’s plenty of potential for things to go wrong.
3. An antenna and ATSC 3.0 tuner
Quality: 720p to 1080p, HDR, 5.1 surround sound, low latency. (Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision or HDR10+ in select markets)
Requirements: ATSC 3.0-compatible TV or tuner box
The Super Bowl is a big event for ATSC 3.0, also known as NextGen TV, as it brings HDR to the big game’s over-the-air broadcasts. Using an antenna also gives you lower latency than most streaming services, and it’s not prone to any buffering issues or service outages.
Caveats apply, however; you’ll need a TV or external tuner with ATSC 3.0 support, and your local Fox station must support HDR on its NextGen TV feed. (The NextGenTV website’s station lookup tool shows which channels in your area offer HDR.)
Some local Fox affiliates owned by Gray Media will go a step further, offering HDR10+ and Dolby Vision in select markets. TVTechnology reports that these include Atlanta, Ga.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Davenport, Iowa; Mobile and Birmingham, Ala., Pensacola, Fla.; Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.; and Portland, Ore.
Gray will also provide Dolby Atmos audio in New Orleans, La.; Atlanta, Ga.; Springfield, Mo.; Louisville, Ky.; Honolulu, Hawai; Tucson, Ariz.; Davenport, Iowa; and Portland, Ore.
4. An antenna without ATSC 3.0
Quality: 720p to 1080i, SDR, 5.1 surround sound, low latency.
Requirements: Just an antenna
Even on TVs that use the longstanding ATSC 1.0 standard, an antenna a fine way to watch the Super Bowl. Assuming reception is strong in your area, you’ll get a 5.1 surround sound and a lower-latency signal than streaming services; plus, no risk of buffering issues or outages. Picture quality might also be better than the more compressed feeds of cable and streaming, though that can vary by station and the number of subchannels it’s carrying.
5. YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, or Fubo
Quality (DirecTV and YouTube TV): 4K HDR, 5.1 surround sound
Quality (Fubo): 4K HDR, stereo sound, plus Dolby Vision on Roku, Android TV/Google TV, and Fire TV
Requirements: See compatibility lists for YouTube TV 4K, YouTube TV surround, DirecTV 4K, and Fubo 4K
DirecTV’s service includes 4K HDR video at no extra charge and will carry Super Bowl LIX on channel 105. YouTube TV charges $10 per month extra for 4K video, but is offering the add-on as a 30-day free trial for new users. Fubo will stream Super Bowl LIX in 4K HDR, but only in its Elite package, which costs $108 per month after regional sports fees.
While their capabilities differ, I’m ranking them all the same. Fubo is the only live TV streaming service that will offer the Super Bowl in Dolby Vision HDR, but doesn’t support surround sound. The other two services offer surround sound, but support HDR10 only. You shouldn’t sign up for any of them just to watch the game—not with free alternative available—but the features are nice to have if you’re already a subscriber.
6. Sling TV
Quality: 4K, stereo audio
Requirements: See Sling’s 4K compatibility list
Sling TV, whose Blue package carries Fox in select markets, will carry the game in 4K, but the company has not responded to an inquiry on HDR support. At least 4K doesn’t cost extra if you’re a Sling subscriber.
7. Regular cable TV
Quality: HD, 5.1 surround sound
Requirements: A cable box
I’ve yet to see any other cable providers besides Comcast announce 4K HDR support for Super Bowl LIX, so let’s assume for now that they’ll stick with the usual HD quality. If you’re still a cable TV subscriber, you’ll probably just stick with it for the Super Bowl instead of chancing the vagaries of streaming, but the free 4K feed on Tubi might be worth a look for comparison’s sake.
8. Hulu + Live TV
Quality: HD, 5.1 surround sound
Requirements: Any device with the Hulu app
Unlike most of its live TV streaming peers, Hulu + Live TV won’t offer a 4K feed of the Super Bowl, though the service at least supports surround sound on select devices.
Dead last: The NFL app
Quality: HD, 30 frames per second, stereo sound
Requirements: Any device with the NFL app
As in previous years, the NFL app will stream the Super Bowl with no TV provider authentication required. Too bad the app’s video quality is garbage, with dull colors streamed at a choppy 30 frames per second.
Now that the NFL offers its own streaming service, you’d think the league would bring quality in line with modern streaming standards; but no, it continues to insult its viewers by doing the absolute bare minimum. Rant over. You can at least keep it in mind as a free backup solution if all other options fall apart on gameday.
Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more streaming TV advice. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 7 Feb (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
Pros
Attractive design and ergonomic stand
Great connectivity including USB-C with Power Delivery
Includes ambient light sensor, microphone
Good contrast ratio for the price
Cons
Only 1080p resolution
Color performance is mid-pack
Lacks Adaptive Sync
Our Verdict
The BenQ GW2786TC is a great choice if you need a home office monitor with USB-C for under $200.
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Finding a budget monitor is both easy and difficult. It’s easy to spot a good deal, but with so many options available for a few hundred bucks or less, deciding which ones are worth your money (and which are better to skip) can be challenging. The BenQ GW2786TC simplifies the decision with multiple useful features alongside good image quality for less than $200.
BenQ GW2786TC specs and features
At a glance, the BenQ GW2786TC’s specifications might not stand out. It features a 27-inch widescreen IPS panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1920×1080—specs that are incredibly common for monitors under $200. In fact, many 27-inch 1080p monitors dip closer to $100 when on sale.
Display size: 27-inch 16:9 widescreen
Native resolution: 1920×1080
Panel type: IPS
Refresh rate: 100Hz
Adaptive sync: No
HDR: No
Ports: 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x DisplayPort-out (MST), 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 65 watts USB Power Delivery, 2x USB-3.2 Gen 1 downstream with 5Gbps data, 4.5-watt charging
VESA mount: 100x100mm
Audio: 2x 2-watt speakers, noise-cancelling microphone
Extra features: Ambient light sensor
Price: $199.99
However, BenQ packs in extra features that help the GW2786TC step ahead of the pack. Its video connectivity includes a USB-C port with 65 watts of Power Delivery, along with two downstream USB-A ports and a DisplayPort output for daisy-chaining a second display. It also features a refresh rate of up to 100Hz, an ergonomic stand, built-in speakers, a noise-canceling microphone, and an ambient light sensor. (See our roundup of the best USB-C monitors for a comparison.)
Shoppers should keep in mind that BenQ has a similar monitor with 2560×1440 resolution, the BenQ GW2790T, priced at $250. The GW2790T is a good pick if you need a sharper image, but the GW2786TC provides many of the same features for less.
BenQ GW2786TC design
The BenQ GW2786TC makes a strong first impression straight out of the box. It features a bright white color scheme, with nearly every surface aside from the display bezels on the top and sides sporting a clean, modern look.
While the monitor is made primarily of plastic, it feels durable and looks attractive on a desk. BenQ markets the monitor as a companion for Apple Mac laptops like the MacBook Air, but it pairs just as well with Windows or Linux machines.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
The GW2786TC has a high-quality stand that offers significant ergonomic adjustment. It tilts 25 degrees, swivels 45 degrees left and right, pivots 90 degrees for portrait orientation, and has 130 millimeters of height adjustment. This range of movement is better than what’s typical for monitors in this price range (some don’t pivot, for example). The stand’s base is large yet flat, meaning it doesn’t take up unnecessary desk space, and it feels stable.
For those who prefer a different setup, the monitor also supports a 100x100mm VESA mount, allowing for easy attachment to a third-party monitor arm or stand.
BenQ markets the monitor as a companion for Apple Mac laptops like the MacBook Air, but it pairs just as well with Windows or Linux machines.
BenQ GW2786TC connectivity
You have three options for connecting video inputs to the BenQ GW2786TC: HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode. That provides a total of three video inputs, which is typical for an inexpensive monitor.
However, there’s an unusual addition—a DisplayPort output, which allows you to daisy-chain a second monitor. This feature helps reduce cable clutter since you can connect your laptop to the first monitor and then link the first monitor to a second display, rather than running separate video cables to each monitor. It’s uncommon to find on a budget-friendly monitor.
The monitor also provides USB-C with up to 65 watts of power delivery, meaning it can power and charge most mid-range laptops over USB-C. Again, BenQ is targeting Mac users here, specifically the MacBook Air, which appears in the company’s marketing materials. But budget Windows, ChromeOS, and Linux laptops that support USB-C charging also benefit from this feature. If you use the USB-C port, you’ll also get data connectivity to two USB-A downstream ports.
BenQ GW2786TC features
The BenQ GW2786TC’s image quality settings are controlled by a set of buttons on the lower right-hand side of the monitor. This is somewhat unusual in 2025, as most monitors have switched to a joystick-style control, which tends to be quicker and more intuitive. The buttons work fine, but navigating the menu is cumbersome.
BenQ provides a standard range of image quality controls for a budget monitor. There are several preset image modes, as well as adjustments for color temperature and gamma. However, the color temperature and gamma adjustments don’t target specific values and are instead vaguely labeled.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
One unusual and appreciated feature is the inclusion of an ambient light sensor, which is activated through a setting called Brightness Intelligence. It automatically adjusts the monitor’s brightness based on room lighting conditions, so you don’t have to tweak it manually. This is a rare feature in a budget monitor and useful if the lighting in your room changes throughout the day (which is true for many home offices).
The monitor also has built-in speakers and a noise-canceling microphone, though neither is impressive. The speakers are fine for podcasts and video calls but weak in volume and lack bass. The noise-canceling microphone captures usable audio and does reduce some background noise, but a decent standalone webcam microphone will be better quality. Since the monitor doesn’t include a webcam, most users taking video calls will likely have a webcam connected anyway.
BenQ GW2786TC image quality
The BenQ GW2786TC is exactly the kind of monitor where image quality is less of a priority. While it would be great to have an exceptional display, the monitor’s long list of features is likely to be the bigger factor in your buying decision. Fortunately, the GW2786TC still delivers enjoyable image quality across the board. It doesn’t excel in any area but also doesn’t suffer any major weaknesses.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
We start with brightness, where the GW2786TC delivers a maximum sustained SDR brightness of 260 nits. That’s not bright for a modern monitor, but as the data shows, it’s typical among similarly priced competitors.
It should be more than bright enough to look vivid in a typical home office. However, if you’re using it in a space with direct sunlight or large windows, it might appear dim.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
Next up is the contrast ratio, which is crucial for providing a good sense of depth and immersion in an image. I was surprised to see the GW2786TC achieve a contrast ratio of 1500:1, which is on the high end for a budget monitor with an IPS panel. As the data shows, most other monitors in this category have a less impressive contrast ratio.
The higher contrast will be most noticeable in dark scenes, where the GW2786TC provides a bit more shadow detail and a stronger distinction between bright and dark areas. That said, it still suffers from IPS glow, which means very dark scenes can take on a grayish-silver tone rather than a true, deep black.
One monitor that stands out is the AOC 27G15, which has a much higher contrast ratio, nearly reaching 6000:1. It achieves that with a VA panel that blocks more light from the backlight, significantly reducing the glow issue seen on IPS monitors. The AOC 27G15 is a better choice if your main priority is gaming or watching movies on a budget display. However, the AOC is a bit dimmer and not quite as sharp, so the BenQ GW2786TC has an edge in productivity.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
The BenQ GW2786TC provides a mid-tier color gamut that covers 100 percent of sRGB, 84 percent of DCI-P3, and 78 percent of Adobe RGB. These numbers place it in the middle of the pack. It outperforms some budget home office monitors, like the Pixio PX248 Wave, but falls behind models that bridge the gap between gaming and home office use, such as the Gigabyte M27QA ICE.
Despite having a slightly more limited color gamut than some competitors, the GW2786TC still delivers a vivid and colorful image. When viewed on its own, colors appear vibrant, though a direct comparison with higher-gamut monitors may reveal slightly less saturation.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
The GW2786TC’s color accuracy is solid, though as the data shows, its color error is slightly higher than some competitors. However, all of these budget monitors perform well in this regard, and you’re unlikely to notice much color inaccuracy unless you’re working on color-critical professional tasks—something these monitors aren’t really designed for. Overall, the BenQ GW2786TC’s color appears realistic.
A key contributor to its natural-looking image is its strong gamma and color temperature performance. It achieved our preferred gamma curve of 2.2, meaning content appears as bright as expected. Its measured color temperature of 6600K is only slightly above the ideal 6500K target, making the image just a touch cooler than perfect—but the difference is barely noticeable. Thanks to these good out-of-the-box results, the monitor’s image feels well-tuned for general use.
Sharpness is a downside. With a resolution of 1920×1080 on a 27-inch screen, the pixel density comes out to about 81.6 pixels per inch. That’s not high for a monitor sold in 2025. Video content can appear soft and small fonts may show some pixelation. Still, this is acceptable for a monitor priced under $200. A 1440p monitor with similar features will cost at least $50 more.
The BenQ GW2786TC’s image quality can be summarized in one word: adequate. It’s not amazing, but it’s fine. I found the image looked good right out of the box and I had no major complaints while using it. Just keep your expectations in check—this is a budget monitor selling for under $200, and monitors priced $50 to $100 more will deliver a noticeable improvement to image quality.
BenQ GW2786TC HDR image quality
The BenQ GW2786TC doesn’t support HDR. That might seem like a flaw, as many inexpensive monitors claim HDR support. In truth, though, all monitors below $200 lack the brightness and color gamut to properly support HDR, and those that claim HDR support fail to offer a quality HDR image.
BenQ GW2786TC motion performance
BenQ boosts the GW2786TC’s refresh rate from the 60Hz standard to 100Hz. It’s possible to find gaming monitors with a higher refresh rate under $200, but they lack the GW2786TC’s features. The 100Hz refresh rate provides a noticeable improvement to motion clarity which, though not best-in-class, is appreciated.
Adaptive Sync support is not included, however, so the monitor can’t sync the refresh rate to the output frame rate of the game you’re enjoying. That means you’ll have to rely on V-Sync or allow an uncapped frame rate—both options degrade motion fluidity. Because of that, the GW2786TC isn’t a great choice for gamers.
Should you buy the BenQ GW2786TC?
BenQ’s GW2786TC is a good pick if you need a home office or general-use monitor that pairs well with a laptop that has USB-C, but you don’t want to spend more than $200. It offers features rarely found at this price point, like USB-C Power Delivery and DisplayPort-out, alongside acceptable image quality, and ambient light sensor, and an enhanced 100Hz refresh rate. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 7 Feb (PC World)Last week I spent a few days watching the Asus and Best Buy websites like a hawk, waiting for that slinky little Zenbook A14 to start shipping. It’s a really cool, lightweight laptop with battery life for days, literally. But it has one design problem that I see all too often on otherwise good laptops: The USB-C ports are only on one side.
This sucks. Allow me to use several hundred words to explain why.
There are a lot of great things about USB-C. Access to incredibly fast data transfers. Video capabilities on a (somewhat) universal standard. But the greatest for me, by a wide margin, is that you can use it to charge up almost any device with the same cable. I want every single device that I own with a battery to allow charging via a USB-C port.
And we’re almost there. My phone, my tablet, my laptop, my headphones, even my portable batteries that I use to charge all of them on the go, each one uses USB-C. All of this is good. But for most of the time, a phone, a tablet, headphones, et cetera only need one USB-C port. That’s all that’s practical for these devices.
A laptop needs multiple ports. At least two, if only so you can charge it up and use one extra device like a flash drive without needing to bring along a dongle. And at least one of those should be on both sides of the laptop.
Flexible charging is important
In my case, this is specifically so that you can charge it up from the left or the right. And it’s important for laptops in particular, because laptops are mobile devices, and mobile devices that are bigger and bulkier than phones and tablets.
My ThinkPad X1 Nano, pictured above, was considered pretty premium when it came out three years ago. It’s super lightweight and designed for business travel. And yet both of its USB-C ports — its only ports — are on the left side. Extremely frustrating!
Pexels/Thirdman
When you’re on the go and you need a charge, you can’t always find an ideal spot for it. Maybe you’re in a cafe and the charger is on one side of the table against the wall. Or in a hotel where it’s only on one side of the bed. A bus where the outlet beneath your seat is busted and you have to ask your fellow passenger if you can politely invade their space. (Fix your busses, Martz, the Wi-Fi hasn’t worked in years.)
The point is that if you can only charge on one side of your laptop, you’re going to be put in an awkward position up to half of the time. You can twist yourself into an uncomfortable pretzel, or just get a super-long charging cable and carry it with you. And I’ll point out that both of those were solutions from the Before Times, when every brand had its own barrel port or proprietary charger.
But you shouldn’t have to — laptops should be designed with this basic use case in mind. Some are, but many aren’t, even “premium” designs like that aforementioned Zenbook A14, which only features a lonely little USB-A port on the right (which can’t charge up the device).
Even Apple, a company that proclaims its meticulous design process in its advertising, has USB-C ports on only one side of the MacBook Air. If you want the basic creature comfort of charging on either side, you have to step up to the MacBook Pro.
Foundry
Here’s what really steams me. When I’m travelling I often carry a USB-C monitor, specifically a ThinkVision M14. This is made by Lenovo, the same company that made my laptop. And it has USB-C ports on both sides, specifically to make it easier to charge, both for itself and its pass-through laptop charging feature.
Why are laptops like this?
I’ve spoken about this little pet peeve with many of my fellow tech writers, and plenty of regular laptop users too. I’ve never met one who didn’t agree with my viewpoint. So I’m absolutely certain that laptop makers are aware of our desires here. In fact, I know it: I spoke to a former tech writer person I’d worked with, who now works for a PC manufacturer and asked them if they’d raised the point with their new employer.
They said that yes, they had in fact spoken with the engineering teams that decide where to put laptop ports and told them that people want USB-C charging on both sides. The engineers responded that it added expense to the design, so it doesn’t make it into some models.
Mattias Inghe
I’m sure that’s true. My own knowledge of the ins and outs of electronics design is just enough that I don’t doubt it. A modern USB-C port is complicated — it needs extra design work and electronics elements for battery charging, for video output, for standards like Thunderbolt and the fastest data. Every small adjustment, every tiny decision made in the design process has a cost that affects the final manufacturing and, thus the eventual retail price of a product.
But I reject this as a definitive reason to make this choice. You can say the same thing about tons of other elements of laptop design — say, using a trackpad that supports multi-touch gestures or a keyboard that has LED backlighting. Asus told me it spent a huge amount of time and resources engineering the hinge on the Zenbook A14, to make sure it can easily open with just one finger. And the presenter was immensely proud of the “Ceraluminum” coating on the entire laptop — as they should be, it’s really nice!
None of these elements are strictly necessary. You can operate a laptop without them. But all of them add to the overall experience of a product. Little things that we as end users barely think about, sometimes don’t even notice, can have a huge impact on our final impression of a device.
It’s worth the extra work
However much extra it might cost to get a USB-C port on both sides of a laptop, it’s worth it. Again, that’s according to me, every other tech writer who reviews laptops, and everyone else they’ve spoken to on the subject. Note that both the Framework Laptop and Intel’s new modular guidelines allow for full-power USB-C on both sides of the laptop, and these devices are made for sustainability with far more engineering necessary than a permanently soldered port.
And while I don’t have a component breakdown to make my case, I’m pretty darn confident that it’s not an unattainable design goal for laptops, especially once you get out of the budget category. Allow me to illustrate.
This is a Lenovo Legion Go. It costs $700. It has a USB-C port on the top and on the bottom.
Mattias Inghe
This is the Asus ROG Gaming Phone. It costs $849. It has two USB-C ports, one on the side and one on the bottom, and I’m pretty sure it takes a lot more engineering work to fit two ports on a phone than on a laptop.
This is the Nintendo Switch 2. I don’t know how much it costs yet, but given Nintendo’s mass-market savvy and the price of the original, I’d be flabbergasted if it’ll launch at anything north of $500. It has USB-C ports on the top and bottom.
Nintendo
This is the Lenovo Chromebook Duet, a small, cheap, ChromeOS-powered tablet, topping out at $399 for the most expensive model. How many USB-C ports does it have? I’ll give you three guesses, but you’ll only need one, because it’s two. Two USB-C ports, on two different sides. And again, this is the same company that made my laptop in the header image, equipping a cheaper device with this handy design feature.
Michael Crider/IDG
I think I’ve made my point. If all of these devices can fit a secondary USB-C charging port, into both their design and their budget, there’s no reason that manufacturers can’t do this for every laptop with USB-C capability. And they absolutely should. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
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