I don’t know what the situation is like in your home, but I think I have gremlins that come out at night to steal my charging cables. There’s really no other way (cough cough) to explain why they always go missing. Surely it can’t be my tendency to loan them out or shove them into bags I use a couple of times a year and forget all about. Well, if you have gremlins like me, it’s not a bad idea to stock up on charging cables, especially super-fast USB-C cables like this one by Anker. Right now, you can get a two-pack of 3-foot cables for $8 or a two-pack of 6-foot cables for $10. Not bad at all! These are 60W USB-C cables, which means they’ll recharge your devices quite fast as long as you have a power adapter that supports up to 60W of charging. And these are USB-C-to-USB-C, by the way, so you’ll need a USB-C power adapter. They’re covered in braided nylon, so they’re a lot more resistant to twists and bends and will last you longer. Obviously, if you like charging devices while at your desk, you can get away with the shorter ones. But if you like to charge your phone while doomscrolling in bed, the longer ones may fit your needs better. Stock up on charging cables (or upgrade the ones you already have) with these Anker two-packs now that they’re even more affordable. Whether you get the 3-foot cables or the longer 6-foot cables is up to you. Get a 2-pack of 60W Anker USB-C charging cables (3-foot)Buy now at Amazon Get a 2-pack of 60W Anker USB-C charging cables (6-foot)Buy now at Amazon Read...

If you’re still using WinRAR, you should update to version 7.12 as soon as possible. A vulnerability labeled CVE-2025-6218 was recently discovered in older versions of the popular Windows file compression tool. The security vulnerability in question can reportedly be exploited by hackers to bypass the app’s built-in security features, increasing the risk of malware execution, reports BleepingComputer. The issue was first reported on June 5th, 2025 through the Zero Day Initiative, and WinRAR released a fix for it with version 7.12 beta 1 on June 24th, 2025. The release also addresses two other minor issues. “When extracting a file, previous versions of WinRAR, Windows versions of RAR, UnRAR, portable UnRAR source code and UnRAR.dll can be tricked into using a path, defined in a specially crafted archive, instead of user specified path,” writes WinRAR in its changelog. In other words, files could be secretly extracted to system directories and other sensitive locations, allowing hackers to execute malicious files in unwanted places. Though there are no known instances of this exploit being attacked in the wild, you should update WinRAR immediately to stay safe. Read...

Brother manufactures some of the best home printers on the market, with millions of devices sold and in use around the world. However, research by Rapid7 has now revealed that many Brother models—as well as other brands—are vulnerable to several serious security flaws.Hundreds of printer models worldwide are affected by these vulnerabilities, especially Brother devices. And as BleepingComputer reports, some of them can’t even be fixed. Hackers can figure out Brother passwords Rapid7’s investigation uncovered eight vulnerabilities in 689 Brother models, which include printers, scanners, and label printers. Meanwhile, 46 Fujifilm, 6 Konica Minolta, 5 Ricoh, and 2 Toshiba models were also affected as they use Brother components. The severity of the vulnerabilities ranges from moderate (CVSS score 5.3) to critical (CVSS score 9.8), which emphasizes the urgency of the issue. The most dangerous vulnerability, known as CVE-2024-51978, allows attackers to determine a printer’s default admin password. Brother uses a weak algorithm that generates the password from the device’s serial number and a static table. According to BleepingComputer, attackers can use the printer’s serial number (which can be retrieved via other vulnerabilities) to generate the default password and gain control of the device. This would also allow them to attack other devices in the network. Other vulnerabilities allow hackers to access sensitive data from the printer, cause the printer to crash, establish unauthorized network connections, or disclose passwords of connected devices. Further details can be found in the Rapid7 report. What should you do if you’re affected? Brother has provided firmware updates for 7 of the 8 vulnerabilities, which can be downloaded from Brother’s support page. Unfortunately, the critical password vulnerability can’t be fixed by an update as it occurs in the manufacturing process where default passwords are set. Brother plans to solve the problem in future models with a change in the manufacturing process. For existing devices, users must manually change the admin password on their devices from the default. If you own an affected printer, you can protect yourself by updating the firmware, setting a secure admin password, and securing the device with a firewall or putting it on a separate network. Access to the printer, for example via port 9100, should be restricted. Brother is working with Rapid7 and JPCERT/CC to resolve the issues, but the password vulnerability remains a challenge. Users should act quickly to secure their devices and prevent future attacks. Read...

The Steam Summer Sale is upon us, which means PC gamers all over the world are searching for what to spend their bank account balances on. Got no time for that? Here are the 25 best deals I’ve found. I don’t have any particular rhyme or reason for my selections. I’m just going on vibes based on how recent the game is, how popular it is, and how deep the discount. This is also, obviously, weighted towards my tastes—I’m not big on genres like survival horror or visual novels, so please keep that in mind here. Oh, I’ve also just created a list of the best new PC games that don’t need a graphics card, which are all available on Steam, if you need even more picks. Without further ado, here are the best deals I could find: Atomic Heart: $17.99, 70% off Avowed: $46.89, 33% off The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth: $7.49, 50% off Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy: $3.99, 90% off Cult of the Lamb: $12.49, 50% off Cyberpunk 2077: $20.99, 65% off Days Gone: $19.99, 50% off Dead by Daylight: $7.99, 60% off Dredge: $12.49, 50% off Elden Ring: $35.99, 40% off The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered: $39.99, 20% off Fallout 76: $9.99, 75% off Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: $41.99, 40% off Forza Horizon 5: $29.99, 50% off Guilty Gear Strive: $19.99, 50% off Hades: $8.49, 66% off Jurassic World Evolution 2: $2.99, 95% off Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance: $29.99, 50% off Spider-Man Remastered: $29.99, 50% off Star Wars Battlefront II: $3.99, 90% off Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart: $29.99, 50% off Red Dead Redemption II: $14.99, 75% off Riders Republic: $3.99, 90% off Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader: $24.99, 50% off Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II: $35.99, 40% off Looking for even more deals on games you might not have seen before? Then I recommend checking out the We Love Every Game tool. They’ve got a special section just for the Steam Summer Sale. Read...

About a week ago, I decided I would never buy another Ethernet cable, ever. If you’re like me, you have a box or drawer with dozens of cables. And while some cables have specific connections, like USB-C, my wired network (such as it is) is just a random collection of colored Ethernet cables with tiny little markings telling me what they can or can’t do. How much data can that cable transfer? I had no idea. And that’s bad. I had never really thought about which Ethernet cables were being run between my cable modem, router, Xbox, and desktop PC. But I had performed speed tests more than once, and worried that my network was running slower than usual. And I also knew the problem: my network would run only as fast as its slowest segment. If my Ethernet cables were transferring less data than my router or gateway, I was potentially wasting money. I didn’t need to spend time researching the fastest mesh router or the best Internet gateway. If my cables were ancient, my entire network would be bogged down by my slowest cable. If my ISP quietly increased the speed of my broadband connection, I might not see any benefit. And I had already found an old Cat5 cable hooked up to my Xbox, a standard which had been basically extinct for about two decades. Ew! A Cat5 cable may be good enough for your current router, but it might not be for long.Mark Hachman / Foundry About a week before my colleague Dominic Bayley published a helpful explainer on the differences between Ethernet cables, I researched the problem myself. Ethernet comes in different categories, all the way from the ancient Category 3 to the latest Category 8. So Category 8 is the latest and greatest? OK, fine. How much does a Category 8 cable cost? Basically nothing, as it turns out. I discovered I could buy a five-pack of color-coded, nylon-braided Category 8 Ethernet cables for $35.99 on Amazon. Broadband services are always getting faster. Cable modems are, too. But even the fastest cable modems and broadband plans offer just a few gigabits per second, while this Cat8 cable offers a whopping 40Gbits/s of speed. Owning color-coded, braided Ethernet cables for about the price of a nice lunch made me happy.Mark Hachman / Foundry For me, it was a no-brainer. I bought the cables from Amazon, quickly swapped out my existing cables for the new color-coded options, and resolved never to think about what Ethernet cable I owned ever again. Get a five-pack of color-coded, nylon-braided Cat8 Ethernet cables for $35.99Buy Now at Amazon Read...

If I told you you could get a massive 75-inch 4K TV for just $570, you’d think I was pulling your leg, right? I get it, but it’s true. The reality is that Amazon’s newest Fire TV Omni QLED 4K model is now 48% off, cutting it down from its original $1,100 price. Prior to this, the cheapest price it ever hit was $800… so if you want it, you better jump on it fast. As the name suggests, this is a Fire TV, which means you get access to almost all the streaming services along with Xbox games streamed via cloud gaming (even if you don’t have an Xbox console). It’ll also fit right in with all your other Alexa-powered (or Alexa-compatible) tech, enabling you to issue voice commands to access the weather, look for information, or turn off your lights. As for the viewing experience, this TV comes with various technologies that will make watching your favorite shows an absolute pleasure, including Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, HDR10, and HLG. Plus, it has adaptive brightness, so your screen’s brightness will be optimized based on how bright/dark your room is. When you’re not watching shows and movies, you can turn the screen into a canvas to display art. Did I mention this is a gigantic 75-inch TV? Because I feel like I need to emphasize just how insane it is to get a TV this big for this cheap. Sure, it’s an exclusive Prime-only early deal for Prime Day just around the corner, but you can take advantage if you start a free 30-day Prime trial. You can then use the Prime trial to score Prime Day deals! What are you waiting for? You’re not going to see a better TV deal than this one anytime soon. Snag the 75-inch Fire TV Omni QLED 4K for $570 stock runs out and you miss this incredible opportunity. This 75-inch 4K Fire TV is an absolute no-brainer for $570Buy now at Amazon Read...

Adding a search field to your spreadsheet can greatly improve data navigation and usability. In this guide, you’ll learn how to create a dynamic search box that filters data based on your input, using Excel’s built-in features and Developer tools. To create a search field in a spreadsheet, you must first activate the Developer tools menu. To do this, go to Options > Customize Ribbon on the File tab. In the Customize Ribbon column, check the box next to Developer tools and select OK. Next, switch to your spreadsheet containing your data. Make sure the first row has header data describing the content of each column. Select all the data and convert it into a smart table by pressing Ctrl + T. Confirm the table area by clicking OK. Then, in the Table Design menu, give your table a name under Table Name, such as Data. Now you can create a search field to filter the data in your worksheet. In this example, it will search the Department column of your data. Use this trick to create a search field in a worksheet. In this example, it can search the Department column of the data above.IDG Switch to an area next to the table and insert the search field there. Go to Developer tools > Insert > ActiveX Control, and select the Text Field icon. (Hover over the icons with your mouse to see their names; in our test system, it’s the fifth icon from the left in the first row.) Place the text field next to your table. Right-click the text field, select Properties, and under LinkedCell, enter the cell behind the search field — for example, B7. Next, click Developer Mode in the Developer tools menu to anchor the new search field. Copy the header data from your table and paste it below the search field. Then, write the following formula in the cell directly below the first header cell: =FILTER(data;data[department]=B7; “Nothing”) The FILTER function follows this pattern: Matrix, include, [if_empty]. Matrix is all the data the filter should output. Include specifies which rows to show based on the condition. [If_empty] defines what to display if there are no matches. In this example, the table is named Data and defined as the matrix. The search filters the Department column, showing only rows where the value matches the input in cell B7. If no rows match, it displays “Nothing”. Read...

If you’re always on the go and packing up your laptop to work from all sorts of locations, you really should have a portable monitor as well. Trust me, it’ll make your life so much easier. And luckily, right now, my favorite on-the-go laptop monitor is on sale for $124.50 on Amazon, a massive drop from its $200 MSRP. The Arzopa Z1FC is a great 16.1-inch portable monitor with a lovely 1080p IPS screen and a responsive 144Hz refresh rate. That means crisp images for work and smooth motion for videos and light gaming, not to mention vivid colors and excellent color accuracy. And it’s only 0.3 inches thick and 1.7 pounds, so it’ll slip easily into any bag next to your laptop. It even comes with a sleeve to keep the screen protected. When we reviewed the Arzopa Z1FC, we found that this monitor has a great quality build for the price and we appreciated the built-in kickstand. While the Z1FC is billed as a “portable gaming monitor,” it’s actually a “solid choice for anyone who needs an affordable portable display.” You can use it with your laptop, your Nintendo Switch, or your smartphone. It has a full-sized HDMI port and two USB-C ports, plus the cables you need, so it’s widely compatible with your devices. Note this is a Prime deal, but if you don’t have Prime, you can still take part with a free 30-day Prime trial—and you’ll be able to use that trial to take advantage of the Prime Day deals coming up. So what are you waiting for? Get this Arzopa portable monitor for $124.50 on Amazon before this awesome deal expires! Save 38% on Arzopa`s super-slim portable laptop monitorBuy now at Amazon Read...

If you’ve been using Windows for a long time, you’ve probably been told to periodically reinstall the operating system to keep it fresh. I remember I used to reinstall Windows XP every few months back in the day to keep it zippy. But is this necessary in 2025? Will Smith ran the numbers in a deep dive investigation—and they might just shock you. In short, the answer is no. Based on Will’s personal Windows 11 video editing and gaming desktop, a Ryzen 9800X3D machine with 64GB of RAM, there was almost no difference between a PC that’s heavily customized and running for over a year versus a clean installation. He also tested it on the even more powerful 9950X3D. The benchmarks showed a difference of about 3 percent for single-core tasks, and maybe a tiny bit worse for multi-threaded applications. In fact, some benchmarks showed an improvement in the “dirty” setup, with an SSD full of Will’s games and personal projects and RAM buzzing with background programs like Dropbox. Adobe Premiere ran 8 percent faster on the older setup. WHAT? Gaming tests were a little more demonstrable. Cyberpunk 2077‘s built-in benchmark showed a 2.5 percent improvement on the refreshed machine, with an even better improvement for 1 percent lows. But once you turn up the visual settings with path tracing to really tax the graphics card, once again, the “dirty” machine showed a tiny advantage over the fresh install. It’s approaching the margin of error for a lot of these tests. F1 2024 and Rainbow Six Siege showed dramatic improvements on a fresh machine… with frames so high your monitor probably can’t actually display them. Foundry So, these results might be shocking if you’re used to the idea that a fresh Windows install is always better for performance. Adam and Will point out that this isn’t an exhaustive scientific test, though, and Will is a power user who knows how to keep Windows running well. But unless you’re loading up your computer with a million startup programs and dozens of Yahoo Toolbar-style crudware, it seems that a Windows refresh won’t give you the dramatic performance improvements you might have seen 10 or 15 years ago. For more deep dives into the PC stuff that matters to you, subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube and check out our weekly podcast The Full Nerd while you’re over there. Read...

BleepingComputer reports that hackers have become aware of Direct Send, a relatively unknown feature in Microsoft 365 that’s primarily intended for use by on-premises printers and scanners that need to send emails as if they were sent from the organization’s domain. According to security firm Varonis, hackers are using the Direct Send feature to send malicious emails that appear to come from a known sender. The emails contain a link to a fake Microsoft form, and when the recipient enters their login details, those details are intercepted. Since May 2025, around 70 companies and organizations have been affected by the phishing campaign, mainly in the US. According to Microsoft, Direct Send is a secure feature but it requires users to configure the right settings and properly lock down their smart host, which doesn’t always happen. “We recommend Direct Send only for advanced customers willing to take on the responsibilities of email server admins,” explains Microsoft. To minimize the security risks involved, concerned users are encouraged to turn on the new “Reject Direct Send” setting in the Exchange Admin Center, which was introduced in April 2025. Further reading: You need to know about these common phishing scams that too many people fall for Read...