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

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I block every single ad on YouTube. And I’m a hypocrite for doing it. But I’m not ashamed. Because through a series of blunders and malicious decisions, Google has systematically made YouTube a worse and worse viewing experience, abusing its monopoly position as the de facto home of video on the web.  I’m a hypocrite for blocking ads Let’s start off this rant with a little context. As a web writer, I should never block advertising on the internet. The majority of the money I’ve been paid over the last 13 years has come from web ads, like the ones you’re probably seeing above, below, and around these words. A modern writer for a free-to-read site blocking advertising is kind of like a vegan butcher: problematic at best.  Google Advertising is how the majority of content on the internet is sustainable. Google, Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, TikTok, the social media service formerly known as Twitter — if you’re accessing information for free, it’s almost always being paid for by ads. Google isn’t a search company, it’s the biggest advertising company on the planet. And yes, that includes Google’s subsidiary services like Gmail, Google Docs, and YouTube. But the fact that advertising is literally vital to the web doesn’t take away its problems. Modern web ads are targeted towards people with a shocking degree of specificity. Your advertising profile, curated and updated via tracking cookies, probably includes far more data than you’d feel comfortable with if you saw it.   Ads clutter up pages and obscure the content they’re supposed to be supporting, bogging down performance with unnecessary videos and animations. And that’s when they’re not being actively malicious, spreading malware or targeted disinformation, or just plain selling scams. Google officially tries to police what gets advertised with its systems, as do other advertising giants, but this largely automated system has built-in holes that are constantly leaking the stuff of nightmares.  So yeah, I use an ad blocker in my browser, hypocritical as it is for me. And I don’t blame anyone else for doing it, either. It’s become an essential tool for any user of modern technology. I manually turn on my ad blocker only for the most annoying and obtrusive ads. So I’m only mostly a hypocrite. Michael Crider/Foundry To hold on to a shred of dignity, I don’t block all ads. I use a “reverse allowlist,” only manually blocking ads on websites that bog down my PC with a glut of performance-sapping videos and animations, and only when I don’t have an alternative. As someone who works online and keeps dozens of tabs and windows open concurrently, I really don’t have an option not to block a lot of ads, even on my beefy desktop with 32GB of memory. The reverse allowlist feature is one of the reasons I recommend AdGuard over more popular alternatives like AdBlock Plus. Based on that criteria, I shouldn’t block ads on YouTube. They don’t sap performance (much), and as annoying as they are, they pay for the content I watch for free. Open and shut case, right?  Google makes YouTube worse so you’ll pay to undo it Wrong. Over the last few years Google has abused YouTube, its viewers, and its creators at every opportunity, and I’m sick of it. And since YouTube is an effective monopoly on the web (and hardly the only one Google is abusing), I feel zero shame about skirting around its attempts to make me pay for it with either dollars or attention. Vive la resistance.  Years ago I watched ads on YouTube, patiently waiting for the “skip” button to appear, gritting my teeth as that took longer and longer. I first considered blocking them when I started getting unskippable 30-second advertisements in front of movie trailers posted by Hollywood studios — ads to watch ads, in a twisted mirror of bloated theater previews. But the final straw was when Google began showing two ads at once before pretty much every video.  Tired of seeing political ads on YouTube that literally instruct you to be afraid? Too freakin’ bad. Michael Crider/Foundry As it happens, I started seeing double the advertising at exactly the same time that YouTube Premium became an option in 2018. Of course that wasn’t a coincidence. Google decided to make the experience of YouTube materially worse at the same time that it introduced a paid option to make it better. Update: YouTube launches cheaper $8 Premium Lite plan without the best parts We’ve seen the same thing happen with most of the mainstream video platforms: a cheap, ad-supported tier appears, and suddenly the ad-free experience is “premium.” Amazon didn’t even try to hide it — they simply made everything on Prime Video ad-supported, and told everyone to pay up if they didn’t like it. Pay more, I should say, since Prime was already a paid service.  Arbitrarily making your service worse so you can pay to undo the malfeasance really gets my goat. I resolved to begin blocking every YouTube ad I could and never pay for it, simply out of spite. And I succeeded.  How I block every YouTube ad — even the ones YouTube doesn’t pay for On the desktop the easiest way to go about this is with a standard ad-blocker. Again, I prefer AdGuard, which has generally been reliable for this purpose. And it works in pretty much every browser, including my new bestie Vivaldi. Once you’ve made that jump, there are other ways to enhance your experience that Google probably wouldn’t appreciate. You can skip past repetitive channel intros and outros, even automatically jump past the paid sponsorships that channels are forced to use when YouTube doesn’t pay them enough (the ads upon ads upon ads). The promo page for SponsorBlock says the extension has auto-skipped over thousands of years of integrated ads for its users. Google But that’s just the desktop. What about mobile, where most of the world is actually watching YouTube? On Android this is fairly easy, if not straightforward. You can use a tool like ReVanced to patch the official app, baking those ad-blocking tools right into a customized version. In addition to blocking ads and skipping sponsored segments, it can even unlock the features that Google has placed behind the Premium adwall, like the ability to play audio in the background while you use other apps or have your phone off entirely.  The ReVanced tool, which can patch the official YouTube Android app, makes the service bearable again. Michael Crider/Foundry In the interest of total transparency: This is something Google would probably call stealing, and it’s definitely against YouTube’s terms of service. Which is why they fight so hard against these apps. Are you using an iPhone instead of Android, or aren’t keen on the slightly daunting task of messing with the official app? Then there are other options. You can view YouTube through a mobile browser like DuckDuckGo for easy access to ad-blocking and background audio. There are even a few apps like PopTube that are essentially third-party YouTube clients, doing their best to get around Google’s restrictions.  If all else fails, you can use a VPN to pretend you’re in a country where Google doesn’t think it’s worth it to run ads. And because I still need to earn a paycheck, here are some VPNs you might consider. As it happens, the VPN service I pay for every month is cheaper every month than a YouTube Premium subscription. Playing cat and mouse with Google Google is doing its best to get around these methods as they become more popular. The keeper of the keys has been experimenting with a lot of ways to make sure you’re either paying or watching ads — the original “Vanced” app had to shut down for fear of legal repercussions. Google has slowed down the performance of YouTube for users who are blocking ads, trying to make it as frustrating as possible. And every time, the ad blockers have won out. Because YouTube might be powered by money, but ad-blocking developers are powered by spite.  Google’s next attempt to out-fox ad-blockers is baking advertising right into the base of the video stream, encoding the ads into the same file as the video itself. This is a huge technical overhead, something that will put some serious strain on YouTube’s data centers. And I don’t think it’ll work, even if they get it functional. The ability to bypass sponsored ads hard-coded into the videos already exists, and shows up within a few hours of a new video being posted on a popular channel.  If all this seems like a lot just to skip out on $15 a month, well, I suppose it is. Especially since I watch far more YouTube than I do any streaming service I actually pay for. But I’m not the only one who’s fed up with the platform, and sadly has no real alternative. YouTube’s own creators are sick of it too.  Even YouTube creators are sick of YouTube You can’t watch any professional YouTube channel for long without hearing about videos getting taken down for overzealous and questionably legal copyright claims, as the automated systems leave the actual enforcement of fair use to humans. There are also elaborate methods of flagging videos with copyright notices and, instead of removing the video, simply leaving it in place and taking (or stealing) the revenue it creates. This is a system designed to end YouTube’s freewheeling pre-Google days as an open haven for piracy, but now it’s been weaponized as a way for gigantic corporations to fleece genuine creators out of the fruits of their labor.  And that’s assuming that advertisers are willing to pay for it in the first place. YouTube’s demonetization system, by which Google simply refuses to pay a creator because advertisers don’t want to be associated with controversial topics, is just as big a menace for anyone actually trying to make a living on the platform. You’ll see creators censor their own speech to avoid swearing too early, or using ridiculous euphemisms like “unalive” for kill or “self-delete” for suicide, topics that appear next to highly paid advertising on television every single day.  The following (demonetized) video has lots and lots of swearing. Fair warning. See how easy that was? Try to make a video about true crime without saying “murder,” and you’ll see why YouTube creators are always begging you to subscribe to them on Patreon. Because it’s becoming harder and harder to actually make money on YouTube…and there’s no one to blame for that, except YouTube.  And for what? When I use YouTube in another browser or with extensions disabled, I still see some of the same trash ads I used to. Blatant “training methods” for get-rich-quick scams, the same kind of garbage that was stealing people’s money on late night TV thirty years ago. Mobile game ripoffs straight-up lying about what their actual gameplay looks like. “Dating ads” with Photoshopped models that seem like they’re either fake or victims of human trafficking. And just recently, endless, endless political ads with zero standards for either production or truth. I even get advertising for ad blockers. So Google is accepting money to advertise products on YouTube…that it absolutely forbids you to use on YouTube, according to its Terms of Service. YouTube seems to have much lower standards for the people buying ads it than for the people who make the content that enables those ads to function. Dropout.tv To try and alleviate my conscience, I do pay for some of the content I watch. Indeed, I use Patreon to support some of my favorite channels like Drawfee and Second Wind. The YouTube monopoly is the only way they can actually get their content seen and I don’t want them to disappear. I’ve bought D&D merchandise from creators like Pointy Hat when they advertise their own stuff, just as a means of showing my appreciation. And I’m subscribed to the comedy channel Dropout, which evolved out of College Humor, and has become possibly the only self-sustaining streaming service that’s actually worth what it charges.  But pay for YouTube directly? Not a chance. I’ve given Google too much money for phones and tablets in the past, I paid for Google Play Music for years before they once again scrapped it for a worse and more expensive service. Until Google starts respecting both the users that it serves and the creators that it depends upon, it doesn’t get any more of my cash. Editor’s note: This editorial originally published in November 2024, but was updated after YouTube rolled out the $8 Premium Lite subscription to include reference in the relevant section. Read...

Back at CES 2025, Samsung revealed their latest monitors including the much-anticipated 27-inch 4K 240Hz OLED display as well as the more niche—but still exciting—Odyssey 3D-without-glasses monitor. Samsung wasn’t ready to talk details at CES, but now they’ve lifted the veil and I was able to go hands-on with their newest gaming displays, including the Odyssey 3D (G90XF) and 27-inch 4K Odyssey OLED G8 (G81SF). These are the flagship monitors in the company’s 2025 line-up. So, do they hold up? Here’s what I found. Samsung Odyssey 3D G90XF Samsung actually first teased the Odyssey 3D G90XF all the way back at CES 2024. The company didn’t say much about it after that, so I’d figured it would never see store shelves. But it’s no myth! In fact, it’s now available for pre-order from Samsung or Best Buy at $1,999.99. The “3D” in the model’s name calls out the monitor’s lenticular glasses-less 3D technology. This new tech uses a specialized display panel layer to redirect light in a way that creates a 3D effect without 3D glasses. But how does it look? Fantastic! The Odyssey 3D G90XF is a 27-inch 4K (3840×2160) monitor, so it looks rather sharp. Lenticular displays like the G90XF have, in the past, suffered a distracting moiré pattern. However, modern lenticular displays like this one solve the problem with higher resolutions. It also has 3D cameras that keep track of the user’s eyes, which allows the lenticular display to make subtle adjustments to maximize the 3D effect. The Samsung Odyssey 3D G90XF, front side.Matt Smith / Foundry And I must say, the Odyssey 3D G90XF has really nailed the core technology. Samsung didn’t want to spill its secret formula and wouldn’t tell me the specific hardware partners or tweaks it made. Whatever the details of their approach, I do think this is the best glasses-free 3D display I’ve tried yet (and I’ve tried dozens over the years). Speaking practically, the Odyssey 3D G90XF delivers a crisp, attractive glasses-less 3D image with a convincing sense of depth and few image artifacts. The 3D effect was obvious. At full strength, I perceived that the “back” of the image was about 4 or 5 feet away while the “front” felt about a foot away. The image itself was sharp and smooth with no hitching or image artifacts. That’s not to say it was perfect, though, and some of the traditional glasses-less 3D problems are still present. The 3D effect only works within a limited range. (Samsung recommends a range of approximately 22 to 38 inches.) The 3D effect also works best within 25 degrees of center, can degrade if you rapidly move your head, and might not work if a friend sits beside you (as eye-tracking is an essential part of the tech). This is one for true fans of 3D, then. The Samsung Odyssey 3D G90XF, back side.Matt Smith / Foundry But what can you play on it? At the moment, not much. The Samsung Odyssey 3D G90XF promises compatibility with just 12 games. I tried The First Berserker: Khazan, Grand Theft Auto III, and Palworld. Khazan was the standout. Samsung’s reps said the company worked with the game’s developer, Neople, to master the effect, and the game did provide an outstanding sense of immersion that genuinely enhanced the gameplay experience. Palworld looked fantastic in brighter scenes where its colorful characters could pop from the environment. But in darker scenes with less contrast, the 3D effect wasn’t obvious. Grand Theft Auto III‘s low-poly graphics gave the game an interesting “pop-up book” look, which I found charming, but the 3D effect felt overdone in some scenes. Other supported games include additional GTA remasters like Vice City, plus a roster of lesser-known games, like Unstop and Zero Protocol. I liked what I saw, but it must be said: a launch slate of just 12 games isn’t much. Perhaps knowing this, the Samsung Odyssey G90XF includes an AI algorithm that can convert some 2D video content into 3D. It only works with video—not games—that isn’t DRM restricted. Unfortunately, that means Netflix and Hulu are off the table, but it will work with YouTube videos and local files that aren’t DRM-protected. Interestingly, it also provides support for “side-by-side” 3D videos meant for VR headsets. I watched clips from Spider-Man: Far From Home and The Matrix. The Spider-Man clip, which was originally meant for VR headsets, looked amazing with the 3D conversion adding real depth to action sequences, and the sharpness and motion clarity were better than I remember from past displays. However, the original Matrix movie clip, which wasn’t intended for 3D, didn’t always show the 3D effect convincingly. It was fine, but it didn’t do as much to enhance the experience. Foundry And by the way, Samsung says the Odyssey 3D G90XF requires beefy Nvidia hardware, with the RTX 3080 as the recommended minimum. Yes, that means the 3D effect isn’t available on AMD hardware, no matter how powerful your particular card might be. In short, the Samsung Odyssey 3D G90XF is the best version of the glasses-free 3D effect I’ve seen so far. It offers an excellent sense of immersion, lacks the obvious moiré patterns of past displays, looks reasonably crisp in motion, and is otherwise tack sharp. Yet despite all these perks, it’s hard to see it as more than an impressive tech demo. That’s mostly due to the limited game roster. Samsung says they plan to support 50 games by the end of 2025, but I still don’t think that’s anywhere near enough. Content support has hampered past efforts to offer glasses-free 3D, including 3D televisions and Acer’s SpatialLabs 3D monitors. I suspect Samsung will run into these familiar problems.  Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 G81SF While the Odyssey 3D G90XF was the highlight of my time at Samsung’s office, the company also showcased a more practical display: the Odyssey OLED G81SF. Priced at $1,299.99, the G81SF is Samsung’s flagship 27-inch 4K 240Hz OLED gaming monitor. The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 G81SF, front side.Matt Smith / Foundry Though I only had half an hour to review the monitor, I feel like I’ve already reviewed it before. It has the same svelte, swooping design as other Odyssey monitors, and has the same Samsung QD-OLED panel that I’ve tested in other monitors, like the Alienware AW2725Q. Samsung’s panel is spectacular with incredible contrast, a super-wide color gamut, and spectacular motion clarity. Sharpness is great, too, at 166 pixels per inch. HDR content looks vivid and bright. The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 G81SF, back side.Matt Smith / Foundry In short: it’s a great panel, and I expect that means the Samsung Odyssey G8 G81SF will be a great monitor. But the price is a problem. At $1,299, the Odyssey OLED G8 G81SF is going to look uncompetitive in today’s market. I asked Samsung’s reps what they thought about this and they mentioned extras like the 3-year warranty and the monitor’s advanced cooling system. But many competitors make similar—even identical—points while offering comparable displays at lower prices. Samsung Odyssey G9 G91F There was a third new monitor in Samsung’s line-up, though it wasn’t available for me to try out personally: a new 49-inch ultrawide display called the Odyssey G9 G91F. Priced with an MSRP of $999.99, the Odyssey G9 G91F is positioned as a more affordable alternative to the other 49-inch Odyssey displays. It looks a bit more basic, has a lower VESA DisplayHDR certification (DisplayHDR 600, down from its predecessor’s DisplayHDR 1000), and it provides 5120×1440 resolution. But, importantly, the panel isn’t OLED and doesn’t have a Mini-LED backlight. That means it won’t have the incredible contrast of other current Odyssey G9 monitors. To be honest, I can see why Samsung didn’t want to show it. A VA panel monitor just wouldn’t look great placed next to a glasses-free 3D monitor and a 27-inch 4K OLED panel. Impressive monitors, unimpressive pricing Let’s recap launch prices for these monitors: Samsung Odyssey 3D G90XF: $1,999.99 Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 G81SF: $1,299.99 Samsung Odyssey G9 G91F: $999.99 This is where Samsung stumbles. At these prices, Samsung’s line-up simply isn’t attractive. The G90XF carries the same MSRP as Acer’s Predator SpatialLabs View 27, but $1,999.99 is a lot to ask for a monitor that currently supports only 12 games. The G81SF is almost certain to be excellent, but the nearly identical Alienware AW2725Q is $899.99. Samsung is sweetening the deal with special offers: the Odyssey 3D includes a $200 Samsung Credit and a JBL Quantum ONE Headset, while the OLED G8 model comes with a $300 Samsung Credit. These pre-order bonuses might help offset the premium pricing for early adopters. Pricing aside, both monitors look excellent—the Odyssey 3D G90XF is the best glasses-free 3D monitor I’ve tried and the Odyssey G8 G81SF is sure to provide a spectacular 4K gaming experience. They’re worth your attention if you’re in the market for a new monitor… and you’re willing to burn through a large wallet of cash. Further reading: The best 4K, HDR, and gaming monitors Read...

USB Type-C is the most flexible connection for notebooks and smartphones. The most important of its many capabilities is as a charging socket for battery-powered devices. USB-C should finally make everything simple: One socket, one cable, one power supply for all devices – from computers to smartphones and tablets to headphones and other peripherals. So much for the theory, which always sounds simple with USB. The reality is much more confusing. Not every USB-C power supply is suitable for every device. Not all Type-C ports can be used to charge devices quickly or at all. And not every Type-C cable ensures reliable power transmission. This guide will give you an overview of the technical possibilities of Type-C charging and recommends suitable power supply units for all devices. If you’d like to avoid all the background and simply know which cords as worth your hard-earned money, be sure to check out our roundup of the best USB-C cables. We perform hands-on tests that go far deeper than most other sources on the web. Further reading: Buying a USB-C cable? Look out for these 6 gotchas! USB Type-C: The standard connection for charging There are many symbols that identify a USB-C port on a laptop as a charging port. In practice, however, you will usually only find the Thunderbolt lightning bolt (at the bottom) on the housing. IDG Almost all mobile devices can now be charged via USB Type-C: For smartphones, Apple was the last major manufacturer to switch from the proprietary Lightning connector to USB-C last year with the iPhone 15. Apart from that, there are only very cheap bargain smartphones that still rely on micro USB as a charging port. The situation is similar for tablets, where market leader Apple already favored USB-C over Lightning three years ago with the iPad 9. You will also hardly find any devices without USB-C for headphones, ebook, readers, and mobile speakers. Only laptops still have numerous models that do not use Type-C to charge the battery: These are often older model series from the entry-level range. More frequently, however, USB-C is not the main connection for charging. Although powerful gaming and multimedia laptops have USB-C, they also have a dedicated power connection with a higher charging capacity that fits the power supply unit supplied. Business laptops with a USB-C port and power supply unit often still have the hollow plug connection so that companies can continue to use power supply units from decommissioned models. A Type-C connection on a laptop also does not always handle power delivery. The only way to find out whether a Type C socket is capable of power delivery is to look at the technical data. A Type-C port with Thunderbolt supports charging in any case. Further reading: We tested 43 old USB-C to USB-A cables. 1 was great. 10 were dangerous Advantages of power delivery via USB-C The triumph of Type-C is easy to explain, as the connection offers numerous advantages for users and manufacturers: Cables can be connected quickly and easily because the symmetrical plug is twist-proof. The socket takes up little space so that devices can be made lighter and flatter. And as Type-C can handle data and video transmission as well as charging, ideally a single cable is all that is needed between the computer and peripherals, which keeps the desk tidy. Whether a mobile device supports USB-C Power Delivery is usually stated in the technical data for the connections. If so, you can use a suitable power adapter for charging. IDG Devices can also be charged faster with USB-C: Power supply units for micro USB only deliver up to 10 watts, while chargers with a Type A connection usually deliver 15 to 18 watts. Type-C, on the other hand, supports the improved USB Power Delivery (PD) transmission protocol, which usually allows charging capacities of up to 100 watts and even up to 240 watts in the current version. our favorite Usb-c Charging cable Belkin BoostCharge 240-watt charging cable Best Prices Today: $15.99 at Amazon However, this does not apply to all Type-C connections, devices, and cables: Although everything fits together mechanically, not every combination has to provide the optimum charging power — for example, because different levels of the Power Delivery standard are supported or devices and power supply units do not implement the standard correctly. USB-C and Power Delivery: How the charging technology works The technical basis for charging via USB-C is the USB Power Delivery (USB PD) standard. It specifies voltage levels of 5 to 48 volts and currents of 3 or 5 amps in so-called “power profiles” or “power rules.” Depending on the power supply unit, power cable, and device, charging capacities of between 10 and 240 watts are possible. A typical smartphone power supply unit with 30 watts, for example, offers power profiles for a charging capacity of 15, 27, and 30 watts, while a laptop power supply unit also offers power profiles for 45, 60, 65, or 100 watts. Before transmission begins, the power supply unit (source) and consumer (sink) agree on the required voltage and current: The power supply unit first checks the cable to see whether it can transmit up to 3 or 5 amps and provides a basic voltage of 5 volts. It then tells the consumer what other voltages it can supply. The consumer answers which one it needs so that both can agree on a suitable power profile. Some multiple power supply units, such as this one from Ugreen, use the semiconductor material gallium nitride (GaN): this allows them to be built very compactly despite their high charging power. Ugreen Ideally, any USB-C power supply will charge the device with a Type-C charging socket with optimum performance and as quickly as possible. Even if the power supply does not completely fulfil the requirements of the device, it should provide a minimum charging power, even if the charging process then takes longer. Conversely, it does not speed up the charging process to use a power supply unit that offers a higher output than the device requires because the consumer cannot call it up. Since version 3 of USB PD, the power supply unit and consumer can adjust the voltage and current more dynamically. To do this, both must support the optional standard extension PPS (Programmable Power Supply Protocol). Best 3-port usb-C wall charger Ugreen Nexode Pro 65W 3-Port GaN Fast Charger Best Prices Today: $47.59 at Amazon Prime | $55.99 at Amazon The device can then request voltage and current from the power supply unit that deviate minimally from the prescribed power profiles: This speeds up the charging process, but can also ensure that the battery is less stressed during charging or that a smartphone or notebook receives the appropriate charging power in real time depending on the current system load. Labels such as Fast Charge or Super Fast Charge 2.0 on Samsung smartphones and power supply units, for example, indicate support for PPS. Further reading: Best USB-C PD laptop chargers 2024: More portable power How to find out whether a power adapter fits the device The easiest way to do this is to use the power adapter recommended by the manufacturer for charging. This is common for laptops, as new devices are supplied with a suitable power supply unit. Smartphones and tablets now often do not come with a power adapter in the sales box: You can buy the right charger from the device manufacturer. USB-C should make this investment superfluous and put an end to the confusion of power adapters that only fit one device. A power supply unit that can charge all your devices without any problems is therefore ideal. To do this, the power supply and device must have a USB-C connection and support USB Power Delivery: You should be able to find this information in the technical data, often as an abbreviation such as “PD” or “PPS.” If the power supply unit or device does not support USB PD despite Type-C, charging can start, but only at 15 watts. So that you can charge all devices with one power supply unit, it should have sufficient charging power for the most powerful device and suitable power profiles for devices with lower energy requirements. A laptop is usually the device that requires the highest charging power: Ultra-mobile laptops usually need a power supply unit with 45 watts, standard laptops require 60 watts, and particularly powerful laptops 100 watts. For smartphones, tablets, and portable speakers or headphones, on the other hand, 30 watts or less is sufficient. Further reading: Don’t buy these dangerous USB-C accessories To ensure that a USB-C power supply for the laptop charges other mobile devices, it should support power profiles for 15 and 27 watts via USB-PD. With third-party power supplies, you will often find a list of other devices that can be charged with it in the technical data of a laptop power supply. If tablets such as Apple iPad Pro and smartphones — for example Samsung Galaxy S24 — are listed, the power supply is also suitable for smaller mobile devices. If you want to use the power adapter that came with your laptop, check the manufacturer’s website for information on its output power: If you find information such as “9 volts – 3 amps,” the power adapter is suitable for smartphones and tablets. These values are usually also printed on the power supply unit under “Output.” Conversely, notebooks can also be charged with a smartphone power supply unit: This is helpful when travelling if you only want to take the lighter mobile phone charger with you. The power supply unit should offer at least 27 watts of charging power and a voltage of 9 volts. This is sufficient for small and light laptops. It is best to switch off the notebook when charging, because if it consumes more power during operation than the mains adapter supplies, the battery will be drained even when the charger is connected. However, many notebooks require 15 volts and most require 20 volts as the charging voltage. If your smartphone power supply delivers this, the notebook can also be charged with it – but usually only slowly. The best cable for charging via USB-C A good USB-C cable is crucial to ensure that the charging power from the power supply unit to the device is stable. The cables transmit a current of up to 3 amps as standard. This is sufficient for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Notebooks can also be charged with up to 60 watts using such cables – this is sufficient for small and lightweight laptops. For larger and more powerful laptops, however, charging will take longer depending on the battery size and operating load. To charge these laptops at optimum speed via USB-C, you need a cable that can transfer 5 amps. The fast charging functions of some smartphones and tablets also require an appropriate cable – for example, Super Fast Charging from Samsung. Many smartphones can be charged faster: However, you need the right power adapter and the right USB-C cable for this, both of which support the PPS standard or a higher current transfer of 5 amps. IDG These cables contain a chip, the so-called e-marker: It contains information about the capabilities of the cable, such as the maximum power supply capacity, voltage, and current values and supported charging protocols. It outputs this information when the power supply unit and consumer negotiate the optimum charging power via USB-PD to ensure that the charger delivers the appropriate voltage and current values for the cable and the connected device. Further reading: Samsung Galaxy owners: Buy this GAN charger for the fastest charges Most manufacturers usually describe the corresponding cables as “100 watt cables.” You will also often find a reference to the e-marker chip in the technical data. In addition to power transfer, USB-C also supports data and image transfer — if you want to use a cable for all applications, you must pay attention to this in its description: These multifunction cables are usually slightly more expensive than pure charging cables. Cables for Thunderbolt are guaranteed to support all USB-C transmission types. Good value Usb-c charging cables Anker New Nylon Series 3 USB-C to USB-C 2-pack Best Prices Today: $9.99 at Amazon You can‘t tell how well a charging cable transmits data: In theory, longer cables are more susceptible to voltage loss and limit the flow of current due to a higher resistance. Thicker cables are supposed to ensure more stable transmission. In practice, however, you cannot use this as a rule of thumb: The quality of a cable depends on its internal workmanship. A basic tip: Buy cables for higher charging capacities from well-known suppliers such as Anker, Belkin, or Ugreen. They are reliable and usually cheaper than the corresponding offerings from the laptop or smartphone manufacturer. Chargers with multiple ports: One power supply for all devices A single power supply unit is usually not enough for a large number of devices: You often want to charge different devices at the same time via USB-C. This is why there are power supply units with several USB-C and USB-A ports, which can be used to charge a notebook, smartphone, and headphones in parallel, for example. This is also useful when travelling if you only have one socket available on the train, for example. When making your choice, you should first consider how many devices you want to charge at the same time and on which ports: Multiple power supply units are available with numerous connection combinations, so you should always be able to find a suitable model. Devices with two USB-C ports cost from around $20, while prices with three Type-C ports start at around $40. In most cases, the power supply units also have a charging port with a Type A connection in addition to the USB-C outputs. You also need to decide what maximum charging power the multi power supply should have: Up to 45 watts is sufficient for a smartphone and headphones. If you also want to charge a laptop, at least 60 watts is recommended. USB power supply units with multiple connections: ManufacturerManufacturer ProductPrice (Euro)max. charging power (watts)Number of type CNumber of type AAnkerPrime (GaN)8010021Armature735 (Nano II)356521Armature735 Prime (GaN)506521Armature323203211BelkinBoost Charge Pro40652–UgreenNexode Pro Mini (GaN)10016031UgreenNexode (GaN)306521UgreenNexode (GaN)5510031UgreenNexode Pro Mini (GaN)456521 It is important to know how the power is distributed over the individual ports: The maximum charging power specified by the manufacturer usually applies to all ports together, only for the combination of certain ports or only if only one port is occupied. For example, if you choose a 65-watt power supply because you also want to charge your laptop, it will usually only deliver this charging power if a single USB-C port is occupied. If you charge another device on the second Type-C port, the power is then divided between 45 watts on one port and 20 watts on the other – the laptop will then charge more slowly. If all the ports on a three-port power supply are occupied by consumers, the power on a single port can drop even further. In addition, not all type C connections on the power supply unit have to deliver the same charging power: for example, the laptop may only receive up to 65 watts at port 1. If you connect it to port 2, it will only receive up to 45 watts. best single-port usb-C charger Anker 713 Nano II 45W Charger Best Prices Today: $27.99 at Amazon | $27.99 at Best Buy You should therefore look for the technical data for a model on the power supply provider’s website before buying: Well-known manufacturers such as Anker or Belkin list the charging power that the individual ports offer with single or multiple connections. The desired power supply should definitely support USB-C Power Delivery and preferably also PPS! Many manufacturers advertise more expensive models with the abbreviation “GaN”: This stands for the semiconductor material gallium nitride, from which, for example, the voltage converters in corresponding power supplies are made: They work very efficiently without overheating, which enables small power supply units with a high charging capacity. This article was translated from German to English and originally appeared on pcwelt.de. Read...

TechHive Editors Choice At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Incredibly long battery life Amazingly bright in both white and color modes Surprisingly affordable Cons Management often requires tedious light-by-light configuration Dynamic color modes are a bit flat Battery meter in the app doesn’t update reliably Our Verdict Linkind’s solar-powered smart landscape spotlights offer exceptional lighting quality and crazy-long battery life, and they don’t need any wires at all. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Traditional solar-powered path lights are some of the saddest home décor there is, their weak, dim beams suggesting that no one actually lives in the house they’re attempting to illuminate. These stick-and-go lights often seem forgotten by the homeowners that have jammed them into the earth, and who can blame them? The reality just doesn’t come close to matching the promise offered by the picture on the box. Linkind—whose interior smart bulb we recently covered—offers a tantalizing alternative: What if solar-powered path lights not only didn’t suck, but also included smart technology allowing for remote management? Specifications The Linkind Smart Solar Spotlight SL5C kit comes in a package of eight (a two-pack is also available) with a laminated solar panel on top of each housing. Two large banks of LEDs are inside each light, with a beam-focusing lens on its face. Note that these are directional spotlights, not ambient floods. Measuring about 6 x 3.5 inches, the IP65 water-resistant lights provide 3 watts of power, with their LEDs marketed as RGBTW—that’s red, green, blue, and tunable white. Linkind Smart Solar Spotlight SL5C are far brighter than your typical hardware store lights, and the colors are rich and lively. Linkind does not specify the wattage of the solar panel nor the size of the lights’ internal batteries, though the company says that when set to low-power mode (i.e., reduced brightness) they can run for up to 14 hours. (More on that in a bit.) They can be ground-mounted with plastic stakes or hung on a wall or other hard surface; hardware is included for either option. A simple thumbscrew allows you to adjust each light’s tilt angle. The entire top surface of each Linkind Smart Solar Spotlight SL5C features a very efficient laminated solar panel. Christopher Null/Foundry The SL5C is an update to Linkind’s older model SL5 lights, which look almost identical. The main upgrade here is higher solar-charging efficiency; both in charging speed and when charging under different weather conditions. Note, however, that the motion-sensing feature from the SL5 model has been removed from the SL5C. Since these lights don’t need—and don’t accommodate—any power source other than solar, users are directed to place them in the sun for at least a full day before even turning them on. That’s done via a single button on the bottom of each device that not only powers the lights on and off, but that can be used to cycle the lights through a handful of primary colors and two white color temperatures. Anything more requires the AiDot mobile app (AiDot is Linkind’s parent company). Connectivity Given the power limitations of the device, it’s understandable that its smart/wireless features are limited to Bluetooth mesh; as such, there’s not much to the setup process within the AiDot app. A quick discovery process turns up each lighting unit separately and drops you directly into color management and scheduling options once firmware has been brought up to date. The Linkind Smart Solar Spotlight SL5C can glow in numerous colors or tunable white, and the batteries last a good long time given adequate sunshine during the day.Christopher Null/Foundry The lights support white color temperatures from a warm 2700K to a cool 6500K, or you can use a color wheel to dial in the specific hue of your choice from millions of options. Some 43 presets are included that enable various dynamic lighting modes, including a music-sync option that works with your phone’s microphone. Linkind all but forces you to use a scheduling system with the lights, either one that is strictly tied to the time of day or one that uses both time of day and ambient light level (“luminance detection”) to turn on and off. You need not use time restrictions with the latter if you want the lights to run all night but note that the lights are strictly designed to run in dark conditions. The only way to get the lights to operate during daylight is to cover the solar panel completely to emulate night. Performance The lights look good under the cloak of darkness. They are far brighter than your typical hardware store lights, and the colors are rich and lively. I found the dynamic modes to be a little flat—and the music mode is not very impressive—but if all you’re looking for is a pop of light after dark, these lights get the job done. Battery life is even better than promised. I started off running the lights for four hours each night at full brightness and regularly observed a fully charged battery by midday the following day. When running them without a time restriction, I managed to get more than 22 hours of running time at 100 percent brightness, far better than the 14 hours Linkind promises. While the battery meter indicator didn’t update reliably in the app, I didn’t encounter any real issues with the product. The spotlights come with both a ground stake and a bracket for mounting to a wall or other hard surface. A pivot mechanism allows you to aim the light up or down.AiDot/Linkind What’s not to like here? The major problem with this setup is that each light must be managed individually, which means up to eight firmware updates, eight automation mode settings, and eight scheduling operations. On-demand color and dynamic modes can be set for “all lights” en masse, but you can’t do that for schedules. Modes and schedules can, however, be “copied” from one light to another through a slightly buried menu item. You’ll also need to make sure you’re in Bluetooth range of each light when controlling it. This could present challenges if you’ve spread the lights over a long pathway, but once a schedule is configured to your liking, you can essentially set things up once and then forget about it. The lights operate over Bluetooth mesh, so the AiDot app allows you to control each light individually or you can assign the same values to all of them at once.Christopher Null/Foundry There’s a workaround here in the form of the Linkind B1 Plus Hub, which I have not reviewed. It’s a Bluetooth bridge that lets you control up to 32 lights en masse from up to 120 feet from the bridge and the first spotlight. Each spotlight must likewise be no more than 120 feet apart, assuming there are no substantial obstructions between them. That still won’t be enough distance for even moderately sized homesteads, but it’s at least a start. The hub also allows you to connect the lights to Alexa or Google Assistant, which can’t otherwise be done with the naked lights. The bridge was on sale for $30 at the time of this writing, not including an AC adapter. Should you buy the Linkind Smart Solar Spotlight SL5C? An 8-pack of these second-gen landscape spotlights runs $130, while a 2-pack costs $35. (Limited-time launch discounts cut those prices to $91 and $25 respectively.) The larger bundle is a bit pricier than the older Linkind SL5 ($77 for a 6-pack), but it is still a very good deal, provided the slightly bulky design works for your aesthetic. While I would normally hesitate to recommend solar-powered lights to anyone, Linkind’s Solar Spotlights SL5C have me rethinking my position. Read...

AI chatbots provide real-time support and handle a wide range of requests, but many users looking for AI chatbots share the following concerns:  Data privacy and security Message accuracy and reliability  Natural language understanding and human-computer interaction Cost and compatibility If you’re looking for an AI chatbot that’s free, secure, and capable of meeting your daily needs, EaseMate, released by EaseUS Software, is an ideal choice. Let’s take a closer look at the features and benefits of EaseMate and how it fulfills the various needs. EaseMate: your fast and accurate free AI chatbot EaseMate, a free AI chat tool, aims to provide you with convenient and secure interaction while ensuring the privacy and security of your data. With EaseMate, you can easily talk to AI to get real-time information and help without worrying about expensive fees or data leakage. Compared with other free online AI chat tools, EaseMate has the following advantages: ?? Powerful AI models: Empowered by cutting-edge AI models, including DeepSeek V3, DeepSeek R1, GPT-4o-mini, LLaMA 3.3 70B, and Claude 3 Haiku, EaseMate delivers conversational intelligence and precision, ensuring a superior user experience. ?? No filter: EaseMate does not limit or filter user input, allowing users to express themselves or ask questions without restrictions. ?? No sign-up required: Start chatting instantly with EaseMate – no sign-up required, just effortless conversations at your fingertips. ?? Supports multiple languages: Supports 17 languages, including English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Japanese, Korean, and more, to seamlessly connect with users worldwide. The table below details this free online AI chatbot’s additional features: FeaturesDetailsAdvanced natural language processing and understanding Accurately interprets user intent, context, and nuances, including misspellings and synonyms. Provides human-like and context-aware responses.Machine learning and adaptabilityLearns from user interactions to improve responses. Recognizes frequently asked questions and provides personalized answers.Generative AI capabilitiesCan engage in open-ended dialogue and provide innovative solutions. Offers dynamic, human-like interactions that adapt to user needs.Contextual awarenessStores details of past interactions to maintain continuity and relevance of the conversation. Recognizes and responds appropriately to user emotions. EaseMate uses advanced AI technology to provide comprehensive support for work and life. Let’s see how it can help you. What does EaseMate help with? EaseMate is an integrated AI tool that converses with you, summarizes content, assists with writing, translates, and more, providing comprehensive features to streamline your workflow. This picture shows its five main functions: AI Chat, AI Summary, AI Writing, AI Translation, and AI Search. EaseUS ?? 1. AI Chat AI Chat is a core feature of EaseMate, allowing users to engage in natural conversations with AI. It utilizes advanced NLP to understand user intent and emotions, providing relevant responses. ?? Advantages: Efficient communication: Responds quickly to user queries and needs. Emotional support: Offers emotional support and suggestions, enhancing user experience. Personalized interactions: Provides personalized responses based on user history. ?? 2. AI Summary AI Summary is a powerful feature that quickly and accurately summarizes long texts or documents such as PDF files. It analyzes key points and structures to extract important information, presenting it in a concise form. ?? Advantages: Time saving: Rapidly extracts key information from text. Improved understanding: Enhances comprehension by providing clear summaries. Increased efficiency: Reduces reading time, boosting productivity. ?? 3. AI Writing AI Writing is a creative tool built into EaseMate that helps users generate high-quality text content using AI technology. It can create articles, reports, emails, and more based on user inputs or prompts. ?? Advantages: Accelerated content production: Generates drafts quickly, saving time and effort. Improved quality: Offers grammar and style optimization for better content. Customization: Produces tailored content based on user needs. ??4. AI Translation AI Translation is another amazing feature of EaseMate, which translates text from one language to another in real time. It uses advanced machine translation technology to provide accurate translations, considering context and cultural nuances. ?? Advantages: Global reach: Facilitates communication across languages, enhancing global connectivity. Speed and efficiency: Translates large volumes of content quickly and accurately. Cost-effectiveness: Reduces translation costs compared to human translators. ?? 5. AI Search This feature can quickly find relevant information on the internet. It analyzes user queries and uses advanced algorithms to provide the most accurate results. ?? Advantages: Rapid information retrieval: Quickly locates relevant information, saving search time. High accuracy: Provides precise search results based on user queries. Personalized recommendations: Offers tailored suggestions based on user behavior. Conclusion A great AI chatbot should have strong comprehension, extensive knowledge, personalized interactions, and emotional intelligence. EaseMate is the embodiment of these qualities, offering smooth conversations and high-quality features such as chatting, summarizing, writing, translating, and searching. If you are looking for a reliable and safe AI chatbot, EaseMate can be a good choice. Read...

Finding the right laptop for your lifestyle means cutting through a lot of noise. Whether you’re looking for a high-performance gaming laptop a lightweight Chromebook for daily browsing, or a reliable Windows laptop for school, this guide is here to help. We’ve tested top models across all categories–from budget-friendly options to premium picks–to match performance and value with real-world use cases. We’re here to provide straightforward advice to help you choose the the best laptop for you. Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (2024) – Best laptop overall Pros Strong performance Exceptional battery life Wonderful typing experience Cons CPU throttles under heavy loads No user upgrades Who should buy the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus? If you want a laptop that truly does it all and does it well, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is the one to beat. This laptop nails the essentials with style, speed, and stamina. It’s a top pick for anyone who needs dependable performance without being tethered to an outlet all day. The 14-inch form factor also hits the sweet spot between portability and screen face, making it perfect for either work or play. One of the biggest selling points is the seriously impressive 17-hour battery life. Whether it’s a long study session or a long workday, this laptop will power along with you. And with a price tag around $1,000, it delivers incredible value for the performance you’re getting. Beyond the long battery life, the 14-inch 2560×1600 display comes with an anti-glare coating and a peak brightness of 418 nits, making it comfortable to use in different lighting environments. Dell Inspiron 14 Plus: Further considerations The conservative design might not appeal to users looking for more pizzazz. While integrated graphics are fine for daily use, power users may want to look elsewhere for a laptop can handle heavier workloads. For most users though, this laptop ticks nearly every box. Read our full Dell Inspiron 14 Plus review Asus Zenbook 14 OLED – Best OLED laptop Pros Attractive OLED touchscreen Good CPU and integrated GPU performance Outstanding battery life Cons Blah design Keyboard isn’t memorable Mediocre connectivity options Who should buy the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED? Anyone would be happy with the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED–it nails the vital aspects, especially in the display and battery departments. The 14-inch 1920×1200 OLED panel is deliciously vivid, delivering rich colors and deep contrast, which is great for creators and editors. It’s also fast (thanks to the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor) and lightweight (2.82 pounds), and the 75 watt-hour battery churned out 17 hours of charge. That’s not bad for the $850 price tag. It’s a fantastic notebook that would work great for anyone, especially if you want vivid visuals from an OLED panel. Asus Zenbook 14 OLED: Further considerations The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED would have been our top pick, but it fell short in a few areas. For instance, the port selection is more limited–no Ethernet and fewer USB-A’s. The reflective display also makes it harder to use outdoors or in bright rooms. Finally, the Dell Inspiron Plus 14 (our current top pick) has slightly better battery life and performance. Read our full Asus Zenbook 14 OLED review Acer Aspire Go 15 – Best budget laptop Pros Affordable Decent battery life Good display visibility Cons Big and bulky Cheap build Limited performance Who should buy the Acer Aspire Go 15? The Acer Aspire Go 15 is the must-have laptop for budget-conscious buyers that just need the basics. The Intel Core i3-N305 processor handles everyday tasks like browsing and word processing with ease. Battery life is also close to 12 hours on a single charge. The appeal mostly lies in its value, though. While more expensive laptops nail the polish and the speed, the budget variety is strictly about what’s functional and that’s exactly what you’re getting here. It’s a good option for students or anyone seeking a reliable, no frills machine under $500. You’ll also find a surprisingly generous port selection on the Acer Aspire Go 15–USB-A on both sides, a USB-C, an HDMI, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Kensington lock. That’s more than what some laptops get twice the price. Acer Aspire Go 15: Further considerations Like many budget-friendly laptops, the Aspire Go 15 comes with a few trade-offs. The plastic chassis helps keep the cost down, and while it weighs a bit over four pounds, it’s still manageable for day-to-day portability. The 1920×1080 display is also pretty dim (250 nits), so it’s better suited for indoor use due to its 250 nit brightness, but it still delivers sharp visuals for everyday tasks. That said, if you’re looking to get solid utility at a great price, the Acer Aspire Go 15 is the total package. Read our full Acer Aspire Go 15 (2024) review Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 – Best battery life Pros Remarkable battery life Sturdy, lightweight design High-visibility display Cons Variable performance trails competitors A bit pricier than the competition Who should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6? The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is a great option for anyone who needs a reliable, long-lasting laptop. Weighing just 2.66 pounds and offering an incredible battery life of nearly 24 hours, it’s ideal for people who are always on the move. Plus, with a Snapdragon X Elite processor running the show, it offers the perfect blend of portability, endurance, and capable everyday performance. The build quality is also standout, with the chassis being notably sturdy, and the keyboard offers a delightfully tactile typing experience ThinkPads are known for. Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Further considerations The one area where this laptop falls a bit short is the display. While the 1920×1200 IPS screen is perfectly usable for productivity, it lacks the richness and contrast of an OLED panel. So if you’re doing color-sensitive creative work, you may want to look elsewhere. But if long battery life and portability matter more to you, then the ThinkPad T14s is the way to go. Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 review Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus – Best Chromebook Pros Snappy day-to-day performance Versatile 2-in-1 design Good typing experience Cons Stylus not included Heavier than expected Who should buy the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus? The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is an awesome pick for users who want the flexibility of a 2-in-1 without sacrificing performance. From the responsive 1080p touchscreen to the smooth convertible 360 hinge, it’s great for students or creatives that like switching between laptop and tablet mode. Boot times are lightning fast and ChromeOS runs smoothly thanks to the Intel Core i3-1315U processor and the keyboard provides a surprisingly comfortable typing experience. If your workload is compatible with Google’s web-based operations, then the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus would make an excellent daily driver for work or browsing. Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus: Further considerations There’s plenty to love about the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus. While the 1920×1080 IPS touchscreen display supports stylus input, the laptop doesn’t ship with a stylus, making it an additional cost if you like to sketch or take notes. It’s also a bit heavier than other Chromebooks, at 3.52 pounds, which might be a problem if you plan on carrying it around all day. Nitpicks aside, it’s still a fast and well-rounded Chromebook. Read our full Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review MacBook Air (M3) – Best MacBook Pros Excellent battery life 256GB SSD is now two NAND chips, maintaining performance Cons Expensive memory upgrades Dual external display support requires closed lid Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $1,249 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1499 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Who should buy the MacBook Air (M3)? The MacBook Air (M3) is a stellar option for anyone who wants a premium macOS experience without paying MacBook Pro prices. Starting at $1,299, it delivers fast performance for everyday tasks, light creative work, and multitasking–all in a fanless design that runs silent even under load. The Apple M3 chip brings performance on par with the base MacBook Pro (M3) model and, in testing, the battery lasted up to 19 hours on a single charge. If you’re looking for a powerful yet quiet macOS laptop with plenty of endurance to spare, this one hits the sweet spot. The 15-inch Liquid Retina (2880×1864 resolution) display doesn’t quite match the brightness or contrast of the mini-LED panel found in the MacBook Pro, but it’s still sharp and vibrant. The Air is also impressively thin and lightweight (3.3 pounds!), so it’s pretty darn portable. MacBook Air (M3): Further considerations If you’re after high-end performance for professional level workloads like 3D rendering or heavy video editing, a MacBook Pro with active cooling might be a better fit. However, for most users, the MacBook Air (M3) delivers good performance, long battery life, and an elegant design. Read our full MacBook Air (M3) review Lenovo Legion 5i – Best gaming laptop Pros Great GeForce RTX 4060 performance Solid build quality Nice cooling and vent positioning Cons Display is a little dim Who should buy the Lenovo Legion 5i? The Lenovo Legion 5i is a solid mid-range pick for gamers who want strong gaming performance and a fast display. With an Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU under the hood, it delivers the power needed for smooth gameplay as well as lightning-fast load times. The spacious 16-inch (2560×1600 resolution, 165Hz refresh rate) is another highlight. It offers crisp visuals and fluid motion, which is perfect for immersive single-player games and competitive gaming. In addition to it being a fast display, it also produces vibrant colors. For the price ($1,399 as tested), it offers an impressive balance of performance and value. Lenovo Legion 5i: Further considerations The Lenovo Legion 5i doesn’t just bring blazing-fast performance to the table, it also includes thoughtful features like a 1080p webcam with an electronic shutter switch and a full-size keyboard with a number pad and four zones of LED lighting. The webcam is perfect for streaming and the number pad allows for quick access to numeric inputs. While this laptop hits the mark for most gamers, for those that want more graphics firepower and higher frame rates, we’d recommend springing for a laptop with RTX 4070 graphics or higher. Read our full Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 review Acer Nitro V 16 – Best budget gaming laptop Pros Solid performance Fast 165Hz display with good colors Cons Fully plastic build Mushy keyboard Who should buy the Acer Nitro V 16? The Acer Nitro V 16 is a fantastic pick for gamers who want good performance and a fast display without breaking the bank. With an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU, and a 16-inch 1920×1200 IPS display running at 165Hz, it can comfortably handle most modern games on High settings. Acer Nitro V 16: Further considerations The Nitro V 16 really embraces the gaming aesthetic, with its angular lines and backlit keyboard that glows like embers in a fireplace. If you’re into that bold style, you’ll love it, but if you prefer a more understated design, it might not be for you. Battery life is also limited to about four hours, which is typical for a laptop in this category, but it’s something to keep in mind. Bottom line? If your priority is strong gaming performance at an affordable price, the Nitro V 16 offers a lot of bang for your buck. Read our full Acer Nitro V 16 review Asus ProArt P16 – Best content creation laptop Pros Big touchpad with virtual scroll wheel Gorgeous 4K OLED display More connectivity than the competition Good battery life Cons Chassis is light, but doesn’t look remarkable CPU performance falls behind the best Can get hot under load Who should buy the Asus ProArt P16? The Asus ProArt P16 is a top-tier choice for creative professionals and prosumers who prioritize display quality, connectivity, and performance. With its stunning 16-inch (3840×2400 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio), it’s definitely well suited to photo editing tasks and video production. It also boasts an Intel Core i9-13980HX CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, a powerhouse combination that delivers desktop-class performance. Battery life is another strong point, with the ProArt P16 lasting over nine hours on a single charge. It also includes USB 4.0 support via one of its USB-C ports, which enables speeds up to 40Gbps, making high-speed transfer possible. Asus ProArt P16: Further considerations Performance and display quality are the standout features, but there’s something compelling about the understated design. Some may find the all-black chassis too plain while others find it elegant. Under more demanding workloads, the chassis can also run a bit warm. Still, the ProArt P16 is an excellent fit for anyone that needs a serious workhorse. Read our full Asus ProArt P16 review Asus Zenbook S 14 – Best ultraportable Pros Transcendent battery life Large OLED screen Great audio Cons Keyboard needs more key travel Performance needs improvement Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Asus $1499.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Who should buy the Asus Zenbook S 14? The Asus Zenbook S 14 is a standout ultraportable for those who want a lightweight design, all-day battery life, and premium display quality. Weighing just 2.65 pounds–lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air–it’s a great pick for regular travelers and commuters. Despite its slim build, this laptop delivers surprising endurance. Its 73 watt-hour battery lasted an impressive 21 hours in testing and it comes paired with a vibrant 14-inch (2880×1800 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate) OLED display. Asus Zenbook S 14: Further considerations The Asus Zenbook S 14 offers more than just its slender build and extended battery life. The built-in audio is a pleasant surprise, as it delivers rich, clear sound, making it a solid option for media consumption. While it’s not exactly a powerhouse for resource intensive creative work, the Zenbook S 14 really excels in portability and endurance. Read our full Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406SA) review HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 – Best 2-in-1 laptop Pros OLED touchscreen looks great Nice solid build Long battery life Cons Few ports in odd spots Expensive  Who should buy the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14? If you’re in the market for a premium 2-in-1, the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is one of the best options available today. It’s perfect for anyone who wants the flexibility of a convertible form factor and the reliability of a long-lasting machine. The 360-degree hinge feels both sturdy and smooth, and the 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED touchscreen is vibrant and bright enough (500 nits!) for indoor use. The battery life is exceptional as well–lasting up to 17.5 hours on a single charge. Typing on the OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is a real pleasure thanks to its responsive keyboard and clearly labeled keys. Not only do they have satisfying travel, but the bold letting improves visibility. These minute details really enhance day-to-day usability. HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14: Further considerations If you’re looking for a full-metal unibody design, this laptop will fall short in that area, as it’s made entirely of plastic. The port placement is bit unconventional, too. Both USB-C ports are located on the back corners of the machine, which may not suit every setup. Read our full HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 review Framework Laptop 13 – Best laptop for upgrading Pros Customizable, repairable, and upgradeable Detailed repair documentation Cons On the expensive side for the specs Not the best battery life Who should buy the Framework Laptop 13? The Framework Laptop 13 is an awesome choice for tech-savvy users who value reparability and long-term sustainability. If you want a laptop you can upgrade over time rather than replace, this is one of the most compelling options you can find right now. Nearly every component of the Framework Laptop 143 is modular and user-replaceable. Each part is labeled with a QR code linking directly to guides and replacement listings on Framework’s website. You can even configure the port layout using swappable Expansion Cards, which are small rectangular modules that slide into the chassis like Lego pieces, allowing you to mix USB-C, HDMI, and so on. The Framework Laptop 13 is also surprisingly lightweight (2.87 pounds) for a laptop with this level of flexibility. It also handles general productivity tasks with ease thanks to the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor. Framework Laptop 13: Further considerations Performance is more mid-range than high-end and the pricing can feel steep when compared to traditional laptops with similar specs. The value here lies in its longevity–you’re buying a laptop that can evolve and change over time rather than a device with a set expiration date. Read our full Framework Laptop 13 review Other products tested While these laptops didn’t make PCWorld’s top picks list, they’re still noteworthy options that may appeal to certain folks. The Asus Zenbook A14 impressed us with its vibrant OLED touchscreen, robust build quality, and amazing battery life. For environmentally conscious buyers, the Acer Aspire Vero 16 stands out with a chassis made from PCR and other bio-based materials. Finally, if you’re someone that’s always on the go, the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro offers a 16-inch 2880×1800 AMOLED 120Hz touchscreen and an impressive 23 hours of battery life. How we test laptops The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests. For a much deeper look at our review methodology, check out how PCWorld tests laptops. Why you should trust PCWorld for laptop reviews and buying advice It’s in our name! PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We’ve been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 70 laptops every year. All of the picks below have been personally tested and vetted by our experts, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards. We’re also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget. Who curated this article? This article was curated by Ashley Biancuzzo, who oversees all of PCWorld’s laptop and Chromebook review coverage. Ashley has been immersed in the ever-changing world of consumer technology and brings a keen editorial eye to every review. She specializes in evaluating laptops across a wide range of categories–from budget-friendly models to high-end powerhouses. How to choose the best laptop What form factor is best for a laptop? Traditional clamshells are great for general use while 2-in-1 convertibles offer flexible designs with displays that rotate 360 degrees. Chromebooks, on the other hand, are a budget-friendly option that are best for everyday web-based tasks. How much processing power do you need? It depends on your workload. For everyday use, an Intel i5 (11th gen or later) or AMD Ryzen 5 (4000 series or later) is solid. If you’re into creative tasks like video editing, go for an Intel i7/i9 or Ryzen 7/9. For 4K video editing or heavy multitasking, a Ryzen 9 is ideal. Discrete graphics vs. integrated graphics? If you’re into gaming or video editing, you’ll want discrete graphics (like Nvidia or AMD cards) for better performance. For basic tasks like browsing or streaming, integrated graphics will do just fine. How much RAM? 8GB of RAM is zippy enough for general use. If you’ve got a gaming laptop, 16GB of RAM is the way to go, with 32GB being a future-proof configuration. Content creators will want as much as possible. What’s the right display size? If you’re a video editor or someone who does a lot of multimedia work, you’ll want a display that’s anywhere from 15- to 17-inches. The sweet spot is anywhere from 13- to 14-inches, though. The bigger the display, the heavier your laptop is going to be. A 13- or 14-inch display is the best in terms of portability and value. Battery-life expectations If you plan on taking your laptop anywhere with you, aim for something that can last 10 to 12 hours on a single charge. That’s more than a full workday, so it should theoretically get you through long flights or a day of classes. That said, many of the newest Snapdragon-powered Windows laptop are pushing well past that number, with one of them offering up to 24 hours of battery life on a single charge–this is due to the chip’s ultra-efficient Arm-based architecture. Just know that the bigger the battery, the heavier the laptop. Read our roundup of the best laptop chargers. Laptop pricing guide Many good laptops cost around $500 to $750, but the price really depends on your budget. If you’re strapped for cash (been there, trust me), go for a Chromebook or an entry-level business laptop. You can find solid options for under $500. Spending $750 to $1,000 can get you better displays, additional performance, more storage, and nicer designs. If you splurge for a laptop that costs over $1,000, you’re usually paying up for premium build quality, great extras, and top-shelf performance. Gaming laptops are different. You can sometimes find gaming laptops with entry-level discrete graphics on sale for around $850, but you’ll usually need to spend at least $1,000 for a system with decent 1080p gaming chops. You can pay more — often much more — for better graphics firepower and nicer displays, but the costs can rise rapidly depending on your hardware of choice. Some fully loaded gaming laptops can go for multiple thousands of dollars but you’re getting the equivalent of a desktop replacement in return. Spending $1,200 to $2,000 usually gets you a very good gaming laptop. Don’t forget the ports A wide array of ports is always a plus in my book, as it eliminates the need for an adapter. I’d recommend a laptop that has both USB-C and USB-A. An HDMI port is good, too. This is especially useful when you want to hook up to an external monitor. FAQ 1. What is the best laptop? The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (2024) stands out as the best overall choice for most people. Priced at around $1,000, it delivers reliable performance, exceptional battery life (17 hours on a single charge!), and a vibrant 14-inch 1400p display. 2. What is the best cheap laptop? The Acer Aspire Go 15 is PCWorld’s top budget pick because of its reliable performance and low price point. It features an Intel Core i3-N305 processor, a sharp 1080p display, and surprisingly good battery life. 3. What is the best gaming laptop? The Lenovo Legion 5i exhibits a fantastic balance of performance and value. Powered by an Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, it delivers top-tier gaming performance, easily crushing demanding titles like Metro Exodus with an average of 41 frames-per-second. The 16-inch IPS display boasts a 2560×1600 resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate, meaning you can expect smooth gameplay. While the display isn’t as vibrant as an OLED panel, it still offers a great picture at a competitive price. 4. When is the best time to buy a laptop?  The best time to buy a laptop usually falls during major sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Back-to-school season (late summer to early fall) is also a great time to buy a laptop, as many retailers target students. 5. What is a 2-in-1 laptop? A 2-in-1 laptop (also known as a convertible) is a device that combines the functionality of a traditional laptop (also known as a clamshell laptop) with the versatility of a tablet. These laptops feature a touchscreen display that can fold back, rotate, or detach. It’s ideal for those who need a full keyboard for productivity and a tablet for browsing the web or doodling. They’re pretty popular among students and creatives who want the best of both worlds. 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