TechHive Editors Choice At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Local AI and storage—no subscription required Dual-lens 4K pan/tilt cameras offer wide and zoom coverage Power-over-Ethernet simplifies camera placement Can be expanded with up to 16 cameras and 16TB storage Cons Installation requires drilling and pulling ethernet cable Works only with Eufy’s own PoE cameras No HomeKit or third-party camera support Our Verdict The Eufy S4 Max NVR is a serious system for users who want smart features without giving up privacy or flexibility. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Eufy PoE NVR Security System S4 Max Retailer Price $1,299.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Most home security systems force you to choose between smart features and local control. the Eufy PoE NVR Security System S4 Max gives you both. As its name indicates, this is a PoE (Power over Ethernet), NVR (Network Video Recorder) system with a built-in AI agent that runs on its own local hardware—there’s no cloud storage and no subscription fees required to unlock key features. Specifications Eufy markets this system as an all-in-one solution for robust yet easy-to-set-up home security. The bundle features local AI, local storage, and support for high-powered 4K cameras.. The bundle includes four of Eufy’s PoE Cam S4 triple-lens cameras. Each of these has a fixed-position camera with a single wide-angle lens (122-degree field of view) that’s fused to the dual-lens, pan/tilt/zoom camera beneath it. The Eufy PoE NVR Security System S4 Max consists of four tri-lens security cameras and an NVR with a 2TB hard drive for local storage and AI processing.Eufy The upper camera has a 16MP image sensor that captures video in 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels), while the lower PTZ camera has twin 2K lenses (each with resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels). The lower camera can rotate a full 360 degrees and tilt up to 70 degrees, with automatic tracking to follow and zoom in on a person moving within its field of view. Together, they form what Eufy calls a “Tri-Cam” system, engineered to eliminate blind spots. The cameras are built for outdoor use, with an IP65 weather rating that protects against dust, rain, and water jets (we’ll tell you everything you need to know about IP codes). For nighttime coverage, the PoE Cam S4 uses starlight color night vision and HDR processing to capture detailed, color-rich footage, even in low light. Black-and-white Infrared night vision is also available. When motion is detected, the built-in spotlight can activate to enhance visibility—useful for identifying people or license plates—while flashing red and blue warning lights provide a visible deterrent. The S4 Max’s NVR includes 2TB of local storage (expandable to 16TB) and built-in AI that handles detection and tracking without relying on the cloud.  Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Eufy’s NVR hub hosts a 3.5-inch 2TB hard drive for local storage. That should be plenty for most users, but you can replace that drive with one that has up to 16TB of capacity. And since the NVR can support up to eight camera channels out of the box (it can be expanded to handle up to 16 channels), you might find yourself needing to do just that down the road. Note that the four bundled cameras will consume two channels each, because each one is sending two video independent streams. Since the system uses PoE, the cameras will be hardwired to the NVR, with that one cable handling both data and power. This makes deployment much simpler because you don’t need to worry about having a power outlet near where you want to mount each camera. The system’s intelligence comes from Eufy’s on-device AI, which runs entirely on the NVR. There’s no round-trip to the cloud and no delay waiting for AI to kick in. The system can recognize people, vehicles, pets, and even unfamiliar faces (once you’ve helped it identify friends, families, neighbors, and anyone else who might make frequent appearances). You can set custom detection zones and choose which types of activity trigger alerts. That layered design powers Eufy’s advanced tracking features. When the upper wide-angle lens detects a subject, the lower PTZ lens automatically locks on and follows it, reframing as needed to keep the person centered in view, even from as far as 164 feet away. In group scenarios, the camera can adjust zoom and framing to keep multiple people in view, switching back to single-subject tracking when others leave the frame. The four dual-lens cameras work in sync, delivering coverage equivalent to an eight-camera setup. Thanks to Eufy’s Live Cross-Cam Tracking feature, when one camera reaches its tracking limit, another can automatically pick up the subject, allowing continuous monitoring across zones. Recorded video is searchable by keyword, making it easy to locate specific events without scrubbing through hours of footage. The NVR supports up to eight PoE cameras out of the box—expandable to sixteen—and uses a single ethernet cable per camera for both power and data.Michael Ansaldo/Foundry While the system is managed primarily through the Eufy app or web interface, it also supports voice control via Alexa and Google Assistant. There is no support for Apple HomeKit Secure Video, however, so users in that ecosystem will find integration more limited. Setup and performance Installation isn’t difficult, but it’s more involved than setting up battery-powered Wi-Fi cameras. The S4 Max is built to be installed outdoors and hardwired to your router, so you’ll be drilling into walls or soffits to mount the cameras with the provided hardware, and drilling larger holes and inserting weatherproof pass-through them that you’ll pull your ethernet cables through. The job requires more planning, tools, and time than the typical battery-powered, Wi-Fi camera does. First, you’ll need to connect the NVR to your router, plug in the included mouse for system control, and then hook up a monitor via the NVR’s HDMI port. From there, you’ll choose your camera locations, mount the camera brackets and mount the cameras to them, and then drill nearby holes in your walls, insert weatherproof grommets (something like this would work) into the holes on the interior and exterior sides of the wall, and feed the ethernet cables through them. You’ll connect the other end of the cables to the NVR). Once you’re finished with the labor, configuring the system to work is as easy as you’d expect. The NVR automatically detects the connected cameras, and you can access the system through a monitor, the Eufy app, or via Eufy’s web portal. The Eufy Security app lets you customize detection by type—human, vehicle, pet, or general motion—and choose how and when you’re notified, with options for thumbnails, alert tones, and recording intervals. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Once everything’s in place, the S4 Max gets to work quietly and capably. Live Cross Cam Tracking allows the cameras to hand off moving subjects between zones with minimal delay. When the system spots something it flags as a threat, it reacts quickly, sending alerts within seconds. Video quality is consistently sharp, delivering clear, detailed footage even in low-light conditions. The system handles faces, license plates, and movement well, and the built-in search tools make it easy to locate events using natural language like “man in a red hat.” In my testing, the app was stable and responsive. Live view loaded quickly, object recognition was accurate, and playback was smooth. You can tailor how each camera responds to activity independently, including defining activity zones, choosing which types of events trigger alerts, and customizing how long the on-camera spotlight stays active. You can also schedule when cameras are active or mute notifications by time of day. Each camera’s behavior can be fine-tuned individually, which gives you more control over how the system works in different areas of your property. Should you buy the Eufy PoE NVR Security System S4 Max? At $1,299, Eufy’s high-end NVR system isn’t exactly a casual purchase but it delivers solid value for anyone serious about home or small business security. You’re paying for local control, advanced detection, and a system that doesn’t nickel-and-dime you with subscription fees. If you’re comfortable with the installation requirements and want a system that stays local, customizable, and expandable, the S4 Max is a easy to recommend. If you like Eufy’s local storage and AI features, but would prefer wireless, battery-powered cameras, consider the $550 EufyCam S3 Pro Kit. We recently reviewed a two-camera system with a Eufy HomeBase 3 for local AI processing and storage costs. It also earned a TechHive Editors’ Choice award. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best home security cameras. Read...

If you’ve spent any amount of time using ChatGPT, you already know that it often requires lengthy explanations, prompt tweaks, and/or extra context to get it doing what you actually meant. Often, but not always. ChatGPT is capable of performing useful tasks with single, one-line prompts. When worded correctly, ChatGPT will perform the following tasks without hesitation, without extra context, and without issue. Further reading: 9 mundane chores ChatGPT can handle in seconds, saving you hours Get meal ideas from available ingredients Dave Parrack / Foundry Most of us endure busy working lives these days, which leaves little time for doing much of anything else—and that can include grocery shopping for the ingredients needed for home-cooked meals. Thankfully, if you ever find yourself with a small set of ingredients and no idea what to make with them, ChatGPT can help. Just list the staple (and otherwise) ingredients you have available and ask ChatGPT for some meal ideas using them. As an example, I asked, “What meals can I make with rice, eggs, and frozen mixed vegetables?” ChatGPT suggested egg fried rice, a vegetable rice omelet, and baked egg fried rice muffins, among others. Pretty nifty in a pinch. Troubleshoot your problems Dave Parrack / Foundry When something goes wrong, your first instinct might be to panic or shut down—but maybe it should be to ask ChatGPT for help instead. ChatGPT can provide troubleshooting help whenever you’re stuck dealing with an unknown or unexpected issue. Just ask ChatGPT to provide a list of troubleshooting steps for whatever has gone wrong. In my case, I’ve asked what I can do about a Windows laptop that has stopped working—my short prompt of “Please list some troubleshooting steps for a Windows laptop that has stopped working” resulted in a solid list of 10 things I could try. This is equally useful for all kinds of other problems, like if your toilet randomly flushes on its own every so often, if your car starts making a weird noise, or if your wireless router is on the fritz. Just make sure you never share sensitive personal data with ChatGPT! Create tailor-made workout routines Dave Parrack / Foundry While YouTube remains an option when looking for a workout routine, ChatGPT can provide you with ones that are as general or as specific as you need them to be. Want exercises for people your age? Or stretches for an aching lower back? Or simple workouts you can do at home without any equiment? Ones you can do at your desk? No worries! I personally asked ChatGPT, “Please create a short workout routine a 40-year-old can do in their lounge.” (I’m a bit older than 40, but what better way to stay young than to work out as a younger person would?) ChatGPT came through for me with a 20-minute low-impact workout routine that I found challenging but doable. It’s one of the many ways you can use ChatGPT to actually improve your life. Generate comprehensive checklists Dave Parrack / Foundry Checklists are so useful for when you absolutely don’t want to forget an important step, like when you’re packing for vacation, hosting a party, or spring cleaning your home. ChatGPT can help by creating checklists for lots of different scenarios—and for best results, you’ll want to include specific details to clue ChatGPT into your specific needs. I asked ChatGPT to “Please provide me with a checklist for packing for a vacation to Italy in September.” Note that I mentioned both the location and time of year I was visiting! The more context you can provide in your prompt, the more accurate and helpful the checklist will be. Explain concepts (like I’m 5) Dave Parrack / Foundry With a single, one-line prompt, ChatGPT can explain even the most complex concepts in a way that you can grasp. Want to understand nuclear fission? Or how EV batteries work? Or what kind of engineering goes into modern data centers? Just ask! But make sure to tack on the “like I’m 5” to your prompt—taken from the ELI5 trope on Reddit—so that ChatGPT dumbs down the subject enough to be digestible no matter your background. As an example, I asked ChatGPT to explain the concept of time travel like I’m 5. (Feel free to change the age or add any other qualifiers you want.) Summarize online articles Dave Parrack / Foundry Do you feel like you’re inundated with so much information that you just can’t keep up or absorb it all? You aren’t alone. There are billions of web pages out there—no one has the time or energy to read every single thing that catches their eye. Thankfully, ChatGPT can help by analyzing any online article and spitting out the most important bits. In the example above, I asked ChatGPT to summarize my own article about mundane tasks ChatGPT can handle for you—and it accurately broke it down, correctly citing PCWorld as the source throughout. In testing, I found that ChatGPT sometimes even pulls info from other sources to fill in details and provide more context. See what happened on a day in history Dave Parrack / Foundry It’s important to not only know what has happened in the past, but to understand why those things happened. You could work your way through encyclopedias and history books, spending years of your life absorbing facts and putting them together… or you could put ChatGPT to work and get it to do all the heavy lifting for you. With a simple prompt, ChatGPT can list all the major historical events that have happened on a particular day. You can ask about a specific day in a specific year, or the same particular day throughout the years. If the response stokes your interest, you can follow up with probing queries and learn more. But for many, the initial one-line prompt should suffice. Answer simple trivia questions Dave Parrack / Foundry If you’re anything like me, you frequently come across questions to which you don’t know their answers. Not to worry! You can just ask ChatGPT to answer those questions for you, pronto. I’m talking about questions with definitive answers, such as trivia. Who won a certain sports tournament in a given year? What year was a certain music album released? Which mountain is the tallest in the world? That sort of thing. Any question with an open-ended answer, or one with multiple potential answers, could complicate matters. Learn a new word every day Dave Parrack / Foundry I love learning something new every day, whether it’s practical and purposeful or gimmicky and trivial. One thing that blends both ends of the spectrum is the concept of a “word of the day”—and ChatGPT can provide you with a new word every day via a one-line prompt. Just input, “Please provide a word of the day for today.” ChatGPT will then provide a word along with its meaning, origin, and an example of it used in a sentence. It will then ask if you’d like a different word each day from then on, saving you from ever having to ask again. Combine tasks like this with ChatGPT’s nifty “scheduled tasks” feature to boost your productivity and save lots of time! Translate words or simple phrases Dave Parrack / Foundry If you’re traveling abroad, you should try to learn some of the local language. Sure, most people around the world speak enough English to get by, but that’s no excuse for being lazy! Pick a few choice words or phrases and learn how to say them in the language of the country you’re visiting—and that’s something ChatGPT can help you with. To be clear, ChatGPT is more than capable of translating longer phrases and even whole articles, documents, and publications. However, once you enter that kind of territory, you’re leaving the “one-line prompt” zone and will need to write prompts that are more complex. Convert units of measurement Dave Parrack / Foundry As a kid, I never imagined how often I would need to convert one type of unit into another—but as an adult, I’m doing it far too often. While Google and other tools do a decent job of converting all types of units, I’ve actually found ChatGPT more capable. In this example, I asked ChatGPT to “convert 100 centimeters into feet and inches.” It converted 100 centimeters into both feet and inches along with its reasoning. You’ll be pleased to know that the math checks out! Further reading: 9 mundane chores ChatGPT can handle in seconds, saving you hours Read...

The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan has set a groundbreaking record: a data transmission rate of 1.02 petabits per second (around 127,500 GB/s) over 1,802 kilometers (about 1,120 miles), reports CNET. That’s around 3.5 million times faster than the average US fixed broadband internet connection, which was around 289 Mbps according to Speedtest as of May 2025. At this new record-breaking speed, you could download the entire Netflix library in under a second. Fiber optics with 19 cores The key to the record is a new optical fiber with 19 cores, which are installed in a cable with a diameter of just 0.125 millimeters (the standard size for existing networks). Compared to conventional cables with one core, this fiber transmits 19 times more data with minimal data loss due to uniform light conduction. For transmission over the 1,120-mile distance—comparable to New York to Chicago—the signal was amplified 21 times. The new record more than doubles the previous year’s figure of 50,250 GB/s. In 2023, the NICT team achieved similar speeds but only over a third of the distance. Advances in signal amplification and reduction of data loss are what made this new range possible. Compatible with existing fiber optic cables The technology could meet the growing demand for data worldwide, as data volumes have been increasing by about 50 percent annually according to Nielsen’s Law. In general, the new technology is exciting and also interesting for countries where fiber optic expansion is stagnating, primarily because these new cables fit into existing infrastructures. The record has not yet been independently verified, but it shows how fiber optics could further shape the future of the internet. Further reading: These are the 10 most watched Netflix shows of all time Read...

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I finally did it. After months of putting up with a diminishing Windows experience plagued with issues, I bit the bullet and gave my Windows PC a proper factory reset—and boy does it feel good. I should’ve done it sooner, but I’ve been putting it off because I’ve always dreaded the whole process of migrating files and re-installing all my apps. I’m embarrassed to share this one because my colleagues are big proponents of regular factory resets, and now I understand why. It gets you back to the performance you had when everything was new, and it ditches all the bloatware that has built up over the years. I now have a lovely, clean, fresh Windows install that’s running like magic, and I’m here to encourage you to do the same. Not convinced? Here are several warning signs that it’s time to reset your Windows PC. Sign #1: Your PC feels slower than usual My main PC is a bit of a beast. Thanks to hardware review samples and friends in the right places, I was able to build an economical but very capable machine that has served me well in most respects. It’s built around the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, which gives stellar performance for gaming and professional tasks. That’s paired with 32GB of DDR5 RAM, a few TBs of PCIe 4.0 storage, and a PowerColor Red Devil 7900 XTX. Apart from the 9950X3D, this is about as fast an all-AMD PC can be. But until my most recent Windows reset, it wasn’t behaving as it ought to. General performance was fine, but this is a powerful PC setup that should offer a no-compromise experience—and I was seeing odd frame rate drops, inconsistent frame times, bizarre performance dips when tabbing to something on my second monitor, and a weird system lock that lasted a few seconds any time I launched a game or app. I basically only use my PC to play Tabletop Simulator. It’s complete overkill, I know, but when that app slows down… well, you know it’s time to do something about it.Jon Martindale / Foundry I tried troubleshooting—new drivers, new BIOSes for everything, Windows updates, uninstalled bloatware, unplugged new devices, and rolled back to a System Restore point from a few weeks ago. But the issues always cropped back up again. Now that I’ve factory reset Windows and killed off whatever it was that was causing my performance issues, I’m enjoying a pristine gaming and work experience once again. I’d forgotten what I was missing. Sign #2: Your PC crashes and glitches a lot I’ve written hundreds of how-to guides on using and troubleshooting Windows, so I like to think that when a problem appears, I know (or can figure out) how to fix it. I’m the “Computer Guy” in my extended family, so I fix all of their problems, too. Unfortunately, that makes it hard for me to throw in the towel when I’m dealing with bugs, glitches, and crashes on my own PC. It’s a point of pride, in a way, and I want to fix what I can—but sometimes troubleshooting just becomes too much of a bear. No matter how many times I reinstalled the Logitech G Hub app, it would sit stuck on this loading screen for minutes whenever I tried to launch it.Jon Martindale / Foundry For example, my Logitech webcam was causing system locks whenever I woke my PC from sleep. It was some kind of driver issue, but nothing worked—updating, reinstalling multiple times, changing USB ports, reinstalling the admin software. My ring light caused a weird USB initiation hang during post, too, and sometimes caused GameMaker Studio to freeze when launching my work-in-progress. And my second monitor always flickered to white on reboot, prompting a cable reseat. These are the kinds of little issues that built up, making my PC an utter pain in the neck to use as they piled on. I stubbornly tried my best to fix everything, but eventually it got bad enough that I was driven to reset. I only wish I reset earlier instead of digging my heels in. If your PC is bugging, crashing, and glitching, it’s fine to try fixing things on your own—but when you can’t, or when the issues keep recurring, then there’s no shame in hitting the factory reset button. It’ll save you a lot of time and headaches in the process. Sign #3: Your PC has racked up bloatware I really like a lean system. My list of startup apps is as minimal as I can make it, and I try to make a point of closing down any app I’m not actively using. But one of the downsides to writing about software is I often have to install apps I don’t plan on keeping, in order to test them out. I might be writing a how-to guide, grabbing screenshots, or just needing to know how something works so I can write about it. So many installed apps. Too much crap to count.Jon Martindale / Foundry Sadly, I don’t always delete those apps straight away—I might need them later, after all. But that just means that over time, and with enough procrastination, my collection of no-longer-used, no-longer-needed apps grows to ridiculous proportions. Bloatware. Uninstalling each and every app would’ve taken up precious time I could spend doing literally anything else. Instead, a Windows factory reset was a great way to just wipe them all out in one go. If you find yourself swimming in apps that you no longer use or need, a full PC reset is great for freeing up storage and saving time. Sign #4: It’s been years since the last reset You should really reset your Windows PC at least once in a while, and we argue that once per year is the best practice. For me, though? I’m embarrassed to admit that it’s been three years. Three long years of bloatware buildup, performance dips, and stubborn bugs. (Do as I say, not as I do! It’s true, I commit several PC sins and mistakes.) Foundry If you ignore all the other signs that you should reset Windows, at least remember this one—and stick to it. Perform a Windows reset as part of your annual spring cleaning. It’s an easy milestone to track, and you’ll be keeping your PC in tip-top shape before all the small issues crop up, pile on, and noticeably start dragging you down. Sign #5: You’re going to upgrade your PC Another great opportunity to factory reset your PC is when you’re performing a big upgrade. Sure, Display Driver Uninstaller will give you a good clear out if you upgrade your GPU—it’s one of my favorite hidden gem apps for Windows users—but for everything else, you never know what legacy code or drivers are hanging around gumming up the works. Samsung Memory / Unsplash In some cases, you kind of have to reset Windows because it’ll throw a fit if you toss out too much of the silicon baby with the proverbial bath water. But it also means you can make the most of your new hardware with a freshly installed operating system. You deserve that true, new hardware feel. Skipping the factory reset is doing yourself and your new hardware an injustice. Plus, a reset would’ve felt great on your old hardware—imagine how much better it’ll be with some brand new hardware with it? Sign #6: You’re dealing with malware Modern PC security solutions are more capable than ever. You have anti-ransomware systems, AI-backed malware detection, identity fraud protection, and phishing blockers. Windows’ own security systems are robust enough now that you probably don’t need other antivirus. solarseven / Shutterstock.com But malware makers will find ways to get around those systems, and if your machine is ever infected by something nasty, it can be hard to clear it out—or worse, know whether it’s been fully removed. That can leave you paranoid, thinking the infection is quietly stealing data from under you. If you want ultimate peace of mind after dealing with a malware attack, a proper Windows factory reset is a great option. Better yet, zero out your hard drive or even just buy a new drive altogether. Further reading: Signs your PC was hacked (and what to do if it was) Read...

The voting age in the UK will be lowered to 16 by the next general election. Read...

16 and 17 year olds will be able to vote in next general election for the first time. Read...

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