Summer is for traveling the world, hiking the trails, laying out at the beach, and enjoying concerts out in the open. The only thing that can ruin the day when the sun is shining is your phone’s low battery warning. Thankfully, the Baseus Picogo power bank is an easy fix for this problem, no matter where you are going. The Baseus Picogo MagSafe power banks are not only going to save you in a pinch, but they’re also going to serve as gorgeous accessories. With a slim build and a beautiful design, these power banks have an aluminum alloy cover. That not only makes them sturdy enough to survive life in your bag, but it also makes it easy to avoid overheating during charges because heat dissipates more easily. Meanwhile, the soft-touch silicone cover is scratch- and wear-resistant, and reveals no unsightly fingerprints. Plus, the smooth casing has rounded edges, which will make holding it and your phone while you’re actively using the device that much nicer, since it won’t be digging into your palm and fingers. There are two versions of the Baseus Picogo MagSafe power bank you can pick from, depending on your needs. One has a 5,000mAh capacity, while the other tops out at 10,000mAh. Naturally, it’s not just the capacity that varies, but also the size of the power bank. Both measure the same 3.93 inches in height and 2.62 inches in length, but the thickness and weight vary–a necessary trade-off with the additional capacity and faster charging technology in the larger model. The 5,000mAh Picogo is only 0.3 inches thick and weighs 4.6oz, while the 10,000mAh version is 0.5 inches thick and weighs 7.8oz. Neither is heavy enough to be of concern. These versatile power banks are extremely useful when on the go as they provide wireless charging as well as wired charging via a USB-C port. They even come with a short braided type-C cable in the package so you don’t need to buy an extra one. The 5,000mAh Picogo delivers a maximum of 7.5W wireless charging and 20W wired charging via the type-C port. The 10,000mAh Picogo is an upgraded model with faster charging speeds, reaching up to 15W wireless charging and 27W wired charging. While it does depend on the battery capacity of the device you wish to charge, the 5,000mAh Picogo should offer a full charge of your phone, while the 10,000mAh version should support about two full recharges. Whichever model you want, you should know the Baseus Picogo power banks are on sale right now over at Amazon. The 5,000mAh Baseus Picogo power bank is now available with a 55% discount, which means you can get one of these tiny and gorgeous devices for $26.99. The 10,000mAh Baseus Picogo is also on sale at $39.99, a great value considering how useful these power banks can be. The Baseus Picogo 5,000mAh is $26.99Buy now at Amazon The Baseus Picogo 10,000mAh is $39.99Buy now at Amazon Read...

Cleaning a swimming pool ranks right up there with scrubbing bathroom floors, but the consequences of neglecting either chore are equally unhealthy. Fortunately, in the age of robots you can ditch the laborious chores of manually skimming leaves from your pool’s surface and scrubbing algae from its walls and floors. Invest in a modern robotic pool cleaner and let that machine do that dirty work for you. (Sadly, we haven’t yet seen a robot that can scrub our toilet bowls.) These labor-saving pool bots come in various shapes and sizes with diverse capabilities, not to mention a wide array of prices. The most sophisticated models go for $2,000 or more. Here are our top picks, followed by a buyers’ guide that will help you determine what you need in a robotic pool cleaner. Polaris Freedom Plus – Best cordless robotic pool cleaner overall Pros Overall great cleaning quality Lightweight, drains water quickly Docks at waterline for easy retrieval Cons Slightly less effective than Polaris’ corded model VRX iQ+ Remote control is somewhat difficult to use Very expensive Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $1,699 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Why we like the Polaris Freedom Plus Polaris’s premiere battery-powered pool robot wins on flexibility, even if it makes minor compromises in cleaning prowess compared to its corded–and much less convenient to use–cousin, the Polaris VRX iQ+ (see below). This bot has a large, easy-to-clean debris basket, and it was extremely effective at removing leaves and other debris from our test swimming pool. When the bot has finished its work, it automatically parks itself at the side of the pool for easy retrieval. Who should buy the Polaris Freedom Plus The Polaris Freedom Plus is a great choice for homeowners with larger pools who want hands-off cleaning with the option to remotely control their pool-cleaning bot to ensure specific areas are cleaned. It comes with a caddy that provides contactless charging, and its 20-pound weight makes it easy to move from the caddy to the pool when it’s time to clean. Read our full Polaris Freedom Plus review Beatbot Aquasense Pro – Best cordless robotic pool cleaner, runner-up Pros Excellent underwater cleaning capabilities App lets you tweak cleaning operations in dozens of ways Outstanding battery life of 7 hours or more Cons Can still get stuck on occasion Skimming feature isn’t overly effective Expensive compared to some other high-end competitors Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $2,199 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Why we like the Beatbot Aquasense Pro Like many robot vacuums, the Aquasense Pro comes with a docking station that automatically charges its battery, eliminating the need to drag a power cord to the device after each cleaning session. It will clean your pool’s floor, walls, waterline, and the water’s surface. It does a great job vacuuming up dirt and debris from the bottom of the pool, trapping it in its two-piece mesh basket. And if you opt in to purchasing its water-clarifying agent, the robot will dispense it while it moves around sucking in leaves off the surface of the pool. Who should buy the Beatbot Aquasense Pro? Pool owners looking for the ultimate in programmability and flexibility in cleaning should take a long look at the Aquasense Pro. This machine is outfitted with nine separate motors, which help it cruise around your pool with focus and efficiency. It has four Four preset cleaning modes: floor only; floor, wall, and waterline; floor, wall, waterline, and surface; and an eco mode that cleans the pool’s floor once every other day until its battery dies. But you can also create custom cleaning modes for the floor, walls, and surface that give your more than 20 other ways to keep your pool spotless. Read our full Beatbot Aquasense Pro review Wybot S2 – Best cordless robotic pool cleaner for large pools Pros Outstanding coverage Endlessly configurable via mobile app Reasonably lightweight for easy maneuverability Cons Haphazard navigation History of cleaning operations seems broken App is rough around the edges Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $899.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Why we like the Wybot S2 Boasting the ability to clean swimming pools measuring up to 3,230 square feet and equipped with a beefy 7800mAh battery, the Wybot S2 can scrub nearly any pool in just a few hours. Don’t let its idiosyncratic navigation fool you. It might look like it’s wandering around with no clear purpose, but it will leave no area of your pool’s floor, walls, and waterline untouched. And its ability to suck up debris is as good as its ability to scrub, thanks to a large basket with two filters, the second of which is great for capturing fine-grained grit.   Who should buy the Wybot S2 If you’ve been maintaining a large swimming pool the old fashioned way, you’ll love the labor savings the Wybot S2 will deliver. Its large battery will ensure the pool is always clean and ready for use. Be prepared to endure some quirks in its app–it seems it could have used a wee bit more polishing before it was released–but that software should be relatively easy to update. This robotic pool cleaner is outstanding in every other regard. If price is no object, however, the Polaris Freedom Plus is even better; that said, it’s also nearly twice as expensive. Read our full Wybot S2 review Aiper Seagull Pro – Best cordless robotic pool cleaner for large pools, runner-up Pros Epic performance 3-hour battery life ensures no surface is left untouched Doesn’t need to be disassembled for cleaning Cons Can get stuck on obstacles Cleaning out the filter basket is a bit messy Very expensive Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Aiper $499.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Why we like the Aiper Seagull Pro This is one of the best robotic pool cleaners we’ve tested, and if you can find it on a good sale day–such as $500 price from Aiper at the time of this writing–it’s probably the best value in its category. It delivered epic cleaning performances in our tests, picking up leaves and other debris and scrubbing the floor and walls of our test pool to rid them of algae growth. Who should buy the Aiper Seagull Pro If you can’t find the Aiper Seagull Pro on sale, and you don’t mind paying top dollar for the convenience and labor savings, this robotic pool cleaner is a great choice. Read our full Aiper Seagull Pro review Aiper Seagull SE – Best robotic pool cleaner for smaller pools Pros Very easy to use Lightweight, sleek, and fast Reasonably effective at cleaning considering the price Cons Failed to park itself near the wall at end of its cycle Struggles with larger leaves Requires significant regular maintenance Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $179.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Why we like the Aiper Seagull SE If your pool is on the small side, Aiper’s entry-level pool bot should have no trouble cleaning debris from it. The 8-pound device is easy to maneuver, zooming around the pool for about 90 minutes before its battery dies out. It lacks much in the way of features beyond its on/off switch, but it’s a capable and incredibly low-cost choice if all you need is occasional help scooping up leaves that you’d otherwise have to collect by hand. Who should buy the Aiper Seagull SE Aiper’s entry-level pool bot is best for people with smaller swimming pools—up to about 850 square feet. If you’re working with a tight budget, you could try deploying one in a larger pool, but be aware that its battery will need multiple charging cycles to get the entire job done. Read our full Aiper Seagull SE review Polaris VRX iQ+ – Best corded robotic pool cleaner Pros Best performance of any pool cleaning robot we’ve tested to date Optimizes run time based on pool size Lift system lets you retrieve the robot on demand without a pole Cons Very expensive Wrangling power cable requires some extra effort A bit of an eyesore even when not in use Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $1,649 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Why we like the Polaris VRX iQ+ The Polaris VRX iQ+ differs from the other robotic pool cleaners we’ve tested by virtue of the 70-foot insulated power cord that connects it to its out-of-the-water control panel. Wrangling the cord can be a chore–and it’s not the least bit attractive whether the robot is in use or not–but this bot cleaned our pool better than anything we’ve tested to date. Who should buy the Polaris VRX iQ+ If you’re looking for the most effective robotic pool cleaner, you have a place to stash it and its bulky caddy when it’s not in use, and you don’t mind wrestling with its power cord each time you set it to cleaning–and again when it’s done its job–the Polaris VRX iQ+ is hard to beat. If those chores are a turn-off, pick one of our battery-powered recommendations instead. Read our full Polaris VRX iQ+ review Other robotic pool cleaners we’ve tested We’ve evaluated many other robot pool cleaners, but apart from the Ofuzzi Cyber 1200 Pro, it’s been a love or hate relationship to date. If none of our top picks check all the boxes for you, take a look at these other products. Perhaps you’ll find a redeeming factor we’ve overlooked. Aiper Scuba S1: As much as we like Aiper’s higher-end pool-cleaning robots, we were disappointed with the performance of its budget-priced entry. Hydrus Roker Plus: Don’t be tempted by this robot pool cleaner’s low price tag. We found it did a poor job of cleaning our pool, its battery life too short, and it was difficult to clean of the debris it did pick up. Inse Y10 Pool Vacuum Robot: The manufacturer says its smallish robot is designed for moderately sized pools up to 1,100 square feet. It’s one of the least-expensive bots we’ve tested, but there’s a big difference between inexpensive and just cheap. Ofuzzi Cyber 1200 Pro: This robot won’t clean your pool’s walls, but we found that it did a great job vacuuming up leaves and other debris from the bottom of our pool. It’s attractively priced, too. Seauto Shark: This robotic pool cleaner excels at picking up dirt and grime from the bottom of the pool, but in our test runs, it tended to miss key sections. How I test pool cleaners I test robotic pool cleaners in two ways: First, I start with real-world tests by letting debris build up for a few days, I then drop the robot into the water to see how it fares. This isn’t scientific—and it’s seasonally dependent on falling leaves—so I also devised a synthetic test using about 100 craft leaves made from silk. These I scatter across the pool before initiating a standard cleaning run. Measuring the portion of leaves left behind makes it easy to make an apples-to-apples comparison among various robots’ cleaning capabilities. TechHive has not tested any robot pool cleaners in an above-ground pool. Why you should trust me I’ve been in and around home swimming pools for most of my life, and I have owned my own pool since 2022. The pool is actively used, and I perform some level of maintenance on the pool nearly every day. I have tested a variety of cleaning devices in the pool, including old-school water-powered Polaris cleaners and a number of more modern robots. The pool depth ranges from about 4 to 7 feet deep and is L-shaped, measuring 12 by 36 feet, with a small leg jutting out that adds another 6 by 6 feet in the shallow end, totaling 468 square feet. Who curated this article? Christopher Null is an award-winning technology journalist with more than 25 years of experience writing about and reviewing consumer and business tech products. In addition to his work for PCWorld, he is a frequent contributor to Wired, This Old House, and AAA’s Via Magazine. How to choose a robotic pool cleaner As with most tech products, the feature sets and capabilities of pool-cleaning robots advance as their price tags go up. Here’s a partial list of features that you should look for, sorted from the most common—and therefore should be present on even the least-expensive models—to the fancier features you’ll find on the more sophisticated, and pricier, models. Battery life/square footage These specs go hand in hand: The larger the battery, the more area the robot should be able to cover. In my experience, most manufacturers exaggerate how many square feet their bots can cover on a single battery charge. Look for a model that promises coverage of at least twice the size of your pool’s square footage. Mobile app support Starting at about the $1,000 price range, robotic pool cleaners start to include Wi-Fi connectivity and mobile app support. These features lets you monitor battery life and the robot’s cleaning mode, and—at least in theory—map your pool visually. These features don’t always work as planned, but it can be helpful to get a push notification on your smartphone if the robot gets stuck somewhere. Remote control A few robots include a standalone remote control that let you “drive” the robot toward debris or tell it to abort its cleaning run altogether. Self-parking Many robots can park themselves near a wall at the bottom of the pool when they’re finished running, which makes them easier to retrieve with a pole (a hook attachment is always included). I’ve found this feature to be hit-or-miss affair with the inexpensive models, while the more advanced ones can rise to the surface of the pool and float there. At that point, you can simply pull them out of the water by hand, no tools needed. Surface-cleaning capabilities Beatbot Want a robot that can skim leaves that haven’t yet sunk to the floor? Look for a model with a skimming feature–although note that these won’t provide perfect coverage due to the tendency of leaves to migrate while the robot is in motion. Wall-cleaning capabilities Christopher Null/Foundry I didn’t think I needed this feature until I tried it out: Who gets debris on the walls of the pool? Well, you do, more than likely. Wall-cleaning robots can physically scrub off algae that you’d otherwise need to do manually, with a brush—an that’s a terribly painful, back-breaking task. The best models use spinning treads, while cheaper robots rely on just suction power. Frequently asked questions about robotic pool cleaners 1. What is the best robotic pool cleaner? The Polaris VRX iQ+ is most reliable and effective pool cleaner we’ve tested to date. It’s speedy, thorough, and easy to use. Its reliability is due in large part to it being corded, and thus free from the limitations of a battery. The best cordless robotic pool cleaner is the Polaris Freedom Plus. It’s slightly less effective than its VRX iQ sibling at cleaning, but still does an admirable job, is packed with features, and eliminates having to wrestle with an unwieldy and unsightly power cord. 2. How do robotic pool cleaners work? Robotic pool cleaners are in many ways the watery analogue of robot vacuum cleaners, although their navigational technologies vary considerably. Simple cleaners will use water jets to move back and forth in wide arcs, reversing each time they hit an obstacle while sucking up debris through a small port in the bottom of the robot. More advanced cleaners have multiple mechanical motors and sensors that take the robot through a more ordered cleaning routine, moving back and forth across the pool like a person behind a lawnmower. Models that can clean the sides of a pool can climb its walls in the same type of pattern. The spinning brushes on these models are more effective at scooping up sand, dirt, and other fine debris. 3. How do you control a robotic pool cleaner? For the most part, you don’t. Robot pool cleaners are a “set and forget” affair, though more luxe models can be set to clean the floor only, walls only, both floor and walls, and so on. If you want to stop the robot mid-run, you can grab it with a hooked pole and turn it off manually or with a remote control if one was provided. Note that mobile apps usually won’t work while the robot is in the pool, as the water and concrete tend to block the wireless signal. 4. How effective are robotic pool cleaners? If you’re used to having something like an old-school Polaris cleaner run for 8 hours a day to keep your pool spotless, you might be disappointed in what a robot pool cleaner—which will generally run for less than 3 hours, and sometimes much less—can do. I’ve never completed a cleaning run with absolutely no debris left behind, but the models reviewed above do a solid job, sucking up 80 to 95 percent of debris, depending on how dirty things are when you started. More advanced robotic pool cleaners, machines outfitted with treads, do a remarkably good job cleaning up fine debris and algae—much better than hose-type cleaners that need to be pulled out of the pool when you want to swim—and are nearly as good as a human with a brush. This capability alone makes it worth considering a more advanced—and more expensive—unit. 5. What kind of maintenance do robotic pool cleaners require? Very little. Robotic pool cleaners need to have their debris baskets cleaned out after each run—you might need to use a brush to clean the filter screen—and you should dry them off, though most are very good at draining within a few minutes of removal from the pool. After a few hours of recharging, the robot should be ready to run again. Pool robots are electronic devices, so they are prone to breaking down over time—especially given that they will spend ample time underwater. Never leave a robot in the water for longer than its running cycle, and always store it out of direct sunlight, so UV rays don’t break down its plastic components. Naturally, batteries will lose capacity over time, and these are not user-replaceable on any robot I’ve seen. 6. Are there robotic pool cleaners for above-ground pools? Virtually every robotic pool cleaner can clean in-ground pools, but many models can also clean above-ground pools, which have different types of surface materials and often lack a smooth floor for the bot to traverse. Some pool-cleaning robots can handle both types of pools, but don’t assume the one you’re considering can. The manufacturer’s product specifications should indicate which type(s) of pool the robot is designed to clean. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Mid-air lighting effect is nothing if not unique Zillions of color and scene options in the Govee app Cons Installation can be onerous; plan accordingly Dangling power cord is an eyesore Length calibration didn’t work properly in my testing Our Verdict The Govee Skyline Kit effectively suspends an LED strip light in midair, but it’s a real pain to install and the mounting hardware and connection to wall power are aesthetically unappealing. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today I keep wondering when the smart lighting category will become tapped out. Bulbs, lamps, strings, and strips. We’re surely approaching peak smart lighting about now. But we’re not there yet, thanks in part to the Govee Strip Light with Skyline Kit, conveniently abbreviated as just the Skyline Kit. Govee is already one of my favorite smart lighting manufacturers—I have five of its products installed in my home right now—and the Hong Kong-based operation continues to innovate. As Govee puts it, the Skyline Kit is “more than a lighting accessory,” it’s a “refined design element that uses light to shape and elevate interior spaces.” That goal is achieved by attaching a standard adhesive strip light to a strip of flattened steel wire, allowing you to suspend the strip light in open space instead of sticking it to a wall. Even before configuring it, the Govee Skylight’s effect was impressive, casting a lively, aesthetically pleasing backlight. If that doesn’t make sense, this is one of those cases where a picture tells the story best. But in other words, the Skyline Kit is accent lighting that emanates from mid-air, throwing light into a dark corner, onto the ceiling, or from beneath an alcove. Specifications The Govee Skylight kit consists of a light strip with RGBWWIC LEDs, a 4-meter steel band on which to mount them, and the hardware for mountng the strip between two walls.  Christopher Null/Foundry There is nothing special about the underlying lighting tech here: This is merely an LED strip light, outfitted with a fancy backing system on which to hang it. The LEDs in the strip use RGBWWIC technology (there are discrete red, green, blue, white, and warm white ICs) with a maximum cumulative power draw of 36 watts. The strip includes eight addressable zones, with each zone containing six lamps. Installation and setup From the jump I will say this is one of the most difficult and wearisome smart lighting installations I have undertaken. I would categorically not recommend you attempt to install it unless you’re completely comfortable with the basics of home improvement, you don’t mind drilling a lot of holes in your walls (eight), and you’re rock steady while working high on a ladder. In broad strokes, you’ll need to stretch the aforementioned wire between two opposite walls, keeping it taut so the strip light attached to it doesn’t sag in the middle; otherwise, the LEDs won’t deliver the desired effect on the ceiling. All that requires some fancy footwork on Govee’s end—and a lot of trial and error on yours. The kit comes with a template for marking the locations where the mounting plates will be installed.Christopher Null/Foundry I won’t walk through the entire installation process, but I will hit the major steps to give you a flavor for it. My first challenge was simply finding a place in my home where the Skyline Kit would even work. The kit will be available in two versions, depending on length: 4 meters ($120) or 6 meters ($150). Govee sent the shorter version in advance of the product’s May 11 launch, but finding two walls less than about 13 feet apart—with access to a nearby power source—proved difficult. Almost every location where I thought the Skyline Kit might look good was just too wide, and unlike standard strip lights, there’s no way to extend the Skyline Kit with additional pieces. (It can, however, be cut shorter using regular scissors: snip the wire and then the light strip at regular intervals denoted on the tape.) Ultimately, I found a spot that would work in my garage, essentially illuminating a lengthy work bench about 10 feet long. This is probably not what Govee had in mind for a “refined design element,” but it turned out to be a good fit for testing. The LED light strip can be trimmed to length at the locations marked on the tape.Christopher Null/Foundry The first step is to install two mounting bases on opposite walls, each of which gets attached with four screws. Govee includes wall anchors in the box if you’re mounting to drywall; unfortunately, these are not the best wall anchors for the job, and they pushed through on one side of the wall during my installation process. This caused the mounting base to pull away from it. So, I’d recommend using higher-quality anchors, as you will want these mounting bases to look as clean—and as secure—as possible on the wall. Next, you’re tasked with unspooling the wire strip and flattening it out (plan to have a lot of flat space for this, like a hardwood floor), then adhering the lighting strip to the wire strip. I didn’t really understand why Govee didn’t provide the two already connected—especially since the light strip must be installed with a gap of exactly 7.5 centimeters at one end of the wire strip. That’s a tedious and somewhat delicate process. The wire then attaches to the mounting base via what Govee calls “fixing bars,” pairs of devices that let you pull the wire tight by screwing the two halves of the fixing bar together, slowly raising the tension on the wire until it is taut. After one fixing bar is installed, you then cut both the metal wire and the strip light to fit before connecting them both to the second fixing bar. Govee’s mounts aren’t exactly appealing to look at.Christopher Null/Foundry This is where I ran into the most trouble of the day, as my wire turned out to be too long, requiring me to disassemble things, cut it, and try again. On the second try it was again too long, and only on my third attempt did it dawn on me that the trick was to attempt to maximize the length of the fixing bars, not minimize it. Screwing the fixing bars together is difficult work, and you can save yourself a big headache by lowering the amount of rotating you have to do to pull the wire in nice and tight. Pro tip: Pay close attention to every detail in the full printed manual (just ignore the quick-start guide) at each step of the process. Hopefully, videos will also be available when the product ships to retail that will clarify some of the trickier aspects. At last, with the wire taut across the room, the Skyline Kit can be powered up. This is done via a pigtail that snakes out from one of the fixing bars. There’s unfortunately no great solution for mitigating this eyesore. As with most strip light products, you’re on your own when it comes to hiding the exposed wiring. You’ll probably want to ensure you leave access to the inline control box, which provides access to on-demand power, a color-changing feature, and a brightness adjuster. Using the Govee Skyline kit The strip light comes with an inline remote control.Christopher Null/Foundry After more than two hours of work, I had the kit installed and operational. Even before I configured it, the Gove Skyline’s effect was impressive, casting a lively, aesthetically pleasing backlight into a formerly dark corner. And while not really the point of the product, it also provides some helpful working light to the space when I needed it. The colors are vibrant—much like Govee’s strip lights—and the whites bright. You’ll use the Govee app to manage the lights, and you’ll almost certainly need it despite the device’s Matter support, because that’s the only way to manage its color features. The Govee app discovered the Skyline Kit automatically after it was powered up—although the app identified it as a standard strip light—and I was able to immediately start working with it. As far as the Govee app is concerned, the Skyline is a regular strip light, and it can do all the same things, including choosing from dozens of scenes, setting a standard white color temperature (a warm 2700 Kelvin to very cool 6500K), and pulsating in time with music either via a microphone attached to the power cord of the device or through your phone’s mic. Govee’s app is a pleasure to use, and its AI assistant can create custom lighting scenes based on verbal or typed prompts or even a photograph on your smartphone.Christopher Null/Foundry Govee’s AI assistant can also create custom scenes based on verbal or typed prompts—or even a photo you’ve snapped. That said, none of these features are any different than you’ll find on standard Govee strip lights. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart lighting. I did encounter one problem when calibrating the length of the lights. An ostensibly helpful tool lets you tell the Govee app exactly where you cut the strip of lights, which lets you recalibrate scenes and reset the start and end points of lighting effects. I followed the directions in the app but this simply didn’t work right: After calibration, the last foot or more of lights remained white during most color operations, as if those lights didn’t exist. I ended up recalibrating the lights to tell the app that the strip was five steps longer than it actually was in order to get those last segments to light up properly. I presume this is just a bug that will eventually be resolved via a firmware update. Should you buy a Govee Skyline Kit? Unique and very pleasant accent lighting is your reward for persevering with the Govee Skylight’s onerous installation. Christopher Null/Foundry As with all smart home tech, I must now decide whether to leave these lights in place or dismantle them now that my testing is complete. For now, I’m planning to leave them installed, in part because I know removal will be a headache and in part because I want to see how useful they are over the long term. The light looks great. The chunky mounting brackets on either wall and the dangling cable, not so much, and I’m hoping that version 2.0 of this technology cleans up the hardware a bit. If you can find a spot in your home where this solution makes sense—and both its brackets and cabling can be at least somewhat hidden—it’s worth considering as a potentially powerful statement piece. Read...

In another blow for Intel’s “Arrow Lake” or Core Ultra 200S platform, testing has confirmed that SSDs inserted into an M.2 slot on a Intel X890 motherboard won’t achieve their full performance. The SSD Review (via Tom’s Hardware) found that SSDs inserted into an X890 motherboard achieved 12GB/s sequential read speeds, rather than the 14GB/s speeds the PCI Gen 5 SSDs care capable of. The site’s testing was confirmed by Intel, which said that the shortcoming was due to a longer die-to-die data path. The site’s findings affect those who have invested in the latest hardware technology. Right now, the most bang for your buck in the best SSDs probably comes from PCI Gen 4 SSDs, which are about half the price per gigabyte of their PCIe 5.0 cousins. PCIe 5.0 SSDs only make sense if the PC supports them, which is why they’re reserved for the latest AMD and Intel motherboards, including the X890 boards which power Intel’s Arrow Lake desktop chip like the Core Ultra 9 285K. Intel’s X890 includes up to 24 PCIe 4 lanes, but the chipset or motherboard really isn’t at fault. Adding the 285K Arrow Lake CPU (part of the Intel 200S desktop family) increases the number of PCIe lanes to 48, including 20 PCIe 5.0 lanes, which are routed through the processor’s I/O tile. In a statement Intel gave to the site, the company said that the PCIe lanes may exhibit increased latencies because of a longer die-to-die data path. The SSD Review’s results were pretty straightforward, though: the site tested two Gen5 SSDs on Intel’s Z890 chipset, and again on the Z790 chipset. On the Z790, sequential reads hit 14GB/s; on the Z890, they fell to 12GB/s, a 14 percent drop. Intel’s Arrow Lake chips promised parity performance with the older Raptor Lake generation but with substantially lower power. PCWorld’s tests showed a 17 percent drop in power along with poorer-than-expected performance. Intel spent the remainder of 2024 pledging to fix the problems with the chip. It’s not clear whether Intel will be able to patch this issue out, too, or just learn from its mistakes. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Fantastic story with secrets, surprises, and twists at every turn Exciting and fun battles with a mix of tactics and well-balanced reactions Interesting characters who go through their own development Well-written dialogues and successful voice acting Atmospheric soundtrack Cons Relatively short playing time for the main story alone (but not a full-price title) Minor technical problems Even on the normal difficulty level, some battles are almost unfair (but always doable!) Level sections are rather tubular Our Verdict Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a magical, gripping, and technically impressive RPG that delivers a rich story, clever gameplay, and enchanting atmosphere—despite a few rough edges from its small-studio origins. Fans of complex fantasy and mystery-laden role-playing games will find much to love. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today The French role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is fast becoming the surprise hit of the year. On release, the game earned some top ratings, and in our test, we’re very enthusiastic about this mix of magical game world, brutal battles, and mystery. This success is all the more astonishing when you consider that the title comes from a fairly small development studio called Sandfall Interactive. It also happens to be their first game. In this review, we’ll explain why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a must-have for every role-playing game fan. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: A story to fall in love with The first trailer for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wowed with its creative setting, which opens up an exciting dilemma. A major catastrophe nearly wipes out humanity, leaving it stranded in the city of Lumière. However, the last survivors are anything but safe, because across the sea a huge monolith protrudes from the old continent. In front of it, seemingly asleep, lies a huge, cloaked figure: the painter. Every year she awakens and writes a number on the boulder, and shortly afterwards all the people who have reached the age previously written die. At the beginning of the game, this number changes from 34 to 33, and our main character, Gustave, has to watch his great love, Sophie, die and be blown away by the wind, as she is one year older and is consumed by the painter’s curse. But is it a curse at all, or is there something else behind it? That’s precisely what Gustave has to find out. He joins Expedition 33. Every year, an expedition group sets off for the old continent to find out the secret of the painter and stop her from wiping out further generations. Otherwise, humanity’s days will soon be numbered when the countdown reaches zero. Gustave is joined on the journey by his sister Maelle, who is actually far too young for the expedition but is determined; the inquisitive Lune; the optimistic Sciel; and other adventure-seekers (or rather those who are tired of life). Numerous dangers await them on the continent, including deadly creatures such as the Nevrons, which can range from giant stone creatures to creepy ghostly beings. Although not all of them are hostile, some are even peaceful and want to help. We have yet to find out exactly why. The world of Clair Obscur is populated by strange creatures, the Nevrons. Many of them are aggressive and hostile, but we can talk to some of them and fulfil tasks for them. Kepler Interactive An old man poses the greatest danger, possessing the ability to wipe out the entire expedition in a single stroke and appearing to have escaped the painter’s curse. What is his goal, and why have almost no survivors returned from previous expeditions? The game answers most of these questions, which we encounter in the course of the story, in a satisfying way and makes us want to keep playing to find out more. The game leaves certain aspects unresolved, allowing for individual interpretation. There is a balance between the provided answers and your own creative interpretation. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: Approachable characters with deep traumas In addition to the numerous secrets, which we don’t want to give away here, the highlight of the story is the characters. Every character in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 comes across as well thought out and multi-layered. They also experience a wide range of emotions, and thanks to the fantastic staging, we feel and sympathize with everything. While Gustave seems confident at first and hopes to make a difference with the expedition, the horror of the continent quickly plunges him into a mix of despair, survivor’s guilt, and fear. Then he is once again determined to at least protect his little sister. The dialogues are lively and make you feel like you’re talking to real people. Unfortunately, they are not always lip-synced. Kepler Interactive His sister, Maelle, on the other hand, seems distant and less open, but she actually has a big heart and is also deeply shaken by the losses the expedition has suffered. Plagued by nightmares, she wants above all to try to protect her friends and will herself play a bigger role in the story than initially suspected. Lune stands out as the most enigmatic character due to her remarkable abilities, inquisitive nature, and unwavering determination to persevere through the journey, even in the face of others’ despair. But she finds it hard to accept that they were not prepared for the dangers of this unknown world. With each additional party member, the troupe around Gustave grows and is expanded with new personalities. The superbly written dialogues help us build relationships with the characters and learn what drives them. And desperately want them to survive this crazy journey. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: These battles have it all In terms of gameplay, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 combines classic role-playing game virtues such as a relatively freely explorable game world, grippingly staged cutscenes, character development, item search, and, of course, the battles. These are turn-based, so when we encounter an opponent, we switch to a new screen. There we combine normal attacks, powerful abilities, and items to survive against the various monsters. Understanding their weaknesses and exploiting them wisely is the most important aspect. The battles are an exciting mix of round tactics and quick time events. A skilful combination of skills, buffs and debuffs is required here. Kepler Interactive The developers combine the fairly static gameplay, in which we have to decide how best to proceed move by move, with additional quick-time events in which we have to dodge, parry, or strengthen attacks. We can also shoot freely to hit particular weak points. This makes the whole thing much more varied and exciting. What’s more, by dodging perfectly, we can also complete fights without taking any damage. Additionally, using perfect parries can trigger powerful counterattacks from the entire party, which can sometimes be decisive in battle. Each character has their own unique strengths, which can be combined with the attacks of others. Gustave builds up his overcharge meter for particularly strong attacks, marks enemies with shots so that further attacks do more damage, and strengthens his allies with buffs. Lune in turn, uses elemental attacks that can slow down, set enemies on fire, or paralyze them. Maelle, in turn, adopts special combat stances in which she either takes less damage, deals more damage, or can perform particularly powerful attacks. Each character has their own strengths in battle. The youngest of the team, Maelle, can adopt various fighting stances and deals a lot of damage with her sword. Kepler Interactive To strengthen our characters, we can level up their abilities, collect weapons and improve them in the camp, and upgrade their attributes. This process is hugely motivating, as it not only makes battles easier but also unlocks new effects and combinations. This instance includes the Pictos, which give us passive values, such as more damage from burning enemies or particularly strong bonuses that we trigger when we activate certain abilities. The combat system can be a little overwhelming at first, especially if you are not used to turn-based games like Final Fantasy or Baldur’s Gate , in which we also have to act skillfully with our hero troop to win in the end. In particular, the boss battles and enemies guarding treasures can be quite challenging. With some practice, you can master the art of reacting accurately to enemy attack patterns and combining abilities to maximize damage. The outcome is really satisfying and fun, which means that the battles never get boring. The variety of enemy types in each area adds to the excitement. The mage Lune combines various elemental attacks or can heal allies. She also floats above the ground – enviable. Kepler Interactive Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: Beautiful game world with a hose problem The game world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 deserves a mention in its own right because of the careful attention to detail and design. While we start off in a magical and appealing fantasy world with glowing trees, we later enter an underwater world or a rugged mountain range from which we can view the remnants of an ancient civilization. In addition, there are many other areas that amaze the characters and us as players every time. The world is not completely open but is divided into these smaller regions. These are in turn connected by an overworld, which we can view from a bird’s-eye view and select our next objectives. In between, we can also set up camp, rest, make adjustments to our weapons, and talk to our companions, just like in Baldur’s Gate 3. In the sections where we explore the world, we can also take a short breather at expedition flags. This is where small mechanics from Soulslikes such as refilling flasks and respawning enemies come into play. Apart from that, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not comparable to Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and so on. A particular highlight are the boss battles, in which we have to be extremely careful not to bite the dust. Especially on higher difficulty levels. Kepler Interactive This is also due to the fact that most of the levels are designed to be rather convoluted but can’t hide this as cleverly as other games. Every now and then we accidentally ran round in circles because we couldn’t orient ourselves and wanted to take another look to see if there was a treasure or a special enemy hiding somewhere. However, these levels are also manageable. Occasionally it’s even worth returning to a section to fulfill a side task or try a fight again that we failed last time. Which can certainly happen, because every now and then a single enemy suddenly raises the difficulty level to an extreme, which almost feels unfair. However, the game does a pretty good job of repeatedly holding the symbolic carrot in front of our noses so that we can move on and explore more secrets. As a result, the world continues to unfold for us, and in the end we have such a varied journey behind us that we can easily forgive even the small moments of frustration. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: The technology is convincing (with some compromises) We played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on the PlayStation 5 Pro and encountered hardly any problems. The game looks beautiful, and the strengths of Unreal Engine 5 are particularly noticeable in the detailed character models, the fantastic lighting mood, the rich colors, and the impressive views. The performance was also very good throughout, with only a few cutscenes experiencing slight stutters. In the battles, however, everything ran smoothly, even when many effects hit the enemies or our characters one after the other. We would also like to emphasize the soundtrack because it’s fantastic. The studio also brought in well-known voice actors such as Jennifer English (Baldur’s Gate 3), Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings), Charlie Cox (Daredevil), and Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI). The only drawback here is that although the dialogue sounds great, it is not always lip-synced. This is particularly evident when we click on dialogues instead of merely listening to a sequence. But we usually focus on the characters’ facial expressions and emotions, so you only notice this if you pay close attention. Dirt, blood, and tears often cover them, adding to the realism and rawness of the scene. It is especially sad that the characters sometimes get stuck on objects or twitch strangely when we attempt to jump over them. This condition also means that you need several attempts to hit the target in jump passages. These are moments when you realize that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not a AAA game but is the work of a small team. These flaws can be forgiven, however, because in the end what counts most is the vision that has been realized here and the passion with which this world, the story, and the characters have been created. The wonderful soundtrack also contributes greatly to the atmosphere. Just listen to it, and you’ll get a fantastic feel for the mood of the game. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: Conclusion Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a truly exceptional game because it manages to do something that many big developers and publishers fail to do these days: create an experience that will stay with you for years to come. Rarely have we looked forward so much to immersing ourselves in a world and discovering more of its secrets. We relish the opportunity to interact with the characters, who consistently deliver captivating moments and unexpected revelations. Although Clair Obscur doesn’t have to compete with Baldur’s Gate 3 and Final Fantasy VII, it’s almost on par with those titles. It almost creates its own genre and cleverly combines elements from tactical RPGs, adventure games, open-world games, and much more. We can warmly recommend it to anyone who is in the mood for creative and unusual ideas, especially as the current gaming landscape is really struggling in this respect. What’s more, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 costs $49.99 on Steam, so it’s not a full-price title. Game Pass owners can even play it for free. However, you can expect a slightly shorter playing time (around 30 hours) if you only follow the main story. But the overall experience is absolutely fair and definitely worth the price. Read...

The whole point of Microsoft Copilot Vision for Windows is that it’s like an AI assistant, looking over your shoulder as you struggle through a task and making suggestions. Click here. Do this! So, I was pretty convinced that if Microsoft were to release Copilot Vision for testing, it would be able to do something simple like help me play Windows Solitaire. But no. Oh no, no, no. Sometimes, Microsoft’s new Copilot Vision for Windows feels like a real step forward for useful AI: this emerging Windows technology sees what you see on your screen, allowing you to talk to your PC and ask it for help. Unfortunately, that step ahead is often followed by that cliché: two steps back. Copilot Vision for Windows is, at times, genuinely helpful. At others, it’s just plain frustrating. What is Copilot Vision for Windows? Outside of some nostalgic tears by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the announcement of Copilot Vision for Windows was the highlight of Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration at the company’s Redmond, Washington campus. It’s a visionary technology, pretty literally: you grant access to Windows Copilot to see and interpret your screen in real time, and you can talk to Windows to ask questions and seek advice. I went hands-on with Copilot Vision at Microsoft’s HQ, but the demos were short and carefully managed. Now, you can play with it yourself as long as you’re a Windows Insider. How to get Microsoft Copilot Vision for Windows Currently, Copilot Vision for Windows is just available for testing. Although Microsoft indicated that Copilot Vision for Windows would be available to all of its beta software channels, only two of my test laptops ever received the build: one on the Dev Channel and one on the Canary Channel. The first to get it, an Acer Swift Edge laptop with a Ryzen 7840U inside, runs Vision slowly, with reaction times that seemed to stretch to half a minute early on. Though the response time dropped to a few seconds, I had a far better experience with the Surface Laptop 7 or 7th Edition, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip inside. Responses were essentially instantaneous, probably due to the more powerful NPU. Open Copilot, and then click the “glasses” icon in the lower right-hand corner to launch Copilot Vision for Windows.Mark Hachman / Foundry Copilot Vision for Windows is easy to use: provided your PC is provisioned for it, just launch the Copilot app via the Taskbar or Start menu, and then tap the “eyeglasses” icon. You’ll then see a list of apps for you to “share” with Copilot Vision. Only then can it see that specific app, and just that app. I put a test version of Copilot Vision for Windows through seven quick scenarios: interpreting the contents of a PCWorld story and a list of competing airfares; testing Balatro, a popular PC game that involves playing cards; the more generic and classic Solitaire game; photo identification; examining potential airfares; and help operating Adobe Photoshop. Copilot Vision was all over the board. 1.) Copilot Vision’s first test: understanding tariffs The first and most important lesson of Copilot Vision is it only sees what you see. I realized this when I opened my colleague Alaina Yee’s early examination of the Trump Administration’s tariff plan from April. Copilot Vision for Windows didn’t immediately “see” the whole article — which is what Copilot, Google Gemini, or ChatGPT in its “research” modes likely would. What you see is what Copilot Vision gets, so looking at this screen isn’t useful until you scroll down a bit. If I scanned down, it could “read” along. But it didn’t read it into memory, either. What it didn’t see, it forgot. I asked it to confirm, and it couldn’t tell me the opening sentence. That makes its utility rather limited. What was handy was being able to ask it conversational questions: at the time, the products in question were subject to a 45 percent tariff. Being able to ask it what the price of the dock would be if a 100 percent or 145 percent tariff was applied was handy. Copilot Vision is still a little wordy, but that was okay. The bigger issue is that it was reluctant to add context, such as to point out the current state of the tariff situation. 2.) Does Copilot Vision work as a Balatro coach? One of the things I’ve been thinking about was the Minecraft demo, where Copilot Vision stepped in with help on some very specific scenarios. It made me suspicious, naturally; what I was seeing was carefully scripted to make Copilot Vision look as useful as possible. I think that’s true. I figured the popular indie game, Balatro, would be a better use of its talents. What Copilot told me is that it wouldn’t just spontaneously interject, so if it “saw” something useful or dangerous, it wouldn’t just pipe up and say something. It needs to be asked. What Copilot Vision for Windows saw on my screen, beginning a new game of Balatro. How many queens do you see?Mark Hachman / Foundry Balatro is vaguely like video poker, but with a twist: not only do you have to try and come up with the best poker hands, there are twists — “jokers” modify your hands and your score, so strategy means some careful choices. Would Copilot Vision be able to recognize what I needed to do and give advice? Absolutely not. Copilot Vision was absolutely able to recognize that I was playing Balatro, and upon the game’s opening, it identified the choices I had before me. Copilot didn’t make the decisions for me, but it tried to present my options, as in the screenshot above. That’s good, right? Copilot Vision saw two queens, which isn’t a good start.Mark Hachman / Foundry Well, no. Copilot Vision failed to recognize that I didn’t have a pair of queens, which meant that its advice was off from the start. It also couldn’t properly recognize the cards that I did have, like incorrectly identifying seven of diamonds when I didn’t have one. 3.) Solitaire is simpler, right? I then figured, well, let’s dumb it down a bit. I launched a new game of Windows Solitaire, specifically FreeCell, thinking that Copilot would be able to understand the simple rules and act accordingly. Absolutely not. Copilot Vision suffered the same problem that it had with Balatro: its object recognition was way off. It repeatedly invented cards that weren’t on the board, although it did understand how to move cards from column to column and to the foundation. It’s just whatever game Copilot Vision was playing wasn’t actually present on the screen. I quickly gave up. Mark Hachman / Foundry I’m not sure you’re the best Solitaire player, I said. “Fair point! It’s all about having fun, though,” Copilot replied. “If nothing else, I’ve got your back for the banter. Let’s keep playing and see where it goes. Ready for another move?” No, I wasn’t. 4.) Can Copilot stop me from being fired? Next, I tried what I thought was an easy one: I had another AI draft a complaint letter to a fictional boss, expressing displeasure at our fictional company’s corporate strategy. As I had asked Google Gemini to draft a professional note, Copilot thought that my tone and language were fine. I then added a line at the end: “You’re ugly and have a big fat head. I also don’t like your hat.” Copilot was pretty cool with me calling out my “boss” for his subpar looks and fashion choices.Mark Hachman / Foundry Either Copilot Vision didn’t recognize that I had made a possibly career-threatening edit or else didn’t care. In fact, I’m pretty sure it didn’t care, as the conversation continues. (Remember, I’m speaking here, so the transcription isn’t perfect. A plus in Copilot Vision’s favor is that it does lend itself to a conversation, rather than a series of commands.) Confirmed: calling your boss ugly is fine.Foundry Either way, it wouldn’t be a tool I would depend upon for career advice. 5.) Who are these people? I asked Copilot to identify the four actors from the iconic promotional still from The Breakfast Club, using a collection of images curated by Bing’s Image Search. Interestingly, Copilot Vision seemed like it would, but it was ordered not to. “Sorry, I can’t identify specific people in photos unless they’re famous figures,” Copilot responded. “This image seems related to ‘The Breakfast Club’ movie.” Lots of clues here as to who these actors are. Most photos have all five main actors included, and this has only four. That tripped up Copilot Vision for Windows. When I tried again, Copilot Vision for Windows identified the five actors who made up the principal cast of the film but gave the answer I was looking for when I replied that I only saw four. That felt like Copilot had been issued commands not to try and “dox” people unless they were public figures. Interestingly, Copilot Vision seemed to be able to recognize the actors by itself. When I asked it to identify a photo of Rodney Dangerfield (after it made me say that it was a famous person), it replied: “I identified him from the context provided in your window title, which mentioned “15 intriguing facts about Rodney Dangerfield.” Plus, the image matches his recognizable look. Intrigued by his comedic style?” 6.) Picking the best flight By this time I had figured out that Copilot Vision wouldn’t be much help in picking a flight, and I wasn’t wrong. Because Copilot Vision can only see what I can see, scrolling up and down a list of available flights from Oakland to San Diego didn’t provide it with much to work with, and it wasn’t sure whether I preferred a cheap flight, one with minimal stopovers, and so on. It was probably a personal preference to begin with. Some smartphones allow you to take “screenshots” of the entire length of the web page. I’d prefer something like this as an option. (It’s possible, though, that Copilot Vision works like Windows Recall, taking temporary “snapshots” that it works from. In Recall’s case, if you don’t see it, Recall doesn’t either.) 7.) Copilot Vision as a Photoshop tutor This was where I felt Copilot Vision could really be of assistance, and I still think it could be. I actually like the way that Microsoft Paint now adds layers and subtracts backgrounds, both Photoshop-like features that Microsoft’s tools have adopted. But Photoshop offers many options that Paint does not, though I’m not comfortable using them. This is where Copilot Vision shined, as I went back and forth adding images to different layers and making adjustments. The one thing it does not do is visually highlight elements on the screen for you to interact with — as Microsoft originally demonstrated — meaning that it had to literally talk me through a few things. Referring to the Move tool as a “four-point arrow” was pretty helpful. Note that it was referring to what I was working with on screen, which made it relevant. It’s a little tricky to show you what I was doing at the time, but the screenshot below will give you an idea of our conversation. I was just messing around with two related images, applying an Intel logo on top of one of its other products and playing with the results. Foundry I’m sure what I was doing was extremely simplistic to a Photoshop pro, and Copilot Vision doesn’t detract from what legions of Photoshop tutorials already offer. But some of those tutorials are also based on older versions or interfaces, while I would think Copilot Vision would always be up-to-date. Conclusion: Baby steps AI is a polarizing subject. Some people are convinced that it could never be good for anything; others are sure that it will eventually save the world. At times, Copilot Vision feels quite competent. At others, it’s simply a waste of time. Right now, it all feels tentative. It all has enormous potential, to be sure. But Microsoft seems to tread cautiously in the consumer space. Would I allow ChatGPT to look over my shoulder as I work? Probably not. But I have to imagine that Google quietly envisions the future of Chromebooks as a space where Gemini resides as an omnipresent assistant. I’d like to see that future and enjoy the reciprocal pressures each will put on the other to build better, privacy-preserving tools that provide real-time assistance. Read...

The whole point of Microsoft Copilot Vision for Windows is that it’s like an AI assistant, looking over your shoulder as you struggle through a task and making suggestions. Click here. Do this! So, I was pretty convinced that if Microsoft were to release Copilot Vision for testing, it would be able to do something simple like help me play Windows Solitaire. But no. Oh no, no, no. Sometimes, Microsoft’s new Copilot Vision for Windows feels like a real step forward for useful AI: this emerging Windows technology sees what you see on your screen, allowing you to talk to your PC and ask it for help. Unfortunately, that step ahead is often followed by that cliché: two steps back. Copilot Vision for Windows is, at times, genuinely helpful. At others, it’s just plain frustrating. What is Copilot Vision for Windows? Outside of some nostalgic tears by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the announcement of Copilot Vision for Windows was the highlight of Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration at the company’s Redmond, Washington campus. It’s a visionary technology, pretty literally: you grant access to Windows Copilot to see and interpret your screen in real time, and you can talk to Windows to ask questions and seek advice. I went hands-on with Copilot Vision at Microsoft’s HQ, but the demos were short and carefully managed. Now, you can play with it yourself as long as you’re a Windows Insider. How to get Microsoft Copilot Vision for Windows Currently, Copilot Vision for Windows is just available for testing. Although Microsoft indicated that Copilot Vision for Windows would be available to all of its beta software channels, only two of my test laptops ever received the build: one on the Dev Channel and one on the Canary Channel. The first to get it, an Acer Swift Edge laptop with a Ryzen 7840U inside, runs Vision slowly, with reaction times that seemed to stretch to half a minute early on. Though the response time dropped to a few seconds, I had a far better experience with the Surface Laptop 7 or 7th Edition, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip inside. Responses were essentially instantaneous, probably due to the more powerful NPU. Open Copilot, and then click the “glasses” icon in the lower right-hand corner to launch Copilot Vision for Windows.Mark Hachman / Foundry Copilot Vision for Windows is easy to use: provided your PC is provisioned for it, just launch the Copilot app via the Taskbar or Start menu, and then tap the “eyeglasses” icon. You’ll then see a list of apps for you to “share” with Copilot Vision. Only then can it see that specific app, and just that app. I put a test version of Copilot Vision for Windows through seven quick scenarios: interpreting the contents of a PCWorld story and a list of competing airfares; testing Balatro, a popular PC game that involves playing cards; the more generic and classic Solitaire game; photo identification; examining potential airfares; and help operating Adobe Photoshop. Copilot Vision was all over the board. 1.) Copilot Vision’s first test: understanding tariffs The first and most important lesson of Copilot Vision is it only sees what you see. I realized this when I opened my colleague Alaina Yee’s early examination of the Trump Administration’s tariff plan from April. Copilot Vision for Windows didn’t immediately “see” the whole article — which is what Copilot, Google Gemini, or ChatGPT in its “research” modes likely would. What you see is what Copilot Vision gets, so looking at this screen isn’t useful until you scroll down a bit. If I scanned down, it could “read” along. But it didn’t read it into memory, either. What it didn’t see, it forgot. I asked it to confirm, and it couldn’t tell me the opening sentence. That makes its utility rather limited. What was handy was being able to ask it conversational questions: at the time, the products in question were subject to a 45 percent tariff. Being able to ask it what the price of the dock would be if a 100 percent or 145 percent tariff was applied was handy. Copilot Vision is still a little wordy, but that was okay. The bigger issue is that it was reluctant to add context, such as to point out the current state of the tariff situation. 2.) Does Copilot Vision work as a Balatro coach? One of the things I’ve been thinking about was the Minecraft demo, where Copilot Vision stepped in with help on some very specific scenarios. It made me suspicious, naturally; what I was seeing was carefully scripted to make Copilot Vision look as useful as possible. I think that’s true. I figured the popular indie game, Balatro, would be a better use of its talents. What Copilot told me is that it wouldn’t just spontaneously interject, so if it “saw” something useful or dangerous, it wouldn’t just pipe up and say something. It needs to be asked. What Copilot Vision for Windows saw on my screen, beginning a new game of Balatro. How many queens do you see?Mark Hachman / Foundry Balatro is vaguely like video poker, but with a twist: not only do you have to try and come up with the best poker hands, there are twists — “jokers” modify your hands and your score, so strategy means some careful choices. Would Copilot Vision be able to recognize what I needed to do and give advice? Absolutely not. Copilot Vision was absolutely able to recognize that I was playing Balatro, and upon the game’s opening, it identified the choices I had before me. Copilot didn’t make the decisions for me, but it tried to present my options, as in the screenshot above. That’s good, right? Copilot Vision saw two queens, which isn’t a good start.Mark Hachman / Foundry Well, no. Copilot Vision failed to recognize that I didn’t have a pair of queens, which meant that its advice was off from the start. It also couldn’t properly recognize the cards that I did have, like incorrectly identifying seven of diamonds when I didn’t have one. 3.) Solitaire is simpler, right? I then figured, well, let’s dumb it down a bit. I launched a new game of Windows Solitaire, specifically FreeCell, thinking that Copilot would be able to understand the simple rules and act accordingly. Absolutely not. Copilot Vision suffered the same problem that it had with Balatro: its object recognition was way off. It repeatedly invented cards that weren’t on the board, although it did understand how to move cards from column to column and to the foundation. It’s just whatever game Copilot Vision was playing wasn’t actually present on the screen. I quickly gave up. Mark Hachman / Foundry I’m not sure you’re the best Solitaire player, I said. “Fair point! It’s all about having fun, though,” Copilot replied. “If nothing else, I’ve got your back for the banter. Let’s keep playing and see where it goes. Ready for another move?” No, I wasn’t. 4.) Can Copilot stop me from being fired? Next, I tried what I thought was an easy one: I had another AI draft a complaint letter to a fictional boss, expressing displeasure at our fictional company’s corporate strategy. As I had asked Google Gemini to draft a professional note, Copilot thought that my tone and language were fine. I then added a line at the end: “You’re ugly and have a big fat head. I also don’t like your hat.” Copilot was pretty cool with me calling out my “boss” for his subpar looks and fashion choices.Mark Hachman / Foundry Either Copilot Vision didn’t recognize that I had made a possibly career-threatening edit or else didn’t care. In fact, I’m pretty sure it didn’t care, as the conversation continues. (Remember, I’m speaking here, so the transcription isn’t perfect. A plus in Copilot Vision’s favor is that it does lend itself to a conversation, rather than a series of commands.) Confirmed: calling your boss ugly is fine.Foundry Either way, it wouldn’t be a tool I would depend upon for career advice. 5.) Who are these people? I asked Copilot to identify the four actors from the iconic promotional still from The Breakfast Club, using a collection of images curated by Bing’s Image Search. Interestingly, Copilot Vision seemed like it would, but it was ordered not to. “Sorry, I can’t identify specific people in photos unless they’re famous figures,” Copilot responded. “This image seems related to ‘The Breakfast Club’ movie.” Lots of clues here as to who these actors are. Most photos have all five main actors included, and this has only four. That tripped up Copilot Vision for Windows. When I tried again, Copilot Vision for Windows identified the five actors who made up the principal cast of the film but gave the answer I was looking for when I replied that I only saw four. That felt like Copilot had been issued commands not to try and “dox” people unless they were public figures. Interestingly, Copilot Vision seemed to be able to recognize the actors by itself. When I asked it to identify a photo of Rodney Dangerfield (after it made me say that it was a famous person), it replied: “I identified him from the context provided in your window title, which mentioned “15 intriguing facts about Rodney Dangerfield.” Plus, the image matches his recognizable look. Intrigued by his comedic style?” 6.) Picking the best flight By this time I had figured out that Copilot Vision wouldn’t be much help in picking a flight, and I wasn’t wrong. Because Copilot Vision can only see what I can see, scrolling up and down a list of available flights from Oakland to San Diego didn’t provide it with much to work with, and it wasn’t sure whether I preferred a cheap flight, one with minimal stopovers, and so on. It was probably a personal preference to begin with. Some smartphones allow you to take “screenshots” of the entire length of the web page. I’d prefer something like this as an option. (It’s possible, though, that Copilot Vision works like Windows Recall, taking temporary “snapshots” that it works from. In Recall’s case, if you don’t see it, Recall doesn’t either.) 7.) Copilot Vision as a Photoshop tutor This was where I felt Copilot Vision could really be of assistance, and I still think it could be. I actually like the way that Microsoft Paint now adds layers and subtracts backgrounds, both Photoshop-like features that Microsoft’s tools have adopted. But Photoshop offers many options that Paint does not, though I’m not comfortable using them. This is where Copilot Vision shined, as I went back and forth adding images to different layers and making adjustments. The one thing it does not do is visually highlight elements on the screen for you to interact with — as Microsoft originally demonstrated — meaning that it had to literally talk me through a few things. Referring to the Move tool as a “four-point arrow” was pretty helpful. Note that it was referring to what I was working with on screen, which made it relevant. It’s a little tricky to show you what I was doing at the time, but the screenshot below will give you an idea of our conversation. I was just messing around with two related images, applying an Intel logo on top of one of its other products and playing with the results. Foundry I’m sure what I was doing was extremely simplistic to a Photoshop pro, and Copilot Vision doesn’t detract from what legions of Photoshop tutorials already offer. But some of those tutorials are also based on older versions or interfaces, while I would think Copilot Vision would always be up-to-date. Conclusion: Baby steps AI is a polarizing subject. Some people are convinced that it could never be good for anything; others are sure that it will eventually save the world. At times, Copilot Vision feels quite competent. At others, it’s simply a waste of time. Right now, it all feels tentative. It all has enormous potential, to be sure. But Microsoft seems to tread cautiously in the consumer space. Would I allow ChatGPT to look over my shoulder as I work? Probably not. But I have to imagine that Google quietly envisions the future of Chromebooks as a space where Gemini resides as an omnipresent assistant. 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