Official was connected to FBI probe of cartel Kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Read...

Stuck inside without air conditioning? Doing a brutal hike on the hottest day of the year? I found a gadget that will almost instantly make you feel cooler. With temperatures rising this summer, the heat is on to find ways to quickly cool down. Yes, it’s a fan, but it’s not one of those cheap battery fans that demands you hold it in your hand and aim it at your face. My new favorite chilling solution—available for $100 on Amazon—is a surprisingly powerful hands-free fan that you can wear on your body. Meet the Torras COOLify Air neck AC fan. Of course, fans don’t lower the temperature of the air itself, but they do create a breeze that accelerates the evaporation of sweat to help your body cool down. I’m writing this from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, where 97-degree temperatures are making life extremely uncomfortable (at least while I’m outside the blessed cool of the hotel AC). Saving me daily from heatstroke and a sweaty head, the travel-friendly, adjustable COOLify Air is a neck-worn air conditioner that incorporates two fans and an extremely welcome cooling plate at the back of the neck. And how’s this for validation: I saw two more neck fan users by the pool. Simon Jary Thirty-six vents expel a refreshing 360-degree airflow that directs an icy breeze above and below your neck. It creates a satisfying wind chill effect almost immediately. You really do feel the difference as soon as you turn it on. Yes, wetting a cloth with cool water and wrapping it around the back of your neck can offer similar instant relief, but when that cloth dries out, you need to wet it again to repeat the process. Not so with the COOLify Air. The neck fan is lightweight at 14oz (400g) and beats the sensation of a wet cloth. It’s rated to keep running between 4 and 20 hours depending on which of the five air-power settings (up to 8,450rpm) you use. It’s rechargeable via USB-C. Torras The COOLify’s ice plate at the back of the wearable fan cools the large blood vessels near the neck’s surface, which allows body heat to escape. It turn out that cooling one’s neck is the quickest way to lower the temperature of your head and brain. The fan then blows that heat away from your body to keep you cool. The Air is one of several COOLify neck fan models available from maker Torras. There are more expensive variants (at up to $329) with more vents and motors and specialized apps, but the $149 entry-level Air offers most of what you need for a quick or prolonged cooling at the lowest cost. At the time of this writing, you can find it at Amazon for around $110. That’s more than you’ll pay for a cheap hand fan, but you’ll thank yourself every time the mercury rises. It is still recommended to drink lots of cold water and engage in all the other cool-down tips, but this neck AC fan is my go-to travel companion for keeping cool. I’m not going anywhere hot without it in my bag. Keep cool with Torras COOLiFY Air Best Prices Today: $110.48 at Amazon Read...

Massive advances in imaging technology are making it much easier to document the present for the benefit of future historians. Read...

By now, most users can use both the classic Outlook and new Outlook apps together for email. Either way, the Outlook calendar is accessed as needed via the calendar tab in the left-hand navigation. But what if you want to see your emails and calendar at the same time? Joel Lee / Foundry In the new Outlook app, click the My Day button at the top right of the window. It looks like a calendar icon with a checkmark in front of it. With My Day selected, a new panel appears on the right-hand side of the window, where you can see all calendar appointments for today and the following days in chronological order. My Day also has a To Do tab where you can see all your tasks. Joel Lee / Foundry Meanwhile, in the classic Outlook app, you can do something similar by navigating to the View tab, clicking the To Do Bar button, then selecting Calendar. This brings up a right-hand calendar panel where you can click on specific days and see all events for that day and upcoming days. Further reading: Tips for using the new Outlook app Read...

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

There’s no such thing as too much RAM—ask anyone who’s trying to find a good deal on an Nvidia graphics card. But you might not need to drop a month’s rent on a new GPU to free up some VRAM! Just wait a little while for the newest graphics card driver. The latest version of the DLSS SDK uses significantly less video memory for upscaling graphics. The latest version of the software development kit indicates that programs taking advantage of Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling tech—so most of the 3D games released in the last few years—will be able to do so with an approximately 20 percent reduction in video RAM usage. That’s according to VideoCardz.com, quoting the reduction at various resolutions from 1080p all the way up to 8K. In layman’s terms, once these changes are applied to games via updates, you’ll be able to run DLSS optimizations with a lower graphics overhead on GPUs going back to the RTX 30 series, possibly even the 20 series. And with DLSS applied, you can put in more shiny graphics stuff while hitting the same frame rates, or just feel smug as your frames go up without any changes at all. Exactly how long it’ll take game developers to implement the changes will vary from game to game, of course. Note that a 20 percent reduction in VRAM usage to implement DLSS doesn’t mean 20 percent VRAM freed up for any particular game. We’re talking about a 20 MB savings on a 1080p implementation, and a little over 1 GB at 8K. That’s a chunk of memory saved on the top end… but that’s a situation that only applies to $3,000+ setups. Even so, every little bit helps when it comes to graphics. Read...

As a former owner of a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (you know, the explodey one), I’m a little sensitive to exactly how much chemical energy I’m shoving into my jeans on any given day. Case in point: accessory maker Anker is recalling six of its popular USB power banks, which are at risk for “melting of plastic components, smoke, and fire hazards.” Oh dear. Here’s the full list, compiled from two different Anker alerts and spotted by 9to5Google: Anker PowerCore 10000 — Model A1263 Anker Power Bank (10K, 22.5W) — Model A1257 Anker Power Bank (20K, 22.5W, Built-In USB-C Cable) — Model A1647 Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, 7.5W) — Model A1652 Anker Zolo Power Bank (20K, 30W, Built-In USB-C and Lightning Cable) — Model A1681 Anker Zolo Power Bank (20K, 30W, Built-In USB-C Cable) — Model A1689 Anker says that it’s initiating a recall for these models “out of an abundance of caution.” If you have one of the affected devices, first of all, stop using it. Second of all, don’t throw it in the trash—a flaming bag of garbage is only marginally better than flaming pants. You can initiate the recall process with Anker even if you no longer have a receipt for the battery, simply using photos of the appropriate model number. Once you document your battery and submit the photos to Anker, you can dispose of it via an authorized recycling or waste disposal center (standard electronics recycling centers might not have the necessary safety equipment). You might want to call ahead to make sure they’re authorized to dispose of recalled batteries. That’s a bit of a hassle, sure, but it’s better than a house fire. Once you’ve submitted the documentation to Anker, the company says it will issue a replacement to you, or if no replacement is available, a gift card for the approximate value. Read...

A new pop-up from Meta is causing a stir. Facebook users who want to upload stories are prompted to share their photos for “cloud processing,” reports The Verge. But this also allows Meta AI to access images from their smartphones, even ones that haven’t been published to Facebook. This raises questions about data privacy. By agreeing to “cloud processing,” you enable Meta AI to analyze your private photos. Users who activate the feature can have their photos used for collages, photo themes, or AI-generated edits. However, this gives Meta access to all images in the smartphone’s storage. The feature is currently being tested and rolling out in Meta’s apps. Users must actively agree to use it. However, the idea of Meta AI being able to view private photos is dubious at best. On platforms such as X and Reddit, users are expressing concerns that Meta could use the photos to train its AI models, despite promises to the contrary. Meta doesn’t rule out use for training AI Meta has clarified to The Verge that the photos are not currently being used to train AI models. However, there was no clear answer to questions as to whether this is ruled out in the future. A Meta spokesperson pointed out that the feature is voluntary and that users are informed exactly what data is being used. Nevertheless, the concern remains that the unclear communication and far-reaching access rights could undermine user trust. To protect themselves, users should scrutinize the feature critically before activating it. If you have any concerns, you can deactivate the “cloud processing” option in Facebook’s app settings. It’s also advisable to only upload photos that you absolutely want to share, and to regularly check the app’s permissions. The new feature shows how close the link is between data privacy and AI development. Meta faces the challenge of offering innovative features without losing the trust of users. Until it’s clear how the data will be used in the long term, users should remain cautious and keep an eye on developments. Read...

Having a smart home doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend tons of money on dozens of smart devices. A few smart plugs can change things up quite a bit, allowing you to remotely turn on and off “dumb” devices without replacing them. And right now, you can get started with a pair of Kasa Smart Plugs for only $11 (was $20) with discount code 4KASAPLUG stacked on top of the current 25% product discount. Kasa’s Smart Plugs are tiny enough that you can fit two snugly into a double outlet, which is pretty awesome and makes it easy to get started if you don’t have any smart devices at all. Anything you plug into the Kasa Smart Plug will be controllable via the app, allowing you to turn the outlet on and off remotely. It’s great for lamps, fans, Christmas lights, and more. These smart plugs are compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can easily integrate them if you already have a burgeoning smart home of either ecosystem. Use voice commands to shut off the lamp in the living room while you’re already nestled in nicely in bed. You can also use a timer or countdown schedules to automatically turn on and off any appliances plugged into these smart plugs. You’ll love how easy it is to control certain outlets right from your phone, and getting two smart plugs for $11 is a great deal! Get two Kasa Smart Plugs for 45% off right nowBuy now at Amazon Read...

It’s funny how as most electronics have become smaller yet more powerful, big-ass screens keep getting bigger yet more affordable. (Try to buy a phone with a screen smaller than six inches, if you don’t believe me.) Right now, you can get the biggest OLED monitor on the market for just $899 on Amazon. And unlike some alternatives, this Asus monitor pairs great with gaming laptops. The Asus ROG Swift PG49WCD uses the same 49-inch 144Hz panel that Samsung, LG, and other gaming monitor makers do. Honestly, they’re probably coming from the same factory. So it’s up to individual manufacturers to distinguish their designs beyond that 5120×1440 resolution, which is basically two QHD monitors squished together on one curved screen. Asus does this with some extra I/O prowess. In addition to the usual HDMI and DisplayPort options, you get a USB-C port with 90 watts of power delivery, which should be enough even for thirsty gaming laptops. An extra pair of USB-A ports lets the built-in KVM switch do its thing for multiple PCs at once. Other highlights include a beefy heatsink to protect the OLED panel, various software tricks like pixel cleaning and screen moving to do the same thing, and three years of warranty coverage for burn-in if that stuff isn’t quite enough. Oh, and according to the Amazon listing, buying this monitor will get you a free copy of Doom: The Dark Ages. Hell yeah! You can use the savings to get a VESA mount for a stylish upgrade, but keep in mind that you might need an upgraded model to handle its weight. If this monitor isn’t quite what you’re looking for, be sure to check out PCWorld’s picks for the best monitors. Save $300 on this 49-inch OLED ultrawide gaming monitor (and get a free copy of Doom: The Dark Ages with it)Buy now on Amazon Read...