What you might think of as an apocryphal urban legend was apparently true, including to some internal sleuthing by Microsoft employee and blogger Raymond Chen, who has unearthed some new details on one of tech's more fascinating stories.
Let's start at the beginning. In 2022, prolific storyteller Chen related a story that was told to him from a colleague who had previously worked on the Windows XP team. There was a problem: somehow, playing back "Rhythm Nation" over a laptop's speakers would crash the laptop. In fact, it could crash nearby laptops as well. Microsoft tried to isolate the fault, eliminating other variables, and the staff were left with a single conclusion: it was the sound itself that was at fault.
Remember, laptops at the time didn't ship with the SSDs that they do today. Instead, they used hard drives: 5,400-RPM hard drives with an actuator, magnetic heads, and platters. And it just so happened that "Rhythm Nation" inadvertently hit the resonant frequencies of at least one of the components. The vibration caused faults in the drive. It wasn't enough to wobble the hard drive's magnetic head into the platter — though that would do it! — but simply cause enough read faults that the laptop's OS crashed.
Remember, resonant (or resonance) frequencies are just simple physics. Tap a glass, and it will "ring." Project the same sound back at the glass, and it will vibrate in sympathy — even shatter. San Francisco's Exploratorium museum once had a ton or so of metal suspended from a chain, and visitors could try to move the suspended metal using a tiny, cheap, bar magnet
Intel made the announcements at its Foundry Direct Connect symposium on Tuesday, as the company tries to convince Wall Street and its customers that its manufacturing processes are back on track.
Despite Intel executives' on-stage promotion of their foundry roadmap, the products consumers will purchase directly influence Intel's process roadmap. Intel's upcoming Panther Lake processors will be manufactured on Intel's 18A process node, completing the "five nodes in four years" goal that former chief executive Pat Gelsinger laid out. Intel's next-gen 14A should be the technology Intel uses to fabricate "Nova Lake," due in 2026.
Intel has used foundry partner TSMC to fabricate many of the tiles found within its disaggregated processors like Lunar Lake, and bringing that production in-house will save Intel money as well as demonstrate to customers that it can compete with TSMC.
Intel chief executive Lip-Bu Tan has said previously that Intel 18A is now in "risk production" and will reach volume production this year. Intel 18A includes technologies like RibbonFET, a next-gen "gate all around" transistor, as well as PowerVia, a backside power delivery architecture that can nudge up power performance by 4 percent. Intel 18A is "ready for full product design start" — just another way that Intel is saying that it's ready to
You can access the Roku Channel via a web browser or via Roku's mobile apps for Android and iOS. To watch on a smart TV or another brand of streaming device (an Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Samsung smart TV), you'll need to install the Roku Channel app from that device's app store.
Unfortunately, Roku doesn't have a version of the Roku Channel app for LG smart TVs or the Apple TV streamer. But we'll show you some workarounds for those platforms later.
Coinshares, via reporting from Overlclockers.ru and PCGamer, reports that we're now past that point—well past it, in fact. The math says that mining a new Bitcoin in 2025 costs approximately $137,000 USD in electricity, even if you have the (very expensive) computer power to do it, while that Bitcoin is worth about $95,000 on the open market. Even at its all-time high of over $100,000 earlier this year, and assuming ideal conditions with access to cheap power and hardware, it's a losing game.
That doesn't mean that cryptocurrency is suddenly a failed mark
Children under the age of 13 will be able to start using Gemini in the coming months via a supervised account, and parents will be able to manage their children's usage via Google's Family Link app.
Google says Gemini can help children with homework and creative endeavors like making up stories, but also points out that Gemini can indeed make mistakes. The tech giant wants parents to teach children never to enter personal information into the chatbot, and to think critically about Gemini's answers and always double-check responses.
"Remind [your child] that Gemini isn't human. Even though it sometimes talks like one, it can't think for itself or feel emotions," Google writes in the email to parents, who can disable Gemini access for their kids via the Family Link app or website.
However, this guard against "juice jacking"—a hacking method in which charging stations are manipulated to inject malicious code, steal information, or allow access to the device when plugged in—is apparently not as secure as expected.
Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a serious loophole in this system that can be easily exploited.
A new way to hack smartphones via USB
As Ars Technica reports, attackers can use a new method called "choice jacking" to ensure that access to smartphones is easily authorized without the user being aware of it.
To do this, attackers first install a feature on a charging station so that it actually appears as a USB keyboard when connected. Then, via USB Power Delivery, it executes a "USB PD Data Role Swap" to establish a Bluetooth connection, trigger the file transfer consent pop-up, and approve consent while acting as a Bluetooth keyboard.
The charging station can therefore be used to bypass the protection mechanism on the device, which is actually intended to protect against hack attacks with USB peripherals. In the worst case scenario, hackers could gain access to all files and personal data stored on your smartphone in order to take over accounts.
The researchers at Graz University of Technology tested this method on devices from v
The Alienware AW3425DW is very similar to the company's previous designs, though it gets a bit of a refresh in its stand and styling. The newer OLED panel is also faster—a full 240Hz—while retaining the semi-standard 3440×1440 ultrawide resolution. The new design also gets a USB-C port, something conspicuously absent from both previous models… but don't get too excited because it's only 15 watts and there's nothing in the specs to indicate this port can handle video input. So this monitor isn't ideal for a gaming laptop, but it's still serviceable.
That said, with a starting price of just $799.99, I think a lot of gamers will be willing to overlook that detail, especially considering the OLED panel gets a three-year warranty against burn-in and other defects. Personally, if I were hunting for an OLED monitor deal, I'd wait on this one since Dell frequently discounts even its most high-end monitors. But with the US tariff situation in constant flux, it might be worth biting the bullet now.
It's shipping today. Alienware also has new 27-inch OLEDs launched recently, in 4K@240Hz and
NordVPN might be cheaper in the long-term and it offers more servers, but ExpressVPN has a better privacy record and more consistent access to streaming services. While both are neck and neck, I recommend NordVPN for most folks. It's our pick for best VPN overall due to its unrivaled feature set, blazing-fast speeds, and excellent streaming support. That's not to take anything away from ExpressVPN which is also an exemplary choice. The differences are nuanced so let's break it all down in more detail below to help you choose the best VPN for your own needs.
ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN: Features compared
ExpressVPNNordVPNServer network3,000 servers, 105 country locations
If you haven't watched the Gamers Nexus exposé, then go do it now. Or maybe bookmark it for later because it's nearly three hours long, featuring interviews with representatives from Corsair, Cooler Master, CyberPowerPC, iBuyPower, Hyte, and others. Steve Burke and his team get the info straight from industry insiders, detailing how companies in the US and beyond are scrambling to deal with a chaotic situation that can have costs and projections changing in just days (or even hours).
It's an incredible video. Seriously. Freakin' amazing reporting. And we're thrilled to have Steve on The Full Nerd podcast to talk about it. You've still got (just) enough time to finish watching the original video if you hurry,
This tiny memory card works with tons of devices. You can use it with your smartphone or tablet, you can put it into a drone you want to take photos with above the lake, you can pop it into the GoPro you mount on your helmet as you go skiing, and so much more. It's also compatible with laptops, PCs, and nearly anything else with the USB reader.
With 512GB of storage space, you can record plenty of photos and videos before offloading them, and the USB reader makes transferring easy between microSD devices and USB devices. The card itself supports read speeds of 180 MB/s and write speeds of 130 MB/s, which is more than enough to capture burst shots and 4K videos. Whatever it is you want to capture, this card will handle it for you.
Don't delay any further. Take advantage of this sweet deal and grab the 512GB Samsung PRO Plus for $30 on Amazon, the cheapest price it's ever been. That's an incredible bargain with the USB reader!
Save 40% on Samsung's 512GB microSD with USB adapter included
In an interview with TV news station KTLA, Gene Seroka, the executive director for the Port of Los Angeles, described the anticipated drop and the expectation of layoffs in adjacent industries like trucking and longshoremen.
More relevant to those of us at home, retailers who've spoken with Seroka gave an estimate of about five to seven remaining weeks of usual inventory. (That is, we consumers being able to walk into a store and immediately get what we need or want). After that stock runs out, Seroka predicts a rise in product prices, as well as a decrease in selection for goods. The example given: You might want to buy a blue shirt, but you'll instead only find one among many purple ones.
Despite the current (but temporary) hold on the higher tariffs for electronics like laptops, the ongoing chaos with these taxes will still likely result in fewer options and higher prices. When I spoke with companies about the effects of tariffs, multiple sources warned of reducing the availability and variety of product lineups, along with potential price increases to cover the new levies. So if you're on an older Windows 10 PC that can't make the upgrade to Windows 11, you could end up in a similar situation as the above shirt example—maybe you want a budget laptop for under $
This monitor is stunning, delivering the world's first VESA-certified dual mode. Basically, if you want to keep the visuals at 4K, you'll get an amazing 240Hz refresh rate, but if you can deal with cutting the resolution to 1080p, you can unlock a jaw-dropping 480Hz of refresh.
Throw in the near-instantaneous 0.03ms response time and you have yourself a gaming-capable monitor that can handle any fast-paced action and give you the competitive edge you deserve. The monitor comes with both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, so it'll work with any system you have to reduce screen tearing and stuttering.
The bright OLED panel is one to enjoy, elevating your favorite games, movies, and TV shows with vibrant colors and deep blacks. Ultra-fast OLEDs are still pretty uncommon, so this deal is one to jump on if that's something you've been pining after. Plus, this monitor has a feature called Pixel Sound, which emits sound from behind the OLED panel so you can get away with not having headphones or speakers. Cool!
Upgrade your PC setup with this ultra-fast 32-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor for just $997 (was $1,400). You can get it at Amazon or B&H
This isn't some rocket ship of a laptop in any shape or form, but it will get you through the day without issue. The laptop runs on an AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 8GB of RAM, which is less than the 16GB we normally recommend for a Windows laptop, but it's still good enough—and it's hard to complain at this price. The Ryzen 5 is a perfectly decent processor that can handle everyday needs, and the 512GB SSD on board means you're covered when it comes to fast transferring files, booting up your system and apps in a flash, and more.
One of the best things about this $350 laptop, though? The fact that it has a touchscreen display. The 1366×768 resolution may not be impressive on the large 15.6-inch screen, but it's not common for a budget laptop like this to be touch-enabled, allowing you to conveniently tap your apps and links. HP claims the laptop's battery will last for well over 12 hours, but even if it doesn't, that's long enough for the price.
If you need a no-fuss laptop that won't break the bank, this basic 15.6-inch HP laptop for $350 is a solid deal that'll serve you well. If you're willing to pay a little more for more, check out our roundup of the best budget laptops under $500.
You should be the only one to control your account. To ensure this, periodically verifying that everything's secure is a wise idea.
How? Primarily, you'll want to look over the devices logged into your Facebook account. If someone has stolen or compromised your password, it's possible that they are lurking in the background. Perhaps a hacker looking for data to use for a scam or extortion, but don't discount romantic partners, roommates, family, and friends, too.
You can use a PC or a mobile device to check over the devices logged into your Facebook account. If you spot one you don't recognize, you can remove it easily—as well as follow up with a password change to protect against future intrusions.
On a PC
Meta buries this info in its account center. To go directly there, head to https://accountscenter.facebook.com/password_and_security/login_activity. You can also navigate there manually:
Open the Facebook website in your browser
Click on your profile icon at the top right of the window
Choose Settings & privacy
Select Settings
Under Accounts Center in the upper left, click on See more in Accounts Center
Choose Password and security
Under Security checks, click on Where you're logged in
A pop-up will a
Juggling work and family? Or maybe you just want to learn something new. Finding time for self-improvement often feels impossible. That's where EDU Unlimited by StackSkills shines. This platform offers lifetime access to over 1,000 courses spanning everything from coding and marketing to personal finance and productivity. Whether you're new to a topic or looking for advanced expertise, there's something for everyone.
Imagine a parent re-entering the workforce, brushing up on data analysis skills at their own pace. Or a student filling gaps in their education with classes not available in their university's overcrowded catalog this coming semester. With its user-friendly design, easy progress tracking, and wide-ranging course library, EDU Unlimited makes it easy to learn on your schedule.
With a one-time payment, you'll not only get access to all content already on the platform, but new courses added on a monthly basis. When new interests arise or trends come around, you can keep your skillset sharp.
De minimis exceptions are a rule that allows items imported to the US with a declared value of under $800 to be exempt from import taxes. This is what enables popular China-based marketplaces like Temu, Shein, and AliExpress to offer items at prices far lower than even companies like Amazon or Walmart. Though de minimis (literally "with trifles" in Latin) is a policy designed to avoid overincumbering taxation and customs on items that would be more expensive to track than the tax actually collected, US president Trump has declared an end to the de minimis exemptions in addition to incredibly onerous taxes on imports from China. De minimus is scheduled to be suspended on May 2nd, subjecting most items to the same 145 percent import taxes as other Chinese goods.
"Due to recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs, our operating expenses have gone up," says a message on Temu's website. "To keep offering the product you love without compromising on quality, we will be making price adjustments starting April 25, 2025."
That might've been the common sense mantra for decades, but things are starting to change and it may not be true anymore. With added protections incorporated into Microsoft's latest version of Windows, you may not actually need a separate security solution.
Are Windows 11's built-in antivirus and security features enough for everyday users? The answer is, "Yes… but." Here's why.
Windows Security in a nutshell
Windows has always had some security measures in place to protect you against hackers, cybercriminals, and malware. Those security measures have dramatically improved over the past decade, and they've never been better than they are in Windows 11.
Although the additional requirements to even install the latest version of Windows might be annoying if you're running older (ineligible) hardware, mandating secure boot and other protective features help make Windows 11 the most secure version of Windows yet.
Indeed, Windows 11 has several protective measures that come installed by default, and they're packaged together as Windows Security. Together, these features make Windows 11 secure enough for the average user to not need third-party antivirus software. Mostly.
The best PDF editors allows you to edit, create, alter, and convert PDF files just like you would with any other text document. Adobe Acrobat is the most well-known option for most people. Its reputation is certainly deserved given its excellent feature set and overall utility. But it's also quite expensive.
Thankfully, there's a whole range of respectable and even great third-party PDF editors that provide less expensive alternatives to Adobe's premier product.
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Samsung's G93SC gets discounted pretty frequently—maybe its standard price is more aspirational than realistic—but that doesn't mean it's any less impressive as a monitor. With an enormous 5120×1440 resolution on its curved OLED panel, it's basically two 1440p screens smooshed into one. And the size and resolution aren't its only superlatives, with it also rocking a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time. Trying to push that resolution at that speed will bring even the most powerful machine to its knees on any recent 3D game.
This massive ultrawide monitor also includes USB-C video with 65 watts of charging for laptops and plenty of adjustments for gamers, along with a pair of speakers that you absolutely shouldn't use. It also has VESA mounting for a monitor arm, though you'll need a beefy one to handle its weight. For all the details, be sure to check out PCWorld's full review. You can also check out our roundup of the best gaming monitors.
Amazon has marked this one as a "limited time deal," so this price might not stick arou
Instead of using the original font called "FF Confidential," which was designed by Just van Rossum in 1992 and requires licensing for commercial use, it appears that the anti-piracy campaign used a font called "XBAND Rough" instead. XBAND Rough is a free clone of FF Confidential, created by Catapult Entertainment in 1996.
How can you tell the difference? Well, one Fediverse user found the XBAND Rough font embedded in a PDF file that was hosted on the official campaign website. TorrentFreak confirmed that XBAND Rough is embedded in both an official brochure (PDF) and an official flyer (PDF). However, TorrentFreak cautions against drawing any direct conclusions, as it's entirely possible that the campaign still used a licensed version.
"I knew my font was used for the campaign and that a pirated clone named XBAND Rough existed. I did not know that the campaign used XBAND Rough and not FF Confidential, though. So this fact is new to me, and I find it hilarious," said Just van Rossum to TorrentFreak.
Printables user djared says, "I didn't want to get a new Steam Deck just to have an OLED screen, so I made this… lol." Lol, indeed. The 3D-printed bracket clamps onto the front screen of the Steam Deck, like a gigantic version of those phone mounts for a console controller. It's made specifically for this Innocn 13.3-inch portable USB-C monitor, accounting for its unique rotating kickstand while leaving plenty of room to connect the USB-C cable.
ChatGPT's Deep Research feature can perform multi-step research using sources across the internet, then generates detailed reports with clear citations and summaries of its research process and results. It's particularly useful for complex tasks in knowledge-heavy fields such as economics, science, law, and technology.
The lightweight version will be as in-depth as the standard version but will produce shorter answers, according to OpenAI. Free users will have access to five Deep Research tasks per month, while Paid Plus and Team users will have access to 15 tasks per month. These will start to be used after the first 10 standard Deep Research tasks are used up. Meanwhile, Pro users will have access to 125 tasks with standard Deep Research and 125 tasks with the lightweight version.
When we reviewed ChatGPT Pro, we found that Deep Research was the best feature included in the ultra-premium subscription, with other AI assistants currently trying to mimic it but none offering anything that comes close to matching it. But ChatGPT Pro is extremely expensive—about $200/mo as of this writing—and it's hard to justify that even if Deep Research is that good. So it's nice to be able to have a lightweight version of it, especially without even having to pay for it.
The developers are calling it "Cookiecrumbler," a method for detecting and blocking the ubiquitous cookie consent notices across the web with a variety of approaches. The thing is, blocking these pop-ups was already built into Brave… but blocking the pop-ups wasn't the biggest problem. According to the announcement post (spotted by BleepingComputer), it's doing so without breaking the page afterward. It requires an approach that's almost tailored to each individual site, as these notices are similar but not identical across the web.
Cookiecrumbler aggregates auto-detection with large language models ("AI"), combined with human reviewers who can iron out the wrinkles where the LLM makes mistakes in detection or automatic translation. The tool is running on Brave's backend servers at the moment so it can crawl the web and set up rules on a site-by-site basis. The team says it wants to switch things into a browser-based version eventually.
The best news? Brave is publishing Cookiecrumbler as an open-source tool, so it could be implemented and iterated by other teams. If you prefer another alternative browser (like my personal fave Vivaldi) or you're unc
To enable this feature, go to Settings System For Developers, and select End Task (sometimes it's called End Activity). Now you can right-click any app in the taskbar and choose End Task from the menu.
This new shortcut can save you both time and frustration, especially when an app stops responding. Instead of waiting for the Task Manager to load or dealing with laggy windows, you can now nix the unresponsive program with just a couple of clicks.
First off, this is a laptop that can handle pretty much anything, from your daily workload to the creative hobbies you love, from kicking back with Netflix all day to boring spreadsheet stuff. This Lenovo laptop runs on a 13th-gen Intel Core i5 processor and 16GB of RAM, which is enough power to run Windows 11 plus apps without choking.
The Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9 is also gaming-ready with an RTX 4060 graphics card, good enough to run most modern games at decent settings at great frame rates. The 15.6-inch IPS display makes content pop with accurate colors, and it's able to deliver 1080p visuals at a 144Hz refresh rate. Whether you like slow-paced games or action-packed ones, this laptop has you covered—and it's a winner for the price.
Stop wasting time and don't miss this chance to get the Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9 for $849 at B&H before this deal vanishes! But if you're looking for something a little different and this one doesn't fit your needs, check out our regularly updated recommendations for best current laptops.
Snag this Lenovo gaming laptop with RTX 4060 for $849
Both the U-Bolt Z-Wave ($180) and the up-market U-Bolt Pro Z-Wave ($220) smart locks are getting the Home Assistant treatment; both locks are already compatible with Samsung SmartThings and other Z-Wave smart home hubs, as well as Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and IFTTT.
This Arzopa display has an IPS panel so you can expect great color accuracy and wide viewing angles, complete with its 1080p resolution and anti-glare coating. The 15.6-inch size of the display is a great match for modern laptops, offering a similar visual experience whether you're at home or when you're out and about.
The monitor comes with a built-in stand that doubles as a cover for the screen, protecting it from bumps and scratches while in your backpack. You don't need apps or drives to make this screen work—just a USB-C cable that connects it to your laptop. Weighing 1.7 pounds and measuring just 0.3 inches in thickness, this monitor is truly portable and can slip right next to your laptop in your backpack.
Of course, it doesn't just work with laptops but other gadgets, too! From your PC to your Mac, smartphone to gaming console, including your Nintendo Switch. Besides the USB-C port with DP support, there's a second USB-C port and a Mini HDMI. Snag the Arzopa S1 Table for $65 at Amazon before this deal expires!
Get this travel-friendly 15.6-inch portable monitor for 41% off
This mini PC is a home office powerhouse with its Intel Core Ultra 5 125H processor under the hood, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. That's a combination that will breeze through any task you want to complete, from work assignments to creative hobbies. The CPU offers a 30 percent performance boost over previous Core i9 and i7 options, and it's user-upgradeable up to a whopping 96GB RAM and 4TB SSD.
To add more sugar on top, GMKtec's Nucbox K9 comes with triple 4K@60Hz display support via HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB4 ports. If you use the USB4 alone, you can even reach up to 8K@60Hz. It's a dream for productive multitaskers, not to mention the other four USB-A 3.2 ports, dual LAN ports, and 3.5mm headset jack.
It's a banger of a mini PC, especially at this price. Get it now for $600 on Amazon and level up your home office today!
Save $160 on this powerful mini PC with 8K supportBuy now at Amazon
Want even more choices? Check out PCWorld's roundup of the best laptops available right now.
Best budget laptop deals under $500
Maps will still be supported within Windows, however. You'll simply have to visit Bing's own maps page to access them.
Maps is a legacy app that was invaluable on Windows Phones, though that platform died years ago. Now, there's no real reason to hold on to Maps, or to add those few kilobytes to the install size of Windows.
Maps, whose data is credited to both TomTom and Microsoft itself, also previously agreed to change the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America." So if that riles you up, you'll be glad to see Maps go.
Recall is just one of several new features that either have or will be arriving on Copilot PC, Microsoft said Friday. Recall, Windows' improved semantic search, Live Captions, Cocreator, and Restyle Image and Image Creator within Photos are now all available for Copilot PCs that include Qualcomm Snapdragon CPUs as well as PCs with qualifying processors from AMD and Intel. A few features — Click to Do, Live Captions, and Voice Access — are available for Copilot PCs running on Snapdragon, but support for AMD and Intel chips isn't quite available.
For Microsoft, the release of these AI-powered features are cause for celebration, finally delivering on promises of an AI-powered world that the company first made a year ago. But in the weeks and months since Microsoft first announced Recall, a darker side of its potential has emerged.
Now, Recall and its saved snapshots provide a record of information that could be used against you. Fortunately, Microsoft hasn't shied away from allowing you to remove Recall altogether, deleting these saved records entirely.
It's also important to put Recall in perspective. Now, by default, Recall is opt-in, which means that you'll have to explicitly enable it. But even if you want to use Recall, it's only available to Copilot PCs, which are a tiny subset of the available PCs on the market. Just because Recall is available doesn't mean that your PC will necessarily receive it. Even the most "modern" PCs, such as Intel's Core Ultra 200 series (Arrow Lake) don't have the necessary NPU power to run Recall.
Slate is an American electric vehicle (EV) startup, and it's far from the only one. We've seen almost every company that tried to follow in the footsteps of Tesla stumble and fall, dealing with the realities of a hugely competitive market that's very difficult to break into. But Slate has the eye of the car-buying press because it's shooting for a small, low-cost pickup truck, something that American buyers have been desperately missing for a long time. It probably doesn't hurt that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is a high-profile investor—that'll get you some headlines.
The Slate pickup, with a name the same as the company, is aiming low. And I mean really low. The base model is expected to debut at $27,500 or so when it hits the streets in 2026, which would make it $20,000 if the US federal EV tax credit holds. (That seems pretty optimistic at this point.) But even without the credit, it would be cheaper than the Ford Maverick, the least expensive pickup truck on the US market right now. (Miss me with the "it's not a truck" arguments. Again, the site is called PCWorld.) And it would be the cheapest electric pickup by far, with the F-150 Lightning starting at around $50,000.
Chromebooks are generally less expensive than Windows laptops and they're largely virus free. Heck, with cloud gaming, you can even play the hottest titles on some of them. The only problem? Typing "Chromebook" into a search bar opens the floodgates to countless choices. To simplify things, we've put together a list of Chromebooks that PCWorld has personally tested and reviewed.
If you'd still prefer a Windows laptop, check out PCWorld's roundup of the best laptops available today.
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 - Best overall Chromebook
Roughly the size on an iPad mini, the Eufy Smart Display E10 isn't the all-purpose display that Apple's tablet is. Instead, it's focused on home security, with the device capable of taking charge of your various Eufy cameras, sensors, and alarm systems.
The E10's best feature looks to be its ability to display up to four live Eufy security camera feeds at a time on its 8-inch screen, saving you the trouble of digging out your phone to check activity around your home. A separate column lets you browse recorded video events, as well as monitor the status of your cameras and base station. I'm also told the E10 will let you arm and disarm your Eufy security system. In this respect, it's similar to the Amazon Echo Hub, which can show live feeds from Ring security cameras and arm/disarm Ring Alarm systems.
For years, the mantra in the tech world has been, buy the latest and greatest. The newer, the better. And for some companies, like AMD and Qualcomm, that's been true.
Not anymore. Intel told Wall Street analysts Thursday that it's selling out of its "Raptor Lake" processors and that the process technology they're built upon, Intel 7, is constrained. Put another way, Intel chief financial officer David Zinsner told analysts that Intel is selling more of its years-old 12th- and 13th-gen Raptor Lake (and Raptor Lake Refresh) chips than Lunar Lake.
That's embarrassing, to be sure. But it caps off years of struggles, which some might say date back to Intel's inability to move off of the 14nm node for several generations. Is it any surprise that Intel's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, believes that Intel's organizational structure is bloated?
Maybe, but to most people in technology, the answer is simple: if you deliver processors that don't improve over their predecessors, why should you expect customers to buy your newest and most expensive chips? Instead, they'll turn to your older, cheaper processors. And that's what Intel says is happening — especially with the tariff typhoon blowing hard.
But who would buy it? Unsurprisingly, there are beaucoup business beaus lining up around the block for this browser bachelorette. We've already heard that ChatGPT maker OpenAI is very interested, as testified in court by an executive. And another notable name in the AI space, search engine Perplexity, told a judge much the same thing. Bloomberg reports that Yahoo, which almost feels like legacy media at this point, would also be interested if Chrome becomes available.
That's three potential new homes for the world's most popular browser. But it's important to note that federal judge Amit Mehta hasn't yet made a determination on how Google will be punished for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. Just because prosecutors suggest breaking off Chrome doesn't mean that he'll agree it's an appropriate end. And whatever happens, Google will certainly exhaust its legal options with enough money to make Solomon blush. Google losing control of Chrome is not a foregone conclusion, even if it feels that way from recent reports.
But truth be told, these calculators only make bare-bones calculations about performance without factoring in other key performance modifiers. It's why I'd never rely solely on one before buying PC components, and you shouldn't either.
What is a bottleneck calculator?
A bottleneck refers to a mismatch between two PC components that ultimately results in there being a lag in performance. The offending component is usually called "the bottleneck." In its worst case, a bottleneck will lead to stuttering or slower frame rates in games.
One of the most common types of bottlenecks is when an under-powered or older CPU is paired up with a powerful video card. Here, when the CPU can't process data fast enough the video card has to wait and is held back from performing all of its own processing, thereby resulting in sub-optimal performance.
To avoid getting a bottleneck, gamers turn to bottleneck calculators (like this one from PC Builds) before they build or upgrade, which calculates a percentage difference between the two components as a rating of their performance compatibility.
Percentages above 10 percent usually indicate a problem (higher is worse), whereas percentages below 10 percent are better.
The problem with bottleneck calculators
Although they seem like a quick and convenient way to check compatibility, bottleneck calculat
Original story from April 16, 2025: If you're still using Microsoft's classic Outlook app for your emailing needs, you may have noticed that your computer hardware behaves a bit strangely when using the app—most notably when typing.
Earlier this week, Microsoft issued a warning and confirmed that the classic Outlook app can cause your computer's CPU usage to skyrocket. Processor usage can spike by 30 to 50 percent when writing an email, and also increase your computer's power consumption. It's implied that this is a bug, but the root cause isn't yet known.
The company says there isn't yet a direct solution to the problem, but notes that the issue only affects versions of classic Outlook on the Current Channel, Monthly Enterprise Channel, and Insider channels, after updating to Version 2406 Build 17726.20126 or later.
If this issue is causing you significant trouble, you can work around it by switching your classic Outlook app to the Semi Annual Channel. Instructions on how to do that can be found in
The thing that sets this webcam apart is that it's compatible with Windows Hello, the security feature that lets you log into your PC using automatic facial ID scans instead of typing in a password. But in order to use Windows Hello, you need a special infrared webcam. Most Windows Hello-compatible webcams cost over $100, and that's another thing that sets this one apart: it's way, way cheaper.
This Toallin webcam captures 2K video so you look sharp in any vids you're recording or conferences you join. The cam has auto-focus, so your face remains in focus even as you move around, it easily mounts on top of your monitor, and it has a wide 84-degree viewing angle. But my favorite thing about it? The built-in privacy cover that physically blocks the camera on demand, giving you peace of mind at any time.
It's honestly worth getting this webcam just for the ability to start using Windows Hello. Not only does it better secure your PC, but it's faster and more convenient. Get it now for $32 on Amazon!
You won't find a cheaper 2K webcam that supports Windows Hello
Just plug it into any outlet per usual and you instantly gain access to two USB-A ports and two AC outlets, and those USB ports are fast-charging so you won't have to wait around forever for your phone or laptop.
Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand—the receptable end measures 3.3 x 1.8 inches—this power strip takes up no space in your carry-on or laptop bag. And with the 5-foot cord, you can situate it pretty much anywhere you need it to go. And it comes with an extensive safety system, including a fire-retardant casing, grounded protection, over-voltage protection, and short-circuit protection.
For just $10, this Anker USB power strip is the perfect travel companion. Don't miss out on this chance to get it with this big discount!
Snag this excellent travel Anker USB power strip for 50% offBuy now at Amazon
The Zephyrus G16 is a chunky 16-inch laptop with a gaming-ready 1080p IPS display and a marvelous 165Hz refresh rate, capable of cranking out high frame rates so all those fast-paced action scenes smooth. That's thanks to the RTX 4070 graphics card, a GPU that's really hard to find in the one-grand range, especially with all these other specs in tow.
Under the hood, this laptop also features a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 processor and a solid 16GB of RAM, which translates into short loading times, quick swapping between apps, and productive multitasking. This combo can handle any task you need to complete, although the 512GB SSD is smaller than we'd like. (Not terrible, but not great.)
If you're in the market for a high-end gaming laptop at a mid-range price, and if you want to grab one before tariffs drive prices up to astronomical levels, then take advantage of this deal and snag the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 for $1,140 at Best Buy
What's not a given is paying full retail. Yep, you can snag discounts on Windows 11. How much you'll save depends on your circumstances (and your stomach for hassle), but if you're lucky, you could technically get it for free. Legitimately for free, since installing Windows without ever activating it doesn't count as a full, sanctioned copy of the software. (Ahem.)
Here's how, in several different ways. These strategies often apply for Windows 10 licenses too, but that operating system gets the axe in October of this year. Your better bet will be Windows 11.
Simple upgrade: Trade up from Windows 10 to Windows 11
People I speak with are usually sold on this idea but often don't know how to get started. But it's dead easy. You just have to pick a way to store your passkeys. Here's a brief overview of the different options:
Your smartphone. This one's seamless, especially if you're most often on your phone instead of a laptop or PC. Creating passkeys is generally automated when initiating the process from a mobile app or browser. Works for both iOS and Android.
Your tablet. Identical experience as on a phone. A possibly ideal alternative for those who leave their tablet at home and also worry about losing their phone and thus all their passkeys.
Your PC. Windows will save passkeys for you if you initiate the process of creating one on your laptop or desktop PC.
A hardware key. YubiKey and the Google Titan Security Key are examples of dongles that can not only serve as a strong two-factor authentication method but also store passkeys. (If you have an older version, it will need to support the FIDO2 protocol to be compa
If you've ever been burned by a "free" antivirus that wasn't really free—or worse, one that slowed your computer to a crawl—you're not alone. Most solid cybersecurity tools come with monthly charges that pile up fast. But what if there was one that protected your PC and your wallet?
Certified by Virus Bulletin, Priil Internet Security blocks 100% of known malware threats and includes real-time detection, firewall protection, a VPN, a password manager, a file shredder, browser safety, and more. It's not just antivirus—it's an entire suite of security and performance tools. You'll also get custom scan options, a PC optimizer to speed things up, and built-in protection against data leaks and malicious tracking.
Intel chief financial officer David Zinsner told analysts on Thursday that Intel sold more volume in its Raptor Lake chips than Lunar Lake, suggesting that customers preferred the higher-performance Raptor Lake chips that debuted in 2023 versus the latest Lunar Lake chip that launched last September.
Meanwhile, Zinsner suggested that Intel's future is extremely uncertain, due to the Trump administration's varying economic policy. "The very fluid trade policies in the U.S. and beyond, as well as regulatory risks, have increased the chance of an economic slowdown with the probability of a recession growing," Zinsner said. "This makes it more difficult to forecast how we will perform for the quarter and for the year, even as the underlying fundamentals supporting growth I discussed earlier remain intact."
Zinsner also gave an enormous range for the company's spending plans of between $8 billion and $11 billion, because Intel doesn't know what the future of the CHIPS Act might be.
Older, cheaper, higher-performance Intel CPUs are the favorite
The surprise, however, was how Intel's customers are dealing with tariffs — simply buying older products instead. Intel executives said that the Intel 7 process — the foundation of the Raptor Lake chips — was constrained, and so was production of the chip itself. That's because customers
This "new experience" for Copilot won't feature the full-fledged Copilot app. Instead, Microsoft is promising that the Copilot key — or, in future, the WIN C shortcut — will launch Copilot Chat, a small chat box that won't take up as much screen space as before.
Cool, right? But even this new experience isn't free from Microsoft's fragmentation problems, which puts separate features on separate tracks. Microsoft has two Copilot experiences: the "consumer" version of Copilot, and the more professional Copilot experience as Microsoft 365 Copilot. This week, Microsoft began reworking that latter version of Copilot to bring it more in line with the consumer application, which allows for image creation. Microsoft 365 Copilot is adding project-based Notebooks and other features, such as improved AI search and an "agent store" for sending out AI to do more specific tasks.
It's Microsoft 365 Copilot that's receiving the less obtrusive interface. In May, Microsoft said it will launch "an updated Copilot key experience," which will launch a "prompt box" using Copilot Chat. While the app can be expanded into the full Copilot app, it's designed to offer a minimal interface at launch.
The Pro Click V2 Vertical is definitely the more interesting design, if only by virtue of its novelty. The flat bottom and 71.7-degree tilt puts your hand into a "handshake" position with the outer edge resting on the lip of the device, a form factor you'll no doubt recognize from other mice like Logitech's MX Vertical. Razer seems to have borrowed the top edge and button from similar designs in this sector, and thrown in thumb buttons above and below the standard resting place.
But this is Razer we're talking about, so naturally you get features like 30,000 DPI sensor and an RGB ring that goes nearly all the way around the base. Razer's promo page says this can be used for "reactive RGB notifications" using the Chroma program, you know, in case you needed to justify this thing on an expense report. The battery lasts for up to six months with a USB-C recharge and it can connect over wired, Bluetooth, or 2.4GHz dongle modes.
If you're just looking for solid laptop recommendations, then you've come to the right place. The PCWorld team has personally tested every laptop below, using hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge to help you find the best one for your needs.
Why you should trust us: It's in our name: PCWorld. We've been reviewing laptops for over 40 years, with exacting standards applied to all facets of the user experience, from performance benchmarks, to features, to the rigors of daily use. Our experts know their stuff and have curated a comprehensive list of the best laptops for college students, with their particular needs in mind.
After you finish looking over our recommendations, be sure to hit our daily updated roundup of the best laptop deals to try and score a great laptop on sale. Or check out our roundup of the best laptops for even more recommendations.
The ProSecure NVR system and its bigger brother, the HomeBase Professional S1, pack in oodles of local video storage—2TB for the former, 33GB for the latter, with both units expandable to 16TB of storage, good for storing weeks or even months of 24/7 video footage without need of the cloud.
Both systems offer connections for PoE (Power over Ethernet) cameras, with the ProSecure NVR arriving in various packages that combine 4K bullet Pan/tilt/zoom and turret-style cameras with color night vision, cross-camera tracking (a Eufy feature that stiches together video events from different vantage points), and up to 8X digital zoom. The ProSecure NVR supports a total of 16 connected cameras.
Whether you're planning on transferring tons of photos from your phone, recording straight to the card with a GoPro, or loading up a bunch of games for your Switch or Steam Deck, this microSD card will step up to the task and deliver exactly what you need. It comes with an SD adapter, so you can also use it with larger devices, like laptops.
The SanDisk Extreme can reach speeds up to 190 MB/s read and 130 MB/s write, which is fast enough for 4K recording and moving big files from device to device in seconds. It's also built to safeguard your files, not just being shockproof and waterproof but also protected against extreme temperatures and X-rays.
Snag the 512GB SanDisk Extreme for just $42 while this deal still stands. Or, if you need something smaller, grab one of the other variants that are also on sale: 256GB for $24, 128GB for $16, or 64GB for $11.
Save up to 33% on SanDisk's reliable, high-speed microSD card
We've tested nearly three dozen PCIe 4.0 SSDs and our list includes the best of the bunch for various needs. Whether you want to upgrade, or add more storage to your PCIe 4.0 computer, there's an SSD for you. Read on to learn more, including what to look for in PCIe 4.0 SSD.
Why you should trust us: We're not called PCWorld for nothing. Our reviewers have been testing PC hardware for decades. Our storage evaluations are exhaustive, testing the limits of every product — from performance benchmarks to the practicalities of regular use. As PC users ourselves, we know what makes a killer product stand out. Only the best SSDs make this list. For more about our testing process, scroll to the bottom of this article.
It's a tale of two product listings. See, the same laptop is listed for sale here (available for delivery only, to most places in the United States) as well as here (available for pickup at Staples retail stores that still have it in stock). If you happen to be near one, you can get it for an extra $100 off with that latter listing. The online deal is already a great price for a new, budget laptop; the local deal is downright unbeatable for the specs.
The Asus Vivobook 15 isn't a powerhouse, but with a Core 5 120U processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, it'll handle everything you can throw at it for basic tasks. Ordinary users and light students (don't try to run the latest 3D games or heavy media production programs) will find it ideal. I also like that it's got a bumper pad on the keyboard, making good use of that extra screen space.
Note that it's not a touchscreen laptop, and since it has a barrel charging port, I don't know whether or not it'll charge via USB-C (just one port). You do get plenty of ot
The latest example is Keyboardio, a custom keyboard shop run by two people in California. Keyboardio specializes in the kind of gorgeous, wood-cased ergonomic designs that always draw crowds at keyboard meetups. But because essential parts like PCBs come from China, even if their wooden cases are sourced from American wood, both the standard tariffs and the crackdowns on de minimis shipping exceptions make it impossible to remain profitable for US sales, as the two explain in a lengthy blog post. The post was updated four times in three days in April to deal with the US and China's dueling policies.
But starting May 2nd, there will simply be no way to keep sales going while remaining profitable. Keyboardio announced (spotted by Tom's Hardware) that it will "suspend all shipping to the United States until we're confident that your orders will get to you quickly and reliably."
Keyboardio isn't the first small gadget supplier to make this call, and it won't be the last.
All you need to stream Xbox games on your LG smart TV is an Xbox controller with Bluetooth support, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, and an LG smart TV that supports the Xbox app.
Unlike other hardware drivers, which may only offer minor updates, graphics card driver updates often introduce big changes. Nvidia, AMD, and Intel regularly release new drivers that contain significant performance improvements, bug fixes, and optimized functions.
Another big feature update is Notebooks, which are project-based notebooks for organizing information like files, pages, and links, which can then be shared with Copilot. This gives Copilot a more focused collection of context to work with, which then informs its answers when you use Copilot for aid in a given project.
In 2023, Sightful showed off the Spacetop, which was like a Chromebook without a display. Sightful now utilizes the xReal Air ultra 2 AR glasses in place of the previously tethered AR glasses. If you didn't own multiple displays and a Thunderbolt dock, fine — the AR setup surrounded you with virtual displays.
Today's Spacetop Bundle makes some changes, though the concept remains the same. Instead of AR glasses that were essentially tethered to the computing solution, Sightful uses the XReal Air Ultra 2 AR glasses instead. The most significant change involves the computer: you'll need a laptop with an NPU of some sort (a Copilot PC isn't necessary, but a basic NPU like a Core Ultra 100 series is) to power the Spacetop app itself. Yes, Spacetop is now a subscription-based application that runs on top of Windows, and it's $200 per year.
This week, Max took a page from Netflix's playbook by adding an option to pay $8 per month for an extra member that doesn't live in your home, same as Netflix. Last fall, Disney added similar options for its Disney streaming service ($7 per month with ads, $10 per month without). Both companies have updated their terms of service to say that out-of-home account sharing is forbidden.
But calling this a "crackdown" is still extreme relative to the actual level of enforcement that's happening. Let's call them shakedowns instead, with streaming services using the occasional nastygram or sign-in nuisance to see what extra revenue they can knock loose. Don't make it easier on them by giving in before it's absolutely necessary.
Buying some time
Max and Disney are enforcing their password-sharing rules in pretty much the same way as Netflix, establishing a "Household" location based on signals such as your home's IP address and device activity. They can then flag any streaming from outside of that home location as potential password sharing.
If that happens, there are ways to avoid opening your wallet right away.
Max's support page says users may see a "Get your own account" or "Transfer this profile to your own account" message when they try to access the service. In both cases, users can instead select "This is My Account" an
The Samsung 990 EVO Plus SSD earned a solid 4-star rating in our review. It excels as a daily driver and delivers a way better experience than older models did. While it's typically on the pricier side, this Amazon discount brings it more in line with other 2TB internal SSDs while providing more speed and power than those cheaper alternatives.
With blazing-fast read speeds of up to 7,250 MB/s and write speeds of up to 6,300 MB/s, this SSD is perfect for transferring massive files and quickly loading apps and games. Not to mention how quickly your system will be booting, mere seconds from off to on and ready to go. It's compatible with both PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 5.0 x2.
It's not every day we see such a high-performance SSD on sale for such a great price, so take advantage of this opportunity to get Samsung's 990 EVO Plus SSD (2TB) for $130 on Amazon! But if you're thinking this isn't the drive for you, no worries. Check out some of our other favorites in our roundup of the best SSDs worth your money.
Get 2TB of super-fast PCIe 4.0/5.0 SSD storage for 30
This sucks. Allow me to use several hundred words to explain why.
There are a lot of great things about USB-C. Access to incredibly fast data transfers. Video capabilities on a (somewhat) universal standard. But the greatest for me, by a wide margin, is that you can use it to charge up almost any device with the same cable. I want every single device that I own with a battery to allow charging via a USB-C port.
And we're almost there. My phone, my tablet, my laptop, my headphones, even my portable batteries that I use to charge all of them on the go, each one uses USB-C. All of this is good. But for most of the time, a phone, a tablet, headphones, et cetera only need one USB-C port. That's all that's practical for these devices.
A laptop needs multiple USB-C ports. At least two, if only so you can charge it up and use one extra device like a flash drive without needing to bring along a dongle. And at least one of those should be on both sides of the laptop.
Uninstall unnecessary programs
Asked for the strategy behind breaking with Wyze, the Roku rep explained that the move allows for "more control over the app and the experience and prioritizing what we want to do, versus Wyze."
Reached later by TechHive, another Roku spokesperson offered an additional statement: "We're glad to have worked with Wyze to initially bring Roku Smart Home to the market. We're proud of our new Roku-designed Battery Camera and Battery Camera Plus and excited to bring it to our Roku users."
We've also asked Wyze for more details.
Previously known solely as a streaming media device manufacturer, Roku surprised many in the industry with its 2022 announcement that it was moving into the smart home space.
The camera records in 2K resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels) at 15 frames per second with high dynamic range. When the camera is stationary, its lens has a diagonal field of view of 107.9 degrees (92.2 degrees horizontal, 50 degrees vertical), but an onboard motor allows it to pan 360 degrees (its degree of tilt is not specified). Video can be stored locally on a microSD card (not included, capacities up to 256GB are supported) or to one of Lorex's network-attached Fusion Recorder DVRs. Lorex also offers an optional cloud subscription service. The camera is limited to operating on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks.
The Lorex 2K Wi-Fi Lightbulb Camera supports motion detection with person and vehicle detection, and it's outfitted with a microphone and speaker for two-way talk. It also has an onboard siren. Its camera housing carries an IP65 weatherization rating, but the lighting element must be protected from the elements if installed outdoors. According to our IP code decoder, IP65 means the camera portion is impervious to dust and that it can withstand a blast of projected water from any direction (although it probably wouldn't stand up to a pressure washer at close range).
We've reviewed the best laptops in every category, from lightweight Chromebooks to powerful gaming rigs and everything in between. Our goal is to make your decision ease, with clear recommendations based on what actually matters in life.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (2024) - Best laptop overall
While I always recommend keeping a local backup for quick restores (see our roundup of the best Windows backup software for desktop solutions), uploading your data to an online backup service is a reliable way to cover your bases. The "backup rule of three" exists for a reason.
The good news for consumers is that there are many affordable and convenient cloud storage options, each offering unique selling points. My primary concern here is backup, but I do note other roles that a service can fulfill, such as file sharing, multiple-device support, and emergency-restore options.
PROMOTION
EaseUS Todo Backup - Cloud backup software
EaseUS Todo Backup covers everything you need for backups, with great features and fair pricing. With free cloud storage space, you'll always have an extra copy of any files stored securely in the cloud. Security Zone protects vital data from ransomware in real-time.
Leopeva64 tweeted (spotted by XDA Developers) that Chrome is testing a new automatic picture-in-picture mode with YouTube videos. This means that you will soon be able to watch YouTube videos from a background tab while actively doing something else in another tab.
Link to watch or download the video ??https://t.co/kYhE5Fcx3v .https://t.co/rkbNH6Fp29 pic.twitter.com/FWsPg1ryzm
— Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) April 18, 2025
You've probably seen YouTube's mini player that appears in the corner when you're playing a video but navigating around YouTube itself. In Leopeva64's clip, you can see something very similar happen when he switc
The information comes from a predictable source: testimony in the ongoing and potentially disastrous Google antitrust case. (No, not that one, the other one. Google has lost two separate antitrust cases brought by the US federal government in the last year.) Bloomberg reports that Google is paying Samsung "an enormous sum of money" to put Gemini on its phones and integrate it into the One UI Android skin, according to Google platform and device partnership VP Peter Fitzgerald.
The executive testified that the terms of the deal mean Google pays Samsung for every device that's preloaded with Gemini and heavily featuring it in the system. Samsung also gets a cut of the advertising revenue generated from Gemini searches and other actions. The contract was set in place for at least two years, though the precise parameters (and how much an "enormous sum" amounts to) aren't known.
It makes sense for Samsung. The company has been pushing its latest Galaxy devices as chock-full
Revealed Wednesday during a press event in New York City, the Roku Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus are designed for streamers on the move, with slimmed-down profiles that (hopefully) won't block other HDMI ports. The players have also been optimized to run off a TV's USB power port (a USB-C to USB-A cable is included).
With each player measuring 3.7 x 0.8 x 0.45 inches and weighing in at just 0.9 ounces, the HD-only Streaming Stick ($29.95) and 4K-enabled Streaming Stick Plus ($39.99) replace the Roku Express and Roku Express 4K respectively.
That leaves just five players in Roku's streaming lineup, including the Streaming Stick 4K (which adds Dolby Vision HDR, as the newer Streaming Stick Plus supports only HDR10), the high-end Roku Ultra (which offers ethernet and a backlit remote), and the Streambar SE soundbar.
Both the Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus will ship with Roku's Voice Remote, allowing you to navigate the players' streaming interfaces as well as control basic TV functions with your voice. That's a step up from Roku's now-legacy Express player, which included just a standard Roku remote.
Task View arrived with Windows 10 in 2015, providing an alternative to cramming all of your open windows into the space afforded by your screen. By clicking the Task View button on the Windows taskbar — or just pressing Windows key Tab — you can see all your open windows and arrange them into separate workspaces, known as virtual desktops.
It's the kind of feature I should theoretically love, but my earlier attempts to use it always ended in failure. Too often I'd forget about those extra virtual desktops I had set up and would gravitate back toward opening all my windows in one place.
By rethinking my approach to Task View — and by taking advantage of some new Windows features — I've finally made a habit of using it in a way that saves time and helps me focus.
This column first appeared in Advisorator, Jared's weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up to get tech advice like this every Tuesday.
The big April update for Windows 10—known as update KB5055518—has apparently removed the convenient jump lists that appear when right-clicking on app tiles in the Start menu. This feature, which let you quickly access recent files relevant to the app in question, has been part of Windows 10 for years… but it's gone now.
Spotted by Windows Latest, it's unclear why the recent file jump lists were removed from the Windows 10 Start menu, and Microsoft hasn't mentioned making this move, so it's possible that it's just a bug.
If you want the feature back, you can uninstall update KB5055518, but you'll also lose the important security fixes in the update.
