Mark Wright`s play `Voices from Gallipoli` features nine diverse characters. Read...

Today, Mozilla has released version 138 of its popular Firefox web browser for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The biggest draw of this update is the profile manager feature that makes it easier to separate work, play, and everything else. With separate user profiles, you’ll be able to have separate bookmarks, tabs, browsing history, and more. Profile management has long been one of the defining benefits of Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers over Firefox. Although Mozilla has tried to bridge that gap with features like Containers, and others have tried to replicate profiles via extensions, none of the solutions have ever offered quite the same benefits and convenience. Windows users will also be pleased to see that the designs of menus and windows have been adapted to fit the rest of the operating system. Other minor features include tab groups and weather suggestions in the address bar. Otherwise, the rest of the update mainly treats us to bug fixes and security issues addressed. If you want to check if you’re running the latest version, navigate to About Firefox in the menu. If you have an older version, simply restart the browser and the update will be installed automatically. Alternatively, go to the Firefox download page and manually download the latest version for Windows, macOS, or Linux. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Awesome “AniMe Matrix” exterior display Good keyboard, big touchpad Bright Mini-LED display, strong audio Well-rounded performance for the price Cons No rear-facing ports A bit thick, heavy Short battery life Our Verdict Want a laptop with RTX 5080 series inside? Asus’ Strix Scar 16 is a relatively affordable option with solid CPU and GPU performance and nice extras, like a Mini-LED display and a large touchpad.  Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today The release of Nvidia’s RTX 50-series mobile GPUs has, of course, spawned a new generation of high-end gaming laptops designed around them. Asus’ ROG Strix Scar 16 is among the more affordable options in this new line-up—though I’m not sure most people would call the laptop’s $3,299.99 MSRP “affordable.” Even so, the Scar 16’s pricing and performance make it a good value. The Scar 16 also offers a few extras like a big touchpad and top-tier audio, that competitors tend to skip. Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Specs and features The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 is part of a new wave of laptops powered by Nvidia RTX 50-series graphics and Intel Core Ultra HX processors. This configuration is a step down from the most capable, as it has an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (instead of 285HX) and RTX 5080 (instead of RTX 5090). Still, these chips are just a step down from the top and still powerful when compared to most laptop hardware. Model number: G635LW CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX Memory: 32GB DDR5-5600 Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 5080 (Max 175W with Dynamic Boost) NPU: Intel AI Boost up to 13 TOPS Display: 16-inch 2560×1600 240Hz Mini-LED IPS-LCD Storage: 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD Webcam: 1080p 30fps camera with Windows Hello support Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 5 with DisplayPort / Power Delivery and G-Sync, 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL, 3x USB-A Gen 2 (10Gbps), 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack, 1x 2.5G Ethernet LAN port Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: Facial recognition Battery capacity: 90 watt-hours Dimensions: 13.94 x 10.55 x 1.21 Weight: 6.17 pounds Other features: Aura Sync light features (light bar, logo, RGB keyboard), AniMe vision LED lid Operating System: Windows 11 Pro Price: $3,299.99 MSRP Asus’ pricing is reasonable. The Strix Scar 16 I reviewed retails at an MSRP of $3,299.99. That’s in line with similar laptops like the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 ($3,099.99) and the MSI Vector HX AI 16 ($3,519.99). As mentioned, Asus also sells this model of the Strix Scar 16 with an Nvidia RTX 5090, but choosing that upgrade bumps the price by $1,000 to $4,299.99. Overall, the Scar 16 is a well-priced, high-end gaming laptop that delivers strong CPU and GPU performance. Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Design and build quality IDG / Matthew Smith Asus has invested a lot of effort into the design of its high-end gaming laptops recently, and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 reaps the dividends. At first glance, it looks rather basic. The laptop is built from black matte plastics that don’t stand out. Turn it on, though, and you’ll immediately notice the Asus “AniMe Matrix” LED light panel built into the lid. You’ve probably seen it before, but if you haven’t, refer to this video. Basically, the AniMe Matrix is a monocolor white LED display that can show simple information (like the time) or animated images. I love it. The laptop also benefits from RGB-LED lighting elements around its perimeter, the ROG logo, and the keyboard. This design is typical for a laptop in the Scar 16’s price bracket, but it looks nice. The laptop also supports Asus Aura Sync RGB-LED light syncing, which can sync lighting themes across multiple supported devices. Looks aside, the Scar 16’s build quality is par for the category. The plastics feel nice, with the interior providing a bit of a soft-touch texture, and the chassis is rigid. However, you’ll still notice flex if you pick the laptop up from one corner while it’s open or when opening the display lid. Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Keyboard, trackpad The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 has a spacious keyboard and lacks a numpad. That second point is important. A missing numpad will disappoint some owners but also allows a more spacious layout that’s properly centered. Personally, I prefer laptops without a numpad in this size category, but your opinion may differ. Key feel is good, if not amazing. There’s good key travel and a firm response, but the bottoming action is a little vaguer and rubberier than I’d prefer. I am nitpicking here, though. It’s a perfectly enjoyable keyboard, and I had no problem using it for hours at a time. The touchpad is where the Scar 16 outmaneuvers most competitors. It’s huge, measuring about six inches wide and four inches deep. Many competitors, including the MSI Vector 16 HX and Gigabyte Aorus Master 16, have smaller touchpads. A spacious touchpad is better for multi-touch gestures and generally allows a more responsive feel. You’ll also find “NumLK” printed on the touchpad. Press it, and the touchpad surface turns into a numpad. It’s better than nothing, I suppose, but I wouldn’t want to have to rely on it. Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Display, audio IDG / Matthew Smith The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 has a 16-inch display with 2560×1600 resolution, a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz, and a Mini-LED backlight behind an IPS-LCD display. It contrasts sharply against the OLED displays found in some competitors. First, the positives. The Scar 16’s Mini-LED panel is wonderfully bright, looks excellent in HDR, and has a wide color gamut. Contrast performance is spectacular, too, though you will see blooming (in the form of halos around bright objects) that doesn’t occur on an OLED display. On the other hand, competitors with an OLED display will have a deeper, more immersive image, thanks both to their incredible contrast and lack of blooming. OLED also provides superior motion clarity due to its lower pixel response times, which reduce motion blur. The Scar 16’s Mini-LED is still crisp, but fast-moving objects have more detail on an OLED display, like that found in the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i. The Scar 16 supports G-Sync, which is an important point. G-Sync allows the display to synchronize its refresh rate with a game’s frame rate to achieve better motion clarity and eliminate ugly image artifacts like screen tearing. Oh, and one final note. The Scar 16 has a semi-gloss panel, while most OLED laptops have a glossy panel. The Scar 16’s audio is clever. It packs tweeters into a soundbar hidden in a hump along the display hinge. They’re subtle enough that it took me about a half-minute to figure out where, exactly, the audio was coming from. These tweeters are paired with downward-firing subwoofers. The result is a loud, well-balanced sound system that’s genuinely entertaining. Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Webcam, microphone, biometrics The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 has a 1080p webcam and a dual-array microphone. Neither is remarkable, but both do the job. The webcam is crisp in good lighting, and the microphone picked up my voice with good volume and clarity even as I spoke softly. Biometric login is supported through Windows Hello facial recognition. It works great, as with most laptops that have the feature (and it is very common these days). The laptop doesn’t have a fingerprint reader.   Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Connectivity IDG / Matthew Smith The star of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16’s connectivity is a pair of Thunderbolt 5 ports on the laptop’s left flank. These ports support USB-C, have high data rates (80Gbps bi-directional/120Gbps uni-directional) and DisplayPort, so they’re a great option for connecting to high-speed storage or a display. They also support Power Delivery, but it may not be sufficient to fully power the laptop when it’s under high load. These ports are joined by three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, an HDMI 2.1-out, a 2.5G Ethernet LAN port, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. These are typical ports for a laptop in this category. Unfortunately, the Scar 16’s port configuration is sub-par. The left flank houses most of the ports, including the Thunderbolt 5 and HDMI ports. That decreases versatility, as it means you’ll need to snake cords around the laptop if your peripherals happen to be to the laptop’s right. Some of the ports are very far forward, too, so you’re going to see cable clutter. To be fair, most 16-inch gaming laptops have the same problem. Still, placing at least some ports on the laptop’s rear would be better, and it’s something to keep in mind when considering how the Scar 16 will fit in your setup. Wireless connectivity is strong, though typical, with support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 (the most recent version of each standard). All the competitive laptops I could find offer the same wireless connectivity, but it’s still good to see. Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Performance The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 has an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU with a total of 24 cores (8 performance cores and 16 efficient cores). That’s paired with Nvidia’s RTX 5080, which, in this case, is given access to the maximum supported graphics power (175 watts counting Dynamic Boost). The CPU and GPU are supported by 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2TB PCIe 4.0 solid state drive. IDG / Matthew Smith We kick things off in PCMark, a holistic system test. Here the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 reached an excellent score of 8,383. That’s extremely fast, defeating most laptops tested last year by a wide margin. However, as the graph shows, new competitors with similar hardware scored a hair better. IDG / Matthew Smith Handbrake is a video encoding and transcoding program. Our benchmark converts a two-hour-long film from MP4 to MKV format using the CPU. It tends to be a long-duration test, but the Scar 16 with Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX chewed through it in just seven minutes. While this is behind the Scar 16’s competitors, the margins here are so slim that they’re not meaningful. That’s good news for the Scar 16, as it’s less expensive than the other Intel Core Ultra 9 HX laptops we tested. IDG / Matthew Smith It’s a different story in Cinebench R23, however, where the Scar 16 reached a score of 30,717. While the Scar 16 is still faster than many mobile CPUs, it falls noticeably behind the Lenovo Legion 7i Pro and MSI Raider 18 HX AI. Overall, the Scar 16’s CPU performance is outstanding but clearly a step behind the leaders. That’s not a huge problem, though, because the Scar 16 is also more reasonably priced, and it’s still plenty fast for a wide range of tasks, from gaming to video editing and much more. Of course, for many buyers, the Scar 16’s CPU performance is just a nice-to-have. This is a laptop built and sold for gaming. So, how does the Nvidia RTX 5080 perform? IDG / Matthew Smith 3DMark’s Time Spy and Port Royale benchmarks peg the Scar 16 off to a solid, though expected level of performance. It trades blows with the two alternative RTX 5080 gaming laptops we’ve tested to date. While there are some small variations in performance, they’re essentially tied in these benchmarks. We’ll need to look at games to find significant differences. IDG / Matthew Smith Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which we run without the use of DLSS or raytracing, is a good representation of high-end titles from the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 console generation. Of course, the Scar 16 with RTX 5080 has no problem in this title and averaged 189 frames per second at 1080p and highest detail. With that said, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i leapt far ahead in this game. IDG / Matthew Smith Metro Exodus is a cross-generation title. We don’t run it with DLSS or raytracing enabled, but we do use the extreme preset at 1080p resolution, which lives up to its name. Even the mighty RTX 5080 doesn’t quite beat an average of 100 fps. The story for the Scar 16 is a less extreme version of the Shadow of the Tomb Raider results. The Scar 16 is a bit behind, and the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i runs ahead. Still, I wouldn’t call this a big loss for the Asus. IDG / Matthew Smith Now let’s check out Cyberpunk 2077, a current-generation title that is constantly updated to embrace the latest features. I ran the game at 1080p in both the Ultra preset and the ray-traced Overdrive preset. All forms of image upscaling and frame generation were disabled. These are the kind of results I like to see, because they make my job easy. The Scar 16 once again ends up a bit behind the competition, but not so much so that it’s likely to take the Scar 16 out of contention. That’s especially true in the Overdrive preset, where the lower average framerates among all tested systems reduce the apparent gaps between them. I also tried the Scar 16 in Overdrive mode with the DLSS Transformer Model and DLSS Frame Generation in use, with DLSS Quality selected. That boosted the Scar 16’s performance quite a bit, to an average of 63 frames per second. So, it’s entirely possible to enjoy Cyberpunk with ray tracing on the Scar 16. Overall, the Scar 16’s performance is precisely what I expected going in. The Scar 16 is a bit less expensive than other laptops with Nvidia RTX 5080 that PC World has reviewed to date. It’s also much smaller than some, like the MSI Raider 18 HX AI, which weighs about two pounds more. Given its price and size, it’s reasonable to expect the Scar 16 would be a little slower than the alternatives, and that’s what happened. Fortunately for Asus, the Scar 16’s performance disadvantage is not significant enough to matter in many situations, and especially in gaming. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i posted better game performance overall, but it’s also $300 more expensive, so the choice between them really comes down to your budget and preference. Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Battery life, portability Gaming laptops like the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 aren’t usually great for battery life, but there’s reason to have hope for the Scar 16. It supports Nvidia Optimus and doesn’t require a reboot between hybrid and full-GPU mode; you can just flip it on or off in the settings. Advanced Optimus is also in use by default and should automatically turn the Nvidia GPU off when it’s not required. IDG / Matthew Smith And yet, the Scar 16 didn’t do well in our standard battery test, which loops a 4K file of the short film Tears of Steel. It appeared that the Nvidia GPU was engaged anyway. The Intel Core Ultra 9 isn’t particularly power-efficient, which I suspect had some impact on the results. In the real world, I found the Scar 16’s battery life to be extremely variable. I think a good five or six hours would be possible in a light-load situation, but two to four hours is more typical. Note, too, that the scenario I’m describing is still a modest workload; I’m browsing the web with a few tabs open, editing photos, and writing in Word. Playing a game will drain the battery even more quickly.  In any case, the Scar 16 isn’t portable, in any case, weighing over six pounds and measuring up to 1.21 inches thick. These are normal figures for a gaming laptop, but more than I want to pack day-to-day. The laptop’s large 380-watt power brick doesn’t help matters. Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Conclusion The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 is a solid 16-inch gaming laptop for shoppers looking to snag Nvidia’s mobile RTX 5080. Nvidia’s GPU performs quite well here, only slightly lagging the performance of larger 18-inch systems. It’s a similar story for the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, which, though a step down from the 285Hx, is still extremely fast in any multi-core test. Asus’ design is an advantage as well, with an attractive “AniMe Matrix” display across the laptop’s lid and decent build quality. On the downside, the laptop’s battery life wasn’t great despite the inclusion of Nvidia Optimus to switch off the GPU in some situations. I also think the placement of the physical ports, which line the sides of the laptop, is inconvenient. Priced at $3,299.99, the Scar 16’s pricing is mid-pack among its direct competitors, though most land within a couple hundred dollars. I think the Scar’s design offers some advantages over the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 and MSI Vector 16 HX AI (like a large touchpad). The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is the Scar 16’s most difficult opponent. It has an OLED display, which I prefer, and performed a bit better overall. However, the Lenovo is $3,599.99. At MSRP, I’d probably still go with the Lenovo, but a $100 or $200 discount on the Scar 16 could push me in that direction. Overall, the Scar 16 is a well-priced, high-end gaming laptop that delivers strong CPU and GPU performance. Read...

Microsoft knows how you want Windows to look. That, at least, seems to be the company’s message with Windows 11. Get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro It makes big changes to the user interface and continues the trend of making user customization more difficult. That’s part of the reason why some of PCWorld’s staff wish they were using Windows 10 whenever they use Windows 11, despite some truly compelling upgrades in the new operating system. But with Windows 10 reaching end of life in October 2025, it’s time to abandon ship and finally make the upgrade. It’s not currently possible to fully revert Windows 11 to the look for Windows 10 and, given Microsoft’s current attitude towards UI customization, it may never be. Still, there are several key tweaks that can make you more comfortable. Start menu location Windows 11’s most obvious design change is the relocation of the Windows Start menu from its traditional home nestled on the taskbar’s left side to the center of the taskbar. Fortunately, this change is easy to revert. Matt Smith/IDG Open the Windows Start menu and then the Settings app. In Settings, navigate to Personalization, then Taskbar, and open Taskbar behaviors. You’ll see a field labeled Taskbar alignment with a drop-down menu. Change the drop-dox menu from Center to Left. The change takes place immediately. Remove new icons While we’re here, let’s disable the new icons added by Windows 11. These are also in the Taskbar section of Personalization settings. You will see a list labeled “Taskbar items” that includes four options: Search, Task view, Widgets, and Chat. Use the toggles next to each to turn all four icons off. Matt Smith/IDG An important note about Search: there’s currently no way to restore the full Search field from the Windows 10 taskbar. Turning off the new Search icon means you can’t access Search by clicking a field or icon on the taskbar. It will still be available through the Windows + S keyboard shortcut, however. Start menu design Microsoft is kind enough to let you easily change the Start menu’s location and remove some icons, but the Start menu itself is a different story. You’ll need to use a third-party program. The free option is Open-Shell, an open-source program (formerly known as Classic Shell) that can replace the start menu. Download the program and install it. However, make sure to disable Classic Explorer and Classic IE during installation. If you don’t, Open-Shell will also modify Windows Explorer in a way that doesn’t vibe with the look of Windows 10. Matt Smith/IDG Once installed, open the program called Open-Shell Menu Settings. Select the Windows 7 style menu and then open the Skin tab. I used the Fluent-Metro skin for this guide. In truth, it functions more like a Windows 7 Start Menu with Windows 10 coat of paint, but it was the best skin I could find. While Open-Shell works ok, it’s not perfect. It can’t properly replace the Start Menu and doesn’t restore Windows 10 features. Stardock’s Start11 is an easier option. It doesn’t have the Start menu icon problem of Open-Shell and requires no installation of additional files to deliver an attractive menu in the Metro design style. Start11 costs $5, however, so you’ll have to decide if its ease-of-use is worth the price. We’ve tested Start11 (as well as alternative StartAllBack, another $5 program) and highly recommend both if you’re interested in making Windows 11 look more like Windows 10. Those programs can also help you skirt around some of Windows 11’s taskbar woes. Change Windows 11’s taskbar and File Explorer Some Explorer Patcher options.Jared Newman / Foundry If you’re not a fan of Windows 11’s new-look taskbar, be sure to check out the utterly fantastic (and free) Explorer Patcher. With it, you can bring back many older features of Windows without missing out on Windows 11’s benefits. It only takes a few minutes to set up, and is brimming with options that can improve your Windows 11 workflow. Our guide to Explorer Patcher goes into the program in detail. Your first stop should be the “Taskbar” section. Set the Taskbar Style to “Windows 10,” and you’ll see all kinds of options for modifying it. The rest of the options include all sorts of helpful. You can even set your clock to use Windows 7’s analog style if you want! Change icons The taskbar icons in Windows 11 are quite similar to Windows 10, so you might not feel the need to change them. Other icons throughout the operating system are significantly different. First, download a Windows 10 icon pack. A variety of these can be found online: I used a Windows 10 Build 10125 icon pack. Place your icons in a folder you can conveniently remember. Let’s start with desktop icons. Open the Settings app, select Personalization, open Themes, and then Desktop Icons. A menu will appear with the five usual desktop icons present. Click an icon you want to change and then tap Change icon. Navigate to where you placed the icon pack, select the icon you want to use, and then tap Open. I’ve replaced the Recycle Bin icons in the screenshot below. Matt Smith/IDG You can also change the icons of individual folders and shortcuts. Right-click on an item and open Properties, then head to the Customize tab. At the bottom you’ll see the Change Icon button. Click it and select an icon you’d like to use as described in the previous paragraph. Unfortunately, Windows 11 doesn’t let you change some icons, most notably the new icons for drives and user folders in Windows Explorer. You can use Drive Icon Changer to change drive icons, however. Disable rounded corners Round corners are key to the new look of Windows 11. Not everyone loves them, however, and there’s more bad news. It’s not currently possible to change them through Windows 11 itself or a third-party solution. You do have one option. Windows 11 will revert to square corners if you turn off hardware graphics acceleration (this will also turn off other visual features like transparency). Matt Smith/IDG Well, there is one other option: you can disable your graphics hardware. Open Device Manager, expand Display Adapters, and right-click the display adapter listed. Select Disable Device. Your screen will flicker a moment but, when Windows returns, the rounded corners will be gone. I don’t recommend this, however. Disabling your graphics hardware will cause the Windows UI to feel slow and stilted, and you won’t be able to use 3D apps or games until you turn the hardware back on. Change the wallpaper Last, but least, you can restore the original Windows 10 wallpaper. This is not included with Windows 11, but is available from a variety of sources online, such as this 4K sample on Imgur. Right-click the image after you download it and then select Set as desktop background. The change will take effect immediately. Windows 11, with a Windows 10 vibe Matt Smith/IDG Enjoy the changes you’ve made! It might not fully restore Windows 10, but hey—at least the Start menu is fixed. While you’re busy tweaking things, here are five Windows 11 settings worth changing immediately. Get windows 11 pro for cheap in pcworld`s software store Windows 11 Pro Editor’s note: This article originally published on October 7, 2021, but was updated several times to reflect new Windows 11 developments and workaround programs. Read...

It’s common sense that if you have a Windows PC, you need a third-party security suite to protect it. Right? Well, maybe not. 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. Further reading: The best Windows antivirus software 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. Here’s a look at each major aspect of Windows Security, what it tries to do, and how it protects you from threats. Further reading: Windows Security vs. Microsoft Defender: Vital differences you should know Microsoft Defender Antivirus You can manage Microsoft Defender from the Windows Security dashboard in Windows 11.Jon Martindale / IDG Microsoft Defender Antivirus is the latest iteration of the classic Windows Defender software that first launched as an anti-spyware tool alongside Windows XP. With Windows 11, Microsoft Defender Antivirus is fully integrated and installed with the operating system, and it stays on watch for you. It offers real-time protection to detect malicious files before they harm you, but you can also run manual or scheduled malware scans. Related reading: Help! How do I remove malware from my PC? In third-party testing, Microsoft Defender Antivirus showed itself to be just as effective at detecting malware threats as other free antivirus solutions, though in our own testing it did throw up a few false positives. Better safe than sorry, but we understand that can be annoying. Microsoft Defender Antivirus also offers basic ransomware protections by locking down your files and folders and preventing malicious alterations without admin approval. Microsoft Defender Antivirus also leverages the cloud to provide faster malware identification, and is regularly updated with new malware signatures to keep your protection up to date. Microsoft Defender SmartScreen If you’ve ever tried to run a standalone indie game or an app your friend developed and had Windows try to stop you, that was Microsoft Defender SmartScreen in action. Microsoft Defender SmartScreen is an anti-phishing, anti-malware tool that protects you from malicious websites and applications. Related: The most common phishing scams, explained It analyzes the websites you visit and the apps you run to see if they seem suspicious or potentially harmful. If it senses something off, it’ll raise a flag and block you from visiting that site or running that app. You can easily get around Microsoft Defender SmartScreen by clicking a few buttons, but the warning prompt should at least give you enough pause to double-check what you’re trying to do. Windows Firewall Windows Firewall filters network traffic to protect you against malicious apps and hackers who want to access your network and devices. It can filter network traffic based on various criteria, including the IP address of the device trying to access your network, the port number it’s using, and what kind of app or service it’s trying to interact with. It can also limit network traffic to certain apps, preventing inbound and/or outbound traffic to/from applications and services. If Windows Firewall detects an untrustworthy connection attempt, it will automatically block the connection and prevent it from accessing your device and your network. You can customize Windows Firewall, including whether it runs on just public networks or private ones too, and what kind of traffic it filters. Microsoft Defender Guards Windows 11 also has some bespoke “Guards” as part of Microsoft Defender that enhance its anti-malware protections. Microsoft Defender Application Guard works across a range of Microsoft apps, including Edge and the Microsoft Office suite. It detects potentially malicious websites and/or files, and instead of opening them within Windows, does so within a sandbox that prevents any potentially malicious code from affecting your system. Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard helps eliminate common vectors for malware attacks. For example, it can prevent all executables from running within an email client or webmail service, or it can prevent applications from running after clicking links within Office documents. There’s also Microsoft Defender Credential Guard, which uses virtualization technology to isolate secret information (like password hashes) so that only privileged system software can access it. The different Microsoft Defender Guards are all enabled by default, but also have additional options and protective measures for enterprise users, offering greater granular control over how they work and how much they lock down certain Windows functions. When do you need more than just Windows Security? Not every antivirus or antimalware solution works with Microsoft Defender.Jon Martindale / IDG Back to the original question: Are Windows 11’s built-in antivirus and security features enough for everyday users? For the most part, yes. The actual security features are effective at what they set out to do. As far as detecting malware and prompting you with warnings when suspicious things happen, Windows 11 works and you probably don’t need a standalone antivirus solution. But Windows Security still puts the onus of safety in your hands. Certain features need to be properly configured ahead of time, and the overall protection offered by Windows Security is baseline. You still need to smart, careful, and aware by: Not visiting shady websites Not downloading unsolicited files Not clicking links in emails or social media messages If you trust that you’re good enough to keep yourself safe, and if you don’t mind shouldering the responsibility of maintaining good cybersecurity practices, then Windows Security should be enough. Related: Our full review of Windows Security But if you have frequent lapses in judgment, if you’re anxious about falling prey to malware or cybercriminals, or if you need additional features not included in Windows Security, then consider a paid antivirus suite. The best paid antivirus solutions offer more comprehensive protections against malware and phishing, along with additional features like VPNs, password managers, identity protection, parental controls, defense against remote access, and more. Some top-of-the-line services may even monitor your bank accounts and insure you against losses. If you’ve decided that Windows Security is good enough, make sure you change these settings to maximize its performance and security. Read...

Mother’s Day is just around the corner—and if you’re reading this, it’s because you have no idea what to get her, and you might even be late and scrambling for a last-minute idea… right? No worries! Whether you want to show mom how much she means to you, or you want to make your spouse feel appreciated for all she does with the kids, I have all kinds of ideas for you. Here are some of the coolest and most practical Mother’s Day gift ideas for a techy mother. I’m a mom and I can tell you this: I’d be delighted to receive any of these myself! Let her read in peace: Kindle Paperwhite Amazon The Kindle Paperwhite is the ideal e-reader. The glare-free e-ink display is easy on the eyes, the battery lasts for weeks on end, the backlight makes reading comfortable even at night, the page-turning is responsive, and it can hold thousands of e-books. Paper books certainly have their charm, but reading on the Kindle is unbeatably convenient because it’s light and small enough to carry everywhere. It’s perfect for bookworm mom. Access to tons of ebooks: Kindle Unlimited Amazon If you’re getting her a Kindle (or she already has one), then Kindle Unlimited is a fantastic gift because it’ll give her on-demand access to 4 million ebooks. Whether she’s into murder mysteries, biographies, or romantasy, she can read whatever she wants, whenever she wants, right from the comfort of her device. She can download up to 20 KU titles at a time, and it’s a lot like borrowing from a library—just return when you’re done so you can check out something else. Access to tons of audiobooks: Audible Amazon Reading books is awesome, but so is listening to them! And Audible is the go-to platform for anyone who wants to dive into their favorite worlds by listening rather than reading. Audiobooks are great for mental stimulation while walking around town, exercising, commuting, taking care of chores, and more. Audible grants access to thousands of titles for a flat subscription fee, plus monthly credits that can be spent on purchasing audiobooks that aren’t included. Comfortable headphones that block out all the noise: JBL Tune 770NC JBL Whether she loves listening to audiobooks or dancing to Taylor Swift, she needs a good and comfy pair of headphones with active noise-cancellation. The JBL Tune 770NC are the whole package with plush earpads, efficient noise-cancellation with smart ambient awareness, and some 70 hours of battery life. The headphones also deliver JBL’s renowned bass, so she can jam out to her favorite tracks. Charging her phone while on the go: Anker Zolo Power Bank PCWelt/Anker This 20,000mAh power bank packs enough power to recharge her phone about four times over. Even better, it comes with a built-in USB-C cable so she doesn’t have to worry about lugging around an inconvenient cord. It’s tiny enough to fit into any handbag, yet powerful enough to recharge pretty much any gadget she’s carrying on her. Super-fast charging for multiple devices: Ugreen 100W 4-port GaN charger Ugreen We all have a ton of devices to recharge, and I’m sure your mom (or spouse) is no different. This Ugreen GaN charger has three USB-C ports and one USB-A port with up to 100W charging throughput, meaning it can fast-charge up to four devices simultaneously. It’s great for laptops, smartphones, tablets, earbuds, whatever. And even if she only has one or two devices max, it’s still worth it for how fast it is. The most convenient USB-C cable: Baseus 100W Retractable Cable Baseus Even if your mom already has a fast-charging wall plug (like the one above), she can only charge as fast as the cable that connects her devices to the charger. This Baseus 100W retractable USB-C cable is fast enough to handle fast chargers like that, but it also has another winning feature: the entire thing is retractable. It’s so convenient, whether to toss into a bag for travels or to stash away in a drawer until she needs it. Help Mom find anything she tends to misplace: Bluetooth Trackers Samsung/Apple If there’s one thing moms can do, it’s find all the “lost” things belonging to everyone in the house. But if she tends to misplace her own things—like her keys or purse—then an Apple AirTag or Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 can help her keep tabs on it. Both trackers are easy to connect to her phone, and they’ll sing the songs of their people when activated. Track the time, health, sleep, notifications, and more: Smartwatch Apple/Samsung Every mom needs a smartwatch on her wrist, making it easy to figure out not only when everyone is late but also to keep her connected to all those notifications from her phone. There’s also the added benefit of having it track her fitness journey, sleep patterns, and heart rate. If she’s an iPhone user, then the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) is a fantastic pick. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is a gorgeous option for Android users. Fitbit If mom loves exercising and doesn’t need all the bells and whistles of a full-blown Apple or Samsung smartwatch, then the Fitbit Versa 4 is a great option that costs a bit less. Not only does it offer some 40 exercise modes, but it also tracks her sleep and her heart rate, has built-in GPS, and works just as well underwater. Keep her coffee/tea warm: Ember Mug Ember If mom forgets to drink her hot drinks, or if she’s a sipper and it takes her a long time to get through them, then a battery-powered, temperature-control mug is a dream gift. The Ember Smart Mug 2 is a great pick for at-home use while the Ember Travel Mug is ideal when out and about. While the smart mug can keep her coffee or tea hot for 80 minutes on battery, it can heat indefinitely when seated on the charging pad. The travel mug has enough battery life to keep liquids warm for two hours. Hold up her laptop: Laptop Stand Ugreen/Lamicall If mom works with a laptop, then she needs at least one of these stands. The Ugreen Vertical Laptop Stand makes it easy for her to place it standing up for all those instances when the laptop is more of a “desktop” than an actual portable device. The Lamicall Adjustable Laptop Riser raises the laptop and holds it at a better ergonomic angle. Wirelessly charge everything at once: Anker MagSafe 3-in-1 Charging Stand Anker Moms love having an organized desk (or as organized as it can be) and this 3-in-1 magnetic wireless charging stand can certainly help with that. Her phone can mount magnetically and charge wirelessly, all while maintaining a comfortable angle so she can keep using it, whether to check her notifications, watch videos, browse social media, etc. Meanwhile, there are two more wireless charging pads—one for a smartwatch and one for a wireless earbuds case. It’s the perfect trifecta of charging for an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods! Free her from the burden of sweeping: SwitchBot K10+ Pro SwitchBot With how busy we all are nowadays, vacuuming the floors day in and day out just isn’t feasible—unless you get a robot vacuum cleaner to take care of it for you. The SwitchBot K10+ Pro is small and adorable yet pretty darn effective, so it’s an excellent gift for busy mom. Not only does it meticulously vacuum the floors, but it also works with just about any smart assistant mom may have at home, from Alexa to Siri. Block out dad’s snoring: Sleep Earbuds Anker/Loop No one likes suffering through another person’s heavy snoring for hours on end, so how about you get mom some earbuds? The Soundcore Sleep A20 Earbuds block out noise, are comfy enough for side sleepers, and can stream whatever audio she wants, from lo-fi music to podcasts or audiobooks. Alternatively, get her Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs (no audio). High-tech gardening: Hydroponics System or Smart Planter Gardencube/Plantsio Growing plants indoors is fantastic. One really cute gift for mom can be a hydroponics growing system that comes with an LED grow light and water pump, where mom can plant herbs or veggies or flowers. Alternatively, this smart robot planter is absolutely adorable as it displays emojis when you pet it. It’ll look gorgeous on her desk! Keep an eye on pets and kids: Kasa EC70 Smart Indoor Security Camera Kasa We’re pretty sure mom will be a lot more relaxed if she knows she can leave the house and still keep an eye on pets and kids while she’s away. This Kasa EC70 Smart Indoor Security Camera is perfect for that, capturing 1080p video with a live feed that she can tune into at any time from anywhere with her phone. Even better, it detects motion and sends notifications, so it can be a great baby or pet monitor. Label everything for peak organization: Nelko Label Maker Nelko One thing everyone should have is a label maker. Pet food container? Now it has a label. Rice in a container? It can get a label, too. This cute little machine comes with a bunch of tape and an integrated cutter, and the labels can be put together with a phone app. So easy! Keep her days and schedules organized: Skylight Calendar Skylight If your mom (or spouse) is the one who usually tracks everyone’s schedules and appointments and events, then get her a Skylight Calendar to offload some of that mental burden and make things easier for her. This is a 15-inch digital calendar she can mount on a wall, which syncs with all her calendars. Even better, it can also act as a chore chart so everyone knows what needs to get done and when. Forever flowers: LEGO Rose Bouquet LEGO Getting her a bouquet of roses is wonderful, but LEGO flowers never wilt and they look gorgeous forever. This rose bouquet LEGO set features multiple roses in various blooming stages and several baby’s breath for a more complete look. Everyone will love this one! Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Practical design with good ergonomic stand Lots of USB connectivity, plus Ethernet Refresh rate up to 100Hz Cons Image quality doesn’t impress No HDR No Adaptive Sync Our Verdict The Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C is a decent choice if you want an ultrawide with lots of connectivity, but the monitor’s image quality fails to impress. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C Retailer Price $749.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Ultrawide monitors are a great option for office productivity, and, at a glance, the Dell Pro 34 Plus looks ideal for the home office. It has a 34-inch IPS panel with good brightness and clarity, as well as extensive USB-C connectivity. However, the monitor’s pricing and overall image quality narrow its appeal. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best monitors for comparison. Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C P3425WE specs and features A look at the Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C’s spec sheet quickly reveals what the monitor is about: connectivity. The monitor has a USB-C port with up to 90 watts of Power Delivery. That connects to one USB-C and three USB-A downstream ports. Ethernet is supported, too.   Display size: 34-inch 21:9 aspect ratio Native resolution: 3440×1440 (WQHD) Panel type: IPS Technology Refresh rate: 100Hz Adaptive sync: None HDR: No Ports: 1x USB-C with up to 90W power delivery, 1x USB-C (15W downstream), 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI, 1x RJ45 Ethernet (1GbE), 1x USB-B upstream, 3x USB-A downstream Additional features: KVM switch, Dell Display and Peripheral Manager support Warranty: 3-year Advanced Exchange Service Price: $749.99 MSRP However, the monitor’s features are otherwise reserved. The monitor notably lacks the IPS Black technology found in Dell’s flagship widescreen monitors. It doesn’t have built-in speakers either, and has a limited range of image quality customization. Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C design The Dell Pro 34 Plus deviates a bit from the design of prior ultrawide monitors. Instead of a silver or white colorway, Dell has moved back towards a conservative, all-black look. It makes sense for the monitor’s intended buyers, which include both businesses and home office users, but it’s bland. Strangely, the monitor stand is still silver. It looks like Dell stuck with an existing silver monitor stand because, uh, that’s what they had on hand. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s not great. Looks aside, the monitor’s material quality is good. The plastics feel firm and have a pleasing texture. Matthew Smith / Foundry It’s a curved monitor, as well, though only just. The curve is obvious when viewing the monitor from above or below, but not obvious when viewing the monitor straight-on. While I’d prefer a flat screen for an office monitor, the Dell’s curve is subtle enough that I didn’t mind. The stand provides a better-than-average range of adjustments for height and swivel, with 150mm for the former and 60 degrees for the latter. The stand can’t rotate 90 degrees for use in portrait orientation, but that’s typical for an ultrawide monitor. It’s simply too wide to practically support it. A 100x100mm VESA mount is also available for use with third-party monitor stands and arms. The panel (without stand) weighs less than 16 pounds, so high-quality monitor arms will easily support it. Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C connectivity As I’ve mentioned in past reviews, connectivity is often not just nice to have but, rather, the entire reason to buy a monitor. And the Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C has plenty of connectivity. The star of the show is the USB-C port. It supports USB-C with data rates up to 5Gbps, DisplayPort, and up to 90 watts of USB Power Delivery. While the data rate isn’t impressive, the Dell Pro 34 Plus covers all the basics that should be expected from a modern USB-C monitor. Additional video connectivity includes DisplayPort and HDMI. All video inputs can handle the monitor’s maximum resolution and refresh rate. DisplayPort-out is not available, though, which is a bit disappointing for a monitor in this category. The USB-C input connects to one downstream USB-C port and three downstream USB-A ports. Some of these ports are found in a convenient pop-out on the monitor’s chin, which makes it easier to connect USB devices. A USB-B input is available, too, and can connect to the downstream USB ports in place of, or alongside, a USB-C device. A gigabit Ethernet port is available, which means the Dell Pro 34 Plus can extend wired Ethernet to a connected device. That’s handy if you’re connecting to a modern laptop (which, most likely, lacks Ethernet) and are looking for a wired Ethernet connection. The Dell Pro 34 Plus covers all the basics that should be expected from a modern USB-C monitor. Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C menus and features The Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C’s options are controlled with a joystick on the rear right flank. That’s typical for a monitor, though placing the joystick in this location on an ultrawide makes the control a little hard to reach. You might not need it, however, because the Dell Pro 34 Plus is compatible with Dell’s Display and Peripheral Manager (DPPM). It’s a software utility that can control most monitor features and image quality adjustments. Most competitors (including Asus and BenQ) offer similar options, but Dell’s utility looks nice and works well. DPPM is compatible with Windows 10/11 and MacOS, but not Linux. Matthew Smith / Foundry Unfortunately, the Dell Pro 34 Plus doesn’t offer a great range of image quality adjustment. It has just a handful of image quality presets and does not provide gamma and color temperature presets that target specific values. While I understand the Dell Pro 34 Plus isn’t really meant for owners picky about image quality, I still feel that, at this price, more image quality adjustments should be expected. The feature list is a bit light, too. The monitor has a KVM switch but it doesn’t have built-in speakers, a tripod mount, or an ambient light sensor. The lack of extra features feels stingy, given the MSRP. Those looking for more built-in functionality might consider the Dell Pro 34 Plus P3424WEB, a 34-inch ultrawide with camera, speakers, and similar USB-C connectivity, which is sold at an MSRP of $819.99. Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C SDR image quality The Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C is a 34-inch ultrawide monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio, a display resolution of 3440×1440, and a conventional LCD-IPS panel. The type of panel is important. Dell was the first company to sell monitors with a new type of IPS panel, called IPS Black, that has improved contrast, and IPS Black is found in many of its flagship monitors. The Pro 34 Plus USB-C doesn’t have this new type of panel, however, which hampers its SDR image quality. Matthew Smith / Foundry We start with brightness, where the Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C provides a mid-pack maximum brightness of 327 nits. This level of brightness is greater than an OLED competitor, such as the MSI MPG 341C, and some IPS-LCD monitors, like the BenQ PD3420Q. In general, the Dell Pro 34 Plus is bright enough for use in a home or business setting. However, it could be brighter, as some other monitors show. Matthew Smith / Foundry Next up is contrast, where the Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C provides a contrast ratio of 1220:1 at 50 percent of maximum brightness. That, once again, is a fine but not incredible result. The Dell Pro 34 Plus has a better contrast ratio than the BenQ PD3420Q, but it’s not as good as the bigger Dell Ultrasharp 4025QW, and obviously not in the same league as MSI’s MPG 341C, which has an OLED panel. This is where the lack of an IPS Black panel comes back to bite the Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C. It simply lacks the contrast needed to provide an immersive image. It’s not terrible, but shoppers can find price-competitive monitors that are much better. Matthew Smith / Foundry Color gamut is a weakness of the Dell Pro 34 Plus. It achieved a color gamut that spanned 100 percent of sRGB, 83 percent of DCI-P3, and 78 percent of AdobeRGB. That’s not bad, but as the graph shows, it’s not competitive with similarly priced (or even less expensive) monitors sold in 2025. Matthew Smith / Foundry Color accuracy is good, as the monitor achieved an average color error below 2. In general, color errors should not be easy to notice, and colors will appear to be realistic (or, at least, true to their source). However, the monitor saw slight variants in gamma and color temperature. I measured a color temperature of 6700K, which is a bit cooler and more sterile than the target of 6500K. I also measured a gamma curve of 2.3, which is a bit darker than the target of 2.2. These aren’t huge swings, but I did find the color temperature noticeable. Also, the monitor lacks built-in adjustments that make this easy to fix (though software calibration is still an option). Sharpness is decent. The monitor’s 3440×1440 resolution works out to about 110 pixels per inch across the 34-inch, 21:9 aspect ratio display. That’s not bad. Also, IPS-LCD monitors do not have the sub-pixel quirks of OLED monitors, which means the Dell Pro 34 Plus looks sharper than 34-inch OLEDs such as the MSI MPG 341C. But 3440×1440 resolution isn’t all that impressive in 2025, with 4K and 5K monitors now readily available. Overall, then, the Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C’s image quality is a bit of a bust. It’s okay. It does the job. And certainly, it’s fine for the general office productivity for which this monitor is intended. Still, there are many similarly priced monitors that offer better image quality at this price point. Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C HDR image quality The Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C does not support HDR. That’s mostly fine for a monitor that targets office productivity. Office productivity apps don’t typically benefit from HDR, and most don’t support it. However, OLED monitors (which are sold at this price) do offer HDR, and some are quite good at it. So, of course, they’re the better choice if HDR is important to you. Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C motion performance It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Dell Pro 34 Plus isn’t meant for gaming. However, the monitor does provide a refresh rate of up to 100Hz, which is better than nothing. Besides increasing motion clarity in games, the increased refresh rate also improves the readability of text and images as they scroll across the screen. Adaptive sync is not supported, though, and the monitor quotes an unimpressive gray-to-gray pixel response time of 5 to 8 milliseconds, depending on the mode. Motion blur remains obvious, and the monitor can’t sync with an input device for smooth frame pacing. Should you buy the Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C? The Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C P3425WE is a workmanlike monitor built for, well, work. It doesn’t go out of its way to provide extra features or superior image quality and instead narrows its focus to connectivity and practical features, like a highly adjustable stand. I don’t begrudge Dell for that focus, but I do begrudge Dell for the price. Listed at an MSRP of $749.99, and currently sold for that price, the P3425WE becomes difficult to recommend. It’s even $70 more than the outgoing Dell P3424WE. Part of me wonders if the jump in price is the result of ongoing tariff concerns. Or, perhaps, Dell is simply trying to squeeze more cash from enterprise and productivity-minded shoppers willing to pay a lot for a practical display. Either way, the price narrows the Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C’s appeal. It’s a good option for home office shoppers who want outstanding connectivity, including Ethernet and multiple downstream USB-A ports. If you’re more concerned about image quality and motion clarity, though, you should consider OLED alternatives with USB-C, like the MSI MPG 341CQPX. Read...

Around two-thirds of all internet users use Google Chrome, according to StatCounter. That’s about 3 to 4 billion people! And yet many Chrome users still aren’t using Google’s browser to its full potential. Chrome works well out of the box, but if you delve just a little deeper beneath the surface, you’ll find plenty of Chrome features that you might find helpful but aren’t using yet. These features aren’t going to radically change your life, but they’re practical. Some are small and easy to enable, while others are more work but worth the effort. Here are some key Chrome features that are worth trying out to see if they improve your day-to-day web browsing experience. Use multiple user profiles Joel Lee / Foundry Chrome has built-in support for user profiles, where each profile has its own separate collection of data: settings, open tabs, bookmarks, passwords, browsing history, synced accounts, etc. Each profile opens as a separate Chrome browser window for your convenience. You should be using multiple profiles for different purposes. For example, I have different profiles for work, hobbies, personal stuff, and more. My work profile is where all my work-related stuff goes, including bookmarks, open tabs, and account passwords. When I’m done for the day, I can close that window and switch to my hobby profile for fun. Click the user profile photo at the top right of Chrome to see your current user profile. Here you can add new profiles, manage existing ones, tweak your current profile, and more. Use Guest profiles when sharing your PC Joel Lee / Foundry Chrome also has support for a so-called Guest profile, which is like a blank slate for one-time use. For example, if your friend wants to check their email, you can let them in a Guest profile window. Then, when you close that window, none of their data is saved. How is this different than Incognito mode? When you open a private Incognito window, it still has access to your current profile’s settings and data, but doesn’t save browsing history. The Guest profile similarly doesn’t save browsing history, but it also doesn’t have access to the settings or data of any of your other Chrome profiles. You can launch the Guest profile by clicking on your user profile at the top right of Chrome, then selecting Open Guest profile. Sync Chrome between multiple devices Joel Lee / Foundry If you use Chrome on multiple devices—like your desktop PC, work laptop, MacBook Air, and Android phone—then you should set up synchronization. Your settings and data are shared across all devices, and you can select which settings and data are shared. To sync, you first have to log into Chrome using a Google account. To do this, click the three-dot menu at the top right and open Settings, then navigate to You and Google in the sidebar. Click Sign in to Chrome and follow the prompts. Once signed in, click Turn on Sync, then follow the prompts to select what exactly you want synced. Lastly, sign into Chrome with the same Google account on every device you want synced. Now you’ll have access to all your saved passwords, bookmarks, browsing history, etc. on each synced device. Send tabs or links to other devices Dave Parrack / Foundry If you’re reading a web page on your PC but you want to read it on, say, your phone or tablet, then you can simply right-click the address bar (or the tab for the web page), then select Send to your devices. From the pop-up, you can select which device to send it over to. Before you can do this, you’ll need to link your devices to your Google account. Fortunately, that’s really easy: just log into your Google account via Chrome on each device you want to link. Another cool tip is that if you’ve enabled sync (see above) and you’ve allowed syncing of your bookmarks, you can just save any web page as a bookmark and it’ll sync to all your synced devices. Grab open tabs from other devices Joel Lee / Foundry Let’s say you’ve synced Chrome between multiple devices (see above) and you’re doing a lot of research on your desktop PC with tons of open tabs. Later, you head out for the day with your MacBook Air. You hit a lull and want to continue your research—but those tabs are on your PC. No worries! You can actually open tabs from other devices right on your current device, as long as Chrome is synced on both devices and you’ve allowed syncing of open tabs. To open a tab from another device, click the three-dot menu at the top right of Chrome and select History > History. In the left sidebar, click Tabs from other devices. You’ll then see a list of all tabs on your other devices, grouped by each device. Just click to open! Create and manage tab groups Dave Parrack / Foundry If you’re the kind of person who keeps dozens and dozens of open tabs in Chrome, then you need to be using tab groups. A tab group lets you organize multiple tabs together, and then you can collapse or expand the group as needed to save space in your tab bar. By using tab groups effectively, you can organize your tabs in a more logical fashion, whether by subject matter, or project, or even by progress or timeliness. For example, you might have tab groups for “Vacation Planning,” “Archery Tips,” “Home DIY,” etc. If you no longer need a tab group, you can always ungroup those tabs. There are two ways to create a new tab group. The first way is clicking the three-dot menu at the top right of Chrome, then selecting Tab groups > Create new tab group. The second way is to right-click any tab in the tab bar, then select Add tab to new group. You can also right-click on any tab group to rename it and/or change its color. Reopen that tab you accidentally closed Joel Lee / Foundry We’ve all been there. You somehow close a tab without meaning to, and now you don’t know how to get back to where you were. Or you think you’re done, so you close that tab… except wait! You wanted to check one more thing and now you can’t. Fortunately, the answer is simple: press Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen the last closed tab. In fact, you can hold Ctrl + Shift and then press T multiple times to keep reopening tabs in reverse order of how you closed them. You can also click the three-dot menu at the top right of Chrome, hover over the History sub-menu, then look at the Recent tabs list. Here you’ll find your eight most recently closed tabs, which you can open by simply clicking on them. Yes, it’s a simple thing. But I do it multiple times every day. Once you start using this keyboard shortcut, you’ll never stop. Retrace your steps with grouped history Joel Lee / Foundry As you use Chrome to browse the web, it keeps track of what sites you visit. That history of all your visited web pages can be viewed in list format, making it easy to revisit any sites from before. To explore your browsing history, click the three-dot menu at the top right and select History > History. Here, you can see your journey across the web either By date (chronological) or By group (topical). The grouped history is surprisingly useful when you need to retrace your steps! If you want to clear your history for any reason, you can do so by clicking Delete browsing data in the left-hand sidebar. This opens a separate tab with various elements to delete as well as the time range you want it to cover (from the last hour to all time). Enable flags to test experimental features Dave Parrack / Foundry If you’re feeling adventurous, you can enable experimental Chrome features through the use of flags. Flags allow individual users to test new or niche features that haven’t yet made it to stable release. To enable flags, type chrome://flags into the address bar. You’ll find a list of available flags along with options to enable or disable them. You’ll also be able to search for a specific flag if you have one in mind. Google warns you against messing around with flags too much, and I would urge caution here. But if you’re at least semi-technically literate and are happy to mess around under the hood a bit, you can use flags to change the look or functionality of Google Chrome. Force all websites to go dark Dave Parrack / Foundry While I’m personally not a fan of dark mode, a lot of people prefer it—even when it isn’t night time. Maybe you find it easier on your eyes, or maybe you just prefer the darker aesthetic. Fortunately, Chrome offers a few ways to enable dark mode. The first way is to apply it via the settings. Click the three-dot menu at the top right and select Settings. Under Appearance, you’ll see Mode, with the option to select “Light,” “Dark,” and “Device.” Select Dark to force Chrome to go dark. Or you can enable dark mode via an experimental flag. To enable it, type chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark into the address bar, and change the setting to Enabled. Once enabled, this will automatically apply dark mode to all web content. Change what Chrome does at startup Dave Parrack / Foundry The startup page is what you first see every time you open Chrome. You have three main options to choose from: starting with a blank new tab, continuing with all the same tabs that were open when you last closed Chrome, or starting fresh with a certain tab or tabs. Click the three-dot menu at the top right of Chrome, open Settings, then select On startup in the left sidebar. The first two options require no further customization, but with the third you’ll have to specify which page(s) you want opened at launch. (I find that “continuing where you left off” is the most convenient way to use any browser.) Manage your bookmarks and reading list Dave Parrack / Foundry To manage your bookmarks and/or reading lists, click the three-dot menu at the top right of Chrome, then hover your cursor over the Bookmarks and lists sub-menu. What you click from there will depend on what you want to do, and you have different options. You can show or hide the bookmarks bar; open the bookmarks manager for more control over adding, removing, and rearranging bookmarks; add open tabs to your reading list; import bookmarks and settings from other browsers. It’s all very useful stuff. I highly recommend creating a reading list, which basically lets you store tabs away for later and prevents them from clogging up your tab bar. Use bookmarks for frequently revisited sites, and use the reading list for pages that you’re probably only going to read once. Install some Chrome extensions Dave Parrack / Foundry Chrome extensions are essentially plugins that extend or enhance what the browser can do. Extensions can be used to customize the appearance of Chrome, add or change features, automate certain tasks that are normally manual or cumbersome, and more. To manage your extensions, click the puzzle piece icon next to the address bar, then click on Manage extensions. This will open a new tab where you can see and tweak your installed extensions. You’ll also be able to install more extensions from the Chrome Web Store, including extensions for productivity and lifestyle, with specific categories for everything from communication to entertainment. Read...

TL;DR: Intuit QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024 is now $249.99, and your one-time payment gets you lifetime access to pro-level accounting tools. For small business owners seeking a reliable and cost-effective accounting solution, Intuit QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024 is now offering a lifetime license for a one-time payment of $249.99 (reg. $699). This version provides robust features designed to streamline your business’s financial management without the burden of recurring subscription fees.? Let’s dive into what QuickBooks comes with to simplify your accounting needs: Enhanced reporting: Access advanced reporting tools, including custom dashboards and reports, to gain deeper insights into your business finances.? Inventory management: Track inventory with improved reports and manage stock more efficiently to prevent shortages or overbuying. Data security: Your business can become vulnerable to bad actors, which is why QuickBooks has AES 256-bit encryption—the industry-leading security standard—to ensure your financial data is protected. User-friendly interface: Navigate through an updated and intuitive interface, all designed to make it easy to manage your business accounting tasks.? With a lifetime license, you’ll never need to pay for a pesky subscription again. This version is optimized for Windows 10 and 11, so be sure that your PC’s operating system meets download requirements before purchasing. Whether you’re a freelancer, contractor, or small business owner, you can streamline your finance management by grabbing this Intuit QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024 lifetime subscription, now available for $249.99 (reg. $699). Intuit QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024 (1 User) for Windows: Lifetime LicenseSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

Calabrio unveils 70+ new AI-driven features in Calabrio ONE, boosting efficiency and customer service in contact centres, available within six months. Read...