With vacation season upon us, it’s time to figure out what to pack for your trip. Limited tech time is great in theory, but you still need a few things to make your life easier, whether it’s gear for the car, accessories that help you connect to your entertainment, or gadgets for backing up all your pics. Here at PCWorld we’re always testing the latest gadgets to sort the good from the don’t-bother. In the process, we’ve come across a lot of tech gear that’s built for travel. Here we’ve curated a list of the gear that we believe is worthy of any packing list and sure to help prepare you for anything you may encounter on the road—or in the sky. Happy travels! Manage electrical needs with a voltage converter BESTEK Universal Travel Adapter 220V to 110V Bestek, Mapambo When you’re traveling from the U.S. to Europe, for instance, you don’t just need a different type of plug for your chargers and gadgets, but also a voltage converter because Europe runs on different settings. The Bestek Universal Travel Adapter will convert 220V outlets to U.S.-standard 110V, thus ensuring that your devices don’t burn out. It’s not only affordable, but it has three AC outlets and four USB ports. Plus, the product comes with a couple of extra plug adapters. If a more compact version is all you need, then the Mapambo converter will work just fine with one AC plug, two type-C, and two type-A ports. The Baseus Enercore CG11 is also a fantastic pick, as it’s suitable for use anywhere in the world, with slide-out plugs for the USA, EU, and UK. There are also two ports — one USB-C and one USB-A — as well as a USB-C retractable cable. Buy the BESTEK Universal Travel Adapter at Amazon Buy the Mapambo 220V to 110V Voltage Converter at Amazon Buy the Baseus Enercore CG11 Take control of tangled cords Rolling Square inCharge 6 Portable Keychain Charger Cable Rolling Square If you’re like most travelers, you bring multiple electronics to make the most of your experience—we’re talking camera, phone, laptop, headphones, etc. But along with all of these items, you’ll need to carry all of their charging cables. That can take up space and lead to a tangled web of cords in your bag if you’re not careful. With the Rolling Square inCharge 6 Portable Charger Cable on Amazon, you have the option of USB-C or USB-A inputs and Micro USB or USB-C outputs all in a cable that is small enough for your keychain. Buy the Rolling Square Portable Charger Cable at Amazon Or get a retractable cable Baseus USB-C Retractable Cable Baseus If you’d rather have a simpler cable, then this one from Baseus will do the trick. The retractable design ensures it’s going to be safe in your luggage, preventing any type of tangling issues and considerably lowering the chances of your cable breaking. You can get this one in two length versions—3.3ft and 6.6ft— and you can pay as little as $10 on the shorter one if it’s on sale. Buy the Baseus retractable USB-C cable at Amazon Keep your devices charged with a portable power bank Anker GaN Prime Power Bank 2-in-1 10,000mAh portable power bank with wall charger Anker Traveling is always fun, but ending up with a depleted phone battery in an unknown place can be terrifying. This Anker Prime power bank takes up two roles in one. On one hand, it can plug into a wall outlet and give you the recharge you need while you’re at your hotel, for instance, but it can also act as a power bank when you’re out and about exploring. 10,000mAh is enough to charge your phone twice over (or close to that). There are three ports on this Anker hybrid charger, two of which are type-C that can reach 65W charging. It’s available for $110, but you can often find it closer to $70 when on sale. Buy the Anker GaN Prime Power Bank 2-in-1 Charger at Amazon Make that hotel outlet actually useful Anker Prime 6-in-1 charging station Anker One of the main issues we all have when traveling is that it’s tough to find multiple outlets in your hotel room. You’ll get one by the bedside table and another that’s taken up by the TV. Well, this compact power strip from Anker makes good use of that outlet and turns it into six. You get two AC outlets, two USB-A and two USB-C ports and a maximum output of 140W via those type-C ports. That’s just about perfect for laptops, smartphones and whatever else you have on you. The cool part is that the power strip is flat and the power cord detaches, so it’s ideal for your tight-packed luggage. Buy the Anker Prime 6-in-1 power strip at Amazon Never lose your valuables again Apple AirTag, Tile Pro, Samsung SmartThings, Tile Slim Apple, Tile, Samsung We’ve all been there. You arrive at your destination and you’re waiting for your checked bag to show up on the carousel, but it never does. Baggage handling is at it again. With a Bluetooth tracker you can easily keep tabs on where your bag is and maybe even help TSA locate it, should it be lost. There are quite a few Bluetooth trackers on the market that you can get. Apple users should look into the AirTag, while Android users can choose Samsung’s SmartTag2. Anyone can go for the Tile Pro. If you’re more worried about your wallet, Tile’s Slim tracker will fit inside it neatly. These are all around $30 a piece, but you can quite often get them for less or in bundles, thus lowering the price even more. If you want an AirTag alternative, the Ugreen FineTrack is a fraction of the price and often on sale. Buy the Apple AirTag at Amazon Buy the Ugreen FineTrack Buy the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 at Amazon Buy the Tile Pro at Amazon Buy the TIle Slim at Amazon Enjoy an in-flight movie without annoying headphone cables Twelve South AirFly Pro or Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver Ugreen, Twelve South Twelve South’s AirFly Pro Bluetooth wireless audio transmitter for $54.99 on Amazon (although it’s frequently on sale) allows you to turn any audio jack into a wireless Bluetooth transmitter. Simply plug in the device to the headphone jack on the back of the airplane seat and connect your wireless headphones. Then sit back and relax while you enjoy the in-flight entertainment on your sweet noise-canceling headphones. Alternatively, you can also go for the more affordable Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver, which is $36.99 but often drops below $30. Either will allow you to connect up to two earbuds or headphones. Buy the Twelve South AirFly Pro at Amazon Buy the Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver at Amazon Drown out noise with noise-canceling earbuds AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) or Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 Apple, Bose Flying on an airplane is loud. Engines roar, babies cry, passengers snore. That’s why you need noise-canceling headphones, which have become essential tools in making your flight as easy as possible. And because you’re traveling and bag space is a premium, your headphones need to be small. Not just for iPhone users, but for anyone who needs good headphones, the AirPods Pro 2 for $225.00 on Amazon continue to be the best choice due to their convenient size and noise-canceling capability. If you’re an Android user, you may want to look into the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, which deliver something our buddies at TechAdvisor have called “astonishing noise cancellation” on top of superb sound quality and a secure fit. Get the AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) at Amazon Buy the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 at Amazon Or get some noise-canceling headphones Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max Apple, Sony If earbuds aren’t for you, then perhaps a pair of proper headphones will do the trick. The Sony WH-1000XM5 are easily some of the best noise-canceling headphones out there (as our friends at TechAdvisor attested with a 5-star review), delivering phenomenal audio and a comfortable build. Apple fans may want to look into the AirPods Max that are also known for what our friends at MacWorld call “industry leading active noise canceling”. Buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 at Amazon Buy the Apple AirPods Max at Amazon Capture and print your favorite memories Fuji Instax Mini 12 instant camera Fujifilm Sure, you could bring a giant SLR camera with multiple lenses and an extra special carry-on bag to store everything. Or for those who aren’t professionals, you can opt for a small, retro instant camera such as the Fuji Instax Mini 12 for $143.95 on Amazon. Just like an old-school Polaroid, you can take a picture and instantly print it out to capture the moment. Just be aware that you’ll need to purchase and carry the film separately. Buy the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 at Amazon Keep your wires from getting crossed Bellroy Tech Kit Bellroy Bellroy is known for making great tech cases and kits, and the Bellroy Tech Kit for $59 on Amazon is our favorite. This well-designed, travel-friendly bag allows you to keep all of your cables and small peripherals stored and organized with ease. The folio style means that you can open the entire kit out flat for easy access to everything stored inside. Plus, the fabric is waterproof so you shouldn’t have to worry about a little liquid spilling on your precious gear. Buy the Bellroy Tech Kit at Amazon Game in-route to your destination Steam Deck, Switch OLED, or Backbone One Backbone, Nintendo, Valve The Steam Deck for $399 on the Steam store is a great handheld gaming system that allows you to play your favorite PC games on the go. It wasn’t so long ago that the Steam Deck was sold out everywhere and people were clamoring to get one. Thankfully, Valve has increased its supply and it’s easier than ever to get your hands on this excellent gaming portable. Play games from your Steam library on the go or load up on new titles for your next vacation. Gaming makes those long-haul flights a breeze. If you’d rather go for a different platform, the Switch OLED is an absolutely fantastic gaming console. And yes, we know the Switch 2 is en route, but good luck getting your hands on one of those anytime soon. If you’d rather just play on your phone, but have an upgraded experience, the Backbone One will mold to your phone, whether that’s an Android or iPhone model, and will help you play anything you want, including titles in your Xbox, PlayStation, or Steam libraries. Buy the Steam Deck at Steam Store Buy the Nintedo Switch OLED at Amazon Buy the Backbone One at Amazon Keep your hands and wrists happy while typing Logitech MX Keys Mini Logitech Laptop keyboards are cramped and can lead to some serious wrist pain if you type on them for long enough. Save yourself the carpal tunnel and grab a wireless keyboard like the Logitech MX Keys Mini. This compact keyboard is not only easy to travel with, but offers convenient features such as a semi-customizable layout, multi-device switching, and more. And the most important part is that it offers a great typing experience with comfortable and quiet keys that won’t bother your fellow travelers. The MX Keys Mini is currently $99.99 on Amazon. Buy the Logitech MX Keys Mini at Amazon Carry a library everywhere you go Kindle Paperwhite Amazon Books are a great thing to have around on vacation, but they’re heavy and they take up precious space in your luggage. Instead opt for an e-reader like the Kindle Paperwhite for $159.99 on Amazon and bring an entire library worth of books in this lightweight tablet. Plus the Paperwhite version comes with an anti-glare screen and adjustable brightness settings, making it perfect for a bright beach or dark airplane. Not sure which Kindle to buy? Check out our handy Kindle buying guide to help you make the right choice. Buy the Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon Grab a mobile hotspot to stay in range of Wi-Fi range Solis Lite 4G LTE WiFi Mobile Hotspot Solis Those who travel a lot know that Wi-Fi is essential. From being able to work online while on the road or just looking up restaurant recommendations in another country, it’s an invaluable tool to get the most out of your travel experience. There are quite a few services nowadays offering pocket Wi-Fi for travelers, but Solis is one of the best with reliable global coverage across 135 countries. Plus, it has flexible plans depending upon your needs. You’ll need to purchase the Solis Lite Mobile Hotspot for $159.99 on Amazon before registering for a Wi-Fi plan, but it’s only a one-time fee and you can then use it on all of your future trips. Buy the Solis Lite Mobile Hotspot at Amazon Safe surfing NordVPN  Pexels: Stefan Coders If you’re going to travel anywhere, connecting to shady Wi-Fi networks, you absolutely need to have a VPN on your device. We’ve tested what feels like a million of them and recommend you go for NordVPN, which we found to be the best overall. There are tons of configuration options if you want to deep-dive, but you can also just take the easy route and press a single button every time. It even comes with a built-in antivirus and password manager, so you have a three 3-in-1 solution. Get NordVPN Never worry about safe tap water again Philips Water GoZero self-cleaning water bottle Philips No matter if you’re traveling to a new city or going camping, making sure that you have access to clean and potable water is a necessity. The Philips Water GoZero bottles bring in some smart technology to ensure the water is safe to drink. Available for $73.89 at Amazon (or lower when on sale), the bottle uses UV technology to eliminate up to 99.999 percent of bacteria and 99.9 percent of viruses in just a few minutes. Even when empty, the cap can disinfect your bottle and remove odors. Made out of stainless steel and double-walled, the bottle won’t just purify your water, it will also keep your drinks hot for up to 12 hours or cold for 24 hours. Buy the Philips Water GoZero water bottle at Amazon Mount your smartphone on anything Universal in-flight airplane phone holder mount Perilogics This Universal in-flight airplane phone holder mount for $13.97 on Amazon allows you to easily clip your phone onto an airplane seat for hands-free convenience. Maybe you loaded up that latest season of your favorite show or have a game to occupy that long-haul flight. Either way, holding your phone with a craned neck for hours and hours is bound to give you a strain. Just hook this bad boy up to the back of the seat in front of you on the airplane then sit back, relax, and enjoy. Buy the Universal in flight phone holder at Amazon Travel with an ultraportable laptop Asus ZenBook S 14 Thomas Rau If you’re going to get a super-light laptop, the Zenbook S 14 is a fantastic pick because it weighs just 2.65 pounds, which makes sit lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air. We gave this one a 4.5-star rating and our Editors’ Choice award, appreciating the fantastic battery life and lovely large OLED screen. Plus, the laptop has an Ultra 7 processor, 32GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. You can also check out our other best ultraportables or our best laptop roundup for even more options. Buy the Asus ZenBook S 14 at Best Buy Or opt for a 2-in-1 for even more versatility HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 IDG / Josh Hendrickson If you want a more versatile laptop, then a 2-in-1 model will do, like our very favorite HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14. The 360-degree hinge will make it easy for you to turn this laptop into a tablet and into a Netflix-watching tent in a blink. The 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED touch display is absolutely gorgeous and the 500 nits make it perfect to use everywhere you go. Buy the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 at Amazon Increase your screen real-estate with a travel monitor Azorpa A1 Gamut Matt Smith Sometimes you just need a second monitor, even when you’re traveling. The extra screen really helps productivity for business travelers and it makes for a great way to play your portable games on a larger screen while on the road. We really like the Azorpa A1 Gamut which delivers good image quality for an extremely budget friendly price—the A1 Gamut is usually about $70 on Amazon. It also comes with useful connectivity options and a solid build quality that will stand up to the rigors of travel.  Buy the Arzopa A1 at Amazon Grab some extra storage Crucial X9 Pro IDG If you plan on taking about a million pictures and videos and you want to have a safe way to back them up without relying on random hotel Wi-Fi, then you can also grab a portable SSD. The Crucial X9 Pro is the best external SSD for most folks because it’s not only affordable but also super fast. We gave the X9 Pro a near-perfect score and our Editors’ Choice award, utterly impressed with the 10Gbps performance and the small form factor. Buy the Crucial X9 Pro at Amazon Back up your pics Ugreen USB-C Ugreen This absolutely tiny USB-C card reader is the perfect way to back up some of those pics you took on vacation without relying on hotel Wi-Fi or your limited data. If your phone doesn’t have a microSD card, a card combined with this tiny reader makes a great external storage option. Or, if you’re using a camera with a microSD card, you can back up the pics to your laptop to free up space. It doesn’t hurt that it’s super affordable. Buy the Ugreen USB-C microSD at Amazon Stream content in your hotel room Amazon Fire TV Stick HD Amazon If you’re going to travel, you may as well keep up with your shows. The Amazon Fire TV Stick HD makes it super easy to bring all your favorite shows with you anywhere you go. You’ll just need to pop this thing in the TV, connect it to the hotel’s Wi-Fi (or the hotspot you set up), and just have fun. It’s also super affordable, available for $35 (although it’s frequently on sale for $20 or less). Buy now at Amazon Upgrade your car’s entertainment system Carlinkit 5.0 Carlinkit If your car’s entertainment system still requires you plug in your phone, then we have a nifty solution for you. This Carlinkit 5.0 dongle plugs into your car and allows you to wirelessly connect to it whenever you get in your car. In this way, you’re saving time and it’s so much more convenient. The Carlinkit 5.0 works with both CarPlay and Android Auto, so it doesn’t matter what type of phone you use. Buy the Carlinkit Android Auto & Carplay adapter at Amazon Read...

I’m not sure my puny human eyes could tell the difference between, say, 360Hz and 500Hz. But the sweatiest, most competitive of PC gamers say they can, and I’m not about to call them liars (especially if they’re teamed up with me in Fortnite). Said gamers might want to check out a pair of new monitor designs from AOC, which hit an incredible 610Hz speed. The Agon Pro AG246FK6 might not stand out in a crowd, what with its relatively small 24-inch 1080p panel. A TN panel, no less, which is generally restricted to the cheapest monitors. But while TN LCDs don’t have the best color accuracy or viewing angles, they can’t be beaten for speed. The panel operates at 600Hz natively, with a tiny overclock to hit 610Hz, with a 0.5 millisecond response time and motion blur reduction. Other gaming features include adaptive sync (which I guess is a thing, even at these speeds), HDMI 2.1 support, and RGB lighting on the rear. You also get a slide-out headphone holder on the left side. The Agon CS24A is almost identical with a couple of extra features… and yeah, that “CS2” in the model number is no coincidence. It’s branded with Counter-Strike 2, leaning into what is perhaps the most competitive of competitive shooters. While this version of the monitor uses the same panel, it drops the response time down to just 0.3 milliseconds and adds in official Nvidia G-Sync support. Plus, the stand is an incredibly tacky gold color, with a CS logo and a silhouette of a shooty dood. It even has a “CS2 mode” that allegedly sets it up perfectly for the game, with “sharper visuals, optimized gamma, reduced input lag, and ultra-smooth motion.” Which raises the question, if all these things are good for Counter-Strike 2, wouldn’t they be good for every game? Why not just call it “game mode?” Ah well, I’m not a marketer. KitGuru reports that the standard and CS2 versions will cost the same, 599 GBP (approximately $790 USD) when they release in August and September, respectively. Read...

If you’re running the Arm version of Windows—most notably on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ laptops—then you’ll be pleased to know that four more apps from Adobe’s arsenal have now been optimized for the platform, reports The Verge. The apps in question include Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and Media Encoder, for which you’ll now find beta versions of their Arm editions. Unfortunately, these beta versions still lack some of the features in their non-Arm counterparts, and expect some bugs as well. For example, the current beta version of Premiere Pro’s Arm edition lacks support for third-party extensions, the ProRes raw video format, and hardware-accelerated playback and exporting of H.264 and HEVC in MP4. It’s the same story for After Effects, Audition, and Media Encoder. The good news is, the big missing features will come in a later release. That said, Arm support was added to Photoshop nearly five years ago, so it makes you wonder why Arm support was delayed for so long with these apps and why it’s taking so long to catch up. Read...

Samsung has an insanely large 57-inch gaming monitor with impressive specs, and it just dropped to the best price we’ve seen all year. Act fast to score the Odyssey Neo G9 for just $1,500, which is a massive $800 discount down from its crazy-high $2,300 MSRP! At 57 inches, this beast is wider than many TVs. It’ll overtake your desk and then some, but you’ll love every second of it for its incredible 7680×2160 resolution—the equivalent of two 4K monitors side by side, except with this one you don’t have an annoying bezel line down the center. Throw in the 1000R curvature and you have an elegant display that wraps around your vision, minimizing strain and maximizing immersion. The Odyssey Neo G9 isn’t just for gaming immersion, but also for gaming responsiveness. Even at this size, it offers an impressive 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time that feels smoother than butter (assuming your PC is powerful enough to push that many frames at this resolution). And with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, you get no tearing or stuttering. It features three HDMI, a DisplayPort, and two USB-A ports, too. If you want to be on the cutting edge, you need the world’s first dual 4K monitor—but why pay full price when you can score it with an $800 discount? If you’d rather go for something smaller, though, check out our roundup of the best monitors right now. Save $800 on Samsung`s insane dual 4K gaming monitorBuy now at Amazon Read...

I don’t know how your tech drawers look, but mine are filled with wires I’ll likely never use again because technology has advanced quite a bit. Thankfully, USB-C seems to be here to stay since there is no wrong way to plug these things in. It’s not just smartphones, tablets, and laptops that use these, however, but also a long list of gadgets. We’ve scoured the market for hidden gems: Ten gadgets that will make you think “Wow, I didn’t know I needed that, but it will make my life so much easier!” Let’s dive in and see what cool devices you’ll be able to use your type-C cables and ports with. Wowstick 1F+ mini electric screwdriver Wowstick If you often have to fiddle around with your computer or other gadgets, this Wowstick mini electric screwdriver may be just what you need. This pen-shaped screwdriver features three LED lights so it’s easier to see what you’re working on and rotates 200 times per minute so you can finish the job faster. The screwdriver has a stylish base so you can hold it on your desk, and a whole collection of 56 aluminum alloy bits. The screwdriver can be charged via USB-C and it can last for hours. This super fun electric screwdriver usually goes for $41. Anker Nano Power Bank Anker One thing you need to have in you bag/pocket/backpack is a power bank because you never really know when your phone will fail you and cry for a recharge. Well, the Anker Nano power bank is tiny enough to fit just about anywhere. It comes with a foldable USB-C connector and a port on the side so you can charge two devices at once if you need to. The 5,000mAh capacity is just about enough for a full phone recharge, so it will be great in a pinch. It’s also only $30, but we’ve seen it as low as $16. Endoscope camera with light Ennovor Although it’s not something you’ll use every day, this Ennover endoscope camera can definitely come in handy. You just plug it in your phone, install and app, and see everything your camera does. Our team swears by it, using it for finding whatever they dropped behind the desk, while working on the car, or looking for pipe leaks. Since it has an IP67 rating, you can even plop it in your aquarium. The camera comes with a 16.4ft semi-rigid cable and several accessories, including a hook, magnet, and a mirror. You can get this one for $23 right now. Blukar flashlight Blukar I don’t care who you are—you need a flashlight. The smaller, the better, because you get to shove it into any pocket. This model from Blukar comes with a built-in 1800mAh battery that you’ll recharge with one of those many type-C cables you have in that tech drawer we were talking about. It can work for up to 16 hours on a single charge, which is pretty decent. There are four different lightning modes to cycle through, including one that will help you signal for help. Plus, one of these is only $10, so no excuse to pass on this one. Heat It insect bite healer Anyone plagued by mosquitoes in the summer will be particularly pleased with this ingenious gadget. This tiny device, which can be easily connected to your smartphone via USB-C, can significantly reduce the itching of bites and stings with targeted heat. You simply charge the small Heat It bite healer via the app and then hold it on the bite. The heat then does the rest, breaking down the proteins in the mosquito bite that cause the area to swell, itch, and hurt. A true must-have for summer, and it costs only $20. A tiny air pump Also perfect for summer is this small air pump from Cycplus, which fits in any bag while on the go. Not only can it inflate a bicycle tire in two minutes at the touch of a button, but it’s also USB-charged. According to the manufacturer, it’s suitable for mountain bikes, road bikes, motorcycles, and even cars! In addition to being an air pump, this practical gadget can also be used as a flashlight or power bank for on-the-go use — all things that come in very handy on a bike ride. And at just $57, it’s highly recommended if you need quick help with a flat tire. USB-C mini fan These little fans are also pretty ingenious; you can easily carry them in your pocket in the summer and quickly use them whenever you need them. Anyone who’s ever sat on a crowded subway train in 30-degree heat and wished for at least a little fresh air will love this gadget. The mini fan, which costs just $20, has a USB-C port and can be easily powered by power banks, computers, laptops, or USB chargers. There are even smaller and cheaper fans available that can be connected directly to your phone, costing under $10 each. But these also provide less powerful airflow, so we recommend the standalone version. Reading light with a book clamp Anyone who enjoys reading a lot, sometimes late into the night, will appreciate this little gadget: a reading lamp that you can simply clip onto your book. It may not be groundbreaking, but with a total of three color temperatures and five different light modes, you can individually adjust how much light you need for reading. The Gritin reading lamp costs just $15 on Amazon and features a 1200 mAh battery that lasts up to 80 hours depending on usage. Afterward, you can easily recharge it via USB. You can swivel the neck of the lamp back and forth as desired, and there’s even a small charging indicator. What more could you want? Samsung flash drive Samsung The vast majority of flash drives have a USB-A connector, but this one from Samsung has a Type-C connector. With transfer speeds of up to 400MB/s, you’ll move files around in no time. The beauty of this thumb drive is that you can even pop it in your smartphone to record 4K vids directly on it. The Samsung Type-C flash drive comes in multiple storage options, starting at 64GB and up to 512GB and they start at $14. The 256GB version, for instance, is $27 at the time of writing. Type-C microSD card reader Ugreen Most laptops nowadays don’t come with a card reader anymore (I know mine doesn’t), so finding other ways to get data off those little buggers is a must. Whether you need to pull data off your dashcam’s card or if it’s from your camera, this tiny Ugreen USB-C microSD reader will work just fine. This reader is tiny enough that you should probably put it on a keychain of some kind. If you’d rather a slightly more versatile version, Ugreen has a model that also works with SD cards and features both USB-C and USB-A connectors. Any of these will cost you less than $10, so they’re worthwhile investments. Editor’s note: This article was originally published on May 16, but was updated to include additional devices. Read...

Anyone who tells you that smart home is easy is lying to you. Indeed, building a smart home—well, a smart apartment in my case—has been one of the trickiest tech endeavors I’ve ever taken on, given all the makes, models, connectivity standards, and interoperability issues that need juggling.  So yes, I’ve made mistakes—lots of them. Some were small (like the smart candelabra bulb that wouldn’t fit in a regular light socket) and some were fundamental. (Who has two thumbs and mixes Alexa speakers with Google Home displays? This guy. More on that in a moment.)  Luckily, we learn from our mistakes, and I’m ticking off my six biggest smart home foul-ups in the hopes you won’t repeat them.   Skimping on smart plugs (or on smart anything, for that matter)  It’s tempting to snag cheap smart plugs on Amazon for a steep discount; heck, who would turn their nose up at a four-pack of Wi-Fi smart plugs for $9.99? For that price, you can make all the outlets in your home smart without breaking a sweat.  Well, I’ve learned the hard way that a useless smart plug is no bargain, regardless of the discount. My home is riddled with cheap smart plugs that either can’t maintain a steady connection or simply don’t work at all. This Eve Energy smart plug costs a pricey $40, but in four years it’s never let me down.Ben Patterson/Foundry One off-brand Zigbee smart plug likes to conk out roughly once a week; unplugging it and plugging it back in seems to fix it, although never for long. Another cheap HomeKit smart plug lost connectivity with the Apple Home app long ago, and I just control it manually now. (I’ll get around to replacing it, eventually.) What those iffy smart plugs have in common is that they all cost about $10 each. Now, if you find a cheap smart plug that works consistently (and we have found a few), more power to you. But the smart plugs I spend more money on (more like $30 each), like these from Eve Energy and Philips, have been rock-solid, and consequently I never give them much thought. Yes, they were pricier, but at least I wasn’t throwing my money away.  Related: Check out TechHive’s top picks for smart plugs Forgetting to (temporarily) switch my Wi-Fi to single-band mode   Many Wi-Fi-enabled smart home products are designed to only work on the 2.4GHz wireless spectrum. It makes sense; after all, a dual-band Wi-Fi light bulb seems like overkill given the limited networking it requires. But sometimes, single-band Wi-Fi devices have trouble connecting to dual-band Wi-Fi networks, and that’s where the headaches come. See, when you’re setting up a Wi-Fi smart device for the first time and it trips on your dual-band wireless router, it often won’t tell you that that’s the problem.   Instead, you may wind up banging your head against the wall, trying one troubleshooting step after another, until you finally realize it’s the dual-band network that’s to blame. Make the switch from dual-band Wi-Fi to single-band, and more often than not, your smart device setup problems will disappear. Forgetting to switch my Wi-Fi back to dual-band  Of course, the other Wi-Fi snafu that can arise with smart home is the mirror image of the previous one: forgetting to switch your Wi-Fi network back to dual-band after putting it into single-band mode.   I just committed that error a couple of weeks ago, and my family and I spent a few days scratching our heads wondering why our Wi-Fi speeds had plummeted. Finally it hit me: I’d forgotten to switch our TP-Link mesh router back to dual-band mode after installing a new smart gadget. Oops.  Getting security cameras that require subscription plans  This is more of a regret than a full-on blunder, but it’s worth mentioning it here anyway. I have a long-in-the-tooth Wyze Cam v2 guarding the back door in our basement, while a Ring Battery Doorbell Plus keeps an eye on our front doorstep. Both devices have served us well over the years, but they also need monthly fees to unlock their best features.  For the Ring doorbell, I pay $50 a year (there’s also a $5-a-month option) for three months of video storage, along with person detection and other assorted features; without the plan, I’d only be able to view a live feed from the doorbell, which lacks local storage. And while the Wyze cam does offer local storage, you must pay a monthly fee for people detection. I stopped paying for a Wyze plan years ago, meaning I get motion alerts for everything—spiderwebs, my robot vacuum scooting around, you name it.  The Tapo RoomCam 360 (pictured here next to my old Wyze Cam v2) does AI-powered object detection and more, all without a subscription plan.Ben Patterson/Foundry I regret not having considered security cameras and doorbells with free, on-device AI object detection plus local storage. Such onboard AI and storage options are becoming increasingly common (like on this TP-Link Tapo can I recently tested), and while local video storage has its drawbacks—what if someone steals the camera?—it’s a heck of a lot cheaper in the long run than paying a monthly fee.   Related: 11 subscription-free security cameras Not upgrading my robot vacuum sooner  For years, I made do with a bump-and-run robot vacuum—namely, the budget-priced iRobot Roomba 694—and figured that was pretty much all there was to robot vacuums. Every few weeks or so, I’d prep for a Roomba run by tidying up the floors and blocking the stairway with a bench, all to ensure my robot didn’t eat socks or get flummoxed by the steps as it ping-ponged from one wall to another. It was a bit of a pain, but better than vacuuming my floors manually, I figured.  Boy, was I wrong. A little more than a year ago, I finally ponied up the cash for a vastly superior Roomba model, complete with a self-emptying dock, the ability to map rooms, and—best of all—a camera-based obstacle avoidance system that allows the robot to spot and navigate around socks, pet poop (eww), and other obstacles in its path.   My new Roomba i7+ (which has since been supplanted by new and even more advanced models) was a game changer. No longer was running my robot vac a chore—instead, it became a joy, as I watched the bot navigate my floors like a pro and easily dodge shoes, chairs, and other items without my having to lift a finger. With elaborate cleaning schedules in place plus the self-empty dock, I was able to go weeks without giving my busy Roomba any assistance. Why hadn’t I made the change earlier?   Related: Check out Tech Advisor’s top robot vacuum picks Mixing and matching smart speakers  OK, this one I can chalk up to being a smart home reviewer who must test different makes and models of smart devices. Still, there’s nothing quite as dumb as having an Alexa smart speaker sitting next to a Google Nest display, or a Nest display cozied up beside an Apple HomePod, and that’s precisely the situation in my household. “Hey Google—I mean, hey Siri,” is a common refrain in our kitchen, which naturally sparks squabbles between the duelling assistants as they respond to each other’s voices (“Hey there, I’m Alexa, not Siri,” “I think you have me confused with someone else”). There are also competing smart routines, smart devices that are connected to one smart assistant but not another…in a word, chaos.  Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake I made. Just pick a brand of smart speaker you like and stick with it. Your family will thank you.   Related: Check out TechHive’s top picks for smart speakers Read...

Hitachi Vantara enhances VSP One SDS on Google Cloud Marketplace, adding features like two-way replication to boost hybrid cloud data management and resilience. Read...

TechHive Editors Choice At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Wi-Fi connectivity Voice control via Alexa, Google Assistant, and SmartThings Customizable access codes for guests, deliveries, and more Excellent battery life, with emergency power backup Cons No Fingerprint recognition No geofencing support Slight delay on remote unlocking Not Matter certified nor Apple HomeKit compatible Our Verdict It’s neither the prettiest nor the most capable smart lock on the market, but TP-Link’s Tapo DL100 smart deadbolt delivers a lot more than you might expect based on its price tag. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: TP-Link Tapo DL100 Retailer Price $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best known for its inexpensive routers, TP-Link is rapidly growing its Tapo line of budget-priced smart home devices, and the Tapo DL100 smart lock is a fabulous home security value. You’ll find plenty of smart locks that look prettier, pack more whiz-bang features, and support more smart home ecosystems, but you won’t find a $70 lock that’s nearly as good as TP-Link’s Tapo DL100. Design and build quality The Tapo DL100 isn’t flashy, but it doesn’t look cheap. The black-and-silver finish blends well with most doors, and the keypad glows softly for nighttime visibility. While the housing is plastic instead of metal, it doesn’t feel flimsy in the hand. The Tapo DL100 isn’t flashy, but TP-Link has delivered one of the most fully featured smart locks you can buy for less than $100. The Tapo DL100 is BHMA certified as a commercial lock rated ANSI Grade 3, the lowest of the three ANSI commercial lock grades (the higher levels being Grade 1 followed by Grade 2). If you want a stronger lock, you’ll need to spend more money. You can read about ANSI lock grades on the ANSI blog. We explain the BHMA’s residential lock standards at the preceding link. In terms of weatherization, the lock is rated a modest IP54, which according to our IP code guide, means it won’t allow dust ingress to the point of causing failure, and that it can withstand being sprayed with water (but definitely not from a pressure washer). The Tapo DL100’s interior (top) and exterior escutcheons.James Barber/Foundry I don’t know if I’d use it for an oceanfront beach house, but it should stand up to more typical environments. That said, many of the locks we’ve reviewed lately have had the same water resistance ratings as this lock, but they’ve been impervious to dust ingress (having a 6–instead of a 5–as the first digit in their IP codes).   More specifications The Tapo DL100 smart deadbolt features both a numeric PIN pad with physical buttons (it’s not a touchscreen) and a conventional key cylinder, and it can also be locked and unlocked with the Tapo app on your phone via Bluetooth, or—once you’ve connected it to your home Wi-Fi network (2.4GHz networks only)—with an Amazon Alexa or Google Home voice command. The lock also supports SmartThings and IFTTT, but not Apple’s HomeKit or, by extension, Apple’s Home Key . There’s no support for Thread or Matter, either, and the DL100 also doesn’t provide the alternative means of unlocking it with a fingerprint. If that’s a must—have feature, consider the upscale model Tapo DL110 that has that feature—plus an integrated doorbell; it’s priced at $150. The lock operates on four AA batteries, which TP-Link says should last for 10 months using a Bluetooth connection. That claim drops to seven months with the lock connected to Wi-Fi, which I expect most people will opt for, since it gives you remote access to the lock. Should the batteries die while you’re out and about, you can plug a smartphone or a portable battery into a USB-C port on the bottom of the lock Installation and setup The Tapo DL100 smart deadbolt prior to installation. James Barber/Foundry Physical installation should be a breeze for anyone replacing an existing deadbolt, and you don’t need any sort of hub or bridge to take advantage of all its features without the need to sign up for a subscription or other service plan. I replaced an existing deadbolt lock, and the entire process from removing the old deadbolt to opening the DL100’s box to walking away from a completed project took less than fifteen minutes. If you need to cut into your door and jamb for installation, the process gets a lot more complicated—as it would with any other deadbolt. The Tapo DL100 supports most of the smart home integrations you’d expect, save for Apple’s HomeKit.James Barber/Foundry A Phillips-head screwdriver was the only tool needed for the project and, after installing the Tapo app on my phone and inserting the batteries into the lock, the DL100 connected via Bluetooth almost immediately. Your next steps will be to create a 4- to 8-digit PIN and add the lock to your Wi-Fi network. You can create up to 200 unique PINs with varying levels of permission. You’ll also want to activate the App Lock/Unlock setting if you want to be able to unlock the door remotely via the internet. The app also allows you to generate a one-time code that guests, house-cleaners, contractors, repair services, and other people can use to gain authorized access to your home. You can choose from preset times (up to one full day) or set a custom time window on a future date. An activity log keeps tack of everyone’s comings and goings. The Tapo DL100’s interior escutcheon with its battery compartment open (left) and closed.James Barber/Foundry If you’re concerned that someone might discover your PIN by watching you unlock the door, or by studying which numbers on the PIN have telltale fingerprints, take advantage of Tapo’s Scramble PIN code option. This lets you press up to 20 random numbers, with your PIN code included in sequence and/or after your PIN, and the lock will disregard the other numbers but unlock when it recognizes your PIN. TP-Link’s Unlock Attempt Limiter another security feature. It lets you define the number of failed unlock attempts before the lock freezes for a defined length of time: up to 5 minutes, in 1-minute increments). You can also set an Auto-Lock timer that will automatically relock the door after the passage of a defined number of minutes after opening it: 15- or 30- seconds, or 1-, 5-, or 15 minutes. Wi-Fi connectivity is a known battery hog, so you can program the lock to automatically turn its Wi-Fi adapter off at night and fall back to Bluetooth connectivity only. The lock will automatically reconnect to Wi-Fi at a time of your choosing. It’s a very cool feature. So, what’s missing? You’ll install the Tapo DL100’s mounting plate (left) to the inside of the door and then mount the lock itself to the plate.James Barber/Foundry Here’s what you don’t get at the bargain price of $70: There’s no fingerprint recognition (again, TP-Link offers a more expensive lock that does have that feature) and there’s no geofencing support, so your phone can’t automatically lock the door when you leave your home’s geocircle or unlock the door when you come back into it. The Tapo also app doesn’t send notifications on a per-user basis (“so-and-so just unlocked the door with their PIN”). I also sometimes experienced a delay when unlocking via the app over Wi-Fi, usually just a few seconds, but long enough to make me wonder if the message went through. Voice assistant commands worked well but occasionally required a repeat. That could be more of an Alexa issue than a Tapo one. I didn’t test the lock with Google Assistant. If you want to use the remote Wi-Fi features, you’ll need to set up a Tapo account in the Tapo app. That’s to be expected if you want long-distance access to a device, so keep in mind you can’t be 100-percent in control of your connection if you want those features.  Should you buy the Tapo DL100 smart deadbolt At this price, the DL100’s most obvious competitor is the Wyze Lock Bolt, TechHive’s previous pick for best budget-priced smart lock. Wyze offers local Bluetooth control and fingerprint recognition but not Wi-Fi connectivity. If remote access and voice assistant compatibility are priorities, the Tapo DL100 is the clear winner. The Tapo DL100 isn’t flashy, but TP-Link has delivered one of the most fully featured smart locks you can buy for less than $100. For this price, getting Wi-Fi access, real-time alerts, code and management without a paid subscription is truly impressive. If you want premium features like fingerprint recognition or Apple HomeKit/Home Key support, you’ll need to spend more money—maybe even a lot more. But at this price, the TP-Link’s Tapo DL100 smart lock is easy to recommend. Further reading: This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart locks. Read...

OpenAI has launched a new “study mode” for ChatGPT that’s designed to help students better understand complex topics—but instead of dishing out direct answers, study mode employs the Socratic method to ask questions and guide users to finding those answers. Or another way to look at it: in study mode conversations, ChatGPT gradually rolls out information to the user in stages to avoid overloading and overwhelming, and to prevent the AI chatbot from doing all the work on the user’s behalf. According to OpenAI, study mode was developed in collaboration with teachers, researchers, and education experts. It’s based on customized system instructions rather than an entirely new AI model. Study mode will first be available to users on ChatGPT Free, Plus, Pro, and Team plans. ChatGPT Edu users will get access within a few weeks. OpenAI emphasizes that study mode is still in its early stages and that user feedback is continuously evaluated to improve the experience. Over the long term, OpenAI plans to implement other features like goal setting, progress tracking, and increased personalization. Read...

Ever since Microsoft released Windows 11 24H2 to the public last fall, users have been reporting all kinds of issues with the mouse cursor. Last year, the mouse cursor would disappear in text fields. Earlier this year, the mouse cursor got stuck in its loading animation. Those issues have been fixed, and now it’s time for another mouse cursor fix! According to Windows Latest, July’s optional preview update KB5062660 fixes the problem with Windows 11’s mouse cursor suddenly changing sizes and appearing to be the wrong size than what’s set in Settings, which users (fairly) found annoying. Microsoft hasn’t officially addressed the issue, but Windows Latest says the issue is fixed in the update. Update KB5062660 is optional for now, but will roll out to all users next month. If you want this bug fixed, you can manually install it via Windows Update or Microsoft’s Update Catalog. Update KB5062660 also quietly fixed other issues, like hits to stability and performance caused by previous updates. Meanwhile, it’s the same update that officially kills the iconic Blue Screen of Death and introduces several new features and improvements. While Microsoft claims that Windows 11 24H2 is the most reliable version of Windows, frequent stumbles like this make many wary of the claim. Read...