At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Powerful Intel processor with AI functions Good equipment with many USB ports Good expansion options for SSDs Up to four 4K monitors can be connected Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 Low power Consumption Cons No DisplayPort Revs up abruptly and gets loud No Thunderbolt 4, only USB 4 Our Verdict The Geekom IT15 is a compact, future-proof mini PC with strong computing power, AI support, and capable performance from its Core Ultra 9 285H and Arc 140T GPU. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Geekom IT15 Retailer Price $999 View Deal $1,199 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices The compact housing of the Geekom IT15 conceals the 2nd-generation Intel Core Ultra 9 285H. According to the manufacturer, it offers enough power for everyday tasks and it supports the AI functions of Windows 11. With its multitude of connections and the ability to operate up to four monitors simultaneously, the IT15 presents itself as an interesting alternative to classic desktop PCs, which are becoming less and less relevant outside the gaming world. We’re particularly interested to see how the Geekom IT15 with Intel CPU compares to the Geekom A9 Max with AMD hardware, which we’ve tested before. Geekom IT15: Specifications Dimensions: 117 × 112 × 45.5 mm without rubber feet, 117 × 112 × 49.2 mm with rubber feet (each W × D × H) Weight: 1.32 lbs CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 285H, maximum operating power 45 watts Graphics processor (GPU): Intel Arc 140T GPU for 9 285H Memory: Dual-channel DDR5-5600 SODIMM, up to 128 GB Internal storage: 1 × M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Gen4 x4 SSD, pre-installed Crucial P3 Plus CT2000P3PSSD8 2 TB Expandable: 1 × M.2 2242 SATA III SSD slot, 1 × 2.5? SATA HDD slot (up to 2 TB each) Ports: 1 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1 × USB 2.0 Type-A (rear), 1 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A with S5 power supply, 1 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (front), 2 × USB 4.0, one with PD input (rear), 1 × 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack (front), 2 × HDMI 2.0, SD card reader 4.0 Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7, 1 × 2.5G RJ45 Extras: Kensington lock, VESA mount Operating system: Microsoft Windows 11 24H2 (64-bit), pre-installed Warranty: 3 years Overall, the Geekom IT15 is a compact, efficient, and powerful mini PC ideal for productive and professional users. Geekom IT15: Design Geekom packs the hardware in a black case that’s less stylish than the A9 Max’s gray metal case. The IT15’s metal base and lid are built to withstand up to 200 kilograms, providing solid protection for the components inside. Measuring 117×112×45.5 millimeters (A9 Max: 132 × 46.9 mm), the mini PC fits easily on any desk and can also be mounted to the back of a monitor or a wall using a VESA bracket. Christoph Hoffmann As is typical for mini PCs, the ports are located on both the front and back. No matter how the computer is positioned on the desk, the side with the power button is considered the front. Geekom hasn’t been stingy with connectivity: there are six USB ports in total, ranging from USB 2.0 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 to USB 4.0 Type-C. This allows external drives and peripherals to connect at high speeds—up to a theoretical 40 Gbps. Christoph Hoffmann There are two USB 4 ports and two HDMI 2.0 ports for up to four 4K monitors. However, there’s no DisplayPort. Other components include 2.5 Gbps Ethernet, Wi-Fi 7 (Intel BE200), Bluetooth 5.4, and a fully-fledged SD card reader. The mini PC can be secured against theft with a Kensington lock. Geekom IT15: Equipment The centerpiece of the Geekom IT15 is the Intel Core 9 285H. Alternatively, the IT15 is available with an Intel Ultra 5-225H processor and 32 GB of RAM, though that model comes with only a 1 TB SSD. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H is a modern high-performance processor from Intel’s current “Arrow Lake H” series, which was developed for high-performance laptops. It combines six performance cores, eight efficiency cores, and two additional low-power efficiency cores, resulting in a total of 16 cores and 16 threads. With a maximum boost clock of up to 5.4 GHz and a 24 MB smart cache, the chip provides a strong foundation for demanding applications. Geekom Its typical power consumption is around 45 watts, but can rise to up to 115 watts in turbo mode — good cooling is important. Geekom relies on its own “IceBlast 2.0” cooling system with a large heat sink, two heat pipes, and quiet fans. The Intel Arc 140T is the integrated GPU of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H and is based on the Xe architecture with eight Xe cores and ray tracing support. It offers strong performance for a CPU graphics and is well suited for everyday use, multimedia, content creation, and light gaming. Its strengths lie in its high efficiency, modern technology, and good integration into the CPU system. For complex games or professional 3D workloads, however, it doesn’t match the power as a dedicated graphics card. The processor has 32 GB of DDR5 RAM (5,600 MT/s) at its disposal, divided into two 16 GB modules. This is fine in functional terms, but makes it difficult to upgrade to 64 GB at a later date, as both modules would have to be replaced. With a single 32 GB module, expansion would be much easier and cheaper. However, you wouldn’t benefit from the faster dual-channel mode with one module. The 2 TB NVMe SSD in our IT15 is a Crucial P3 Plus (model CT2000P3PSSD8). It’s possible that other IT15 units may come with SSDs from different manufacturers. Christoph Hoffmann There are two options for additional internal storage: A slot for an M.2 2242 and a slot for a 2.5-inch SSD–each with a capacity of up to 2 TB. This gives users much more flexibility than the A9 Max with its M.2 2230 slot. Geekom IT15: Windows In our test setup, a 27-inch Dell monitor is connected to the IT15, along with a wired Cherry keyboard and a Microsoft mouse using a dongle. The mini PC connects to the network via Ethernet through a 2.5 Gbps BrosTrend 8X switch. The Geekom IT15 comes with a hardware-bound license for Windows 11 24H2. After booting the mini PC for the first time, the Windows installation begins and is completed within a few minutes. Updates install during setup, but Windows offers more updates later. And then a strange problem appears. Christoph Hoffmann The Windows 11 25H2 update offered by Windows fails with an error message. During the alternative in-place upgrade using an ISO file, the Keep personal files and apps option is grayed out. The issue appears to stem from incorrect language settings in the pre-installed Windows. We therefore selected Keep only personal files, which isn’t a problem on a fresh Windows installation. Another solution is the in-place upgrade with an English setup ISO. The installation then runs in German and the new Windows 25H2 starts with a German-language interface. In addition to Windows’ built-in updates and provided drivers, the dedicated Intel drivers should also be installed. The easiest way to do this is with the free Intel Driver and Support Assistant, which installs the latest drivers for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Arc Graphics, and the NPU. Christoph Hoffmann We won’t go any further into Windows itself, but we can see in many places that the AI features of the operating system are supported and activated. Geekom IT15: Performance We used the PCMark 10 benchmark test to measure desktop performance. This software gives us realistic values by running everyday tasks. With a score of 8,341, the Geekom IT15 with its Intel Core 9 285H ranks in the top third. The Geekom A9 Max we tested with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scored 7,976 points–that’s only four percent less. Christoph Hoffmann This shows how the Intel Core 9 285H performs in comparison to Qualcomm and AMD CPUs. The gaming graphics performance of the Geekom IT15 was measured by 3DMark Steel Nomad Light, where it scored 3,393 points (Geekom A9 Max: 3,279 points) — a good result that’s slightly above average. The Time Spy benchmark delivered 4,244 points. That’s significantly higher than the A9 Max with its AMD processor, which scored 3,701 points. Christoph Hoffmann With a TimeSpy score of 4,244, the IT15 achieved strong CPU performance for a mini PC as well as decent iGPU performance for light gaming applications. Christoph Hoffmann The M.2 NVMe SSD installed in the IT15 comes from Crucial. The P3 Plus CT2000P3PSSD8 model, with 2 TB capacity, delivers read speeds of 5,029 MB/s and write speeds of 4,658 MB/s in the CrystalDiskMark. These are decent values, though the A9 Max with its Lexar SSD performs even better, reaching 6,242 MB/s read and 5,423 MB/s write. Christoph Hoffmann And what about the AI performance of the system? We ran the Geekbench AI test to find out: Single Precision Score: 4,350 Half Precision Score: 1,790 Quantized score: 8.005 These are typical results for a mid-range system or a system that’s not primarily designed for heavy AI workloads. Compared to the A9 Max (2837/1342/6,496), the IT15 scores with better AI performance and is therefore pretty much on par with an Intel Core Ultra or similar laptop SoCs with an integrated NPU. In combination with its GPU, the processor is suitable for games that benefit from its high single-core performance. At the same time, the large number of cores enables strong multi-core performance. This is perfect for video editing, 3D rendering, photo editing, or music production. Thanks to its efficient hybrid architecture, the Intel processor handles multitasking, office apps, and browsing smoothly. Geekom IT15: Conclusion The Geekom IT15 impresses in the test with strong performance from Intel, modern AI support, and extensive features. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H offers plenty of power for work, multimedia, and light creative applications, while the integrated Arc 140T GPU delivers solid graphics performance. With Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB 4, and support for up to four 4K monitors, the mini PC is versatile and future-proof. Criticisms include the lack of Thunderbolt 4, the loud fan under load, and limited RAM upgrade options. Overall, the IT15 is a compact, efficient, and powerful mini PC ideal for productive and professional users. Read...

B2B technology CMOs face greater pressure to prove ROI amid wider roles, budget cuts, and rising AI use, reveals the CMO Survey 2025. Read...

If you’ve been watching the non-technology news for the last couple of weeks… well first of all, I’m sorry. But you might have noticed that one of the most brazen robberies in recent memory happened at the legendary Louvre museum in Paris, where thieves made off with centuries-old crown jewels that have yet to be recovered. According to a security investigation, the password for video surveillance system was “Louvre,” which is basically one step above “password.” Maybe this was less a jewel heist for the ages and more of a Hackers cosplay attempt. Safe, non-guessable passwords are kind of a big deal, as our own security expert will tell you. French newspaper Libération (via PCGamer) reports that various audits of the museum’s security systems have revealed glaring and obvious issues. One such audit carried out in 2014 by France’s national cybersecurity agency showed that, indeed, the Louvre’s video surveillance system password was “Louvre.” Subsequent audits found “serious shortcomings” in the museum’s systems, notably including easy access to rooftops during periods of construction and security software that was more than two decades old, and now unsupported by its developer. Anyone who’s had to work in an office that still has one Windows 98 machine running the ancient inventory system might be able to sympathize. Currently it’s not known what factors contributed to the security failures of the robbery, though dozens of people are investigating. It occurred at 9:30 AM local time, during operating hours on a Sunday. A small truck with a mechanical ladder parked next to the museum, with four suspects using power tools to break into the gallery from the second floor. Though guards and visitors were threatened, no one was hurt, and the thieves were out of the museum in just four minutes before escaping into Paris. The entire episode took only eight minutes in total. Much will be said about the museum’s security in the aftermath — indeed, much has already been said — but I haven’t seen any indication that the video system was actually compromised or malfunctioning in 2025. Arrests have been made, and at the time of writing four people have been charged. The jewels and jewelry, valued at tens of millions of dollars, have not been recovered. The Louvre has been the site of many famous robberies and burglaries, including the Mona Lisa in 1911, but the most recent before now was in 1998. Read...

Whenever I speak with security experts (particularly those who work on software designed to protect consumers), I always like to ask what their top advice is to combat the latest threats. So, when I had the opportunity to chat with Steve Grobman, chief technology officer at McAfee, I picked his brain about deepfake audio and video scams. Not only are scammers focusing their efforts on everyday people who never suspect they could be targeted, but the real-time impersonations of voices and whole likenesses during calls keep getting ever-more convincing. No one expects Aunt Susan to be a random dude in a call center across the world, faking an emergency that requires a cash bailout. He gave me one really easy, simple tip for verifying that someone is who they say they are. Ask a low-key question that only they would know. The example he used was if a spouse called: “Hey, what did we have for dinner last night?” The goal is to ask something mundane and not easily guessed. Something casual that only they could answer, but is still open ended. (It might not even involve a real factor in your lives.) Ex: “What was that soap you recommended to me?” or “Where’s the extra cat litter?” Aim for basics so boring that they’d never post about it on social media or talk about it with others. And if that other person is someone who posts on social media about their whole lives? Recalibrate. Perhaps ask about something they’d never tell anybody else. This idea is similar to the notion of having a predetermined phrase (basically, a verbal password)—it helps verify that you’re speaking to the real person, not a deepfake. And if you’re feeling particularly suspicious? You can pose more than one security question to them. And continue to get more esoteric the greater the stakes. Also, another tip from me: For the sake of your relationships, you may want to tell people in your life that you plan to do this. Otherwise if they end up in a bind and you counter with a bunch of suspicion, things could go a bit south. Read...

Aside from its various processor, memory, and device capacity improvements, the new Philips Hue Bridge Pro comes with a killer feature: the ability to turn your existing Hue lights into motion sensors. I’ve been testing this functionality for the past few weeks, and yes, it works. Getting it to work the way I want it to, however, has been a challenge.  First, a little background. Unveiled in September and on sale now, the Philips Hue Bridge Pro packs a faster, quad-core 1.7 GHz Cortex A-35 CPU and a gigabyte of DDR4 SDRAM, which allow the hub to handle more than 150 Hue devices, or roughly three times as many as the standard Hue Bridge.  The new Hue Bridge Pro can also connect to your home network via Wi-Fi, meaning it doesn’t need to be tethered to your router by an ethernet cable. (I’ve been testing the Bridge Pro on Wi-Fi mode and haven’t had any connectivity issues). Those processing and networking improvements make for an impressive upgrade on their own, but the Hue Bridge Pro ($98.99) also boasts another cool feature: MotionAware, which monitors motion-induced disruptions to the Zigbee signals Hue lights use for communication, effectively turning your smart lights into motion sensors. Given that an indoor Hue motion sensor costs $50, the Hue Bridge Pro’s ability to make your Hue lights motion-aware practically pays for itself. MotionAware does have limitations. For starters, there must be at least three MotionAware-capable Hue lights in a given motion zone for the feature to work (you can also add a fourth light if you like). Also, not all Hue lights support MotionAware functionality; Hue says 95 percent of its lights will do the MotionAware trick, but my portable Hue Go table lamps didn’t make the cut, nor did my third-party Zigbee bulbs.  Given that a standard Hue motion sensor costs $50, the Hue Bridge Pro’s ability to make your Hue lights motion-aware practically pays for itself. Aside from the technical limitations, there are some MotionAware features that aren’t free. Namely, if you want your MotionAware motion zones to trigger security alerts, you’ll need to sign up for a Secure MotionAware plan for $1 a month, or $10 a year. (A 30-day free trial is available.) If you simply want MotionAware to turn your lights on and off, that functionality is free, and that’s what I’ve been testing. Setting up a MotionAware motion zone is a simple process. Starting from the Hue app’s Settings menu, you tap on Motion areas, then tap the “+” button; you’ll then see which of your rooms and zones in the Hue app have enough Motion Aware-ready lights for a motion zone.   In my case, I could add motion zones in my kitchen, main bedroom, and office; the dining room wouldn’t work because of the four Hue lights in there, two of them are the non-MotionAware compatible Hue Go portable table lamps, while other areas didn’t have enough Hue lights to create a zone. I elected to create a single motion zone in the kitchen, the most highly trafficked area in our apartment.  Next, you choose which lights to add to the zone; Hue recommends picking lights that are between three and 23 feet apart, and at varying heights. You’ll also want to choose lights that border the general area where you want motion to be detected. Once you pick the Hue lights to include in the motion zone, the Hue app will ask you to leave the area so it can calibrate the lights in the zone; the process takes roughly 20 seconds.  You’ll need at least three MotionAware-capable Hue lights in a room to create a motion zone.Ben Patterson/Foundry Finally, you pick which lights your MotionAware-enabled motion zone will control (you can pick lights in the same room as the motion zone, or in a different room), and then you decide what happens when your new motion zone detects motion—or, on the flip side, when it doesn’t detect motion. (Again, I only tested MotionAware’s ability to control lights, not its security features.)  The Hue app gives you various time slots that allow you to customize the behavior of a motion zone. You start with three time slots, set roughly to morning, evening, and nighttime; you can add more slots as needed, as well as adjust when the slots begin and end, but you can’t designate a different set of time slots for individual days of the week or for the weekend.  For each time slot, you then choose what happens when motion is detected, and what happens after a set period (anywhere between a minute to 60 minutes) of no motion being detected.   Picking what happens when motion is detected is fairly straightforward; you can choose any light scene (either a preset Hue scene or one you’ve customized), or choose “Last on state” or “Do nothing.” For what happens after no motion is detected, the choices are far more limited: just “Off,” “Do nothing,” or “Return to previous state.”  Aside from those settings, each time slot offers a “Do not disturb” option that will prevent your motion zone from altering the behavior of lights that are already on. There’s also an overall “Daylight settings” option that will keep your motion zones from triggering your lights during daylight hours.  As for the actual performance of Hue’s MotionAware technology, I found it to work more or less as advertised. My kitchen lights reliably detected motion whenever I or my family members walked into the area, and sensed that activity had ceased once we left the room.  There were several occasions when the lights would turn off after we’d been sitting at the kitchen table for too long (a common foible for motion sensors in general), but upping the MotionAware sensitivity setting cut down on those instances. Boosting the sensitivity up too high will put your motion zone on a hair trigger, of course.  The Hue app lets you create different time slots for your motion zones (left) as well as what happens when motion is detected (center) or not detected (right). Ben Patterson/Foundry But while I was satisfied with the basic MotionAware performance, I was less happy with the design of Hue’s motion zone settings, which I found needlessly complicated and nitpicky.   My main complaint is the inability to have a motion zone trigger a light scene when your MotionAware lights stop detecting motion—namely, I like my under-cabinet Hue light strip to stay on during the day even when my overhead Hue lights are off.   Theoretically, this could be achieved with the “Return to previous state” option, but picking that setting led to unpredictable results, depending on what the “previous state” actually was. Maybe it was just my failure to comprehend the “previous state” concept, but I eventually gave up and settled for the “Off” option.  Then there’s the matter of disabling motion detection for certain time slots—for example, I don’t want my kitchen lights automatically turning off while we’re eating breakfast in the morning. Hue’s MotionAware-enabled motion zones do work. How they work could use some tweaking. Again, selecting the “Do nothing” for both the “When motion is detected” and “After” settings should effectively motion control of your lights for a given time slot, but I still ran into instances where the lights would unexpectedly dim or turn off during the breakfast time slot.   I don’t think there’s anything broken on the Hue app or with my MotionAware-enabled motion zone zone; instead, it’s probably a case of user error (mine). But the fact that I’m having trouble getting my motion-controlled Hue lights to do what I want them to do—and I consider myself to be a reasonably savvy Hue user—indicates that Hue’s motion settings interface needs a rethink.  I have two main suggestions: first, allow users to pick lighting scenes to be triggered when motion is no longer detected, and second, let us deactivate a motion zone time slot with a simple tap, rather than having to dip into a time slot and adjust multiple settings. I’d also like separate time slots for the weekend, but let’s start with the first two changes.  To be clear, I think MotionAware is a terrific new feature for the Hue Bridge Pro, and as I’ve said, it could be a big money saver for those who want multiple Hue motion zones in their homes. And yes, the motion sensing does work. But if you ask me, how it works could use some tweaking. This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart lights. Read...

The find shows that the technology was passed down through thousands of generations. Read...

When we think of gaming headsets, we often imagine sweaty gamers in dark rooms wearing glowing RGB headphones. The truth is, most gaming headsets are highly adaptable to life outside of a gaming den, whether it’s for work or listening to music. Here are a few reasons why you might choose a gaming headset over a standard one, even if you’re not a gamer. 1. They deliver top quality sound Gamers are very picky about their audio, so most gaming headsets produce crisp, clear sound that goes directly into your ears. This delivers a far better audio experience than PC speakers or your computer’s built-in sound system. For example, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless boasts 96KHz / 24-Bit Hi-Res audio that’s very rich and detailed. This headset also works with software that lets you modify the EQ and voice settings, so that you can get the audio sounding exactly how you want it. Similarly, the Audeze Maxwell Wireless is a premium gaming headset with 96KHz / 24-Bit sound. It has 90 mm planar magnetic drivers that deliver an audiophile-grade sound, which is very impressive. 2. They’re very comfortable Gaming headsets have a certain number of commonalities, one of which is that they need to be highly comfortable for the long gaming sessions. Most gamers play for hours at a time. Headsets, therefore, need to be more than tolerable, they need to feel great. That’s why gaming headsets come with plush PU leather or mesh earcups. Most also have adjustable headbands for a precise fit. Meanwhile, extra features like rotating cups provide a degree of horizontal movement, which help prevent players from getting stiff necks. While they may be comfortable, these headsets also have to withstand the rigors of gaming life, so they’re often made from robust materials like metal. 3. They have spatial audio The biggest difference between a standard headset and a gaming one is that the latter has spatial audio. This allows players to hear the sound all around them instead of just left or right, allowing players to become totally engrossed in their games. But it also serves another purpose: it can give players a competitive edge. By knowing where the sounds are coming from, for example, player footsteps, gunfire, or grenades, players have better spatial awareness and can react at a moment’s notice. Spatial audio is just as good for movies, too, so you don’t need to be a gamer to enjoy it. 4. Noise cancelation is good Background noise can be a huge distraction, whether it’s from appliances or conversations in the next room. Most gaming headsets I’ve used have good noise cancelation. They’ve got either passive noise cancelation, where the earcups become the barrier to external sound, or active noise cancelation (ANC), a technology that’s designed to listen for background noise and reduce it. ANC works by using tiny microphones to pick up background noise. These microphones analyze any sound and make a counter signal to cancel it out. In gaming headsets, the noise canceling feature is present in both the speakers and the microphone. Again, this is in pursuit of immersion. Gamers don’t want any other sound interfering with the audio of their games, so blocking external sound is important. Clamp pressure is important for passive noise cancelation, too, as gaming headsets need a certain amount of pressure on the ears. Of course, too much pressure isn’t a good thing. While it’s useful to block out sound, nobody wants to be uncomfortable. Most gaming headsets get this balance right, offering effective noise cancelation while still being comfortable. 5. They’re affordable If you’re deciding between a sound system and a gaming headset, a gaming headset is often the more affordable option. You can find a heap of different options in the market, ranging from cheap headsets up to very expensive premium headsets. For similar sound quality, a sound system usually comes with a higher base price than a quality gaming headset. Overall, gaming headsets tend to offer better value while offering better audio delivery. 6. They have quick connectivity and accessible controls Gaming headsets often have accessible controls on their earcups. Some even include audio mixers, allowing you to combine different audio sources into a single stream. That means you could play music while also listening to your team chat or in-game audio. Most gaming headsets are also wireless, offering quick connection via a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signal or via Bluetooth, but some also offer an analog connection via a 3.5mm audio jack. There’s even a few that offer simultaneous connectivity, which means you can stream two audio sources at once. One big benefit of gaming headsets with Bluetooth is that they can double as headphones. Most have removable microphones, so you can wear them without anyone knowing they’re gaming headphones. Related content Best wireless gaming headsets 2025: Top picks for audio quality, comfort, and more Is 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound better for gaming? Turtle Beach Stealth Pro review: Punchy audio that’s ideal for FPS games Read...

The NZ First leader stopped short of a commitment to kill the bill outright. Read...

The technology secretary says O2`s higher-than-expected price increase is `disappointing` given the cost of living. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Simple for couriers to understand and use Can hold lots of small to mid-sized packages Hasp accommodates very large padlocks Relatively small footprint Cons No smart features Larger packages won’t fit Signage is very difficult to read No cooler accessories for food deliveries Our Verdict It has zero smart features, but even the most churlish couriers will be more likely to drop your packages in the Keter Package Delivery Box than anything that demands the least bit of extra thought or effort from them. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Keter Package Delivery Box Retailer Price $164.71 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices Keter is the latest manufacturer to take a shot at ending the epidemic of porch piracy plaguing online shoppers. Its Keter Package Delivery Box is the most basic solution I’ve tested—there’s no smart lock, no broadband connectivity, and no delivery notifications. What it lacks in technology, however, Keter’s box makes up in practicality. Specifications Like the garden sheds that Keter is best known for, the Keter Package Delivery Box is fabricated almost entirely from resin, with metal handles on its lid and door, and a hasp for a user-provided padlock. It arrives as a 41-pound flat pack and takes about 45 minutes to assemble (I missed an early step in the illustration-only instructions, so it took me considerably longer because I had to partially disassemble it to fix my error). The simple Keter Package Delivery Box is effective at deterring porch pirates because it presents fewer barriers to courier compliance. The box is fairly tall, with exterior dimensions of 44 x 24.4 x 20.9 inches (HxWxD). It has a hinged lid on top through which packages are delivered, and a lockable access door near the bottom for retrieving your packages. When the lid is lifted, a set of four steel cables opens a trap door by pulling up two trays, one that’s the width and depth of the box’s interior and a second tray beneath that’s about half the size and is mounted to the opposite side of the box. The top tray blocks access to the box’s interior when the lid is lifted. Place a package here and close the lid, and the tray will lower, dropping the package to the bottom, where it can be retrieved via the front door.Michael Brown/Foundry With the lid open, these panels become perpendicular to the interior front and back sides of the box, so they block the sight line and physical access to the retrieval compartment that’s below them. Place a package on the top panel, close the lid, and both panels drop until they’re parallel with the front and back panels, dropping the package down into the retrieval compartment.   The Keter Package Delivery Box will arrive at your home as a 41-pound flat pack.Michael Brown/Foundry In terms of sophistication, Keter’s product is the polar opposite of the Loxx Boxx smart delivery box I reviewed in August 2023. That battery-powered steel box connects to your home Wi-Fi network; unlocks when you enter a PIN on its numeric keypad; tracks deliveries from Amazon, UPS, the U.S. Postal Service, and other couriers; and sends emails and text messages reporting related activity. The Keter Package Delivery Box is an inert box with drop-off and retrieval doors. That very simplicity renders the Keter box more effective at deterring porch pirates—simply because couriers are more likely to use it. Unlike the Loxx Boxx, delivery personnel won’t need instructions for figuring out the required PIN. And I didn’t need to keep track of the box’s battery level or check to ensure it hadn’t dropped off my Wi-Fi network. Using the Keter Package Delivery Box The Keter Package Delivery Box’s design limits the size of boxes it can accommodate. Michael Brown/Foundry My enthusiasm for the Keter Package Delivery Box, however, is considerably dampened by its inability to accommodate larger packages. Its retrieval chamber is plenty big enough to store a dozen or so small to medium-sized packages, but as large as this delivery box is, it can’t accommodate anything remotely larger. It’s not just that the top opening isn’t big enough, it’s that the trap door mechanism won’t let long or wide packages drop into the bottom of the box. Long boxes hit the interior backside of the box and can’t drop through. So, the box’s interior dimensions of 39.4 x 19.7 x 15.7 inches (HxWxD) are somewhat misleading. The lettering on the Keter Package Deliver Box is less than eye-catching, so I strapped this inexpensive metal sign to the handrail next to it. The severed hand is a Halloween decoration, but I’m thinking I’ll leave it there all year as an extra attention-grabber.Michael Brown/Foundry Ideally, you’ll have enough room on your porch to place Keter’s box next to your door, where couriers can’t miss it. Its brown color shouldn’t clash with any paint color, but the brown-on-brown lettering that spells “PACKAGES” is all but impossible to see if the sun isn’t shining directly on the box. My tiny porch is barely wide enough for visitors, so I put it at the base of my porch steps. To help couriers find it, I zip-tied a sign to the railing next to it. If you’re concerned that an aggressive porch pirate might just pick up the entire box and throw it in the back of a pick-up, you have a couple of options. I took the easier one, which was to lift up the false floor in the package retrieval chamber and pour in 100 pounds of sand to weigh it down. The more secure option would be to drive the provided bolts and expansion anchors into a concrete pad underneath the box. Should you buy the Keter Package Delivery Box? I poured 100 pounds of sand under the Keter Package Deliver Box’s elevated floor to deter bold porch pirates from making off with it. Michael Brown/Foundry The Keter Package Delivery Box isn’t smart, so you’ll need to rely on other means to know when deliveries are made. Most shippers provide tracking numbers for orders these days, but you could also place a security camera—or a video doorbell—within range of the box for more timely electronic notifications (as well as delivery verification). And as I’ve already mentioned, this box’s simplicity should increase compliance from all but the laziest couriers. It doesn’t require much, if any, extra effort to lift the lid and drop the package in compared to just tossing it on your porch. From a budget perspective, Keter’s box is much less expensive than competing—and more sophisticated—products from the likes of Loxx Boxx, BenchSentry, and Yale, although all three of those can accommodate larger packages (and Loxx Boxx and Yale offer accessories to keep food deliveries cool). When all is said and done, the Loxx Boxx’s sophistication and strength keeps it my personal favorite delivery box. But if it’s out of your budget or you think your couriers will resist using it, Keter’s product is an excellent second-best. Read...