Buying or renting — that’s not just the big question when it comes to housing. With software, too, customers often have to decide whether they want to own or rent a program, i.e. take out a subscription. Both models have advantages and disadvantages that are worth knowing. Some manufacturers no longer give you a choice. They only offer their products on a subscription basis or at least make the purchase versions as unattractive as possible for customers. This is because a software subscription not only brings them higher profits compared to the sale of software, but also better customer loyalty. Reasons for the development of software subscriptions The prerequisite for the sale of software as a subscription download was the development of faster internet connections and the availability of cloud services. This gave manufacturers the opportunity to significantly reduce their distribution costs. When a program is sold as a download, the manufacturer no longer has to produce DVDs, design a box, or provide a paper manual. With a single copy on a server, he can at least theoretically supply millions of customers. What’s more, direct distribution via download bypasses retailers, some of whom charge hefty fees for shelf space in addition to the commission on sales. Companies quickly realized that the possibility of downloading software also paved the way for software subscriptions. They brought them advantages on the revenue side, as they ensured regular and reasonably predictable incoming payments. In addition, the subscriptions now also provided manufacturers with the names and addresses of their customers, who had previously remained largely anonymous. This paved the way for targeted campaigns to promote other in-house products. Buy Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021 at a favorable price: Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The benefits of software subscriptions for customers Manufacturers have introduced software subscriptions primarily because they can save costs in this way. However, subscriptions also have some positive aspects for customers. For example, many software packages install an automatically launched agent that checks the manufacturer’s servers regularly, sometimes even daily, to see if there is a new version or a patch. These are often security updates that can be distributed quickly in this way. Or they fix minor and major bugs and add new functions. Above all, it is important that you as the user of the software do not have to take action yourself. Instead, you simply agree to the download and installation of the update when you receive a corresponding notification. The costs are also an argument in favor of a subscription for many users. Large software packages often cost several hundred dollars, which is a big investment for many users. With a subscription instead, you usually only pay a double-digit or slightly higher amount per year. This is often easier to finance for small companies and private users. What’s more, the minimum subscription period for larger software packages is usually one year, and you must cancel the subscription one month before it expires. Tools and smaller programs can often also be purchased on a monthly basis. In both cases, a subscription that can be cancelled quickly is usually cheaper than buying the software. This allows you to reduce the costs for time-limited projects, for example. For project work, it is also advantageous that the budget can be better planned due to the constant costs of a subscription. Subscription costs are also easier for companies to manage for tax purposes than the high one-off costs of purchasing software. Finally, subscription versions are often characterized by the fact that they include extended functionality. For example, the classic purchase version of Microsoft Office Home and Student does not include Copilot. With programs from other manufacturers, the cloud storage in the purchased version is severely limited or missing altogether. And finally: Unlike in the past, there are hardly any favorable update versions for purchased full versions. With every new version that comes onto the market, you have to pay the full price again. The disadvantages of software subscriptions The disadvantages of software subscriptions can be summarized under two headings: Cost and dependence on the manufacturer. If you add up the subscription fees over several years and compare them with the purchase price for a single license, it often turns out that a purchase is cheaper than a subscription after just two to three years — see the box “Calculation example with Microsoft Office.” Incidentally, offers make little difference to the cost calculation. There are offers for both the purchase versions and the subscription versions. One thing to bear in mind, however, is that the subscription price is often advertised as reduced for the first year, but the recommended retail price is then due upon automatic renewal. This is often the case with antivirus programs, for example, which have only been available as a subscription for decades. With a subscription, you become dependent on both the software and the manufacturer. If the program uses a proprietary file format, for example, you will no longer be able to access the data once the subscription expires. Exporting to other formats is also often blocked. In addition, with a subscription model you have to accept all updates and new versions, even if you feel that the user interface has deteriorated or required functions are suddenly no longer available. In short: With a classic purchase version, you have a permanent license to use the software. A subscription, on the other hand, makes you dependent on the provider. Comment: ‘Pros and cons of software subscriptions’ It’s clear that software subscriptions primarily benefit the manufacturers. In this way, they reduce their distribution costs and benefit from regular and calculable cash flows. And last but not least, they learn the names and addresses of their customers and can use this data for advertising purposes. However, customers do not go away empty handed with this sales model. They receive new functions as soon as they are available and no longer have to check the manufacturer’s website every month for fresh updates and bug fixes. I am also prepared to pay money for this increased convenience and security. And as far as anonymity when buying software is concerned, this has always been limited. In many cases, manufacturer support was tied to registration, where you had to provide your personal details. In the past, I had to pay dearly for the full version of software and then pay for the next update every one or two years. I prefer a subscription model. In my opinion, the alternative to software subscriptions today is no longer the purchased versions, but programs from the freeware and open source scene. Which applications are still available as purchased versions In addition to Microsoft Office, the Corel Draw Graphics Suite must be mentioned in a list of purchased versions. The package currently costs $329, with an annual subscription costing $269. For hobby graphic designers, Corel offers the slightly limited version Corel Draw Standard for $299. It is only available as a purchase version. With Corel Draw Essentials, the company also has a package for greeting cards and simple social media work in its program. It consists of the slimmed-down versions Corel Draw Essentials and Corel Photo-Paint Essentials and has a retail price of $130. Corel offers its Graphics Suite both as a purchase and a subscription version. Those who only need the program for one or two years are better off with the subscription.Foundry The other important programs, of which there are still purchase versions, are also mainly from the graphics and video corner. Magix Video Deluxe costs around $30 as a new purchase, the annual subscription is around $36. Cyberlink Director Suite 365 for Windows costs $140, while Power Director 365 is available for $80 per year. Nero Video Studio is available as a purchase version for $50, but Nero does not offer a subscription. The video editor Video Deluxe from Magix costs around $30 a new purchase. The annual subscription is around $36. In any case, it is worth taking a look at the price comparison, where you can often find bargains.Foundry Adobe, probably the most important manufacturer of graphics, video, and DTP programs, completely removed the purchase versions from its program years ago. Since then, Photoshop, Indesign, and others have only been available from Adobe on a subscription basis. Only the slimmed-down Photoshop Elements is still sold with a three-year license. Affinity Photo is available as an almost fully fledged alternative to Photoshop at a price of around $85. For around 10 years now, Adobe has only been selling the popular graphics program Photoshop as a subscription, either as a stand-alone program or as part of the Graphics Suite, which is significantly more expensive.Foundry An ever-increasing number of office programs, tools, and even complex image, audio, and video editing programs are no longer offered as a purchase and/or subscription version, but are instead made available online for free download as freeware or open source. However, this often only applies to private use; for professional use, the software must be licensed and paid for. However, the office package Libre Office, the image editor Gimp, and the audio editor Audacity are free for every user, even if the software is used for business purposes. A slightly limited version of the professional video editor Davinci Resolve is available for free download. The office package Libre Office is sold with the Mozilla Public License 2.0. Among other things, this license states that the software may be used freely for both private and business purposes.Foundry Calculation example with Microsoft Office The Microsoft Office package is still available in a paid version. There is also a subscription version called Microsoft 365, which is clearly favored by the company’s marketing. This makes a direct comparison of the two versions all the more interesting. View Microsoft Office Home 2024 on Amazon View Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business on Amazon View Microsoft 365 Personal on Amazon The purchase version is called Microsoft Office Home 2024. It contains Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Onenote and includes 1TB of free online storage at OneDrive. The recommended retail price is $149. If you also want Outlook, you will need to purchase Office Home & Business 2024. This version is also suitable for professional use and costs $250. The subscription version Microsoft 365 Personal for one user used to cost $69. Microsoft has now increased the price to $99 per year. This version also includes Outlook and Copilot. From now on, you will pay a subscription fee of $198 over two years, whereas you only have to pay $149 for the license of the purchase version. However, it should be noted that the purchase versions do not receive any free feature updates. Instead, a new, revised version is released every two to three years, most recently in 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016. So if you always want to be up to date, just like with Microsoft 365, the calculation opposite is based on the sales and subscription prices in the individual years. We have used the recommended retail prices in the years of publication as a basis. YearMicrosoft Office Home 2024 (cumulative)Microsoft 365 Personal (cumulative)2016149 dollars (for Office 2016)69 dollars2017149 dollars138 dollars2018149 dollars207 dollars2019298 dollars (new version)276 dollars2020298 dollars345 dollars2021447 dollars (new version)414 dollars2022447 dollars483 dollars2023447 dollars552 dollars2024596 dollars (new version)621 dollars2025596 dollars720 dollars As you can see, the Microsoft Office subscription is significantly more expensive over the years than the purchased version. However, you have to bear in mind that the subscription version is continually being updated with new features, while the purchased Office only receives security updates. Microsoft provides these security updates until the end of the support period of the Office package. As a rule, this is five years from the year in which the software was sold. It should also be noted that many retailers offer Office packages at significantly lower prices. Related content Should you use free antivirus software? The pros and cons 8 big gotchas to watch out for in tech privacy policies A new PC doesn’t feel like home until I’ve installed this app Read...

TL;DR: Lifetime access to 1,000+ StackSkills courses is just $19.97 for a limited time, making it the perfect last-minute holiday gift—or a smart upgrade for your own 2026 goals. If you’ve got someone on your holiday list who loves learning—or someone who should love learning—this might be the easiest last-minute win of the season. EDU Unlimited by StackSkills is offering lifetime access to more than 1,000 courses for just $19.97 (MSRP $600), and honestly, that’s the kind of gift that looks thoughtful while costing less than a takeout lunch. StackSkills covers everything from IT and coding to design, finance, business strategy, productivity, and even the fun stuff like languages and instrument training. Plus, more courses are added each month. Think of it as the grown-up version of giving someone a box of possibilities—only this box actually leads to better jobs, new hobbies, and maybe even a side hustle they’ve been daydreaming about. The platform updates monthly, features instructors with real-world experience, and organizes learning paths that make it incredibly easy to go from “curious” to “actually doing the thing.” And yes, it’s also an excellent “gift to self” if you’re entering the new year with big career-energy. Pick up lifetime access to EDU Unlimited by StackSkills for just $19.97 (MSRP $600). EDU Unlimited by StackSkills: Lifetime AccessSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Matter certified Relatively clean room-facing design Quick onboarding and easy management with the Tapo app Very low-priced Cons Physical installation is a bit more onerous than other devices Requires a neutral wire Some slight hiccups during setup Our Verdict The Tapo S505D smart dimmer is Matter certified, which guarantees compatibility with every major smart home ecosystem, and it certainly won’t break the bank. On the other hand, it’s a very simple single-pole device that depends on the presence of a neutral wire in the box where it’s installed. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch Dimmer S505D Retailer Price $15.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices In-wall smart switches and dimmers are approaching commodity status. To make an impact on the market, the Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer (model S505D) delivers Matter certification, a very simple industrial design, and—above all—a dirt-cheap price tag. It’s a capable enough product, although it doesn’t really move the needle for the category. Buyers will also want to know that this is a single-pole device that depends on the presence of a neutral wire in the electrical box where it’s installed (not all dimmers require that). If you’re replacing a 3-way dimmer, you should consider the Tapo S515D Kit ($33 at Amazon), which includes a companion dimmer; otherwise, you’ll need to jump through some extra installation hoops that will remove the ability to control that light from a second location in your home. With a street price of less than $15, it’s hardly a big investment to give this dimmer a try. Tapo does offer a wireless, battery-powered companion dimmer—the Tapo S200D (around $20 at Amazon)—that you can mount anywhere and get 3-way functionality. But you would also need one of Tapo’s smart home hubs if you go that route. Specifications The Tapo S505D uses a combination of pigtail wires and screw terminals/clamps to connect to your home’s wiring. A neutral wire is required. Christopher Null/Foundry This single-pole smart dimmer supports a maximum load of 300 watts of incandescent bulbs or 150 watts of LEDs. Fluorescent bulbs are not supported. Once installed, it connects to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, eliminating the need for a smart home hub (5GHz networks are not supported). As I’ve already mentioned, it’s a Matter-certified device, which means it can be incorporated into Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings and many other smart home ecosystems. You can also use the dimmer with IFTTT. Its dependence on neutral wire might complicate your installation, since there might not be one in every box in your home, especially if it’s older construction. Installation and setup The Tapo S505D has a hybrid connector design, with pigtails for neutral and ground, while your home’s load and line wires connect via terminal clamps and screws. This design saves a little space inside the box, since you only need two wire nuts instead of four, as would be required for an all-pigtail design. The Tapo S505D isn’t a small device and we encountered some difficulty getting it and the wires stuffed back into the box.Christopher Null/Foundry On the other hand, this also makes for a somewhat more difficult physical installation because it can be a challenge to push the line and load wires coming out of the wall through the back of the dimmer, under the clamps on the terminals on its left-hand side and then tighten the screws to secure them. After carefully straightening the line and load wires, which had previously been twisted inside wire nuts, I was able to get everything connected in about 10 minutes. I’ve found competing products easier to install. The unit is not particularly small and jamming it back into the box took some effort. Once in place and with the included cover plate attached, however, the finished design is attractive and not overly busy. A series of LEDs indicates the level of brightness for the connected load.Christopher Null/Foundry Being a Matter device, you can onboard it either through the Tapo app or by scanning the Matter code (which is printed on the switch hardware without a QR code and provided as a sticker with one). Setting up with the Tapo app is the recommended course of action, in part because the unit will likely need a firmware update after installation (as mine did). I didn’t encounter any issues with onboarding, although the Tapo app cannot automatically identify which product you are setting up. You must select the specific and easy-to-forget model number from a lengthy list, which is an unnecessary nuisance. The only other issue I had during setup involved the dimming calibration, which failed. Fortunately, it worked fine after I had completed the rest of the setup and visited the app’s settings menu. Using the Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch Dimmer S505D The Tapo S505D hardware is simple and intuitive. The large rocker-style switch is a simple on/off toggle: One press turns either turns the light on or off, depending on the state it’s in when you push it. Two smaller buttons above the toggle let you step through a series of brightness settings, one click at a time. Alternately you can hold down the dimmer buttons for a somewhat smooth, dynamic dimming/brightening operation, but I found it a lot quicker to just tap either button a few times to reach my desired brightness level. An LED embedded in the switch can be set to glow as a locator when the switch is in the off position, or you can program it to glow only at night. You can also turn this LED off altogether if you consider it light pollution. The Tapo app has all the basic features you’d expect to find for a smart dimmer.Christopher Null/Foundry The Tapo app is straightforward and unsurprising, with a main screen that contains all your Tapo devices and allows you to control power on or off. Drill down into the detail screen and you can control brightness either with a 0-to-100 percent slider or through five brightness presets that you configure. Both a countdown timer and a simple scheduling system are included, as is an away mode taht which randomly turns the light on and off during a time you specify to emulate the presence of people. The app also reports operating time for the current day, the last week, and the last 30 days. I had no trouble with any of the app’s features, and I found the switch fully responsive to commands. Should you buy the Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch Dimmer S505D? With a street price of less than $15, it’s hardly a big investment to give this dimmer a try if you’re looking for a simple single-pole dimmer and there’s a neutral wire in the location you want to install it. Users with more ambitious smart home designs, however, will likely find it to be too basic. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart lighting controls. Read...

Microsoft Word can save your documents online to OneDrive, which can be great for data redundancy and remote access. But it’s just as important to save your files locally when you can, and it’s possible to locally save your documents by default in Word. Why would you want to do that? For starters, Microsoft’s cloud storage platform offers no guarantee of data privacy with respect to, say, the US government. Another reason is that you may not be able to access your files without internet, such as when you’re traveling or when your home network experiences an outage. Also, it can cause versioning conflicts when documents fall out of sync for whatever reason. Fortunately, you can set Word to save files locally by default: Joel Lee / Foundry Normally, when you select File > Save in Microsoft Word, it will offer to save the document to OneDrive by default. To change this so that it always starts in a local folder instead, click on File > Options, navigate to the Save tab in the left panel, check the “Save to Computer by default” box, and then click “OK” to apply the setting. Now, whenever you go to save a new document, Microsoft Word will automatically offer “This PC” as the storage location. Further reading: 12 essential Microsoft Word features to know Read...

Scrolling through Instagram while watching TV? Now, you can veg out on Instagram reels on your TV, provided you’re an Amazon Fire TV user.  Available now on select Fire TV players and TV sets, Instagram for TV marks the arrival of a native Instagram app on the big screen, just a few months after the ubiquitous social app finally made the leap to iPad.  Instagram for TV is focused on Instagram reels, with the app organizing reels into personalized channels “based on your interests,” including music, sports, travel, trending, and more.  Click on a channel, and the reels with start playing with full sound, allowing you to “lean back and watch without having to scroll for what’s next,” Meta said in a press release.  The new Instagram for TV app supports up to five accounts, and you’ll also have the option of creating a separate Instagram account just for TV viewing.  Aside from searching for Instagram creators, the app (which is still in an “early” testing phase) will let you like specific reels as well as browse for comments and reactions. Other features being considered include using your phone as a remote, shared feeds with friends, and more “intuitive” ways to “channel surf,” according to Meta.  Since Instagram for TV is designed to be viewed on a big screen in a shared environment, the reels played on the app will “generally follow the PG-13 rating system,” while teen accounts will get additional safeguards.  For now, the Instagram for TV app will work only in the U.S. and only on “select” Fire TV devices, including the Fire TV Stick HD, Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (1st and 2nd generations), Fire TV 2-Series, Fire TV 4-Series, and Fire TV Omni QLED Series.  The app should land on other devices and in other countries “as we learn from this test,” Meta said.  Instagram isn’t the first social app to make the jump to big screens. Tik Tok already has an app for Android TV, Samsung, and LG TVs.  It’s also possible to mirror Tik Tok—and Instagram, for that matter—on your TV from your Android or iPhone, via either Chromecast or Apple’s AirPlay casting protocol. Read...

I don’t know about you, but I love the holidays. The decorations, the hot cocoa, the snuggling under a fuzzy blanket with my Kindle. Yes, the holidays are great—save for the absolute madness of shopping malls. So, what do I do? I go shopping online. (Surprise!) And this year, I’m adding my own nerdy self to the holiday shopping list. I love all sorts of gadgets and gaming, and my friends and family do too. So, I went digging online for the perfect nerdy presents. Bottom line: I’d buy all these for myself in a blink. I’m PCWorld’s daily deals writer, so I did my best to focus on value, and zeroed in on top-rated products before sharing them with you. Play cards with the Lich King – Bicycle World of Warcraft playing cards Bicycle These are absolutely drop… dead… gorgeous! I’m annoyed I didn’t find this 3-deck collection of WoW playing cards a couple of weeks ago when I bought the Burning Crusade deck, because I bet the others are just as gorgeous. The cards are beautifully drawn, well made, and you’ll just love how all the characters are made. The set includes three decks for Warcraft Classic, Burning Crusade, and Lich King, as well as an acrylic display case if you want to keep them together. View at Amazon Press play — SK2 Magnetic Levitation Bluetooth Speaker YFLSTR They don’t specifically say what inspired the design of this super cool levitating Bluetooth speaker, but we can all see it, right? It’s like you can already hear the Imperial March blasting through, right? Anyway, this is a levitating speaker and if that’s all I said about this product, it should be enough, because how cool is that? The speaker features a battery that’s good for more than 10 hours or music playback. When that runs out, you just take it down and use the Type-C port to recharge it. Magic! View at Amazon Coolest charger ever – GravaStar 65W GravaStar I’m sorry, I recommend Anker and Baseus and Ugreen aaaaal day long — and they’re absolutely awesome and powerful and well made. But none look as cool as this GravaStar Alpha65 model. This is simply simply something else. Featuring two USB-C ports and one USB-A, you can recharge all your gear, from smartphones to tablets to laptops. Under the hood, this particular model uses GaN technology, which means it’s more energy efficient and doesn’t heat up as much. Oh, and the prongs fold! View at Amazon Gather ’round and strategize — Asmodee Sid Meier’s Civilization: A New Dawn board game Asmodee Civilization has to be one of the most iconic games ever and has been around for more than three decades. There are multiple games in the series, so it’s no surprise that a board game also joined the line. The game is recommended for ages 14 and above and you need between 2 and 4 players to get a round in. You’ll spend a couple of hours having fun directing the course of your very own civilization, deciding how much they develop scientifically and culturally, and just how far you’ll take military production. View at Amazon Bring the tavern at home — The Düngeonmeister Cookbook Jef Aldrich/Jon Taylor How many times have you read a book, played a game, or watched a movie and wished you could try some of that tavern food mentioned? Well, the Düngeonmeister Cookbook aims to help with that, delivering 75 recipes you can share with friends. This D&D cookbook will guide you through making Dwarven Battle Pasta, Icy Burst Bananas, or Spicy Devil’s cupcakes. Those Mimic Munchies look absolutely amazing and I’m pretty sure I’ll be making them soon. Just cross these off as you host LAN parties and DnD sessions; everyone will love them. View at Amazon Take Pac-Man everywhere — My Arcade Pac-Man Pocket Player Pro My Arcade How cool is it that you can take Pac-Man with you anywhere you go? This legendary video game has been around for decades, and it’s been a part of many of our lives since we were kids, running around eating all the dots while avoiding those annoying ghosts. This thing needs four AA batteries or can be powered via USB-C. And while I picked Pac-Man because it’s one of my personal favorites, the same shop also sells editions for Street Fighter, Space Invaders, Ms PacMan, MegaMan, and Galaga. There’s also an Atari version with 100 separate games. The best part is these handhelds are quite affordable, with the most expensive one going for $40 right now. If you want the Pac-Man version, however, it’ll cost you only $30. View at Amazon Be on time — Nixie Tube Clock ClockTeck Do I even have to explain why I’d buy this in a blink for myself my friends? Look at it! How cool does this thing look?! The retro-future-looking tubes can tell the time in regular monochrome, or you can go RGB and bring color to your life. There are so many modes to choose from, it’ll be hard to pick one. This LED clock is a replica of a Nixie vacuum tube clock, making it much more affordable than the $300 versions you need to order from Eastern Europe. It can be linked to your local Wi-Fi, so it will always tell the time perfectly. You can also set up alarms and switch between a 12 and 24-hour format. If you guys want to get me one… just saying. This model from ClocTeck is $70 at the time of writing with no active discounts. View at Amazon Add magic to your bookshelf — Criolpo book nook kit Criolpo If you’re a book dragon who can’t help but always add new books to the cart, then you’re going to absolutely love this Criolpo Book Nook. I’m going to have to be completely honest here and say that I’ve already fallen for the cuteness of the book nook trend and bought one. The kit is not yet complete, but I’m working on it. I cannot wait to have it on the shelf between two heavy books and to light it up. It’s basically a 3D wooden puzzle. You assemble it yourself (and that’s more than half the fun!) to bring a miniature world into your home. What’s not to love? This one in the image above is $34 at the time of writing, but it’s on sale. If you want a more cyberpunk model, you can certainly find one of those too. View at Amazon We have arcade games at home — Foosball table Best Choice Products Now, don’t tell my husband, but I actually got him a foosball table for Xmas. Shh! This thing looks great, and it will be so much fun to play over the holidays. It’s perfectly sized for gamers of all ages, and even features two cup holders for, ehm, beer hot chocolate? You can play this one 1v1 or 2v2, so you can have tons of fun with friends. It also comes in multiple colors, so you can pick whichever matches your furniture better. It’s only $120 to get right now since it’s 25% off. Now, I have to figure out how to ensure my husband doesn’t read this article… View at Amazon Dungeons and Dragons (and dice) Zhoorqi/Medikaison Can we even talk about nerdy gifts without listing a few cool dice sets? We really don’t think you can. There are so many options out there that we’re having a hard time picking. My kid really loved these LED light-up rechargeable dice (I mean, fair, they’re gorgeous), while I’d go for something more practical like the metal dice on the right, especially since you can actually roll the dice in the box. Whatever floats your boat! There’s an endless list of possibilities when it comes to DnD dice sets. View at Amazon May the Funko Pop be with you — Darth Vader Funko Pop Suggesting Funko Pop figures for a present seems like a “duh” situation, but here we are — how about a Funko Pop with Darth Vader? If they’re into Star Wars, this one’ll definitely be a hit. But then again, Funko Pop has about a gazillion models for just about any fandom, from Stranger Things to Wicked, from Scream to Pokemon, sports teams, anime, Disney, music artists, Marvel, Harry Potter, and soooo much more. They’re pretty affordable, too. This Darth Vader one is only $10 right now. View at Amazon Play with energy — National Geographic Circuit Maker Kit National Geographic So, is this Epic Circuits Science Kit theoretically meant for kids? Sure. Does that mean you can’t have fun with it as an adult? Absolutely not! National Geographic has some insanely fun STEM kits, including this one where you can set up over 120 projects, figuring out how circuits work and more. You can even create songs or make cool light shows, and that’s fantastic at any age. Embrace the kid inside and snag one of these Nat Geo kits for $44. View at Amazon LEGO! — Boost Creative Toolbox 17101 LEGO Who doesn’t want LEGO as a gift? I mean, I don’t know anyone who’d pout over receiving a set like this? Especially this set. I actually bought this a while back, and it’s absolutely amazing. Insanely fun to play with, since you can build one of five models and then hook it up to a tablet and have fun. You can get the little robot to move in certain patterns, and then rebuild it into Frankie the Cat, or into a funky guitar to play music. The LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox is definitely pricey, but it’s a set you can have fun with for years to come. You can even pretend you got it for your kids… as I did. View at Amazon Rest your wrist — Strebito mini electric screwdriver set Strebito If you’re always tinkering with computers and other tech at home (or you know someone who is), then getting one of these 70-in-1 electric screwdriver kits makes perfect sense. The electric mechanism is powerful and will handle all those pesky screws in a blink. There are 64 magnetic bits in the set, so you can be sure those tiny screws won’t get dropped in the void, forever lost somewhere in the computer case. There are three torque levels to choose from, but you can also use it in manual mode if need be. The best part is that you can charge it via the USB-C port. Oh, and it’s only $50. View at Amazon DIY a tiny computer — RasTech Raspberry Pi 5 RasTech There’s an endless list of things you can do with a Raspberry Pi. This RasTech kit is absolutely tiny and it can be such a cool DIY project. The kit features a Pi5 8GB board, a 65GB card, two card readers, a cooler, a case, a power supply, and several cables. There’s even a tiny screwdriver in the pack, but you can always just get the Strebito electric one we mentioned just now. So, whether you want to turn your dumb TV into a smart one or you want to make an old-school gaming emulator, this kit is fantastic. Check out more awesome Raspberry Pi projects you can have fun with. View at Amazon Old school gaming, tiny mode — Retro mini Arcade Game Arcade Classics Hey, remember those big arcade games we used to play? Well, you have adult-money now, so you can get one. Joking. I mean, you can, but this $20 Retro Mini Arcade is probably the type of thing you could purchase without too much drama, right? This tiny handheld game console lets you use joysticks to play Pac-Man, Tetris, WWE, or Ms. Pac-Man. I mean, you could say they’re for kids, but we know who’s really going to play with them. View at Amazon Neat, organized, and pixelated — Numskull Minecraft gaming accessory locker & storage stand Numskull Listen, whatever your age, this Numskull Gaming Accessory Locker is absolutely cool. It’s shaped as a Creeper, and it’s (of course) Minecraft-green. There are four controller holders on the sides, and a “head” holder for headphones. There’s room for up to ten DVDs inside the locker, and the little drawer on the bottom can hold cables, remotes, and other accessories. You can set this thing up next to your console or on your desk and have everything within reach. There are other theme variations available too, like Harry Potter, Fortnite, or Sonic, to name a few. They’re all about $30. View at Amazon Bring your projects to life — Bambu Lab A1 mini 3D printer Bambu Lab Man, I have soooo many projects I could get done with a 3D printer. It’s something I’ve been waiting to get for a while, holding off mostly due to lack of space. But if I were to get one right now, it’s this one: the Bambu Lab A1. I have a friend who reviewed a ton of printers and he’s talked about this one several times. It’s not too big, it’s well-priced, and it’s also fairly quiet, AND it can print in color! View Deal Make it fly — DJI mini 4K drone DJI Haven’t you always wanted a drone to fly across an awesome landscape to record gorgeous video? Can’t just be me! This DJI Mini Drone captures 4K video, which is absolutely amazing considering just how your vids will turn out. Not only will the videos look gorgeous, but they’ll also be steady, given the 3-axis gimbal stabilization. The coolest part is that this drone is absolutely tiny. How tiny? Well, it weighs under 249 grams, and it fits in the palm of your hand. Just imagine what cool vacation vids you’ll capture. View at Amazon Germs be gone — PhoneSoap 3 phone sanitizer PhoneSoap Did you know how disgusting your phone is? You touch that thing all the time, you place it everywhere without worry, you take it with you anywhere you go — it’s so full of germs it might as well be a petri dish. Well, this portable phone sanitizer offers complete disinfection with the help of UV-C lights in just 10 minutes. You can take this with you anywhere you go since it features a battery, and you can recharge it with a USB-A or USB-C cable. Easy peasy! One of these is only $68 right now. Just think how useful it’s going to be to you, your family, and all your friends. Perfect stocking stuffer if you ask us! View at Amazon Read...

Yesterday, Zoom launched its AI Companion 3.0 initiative (reports TechCrunch), which now makes the company’s AI assistant available via the web and to free users. Users with a Zoom Basic account can use the AI companion for up to 3 meetings per month. The AI companion grants access to features like automatic meeting summaries, AI-generated notes, and the ability to ask questions directly during meetings. AI Companion 3.0 can also retrieve and analyze information from third-party services like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. The AI assistant can also be used to create follow-up tasks, write email drafts, and generate daily reports that summarize the day’s meetings and tasks. In addition to these features, the new version can be used to create and edit documents based on meeting data and collaborate in Zoom Docs with exports to PDF, Microsoft Word, Markdown, and more. Read...

If you’re still using an old USB charger, it’s probably large, bulky, heavy, slow, and a big heat producer. In short, not an efficient use of your electricity or time. That’s why I often recommend upgrading to something modern with GaN tech, like this extra-compact Anker Nano 3 USB-C wall plug that fits in your palm and only costs $12 on Amazon right now thanks to an awesome 25% discount. View this Amazon deal With a 30W output, this tiny USB-C charger will handle your smartphone just fine, as well as your earbuds, tablet, and anything else that charges via USB-C (or even USB-A if you have the right cable). Using GaN technology, Anker made this adapter more compact and more energy-efficient, and it has safety features like temperature monitoring that protects your connected devices against risks. This fast USB-C wall plug can get your smartphone from 0% to 50% in about 20 minutes, giving you the quick recharge you need before leaving home. It’s ultra-portable, too, at just 1.12 inches thick and weighing 0.1 pounds, plus it has foldable prongs so you can pack it away without worrying that it’ll get damaged or cause damage. It’s an excellent upgrade for anyone who’s still stuck using a crappy power adapter, and the value is unbeatable with this deal. Get it now for just $12! It’s so versatile that it even makes a great stocking stuffer or Secret Santa gift for the holiday season. Get the Anker Nano 3 for 25% off in time for the holidaysBuy now at Amazon Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Large keyboard with good key feel Wide range of physical connectivity Frequently sold at deep discount at retailers Cons 16-inch IPS-LCD display is sharp enough but lacks contrast Intel Core Ultra 7 255U has 12 cores, but only two are performance cores MSRP is way too high—be sure to buy it on sale! Our Verdict The HP Omnibook 5 16 is overpriced at MSRP but is often sold at a steep discount. Even so, it struggles to stand out due to the performance of Intel’s Core Ultra 7 255U, which isn’t as quick as the Core Ultra 7 branding might have you think it is. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: HP OmniBook 5 16 Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices The HP OmniBook 5 16 is an odd duck. It is listed on HP’s website at $1,199.99 and, at that price, doesn’t feel remotely competitive. However, this laptop is also available at far lower prices from major retailers and, when that’s taken into account, it feels like a decent buy. Even so, I can’t help but feel the Intel Core Ultra 7 255U—a chip with just two performance cores and without Intel Arc graphics—is holding this particular configuration back. HP OmniBook 5 16: Specs and features as-tested The HP OmniBook 5 16’s basic specifications are rather typical for a mid-range Windows laptop. It includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 255U processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB solid state drive. One important thing to note, though, is that the Core Ultra 7 255U serves up entry-level “Intel Graphics” rather than Intel’s Arc graphics, so unimpressive graphics performance can be expected. Model number: af1037nr CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 255U Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x-7467 Graphics/GPU: Intel Graphics NPU: Intel AI Boost (12 TOPS) Display: 16-inch 1920×1200 Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 solid state drive Webcam and microphone: 1080p FHD IR camera Connectivity: 1x USB-A 3 (10Gbps), 1x USB-A 3 (5Gbps), 2x USB-C 3 (10Gbps) with DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x HDMI 2.1 Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 Biometrics: Windows Hello facial recognition Battery capacity: 59 watt-hours Dimensions: 14.08 x 10.03 x 0.73 inches Weight: 3.92 pounds Operating System: Windows 11 Home Price: $1,199.99 MSRP, $500 to $800 typical retail HP’s website lists this model at an MSRP of $1,199.99, which is very high for the laptop’s specifications. However, most retailers are selling the OmniBook 5 16 for around $500 to $800; the lowest price I could find was $479 from Walmart over the Black Friday weekend, which has since risen to $599 (and that variant had an upgrade to a 1TB solid state drive). This particular review covers the HP OmniBook 5 16 with Intel hardware. It’s important to note that HP sells many OmniBook 5 variants with AMD or Qualcomm inside. Some of these are significantly different: the Qualcomm-powered models, for example, have OLED displays. The HP OmniBook 5 16 doesn’t excel in any particular category, but doesn’t fall far behind the pack, either. HP OmniBook 5 16: Design and build quality Foundry / Matthew Smith The design of the HP OmniBook 5 16 is quite basic, as is typical for inexpensive Windows laptops. Most of the exterior seems to be constructed from plastic and a familiar light silver hue is the order of the day. Branding is minimal, too, with only a chrome HP logo on the lid and a tiny OmniBook 5 badge below the keyboard. What it lacks in flair, though, the OmniBook 5 16 makes up for with good fundamentals. The chassis materials feel good (for the price, at least) and there’s not much flex across the display lid or interior. I did notice that the overall feel is not as robust as the smaller HP OmniBook 5 14, which is very rigid. There’s a lot of competition in this price point, and the quality of alternatives varies significantly. Lenovo’s IdeaPad Slim 5i arguably looks more luxurious. On the other hand, I slightly prefer the OmniBook 5’s feel over the Asus VivoBook 16 Flip (and most VivoBook laptops). HP OmniBook 5 16: Keyboard, trackpad Foundry / Matthew Smith You’ll be pleased if you need to sit down and bang out a few thousand words on the HP OmniBook 5 16’s keyboard. It provides an extremely spacious layout. Most keys are large, with only the left-side Tab, Caps Lock, and Control keys feeling a bit small. A numpad is provided and the numpad keys are a little undersized, but not by much. Key feel is good with plenty of travel and a crisp bottoming action. I think it’s a good keyboard for any laptop, and particularly for a budget machine. The touchpad is less impressive. It measures about four and three-quarters of an inch wide and a tad over three inches deep, which is small for a 16-inch laptop. The touchpad is usable, to be sure, but the limited space can make multi-touch gestures feel cramped. HP OmniBook 5 16: Display, audio Foundry / Matthew Smith The HP OmniBook 5 16 that I reviewed had a 16-inch IPS-LCD display with a resolution of 1920×1200. This is a rather typical display for an inexpensive 16-inch laptop and, like most such displays, it’s fine. The image looks sharp enough and delivers acceptable color performance, but the contrast ratio is limited and darker scenes in movies and games can look washed out. Brightness is mediocre; it’s enough in many situations but a sunlit window can begin to overwhelm the display. Outdoor use is largely out of the question. While the display is fine for most use, it suffers from the fact that OLED displays are now common even among inexpensive laptops. And in fact some OmniBook 5 16 variants, such as those with Qualcomm Snapdragon X hardware, have an OLED display. Asus VivoBook and Acer Swift models also tend to provide OLED displays at pricing similar to the OmniBook 5 that I reviewed. The OmniBook 5 16 has user-facing speakers with reasonable volume and good clarity. That’s enough to make the speakers above-average for an inexpensive laptop. Still, you should keep your expectations in check, as the maximum volume is still modest. HP OmniBook 5 16: Webcam, microphone, biometrics A 1080p webcam is stuffed in the top bezel of the HP OmniBook 5 16. It provides a reasonably sharp, vibrant image. Though still obviously a webcam image due to its grainy look in low light and trouble adjusting exposure, the image quality is good enough. The same can be said for the dual-array microphone, which captures clean, loud audio. There’s also an IR camera that is used to support Windows Hello facial recognition. Though increasingly common, it’s still not standard for budget machines. It provides a quick, easy way to log in the instant you open the laptop’s lid. HP OmniBook 5 16: Connectivity Foundry / Matthew Smith The HP OmniBook 5 16 has a fair selection of physical connectivity. It includes two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. The USB-C ports offer data rates up to 10Gbps, DisplayPort, and Power Delivery (to charge the laptop). This is a typical range of connectivity for an affordable laptop. Some laptops in a similar price range, such as the Acer Aspire 16 AI, will offer USB-C 4 ports with higher data rates. But others, like the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i, have less capable connectivity. Wireless connectivity is similarly mediocre, as HP sticks to the older Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 standards. This isn’t a major issue as the performance from each is more than adequate. Still, some competitors offer Wi-Fi 7, which will be more future-proof. HP OmniBook 5 16: Performance The HP OmniBook 5 16 has the Intel Core Ultra 7 255U. That name might lead you to think it’s a rather capable chip, but it’s not what it seems. The Core Ultra 7 255U has 12 CPU cores, but only two of those are performance cores. It also lacks Intel Arc branded graphics and instead provides only the more generic Intel Graphics. 16GB of memory and 512GB solid state storage round out the specifications on the model I tested, though the Intel model of the HP OmniBook 5 16 available at retailers can be purchased with a 1TB solid state drive. Foundry / Matthew Smith We start off with PCMark 10, a holistic system benchmark which reports a moderate score of 6,214 on the HP OmniBook 5 16. This defeats the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i and comes close to the Acer Swift 16 AI. However, the Core Ultra 7 255U struggles to keep up with chips in a higher performance and price tier such as the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V and AMD Ryzen AI 7 350. Foundry / Matthew Smith The Cinebench 2024 multi-threaded test reports a rather tepid result for the HP OmniBook 5 16, which seems to have trouble sustaining a high level of performance over time. In this benchmark the Core Ultra 7 255U simply can’t deliver. Perhaps that is not so surprising. Even the Intel Core 5 210H has more performance cores (four vs. the Core Ultra 7 255U’s two). Foundry / Matthew Smith Handbrake flips the results, as here the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i with Core 5 210H falls behind the pack. However, the Core Ultra 7 255U in the HP OmniBook 5 16 still delivers entry-level performance that doesn’t compete outside the budget category. Foundry / Matthew Smith As mentioned earlier, the HP OmniBook 5 16 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255U lacks Intel Arc branded graphics and instead has less capable Intel Graphics. That translates to four Xe cores, which is half the number of Xe cores delivered by Intel Arc 140V in the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V. That has consequences for performance, as the HP OmniBook 5 16 is clearly far less capable than the Asus VivoBook 16 Flip. It also falls behind the Asus ExpertBook P3, which has AMD hardware including Radeon 860M integrated graphics. It’s not all bad news, though. The HP OmniBook 5 16 manages to beat both the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i with Intel Graphics and the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 with Qualcomm Adreno X1-45 graphics. While definitely not a graphics powerhouse, the OmniBook 5 16’s performance is slightly above average for the price. Speaking of price, that’s something shoppers need to keep in mind. The HP OmniBook 5 16 I tested has a listed MSRP of $1,199.99 and actually sells at that price on HP.com, and the laptop’s performance is woefully inadequate if that’s the price paid. However, it’s often sold for half as much at online retailers, in which case the OmniBook 5 16’s performance is competitive, even good.  Remember, too, that AMD and Qualcomm models exist, and that their performance could differ dramatically from the Intel model tested for this review. HP OmniBook 5 16: Battery life and portability A small 59 watt-hour battery is crammed in the HP OmniBook 5 16. By comparison, the Asus VivoBook 16 Flip has a 75 watt-hour battery and the Acer Swift 16 AI has a 70 watt-hour battery. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i, though, is similar with a 60 watt-hour battery. So, what does this mean for battery life? Foundry / Matthew Smith I saw roughly 12 hours and 30 minutes of battery life in the standard PC World battery test, which loops a 4K clip of the short film Tears of Steel at a display brightness of approximately 200 nits. As the graph shows, that’s a below-average result. Some 16-inch laptops can deliver 15 hours of battery life or more. With that said, the particulars of price matter. Laptops like the Acer Swift 16 AI and Asus VivoBook 16 Flip carry an MSRP similar to the OmniBook 5 16, but are often more expensive at retail. Battery life aside, the OmniBook 5 16’s portability is fine for a 16-inch machine. It weighs slightly less than four pounds, measures up to 0.73 inches thick, and ships with a mid-sized USB-C power brick that delivers up to 65 watts. The OmniBook 5 16 is portable enough if you have a backpack with a laptop compartment but, like most 16-inch machines, it doesn’t fit comfortably in an average tote or messenger bag. HP OmniBook 5 16: Conclusion The HP OmniBook 5 16 with Intel Core Ultra 7 255U is a reasonable choice if you want a well-rounded 16-inch laptop at a low price. Though it has an MSRP well over $1,000, it tends to retail around $600, which is quite affordable for a laptop of this size. The OmniBook 5 16 doesn’t excel in any particular category, but doesn’t fall far behind the pack, either. However, shoppers should take care to note the specific OmniBook 5 16 model they’re considering when they make a purchase. HP sells models with AMD or Qualcomm inside, and their specifications can vary a fair bit. The Qualcomm models, for example, have a superior OLED display. Read...

While cloud-based AI solutions are all the rage, local AI tools are more powerful than ever. Your gaming PC can do a lot more with AI than just run large language models in LM Studio and generate images with Stable Diffusion… and unlike with cloud-based AI tools, you maintain full control over your data and have complete privacy. Here’s a taste of the cool AI stuff you can do on a desktop PC right now. Most of these are community-created hobbyist projects, by the way, so be sure to go in with the right expectations. Note: Many local AI tools are open-source software, so you can download them for free and work pretty well, but they won’t have the same level of polish or user-friendliness of proprietary software. Voice-to-text transcription Whisper Desktop OpenAI’s Whisper voice-to-text model is open source and you can run it on your own PC with tools like Whisper Desktop. Whisper Desktop will run the Whisper model on your PC’s GPU for fast transcription. It’s a capable solution for converting audio to text. You can speak directly into your microphone or provide an audio file. While Whisper isn’t perfect—no AI tool is—it does outmatch the professional transcription software you would’ve had to pay for just a few years ago. Image upscaling Upscayl These days, so many companies have caught up on offering cloud-based image editing and upscaling tools. Adobe Photoshop even has this feature, but Photoshop does it on Adobe’s cloud servers. If you want to increase the resolution of images using your own PC, Upscayl is a user-friendly tool for upscaling images from lower resolutions to higher ones via local AI. Cloud-based AI image editing tools are convenient, but if you have a powerful enough rig, this is the type of thing you can do right on your PC without uploading your images to a cloud server. Real-time webcam and microphone effects Nvidia Broadcast Microsoft is really pushing Windows Studio Effects as part of its Copilot+ PC suite of AI features, and many of the latest laptops I’m reviewing have “AI webcam effects” packages preinstalled. If you have a Copilot+ PC laptop, try using Windows Studio Effects. If you have a recent laptop in general, dig in the Start menu for webcam filter tools. But if you have a powerful gaming PC (whether a desktop or laptop) with an Nvidia RTX GPU, you can use the free Nvidia Broadcast app to unlock AI webcam and microphone effects like background removal, fake eye contact, and even high-end features like “studio-quality lighting” on top-end GPUs. It all happens in real time, so you can use it while live-streaming a game or in a video meeting. Video upscaling and editing Topaz Labs You can AI upscale and edit videos using your PC’s own hardware, too. Topaz Labs offers popular paid professional apps for AI video and image editing work, with all the processing happening on your PC’s local hardware. It’s a pricey solution designed for professional workflows, but it shows what’s possible with local AI. For a free and open-source option, take a look at Video2X. That one’s a surprisingly user-friendly tool for AI-upscaling video files. These tools are good examples of the “last mile” challenge. While there are lots of powerful local AI models out there, the most polished user interfaces that are easy to work with tend to be paid tools. Hobbyists and researchers can make powerful software, but they often don’t spend much time on polishing it into a shiny end-user product. Voice cloning GPT-SoVITS Did you know you can clone your voice using your PC’s hardware? Tools for this aren’t particularly polished yet—like lots of the local AI landscape—and you’ll often get a web UI and have to download some large files. You can do this with GPT-SoVITS or RVC, but expect some jankiness. However, it’s a great example of what’s possible: you can already clone a voice using consumer hardware and some open-source software. The only missing piece of the puzzle is an easy user interface. Music generation YuE If you’ve seen AI-generated songs on social media, they were probably created using Suno, a cloud-based music generation tool. Local AI solutions for generating music exist, but most of them are early in development and still unpolished. YuE is an open-source tool that looks like it could one day compete with Suno. You can download YuE and run it on your own hardware, but you’ll probably want to stick with Suno until tools like YuE are more user-friendly. As is often the case with local AI solutions, YuE is making it easier to access the kinds of features that were only available via companies running on cloud servers in the past. According to YuE, generating 30 seconds of audio takes about 360 seconds (6 minutes) on a PC with an RTX 4090 GPU. That’s not bad! Give it a few more years and you might be able to generate full songs on your gaming PC. Remove vocals from music Ultimate Vocal Remover If you like to perform karaoke to backing tracks, or if you just prefer to listen to instrumental music, you may wish you had a tool that could remove the vocals from any song. People have been able to do that for a long time, but it’s been a painstaking process that takes a lot of time—until now, thanks to Ultimate Voice Remover. This free application is simple, user-friendly, and gets the job done in mere minutes rather than hours or even days. Just provide an MP3, FLAC, or WAV file and it’ll spit out a version with vocals stripped. Local AI is powerful but unpolished If you’ve been disappointed by the amount of AI hype over the past few years, I understand. Despite all the high-flying talk about local AI, Microsoft Windows and consumer software packages have done very little integration of useful AI tools. The most interesting things are happening in the open-source software community, where surprisingly powerful local AI models come with unsurprisingly janky and amateurish user interfaces. Fortunately, there’s a good chance more user-friendly solutions will pop up in the next few years that take better advantage of powerful PC hardware. For now, you can already do a lot with local AI if you’re willing to get your hands dirty, suffer through rough learning curves, and equip yourself with some relatively powerful hardware (e.g., RTX GPU). Unfortunately, NPUs won’t help you run local AI tools just yet. Want more PC goodness? Sign up for Chris’s newsletter, The Windows ReadMe. It’s always written by a human, even when it’s about AI. Read...