At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Attractive and functional design Google TV OS is great for streaming Includes a remote control Bright, sharp image Cons Mediocre color gamut and performance HDR is supported, but not good Ethernet port doesn’t extend connectivity to connected PC Our Verdict It’s not for everyone, but the MSI Modern MD272UPSW is a solid smart monitor powered by Google TV OS—and it’s less expensive than many alternatives. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: MSI Modern MD272UPSW Retailer Price MSI $349.99 View Deal $356.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Smart monitors are very much a thing in 2025. These monitors bundle a smart TV operating system (usually Google TV OS) to provide most of the benefits of a television in a computer monitor. This flexibility makes the Modern MD272UPSW appealing if you often find yourself using a monitor like a television, though the monitor’s image quality is just so-so. MSI’s aggressive price also improves the monitor’s appeal. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best monitors for comparison. Modern MD272UPSW specs and features The MSI Modern MD272UPSW’s basic specifications are typical for an inexpensive 4K monitor. It has a 27-inch 16:9 aspect ratio screen with, of course, 3840×2160 resolution. The refresh rate is just 60Hz and the panel uses IPS LCD technology without a fancy Mini-LED backlight. Display size: 27-inch 16:9 aspect ratio Native resolution: 3840×2160 Panel type: IPS LCD 8-bit + FRC Refresh rate: 60Hz Adaptive sync: Yes, Adaptive Sync HDR: HDR 10 Ports: 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C with 65 watts of Power Delivery, 2x USB-A 2.0, 1x Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm audio-out jack Additional features: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5, Remote control, Google TV OS Audio: 2x 3-watt speakers Warranty: 3-year warranty Price: $349.99 MSRP However, there’s something in the box that immediately sets the monitor apart: a TV-style remote control. This is used to control Google TV OS, which is pre-installed on the monitor. The remote can also adjust monitor features including the monitor’s profile preset and brightness. Also, because the monitor is meant to be used as an internet-connected smart TV, it includes both an Ethernet port and Wi-Fi 5. Matthew Smith / Foundry Modern MD272UPSW design The MSI Modern MD272UPSW makes a good first impression. It provides a sleek, crisp white colorway that will fit in with most living room and home office setups, and the plastics used across the rear of the panel, as well as the stand, feel sturdy. MSI ships the monitor with an ergonomic stand that adjusts for height, tilt, swivel, and pivots 90 degrees for use in portrait orientation. This is the typical range of adjustment for a modern monitor, but it’s also good to see. The stand is not large and has a flat base, which minimizes the space that it takes up on a desk. The Modern MD272UPSW also has a 75x75mm VESA mount for use with a third-party monitor stand or arm. Matthew Smith / Foundry Modern MD272UPSW connectivity Although inexpensive, the Modern MD272UPSW has a good range of connectivity, some of which is required to use the monitor’s smart TV features. The monitor’s video inputs include one HDMI 2.0 port, one DisplayPort 1.4, and one USB Type-C with DisplayPort alternate mode. The USB-C port also provides 65 watts of USB Power Delivery. A pair of USB-A ports offer additional USB connectivity, which can be accessed through the USB-C port. However, the USB-A ports are only rated at the USB 2.0 specifications, so they’ll prove rather slow for data transfers. A 3.5mm headphone-out jack is included, too. The monitor’s smart TV features require an internet connection, so it has an Ethernet port and Wi-Fi 5, plus Bluetooth. However, the Ethernet port doesn’t extend connectivity to a connected laptop. That’s a bummer. On a final but important note, shoppers should keep in mind that the MSI Modern MD272UPSW doesn’t have a TV tuner. That means it can’t accept a coaxial TV signal and won’t work with most cable set-top boxes, and certainly not with over-the-air TV signals. It’s all about TV delivered over the internet. Modern MD272UPSW menus and features Because the MSI Modern MD272UPSW has Google TV OS, setting it up is a bit different from a typical monitor. Turning it on will direct you to Google TV’s setup process. Users need to turn on and pair the remote and connect a Google account. If all goes well, this should take about 5 minutes; I ran into a few issues with proper detection of the monitor but, after a few tries, it eventually worked. Once set up, you’ll be greeted by a Google TV OS interface that looks much like any other display that uses the operating system. Google TV OS offers a clean, modern user interface with quick access to common streaming apps like Netflix and YouTube. Technically, this means you don’t need an input device at all. You can use the MSI Modern MD272UPSW as stand-alone smart TV. Matthew Smith / Foundry I expect most users will want to connect to a PC, however. Smart monitors can be finicky about detecting and switching to new devices, but this wasn’t a problem I had with the Modern MD272UPSW. My desktop and laptop were detected within seconds and the monitor switched to these new input sources without manual adjustment. In addition, the Modern MD272UPSW’s pricing gives it a strong competitive advantage against other smart monitors. As I’ll discuss in a moment, the monitor’s image quality is mediocre. But if Google TV OS is a key feature you want in a monitor, the Modern MD272UPSW is an affordable way to get it—and it works as well here as it does on more expensive alternatives, like the Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC. It’s not all sunshine and roses, however. While input devices worked well, navigating Google TV OS to change monitor settings can feel cumbersome. If you want to adjust brightness, for example, you’ll need to navigate through a couple of settings sub-menus to do so. Google TV OS can also feel slow when flipping through menu options. It’s a minor hesitation—just a fraction of a second in most cases—but noticeable.   What about audio? The Modern MD272UPSW includes built-in speakers with decent audio quality. They’re not that loud at maximum volume and have trouble with more demanding content, like music. However, they’re fine for YouTube and many streaming shows. Due to their moderate volume, the speakers are best suited to smaller rooms. The MSI Modern MD272UPSW doesn’t have a TV tuner….It’s all about TV delivered over the internet. Modern MD272UPSW image quality The MSI Modern MD272UPSW is a tried-and-true IPS LCD display with an edge-lit LED backlight. This type of panel technology remains the most common, and affordable, option for computer monitors, and no doubt contributes to the Modern MD272UPSW’s low price. However, it delivers so-so image quality. Matthew Smith / Foundry First up is brightness which, it turns out, is among the Modern MD272UPSW’s best traits. It reached a sustained SDR brightness of 440 nits, which is quite a lot for a computer monitor. It’s beaten only by the Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC. A brightness of 440 nits is, in truth, far more than required for typical use in a home office or PC den. However, a monitor like the MD272UPSW might be roped into use as a smart TV for a guest room, vacation home, or even a kitchen. The monitor’s brightness adds some flexibility in where the monitor is used. Matthew Smith / Foundry Next up is contrast, and here things get a bit dicey for the MSI Modern MD272UPSW. It achieved a contrast ratio of 1170:1 at 50 percent of maximum brightness. That’s not bad, but it’s a firmly mid-pack result for a monitor in this category. As common for IPS-LCD monitors, contrast is limited by the monitor’s inability to reach deep, convincing black levels in dark scenes. This can be a problem when the monitor is used to play games or watch TV, especially in a dark room. You may notice the dreaded “IPS glow,” which can cause darker scenes to look hazy and gray. Matthew Smith / Foundry The Modern MD272UPSW’s color gamut is also a bit limited. It can achieve up to 99 percent of sRGB, 75 percent of DCI-P3, and 76 percent of AdobeRGB. These results would’ve looked great a few years ago, but they’re mid-pack in 2025. Still, the MD272UPSW’s color gamut is okay for the price and feature set. Movies, games, and other content won’t look as vivid as on some similarly priced monitors, like the Gigabyte M27QA ICE. But it’s good enough to satisfy less critical viewers. If you want to handle content creation, I’d take a pass on the MD272UPSW. The monitor’s limited color gamut can become an obstacle when creating or editing digital images and video, as it can’t display as many colors as some competitive monitors. Matthew Smith / Foundry Next up is color accuracy, which turns out to be among the Modern MD272UPSW’s less impressive results. The monitor’s color error average was near 2.0, and some colors were well over that mark. Subjectively, the monitor’s image still looks realistic, but critical viewers may notice that greens and cyan seem a bit faded and push towards blue more than is ideal. While the monitor’s color accuracy wasn’t a strong point, the monitor did well in gamma and color temperature. It achieved a default gamma curve of 2.2, which is our target and means that content will generally look as bright as it should. Also, the monitor had a spot-on color temperature of 6500K at 50 percent of maximum brightness, which means the image doesn’t look too cool or too warm. Sharpness is a perk, of course. The monitor’s 3840×2160 resolution results in a pixel density of about 163 pixels per inch across the 27-inch panel. That’s an excellent pixel density for a monitor. Small fonts are relatively readable and 4K video looks crisp. The MSI Modern MD272UPSW’s SDR image quality won’t knock your socks off, but it covers the basics and looks good enough for watching a show on Netflix or YouTube. Shoppers who want better image quality on a budget could consider a monitor like the Gigabyte M27Q ICE. It’s not a smart monitor, however, so you’ll need to connect a media streaming device if you want access to streaming apps. Modern MD272UPSW HDR image quality HDR is available on the MSI Modern MD272UPSW, but it’s unremarkable. The monitor isn’t VESA DisplayHDR certified and is advertised as simply “HDR Ready.” That means it can accept an HDR signal but doesn’t make any specific claims about HDR performance. HDR content can be viewed, but it won’t look much better than SDR. While that’s disappointing, it’s also typical for a monitor in this price bracket. You’ll need at least $500 to snag a monitor with decent HDR performance. Right now, older OLED monitors sold at a discount are your best bet if you want good HDR on a budget—but none of them have smart TV connectivity. Modern MD272UPSW motion performance The MSI Modern MD272UPSW isn’t sold as a gaming monitor and doesn’t promise great motion performance. It has a 60Hz refresh rate and a minimum gray-to-gray pixel response time of four milliseconds, which is typical for a monitor in this category. Fast-moving objects will show noticeable blur and scrolling text can be hard to read. However, the monitor does at least support Adaptive Sync for smooth frame pacing in PC games. MSI doesn’t quote official AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync support, but my desktop PC (with an AMD Radeon 7800 XT) detected it as a FreeSync compatible monitor. Should you buy a Modern MD272UPSW? The MSI Modern MD272UPSW is a modest budget 4K monitor with one big advantage. It supports Google TV OS. While that won’t make it appealing to people who need a monitor for a home office or PC gaming den, the Modern MD272UPSW is less expensive than most 4K smart monitors. The lower price doesn’t lead to any major trade-offs, either. While the Modern MD272UPSW’s image quality is just so-so, it’s on par with the alternatives. If you just want a monitor, you’ll be better served by more traditional computer monitors like the Dell S2722QC or Gigabyte M27Q ICE. Ultimately, I think the Modern MD272UPSW is best understood as a 27-inch smart television disguised as a computer monitor. It’s a good choice if you want a smart TV for a studio apartment, guest room, kitchen, or any other situation where you might use a display as both a monitor and a television. Read...

TL;DR: Save 84% on this refurbished Lenovo Chromebook and get free shipping until we sell out. You don’t always need a powerhouse laptop. Sometimes, you just need something that gets the job done. That’s exactly what you get with this refurbished Lenovo 300e Chromebook, now just $75. Whether you’re looking for a lightweight device to toss in your carry-on or a durable option for your kid to use at home or school, this fits the bill without draining your wallet. It features an 11.6-inch touchscreen with an anti-glare finish, making it easy to use in bright environments like airplanes, hotel lobbies, or backseat road trip setups. Inside, it’s powered by an AMD processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage — enough to browse the web, stream videos, use Google Docs, or log into classroom portals. It’s also surprisingly rugged for the price. The Grade “B” refurbished rating means you might see some light scuffs or cosmetic wear, but nothing that affects internal performance. In fact, that lived-in look is perfect for a laptop you won’t stress over losing, scratching, or letting your kids handle without supervision. At just $75, this is the kind of laptop you can afford to forget in a hotel room — or let your kid cover in stickers without flinching. Don’t miss out on this refurbished Chromebook deal, because we could sell out fast (reg. $475.99). Lenovo 11.6? 2-in-1 Chromebook 300e 2nd Gen (2018) 4GB RAM 32GB SSD (Refurbished)See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

Lately, Sonos has been making headlines for what it’s not going to do. It’s not bringing back the old version of its once-beloved app, it’s (reportedly) not going to make a streaming video player, and now it’s not making any more speakers with Ikea.  Sonos has confirmed to The Verge that it’s winding down its partnership with Ikea, the iconic home furnishings brand that teamed up with the networked home audio manufacturer for some of our favorite wireless speakers.  Among them were the very first products developed by the duo, the Ikea Symfonisk lamp and bookshelf speakers, which landed in 2019. The speakers, which won our Editors’ Choice award, demonstrated how great-sounding home audio components could also look terrific in the living room while maintaining Ikea-friendly price tags.  Sonos says it will continue to support existing Symfonisk speakers while also confirming that no more new models will be coming. The speakers will remain on sale while supplies last.  “Over the past eight years, we’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Idea and are proud of what we’ve achieved,” a Sonos spokesperson told The Verge, adding that “our work together has largely wound down and we won’t be releasing new products as partners.”  Besides the original Symfonisk lamp and bookshelf speakers, the Sonos/Ikea partnership also yielded the Symfonisk floor lamp speaker (which came with a bamboo light shade—again, very Ikea), an updated Symfonisk Speaker Lamp 2, and a Symfonisk picture-frame speaker. (Tech Advisor, our sibling publication, was only so-so about the latter product, although it’s still a nifty idea.)  The breakup between Sonos and Ikea is disappointing for a couple of key reasons. For starters, the partnership inspired some of the most cleverly designed speakers we’ve ever tested—a floor lamp that’s also a speaker? Really? Yes, really.  Also, Ikea’s Symfonisk speakers were surprisingly affordable, with the original Symfonisk speaker retailing for a mere $99, compared to $199 for the cheapest (at the time) Sonos speaker.  Word that Sonos won’t make any more speakers with Ikea comes roughly two months after we learned that Sonos won’t be going into the streaming-video business—a wise move.  Meanwhile, Sonos continues to forge ahead with fixes for its much-maligned app. The company remains in a defensive crouch over the poorly received app revamp, which was slammed upon release last year for its spotty performance and array of dropped features.  Indeed, Sonos’s app update was such a disaster that then-CEO Patrick Spence, who once floated the idea of bringing back the old app before walking back his remarks, stepped down from his position in early 2025. Read...

TechHive Editors Choice At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Excellent 4K video quality, day and night Built-in solar panels keep cameras’ batteries charged 16GB of local storage expandable to 16TB Eufy HomeBase 3 supports up to 16 cameras Cons Opting for HomeKit integration limits video resolution to 1080p External solar panels must be purchased separately if needed Our Verdict The EufyCam S3 Pro 2-Cam Kit delivers sharp, reliable, and fully independent home security without locking you into ongoing fees. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: EufyCam S3 Pro 2-camera Kit Retailer Price $549.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Cloud subscriptions that lock your security camera footage behind a monthly fee are a frustrating reality for homeowners. The EufyCam S3 Pro 2-Cam Kit offers a way out. With 4K video resolution, smart AI detection, and solar panels integrated into the two cameras, it delivers top-shelf performance without roping you into a payment plan. Eufy does offer cloud storage as an option, but the cameras in this offering store their recordings locally on Eufy’s HomeBase 3 hub—a NAS box (network-attached storage), essentially—enhancing your privacy while saving you money on subscription fees. EufyCam S3 Pro cameras with a HomeBase 3 base station are a compelling video-based home-security package. Design and features The EufyCam S3 Pro cameras have a bullet-style body with a white finish and a black face. Each camera has a solar panel on top, neatly integrated into the design rather than bolted on as an afterthought. It’s a clean, functional look that fits whether you’re mounting them on brick, siding, wood, or stucco. The cameras are strongly protected from the elements, boasting a rating of IP67. Our IP code guide tells that means the cameras can not only withstand a blast from a pressure washer (from a reasonable distance), but they can even withstand being submersed in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes. The Eufy S3 Pro cameras have integrated solar panels that allow them to run all day and night with just an hour of direct sunlight.Michael Ansaldo/Foundry The S3 Pro system is packed with serious hardware. Each camera captures video in 4K Ultra HD resolution (that’s 3840 x 2160 pixels), delivering crisp detail that makes it easy to spot faces, license plates, and other important features. A 135-degree field of view provides wide coverage without the heavy barrel distortion you sometimes get from wide-angle lenses. At night, Eufy’s MaxColor Vision technology kicks in, delivering full-color night vision without needing bright, battery-draining spotlights. Instead, the cameras rely on a larger sensor and wider f/1.0 aperture to pull in enough light naturally. Powering the system is Eufy’s SolarPlus 2.0 technology. The cameras use a 13,000mAh battery that Eufy says will keep them running for up to a year on a single charge with just an hour of direct sunlight a day. To give homeowners even more flexibility when it comes to mounting the cameras, Eufy offers external solar panels for $29.99 each. You can add one and position it for the best sun exposure even if your ideal camera placement is in permanent shade. For motion detection, the S3 Pro pairs radar sensing with conventional passive infrared (PIR) to better separate real threats from moving branches or passing cars. AI-powered recognition also sorts motion events into categories—people, vehicles, pets, and faces—so you’re not constantly bombarded with unnecessary notifications. You can also create privacy zones to block out parts of the frame you don’t want recorded, which is handy if your cameras overlook a neighbor’s property. The Eufy Security app provides control over the camera and its live feed as well as the HomeBase 3 hub. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry The audio features are just as strong. Two-way audio lets you hear and speak through the cameras, with built-in AI noise reduction that helps voices come through clearly even from 20 to 25 feet away. If you need to scare someone off, each camera also comes equipped with a 100dB siren and customizable voice warnings. Footage is stored locally on the included Eufy HomeBase 3, which has 16GB of built-in storage. That’s not a lot, but it can be easily expanded up to 16TB by plugging in an internal 2.5-inch SATA hard drive or SSD. A single HomeBase 3 can host up to 16 Eufy cameras, including most Eufy video doorbells and floodlight cameras. And while Eufy doesn’t yet have a robust home security platform beyond its cameras, its NAS box can also monitor Eufy’s motion and door/window sensors. Local storage means no cloud fees, no mandatory subscriptions, and no dependence on third-party servers for your data. The HomeBase 3 has dual USB-A ports in back that you can use to charge the cameras and to back up its internal storage. If you want another layer of backup protection, you can sign up for an optional cloud backup service: Eufy’s cloud plans, which start at $0.99 for the first month and $3.99/month after that for a single device. A $13.99/month Plus Plan covers all devices and stores videos for 30 days. The S3 Pro works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, including HomeKit Secure Video. There is a small tradeoff to using HomeKit, however; video resolution gets capped at 1080p instead of 4K. It’s a limitation that won’t matter to everyone, but it’s worth knowing up front. Setup and performance Getting the EufyCam S3 Pro system up and running is about as easy as it gets. The cameras come with everything you need, including sturdy wall mounts and clear instructions that walk you through each step. Simply plug the HomeBase 3 into your router, scan a QR code on the bottom with the Eufy Security app, and follow the prompts to complete the connection. You then press the sync button on each camera to pair it to the HomeBase. Once paired, the HomeBase manages video storage, powers the AI features, and acts as the brains behind the whole setup. The Eufy HomeBase 3 network-attached storage device (shown here next to a Ring Alarm Pro with dual battery packs) comes with 16GB of storage for video recordings, but an internal SATA bay can host up to a 16TB hard drive or SSD.Michael Brown/Foundry In daylight, the S3 Pro’s video quality stands out. Footage is sharp and vibrant, with colors that look natural instead of overly boosted. Details like faces, clothing, and license plates stay clear even when you zoom in. Motion detection also works well right out of the box (although you can adjust sensitivity to tailor detection to your liking). The combination of radar and infrared sensing does a good job of catching real activity while ignoring typical false alarms like tree branches or passing shadows. Image quality holds up impressively after dark. Footage stays in color even when streetlights or porch lights are scarce, making it much easier to pick out details like clothing color, car models, or faces that would blur together in a standard black-and-white feed. You don’t need to squint at muddy images or guess what you’re seeing—what’s recorded at night looks almost as sharp and recognizable as daytime footage. Dual USB-A ports on the back of the Eufy HomeBase 3 can be used to make back-up copies of the video recordings stored on the device and to charge the batteries on the cameras if their solar panels don’t get enough sunlight to do the job.Michael Brown/Foundry Using the Eufy Security app is smooth and intuitive. Live feeds, recordings, and settings are easy to find, and you can jump between cameras quickly. Notifications arrive promptly and include short AI-powered summaries, so you can tell at a glance whether it’s a person at your door or just your neighbor’s cat wandering by. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best home security cameras. Battery life and solar charging are also strong points. Once installed, the cameras hold their charge steadily, with the built-in panels easily topping off the battery. Placement still matters—put the cameras where they’ll get good light exposure—but if you can’t, the external solar panel is worth considering. Should you buy the EufyCam S3 Pro 2-Cam Kit? At $549.99, the eufyCam S3 Pro 2-Cam Kit offers a compelling package for those seeking high-quality home security without recurring fees. If you’re looking for a reliable, high-quality home security solution that puts you in control of your data and costs, the EufyCam S3 Pro 2-Cam Kit is an easy recommendation. It’s one of the best options out there for buyers who want premium features without getting locked into monthly fees. Read...

In 2022-2023, AI-powered PCs made quite a splash with their automatic generation and built-in virtual assistants. Those features are cool, sure, but they’re a little gimmicky at first blush. That said, amid the hype, the real standout feature emerged: battery life. Thanks to smarter resource management and power-efficient chip architecture, AI PCs became long-lasting devices that didn’t need to be plugged in all the time. Let’s take flying cross-country with a traditional laptop, for instance. You’d probably be anxiously keeping an eye on your battery icon throughout the flight, but with an AI PC you wouldn’t have to think twice about it. The longest-lasting laptop we’ve tested, Lenovo’s ThinkPad T14s Gen 6, delivers nearly 24 hours on a single charge in our testing — and it’s no longer an outlier. Let’s dig into why. Further reading: The best laptops we’ve tested The heart of efficiency: A smarter, specialized chip The new Neural Processing Units (aka the NPU) inside of Copilot+ PCs is where some of the magic happens, as it’s more energy-efficient than a traditional processor with the x86 architecture. CPUs and GPUs can be a massive drain on a laptop’s battery, especially if both are active at the same time. They also aren’t optimized for AI tasks. The NPU is different from a traditional processor in that it’s a specialized hardware chip that runs AI workloads like image recognition and real-time language translation. Offloading these intensive jobs allows the CPU and GPU to idle more often, effectively cutting down on power consumption. The NPU also gets a nice boost from its architecture, which uses parallel processing and lower clock speeds. Parallel processing allows the NPU handle multiple tasks simultaneously instead of completing them one at a time. By breaking these tasks into smaller chunks and then executing them at the same time, the laptop can return to idle mode more quickly, thus conserving energy. As for the clock speed, a lower one consumes less power than a higher one. The less power the NPU uses, the longer the battery lasts. Snapdragon X and the rise of CPU efficiency Another game-changer is Arm-based Snapdragon processor, which uses a mix of specialized cores–this is what makes them so efficient and consume less power. In fact, they’re so efficient we’ve seen one AI PC last up to 24 hours on a single charge. That sort of longevity means that the laptop should last an entire work or school day, with extra juice to spare. this snapdragon laptop can last 24 hours Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 Read our review The key here is how the chip uses its “Performance” cores for demanding jobs (3D design or video rendering) and “Efficient” cores for lighter tasks (checking e-mail or playing music). The switching between these cores depends on the type of workload. This allows the system to deliver just the right amount of processing power when needed, so it shouldn’t waste power on simpler tasks, resulting in a smooth multitasking experience as well as improved energy conservation. These processors know how to handle idle time, too. So, when a laptop isn’t being used, the processor enters an ultra-low power mode, so it shouldn’t waste much, if any, energy. Intel’s rival “Lunar Lake” laptops, which arrived hot on the heels of Snapdragon X with its own NPU in tow, also deliver delightfully long battery life. Meanwhile, while AMD’s latest chips focus more on driving performance, Ryzen laptops have increased their endurance significantly over the last year. Sure, the parallel-processing NPU might pick up slack, but a large part of this exciting leap-forward in laptop battery life is being driven by improvements to overall CPU efficiency. AI-driven software optimization It’s not just the hardware that’s impressive–AI-driven software optimization plays a big part as well. At the crux, it intelligently manages how the system uses resources. For example, instead of constantly syncing files to the cloud like with OneDrive or Google Drive, an AI PC can reduce the syncing frequency when it’s on battery power or schedules it for moments when the laptop isn’t in use. The software also suppresses unnecessary notifications from social apps and shuts down background processes that haven’t been used in a while. It’s basically designed to adapt to your unique usage patterns and learning your daily habits. AI can even protect your battery’s health with something called “Intelligent Charging.” It does this by learning your routine; it’ll slow down charging overnight or stop the battery from charging at the 80-85 mark (if you keep your laptop plugged in overnight). The reason for this cap is because lithium-ion batteries degrade faster when they’re constantly charged to 100 percent. Plus, AI can even monitor the internal temperature of your machine, slowing down the charge if things get too hot. Heat can increase energy consumption and shorten a battery’s lifespan. Looking ahead: A more power-efficient future With NPUs, CPUs, and machine learning constantly evolving, we’re heading towards a future where bad battery life is a thing of the past. The combination of smarter hardware and software will only improve with time–I’m confident in this. If you’re tired of constantly monitoring your battery, it might be time to welcome this new wave of AI-powered PCs with open arms. Read...

Looking for new ways to turn free video streamers into paid ones, YouTube is kicking the tires on a subscription option that will ring a bell for Spotify users.  A trial for a two-person YouTube Premium tier is now underway in India, France, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and the option is striking similar to Spotify’s Duo tier, which allows for two members of the same household to share a single subscription, according to Money Control.  YouTube confirmed the pilot program to TechCrunch, with a spokesperson adding that the streamer is “experimenting with new ways to provide greater flexibility and value to our YouTube Premium subscribers, including offering a two-person Premium plan option in some countries.”  The new two-person YouTube Premium plan offers the same benefits as existing YouTube Premium tiers, including ad-free streaming, downloads for offline viewing, and the ability to stream videos in the background.  Like Spotify’s Duo tier, the two-person YouTube plan is especially enticing for couples and roommates, who can share a single subscription at a discount while still maintaining their own profiles.  Spotify Duo, for example, costs $16.99 a month for two people under the same roof, versus $11.99 a month for just a single user. That means a pair of roomies could pay roughly $8.50 each per month by going Dutch on a Duo subscription, a nice 29 percent savings compared to separate Individual plans.  It’s not clear what YouTube might charge for a two-person Premium plan in the U.S., but it’s reasonable to assume a similar discount would be on offer.  The two-person YouTube Premium trial comes roughly two months after the rollout of YouTube Premium Lite, a new YouTube tier that serves up a cheaper paid YouTube plan with some significant tradeoffs.  YouTube Premium Lite costs just $7.99 a month, significantly less than the standard $13.99/month Premium Individual plan. In exchange, you get an ad-free streaming experience for “most” (but not all) YouTube videos, but you also miss out on key Premium Individual features, including ad-free YouTube Music, video downloads, and background video playback. Read...

“Computer, do this.” It’s been one future that sci-fi has promised since Star Trek. Microsoft now says that that future is arriving, at least within a small corner of Windows 11. Microsoft is promising that you’ll be able to use natural language to change aspects of your Windows 11 Settings menu, and Windows will go out and make those changes for you using “agents,” or small bits of AI that will work on your behalf — at least if you own a Copilot+ PC with an AI-accelerating NPU onboard. Microsoft has begun to use its Surface devices as a showcase for its latest software, and the new 13-inch Surface Laptop and 12-inch Surface Pro are no exception. They’ll serve as launch vehicles for Windows Recall, semantic search, and Click-to-Do, but also brand new features like agentic AI and relighting features for Photos, object editing and sticker generation for Paint, and more. Agentic AI comes to Windows The unexpected addition to Microsoft’s AI stable is an AI “agent” that will manage individual settings within Windows, Microsoft said. This is something Microsoft originally promised Copilot would offer, but the technology never progressed past simple tasks like turning on dark mode. Microsoft then pulled the feature back, with the feature providing guides in how to do what you wanted, rather than actually performing the task for you. The agentic search capability feels more what people may have hoped for when they heard of the concept of AI within Windows. Now, you’ll be able to tell Windows 11’s Settings what to do with natural language, according to Microsoft, and Settings will either tell you what to do — or, with your permission — actually perform the action for you. In the examples Microsoft is showing, “fixing it” might require one or more actions. Notice how the term “Fix It” is being used here. Microsoft It won’t just be a few things, either. Microsoft is promising that you’ll be able to manage “thousands” of individual settings using this agentic AI. “Today marks the next chapter in our AI journey, unlocking even more experiences that take your productivity, creativity and connection to the next level,” said Navjot Virk, corporate vice president of Windows Experiences. “We believe that technology should work alongside you, enabling you to do more.” Microsoft is showing off an agent, where a user complains about a problem and the AI fixes it.Microsoft AI upgrades to Paint, Photos, and Snipping Tool The new Relight AI feature within Photos is a bit on the subtle side. If you’re an average photographer, you know that lighting can make or break a photo; a backlit shot, for example, may cast the subject into shadow. Now, Photos will allow you to create multiple AI-generated lighting sources, and place them in your photo, controlling their brightness and color. Don’t think of these as floating spheres of light. Instead, this feature will simulate what would happen if you used various types of actual lights, placing them around the room (and out of frame) to light your photo’s subject. I still don’t know why Microsoft continues to divide specific functions inside Paint and Photos into separate tools, but it is. In Paint, Microsoft is adding Object Select. This feels a bit more like the Magic Eraser object editing features that Google has added, or that you can specify within Photoshop. In any case, Object Select promises to allow you to add generative add, erase, and fill capabilities to a specific object, rather than part of the scene. It’s the difference between trying to manually “brush out” a tractor from a countryside scene, and allowing AI to identify and then remove the tractor in one fell swoop. An example of the new AI-powered lighting app within Photos.Microsoft It feels like that same technology is being adapted to the Windows Snipping Tool, too. Microsoft is saying that this updated Snipping Tool can “interpret the intent of what you’re trying to capture,” possibly minimizing the time it might take for you to grab the perfect snip. Microsoft is also adding a sticker generator to Paint, which feels a lot like the memoji found within iOS, but without the ability to animate. You’ll be able to cut and paste these new stickers into various chats and other apps, Microsoft promises. (That almost certainly implies that a dedicated sticker creator is coming to Teams, eventually.) The new sticker generator for Paint.Microsoft Microsoft also appears to be committing to the upgraded Start menu that includes the Phone Link sidebar. Microsoft first previewed this feature last June, but began showing it off in the context of both Android and iPhones this January. Essentially, this “sidebar” serves as a dashboard for the phone you have in your pocket: how many messages and unanswered calls you have waiting, and (in the case of Android) a quick shortcut to photos you may have snapped with your phone, too. Microsoft executives also alluded to new features which are coming, too, which will include updates to the Microsoft Store, “AI actions within File Explorer,” and Microsoft Edge Game Assist, which can serve as a help guide while you game. Microsoft’s updated Start menu for Windows 11 includes a small dashbar for your phone, too.Microsoft How real is all this? At this point it’s hard to say how near these features are to becoming reality. Microsoft tends to test new features slowly, and tends to roll them out first for Copilot+ PCs running on Qualcomm’s Arm processor. That’s a thin slice of the available PC market. Microsoft has steadily announced the progression of Recall, the improved search, and Click-to-Do, from their announcement a year ago to trials on Copilot+ PCs powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chip, to an expansion to Copilot+ PCs with AMD and Intel chips inside. Microsoft hasn’t said anything about how the additional, brand-new features will deploy, but they’ll probably be on a conservative timeline, too. It’s also worth noting that Microsoft announced another intriguing AI feature, Copilot Vision, about a month ago. I have yet to be able to make it work in a usable form. Any new AI features should probably move forward at a similarly slow pace. Smaller features, though, like Relight, tend to deploy more quickly. It’s important to note that Microsoft hasn’t announced any timelines for these features, but I’d expect Microsoft to deploy its smaller tweaks to Paint and Photos before the more significant updates to Settings debut. Read...

Smaller Surfaces have finally arrived. Microsoft is announcing smaller, less powerful revisions of the Microsoft Surface Pro tablet and Surface Laptop, all built around a more conservative version of Qualcomm’s battery-sipping Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chip. Smaller doesn’t necessarily mean cheaper, however. And while earlier reports said Microsoft would ship both devices with 12-inch screens, that’s not quite what we’re getting. The new $899 13-inch Surface Laptop is very similar to the existing 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 7, which actually ships for as low as $799.99 with a Snapdragon X Plus chip inside. Meanwhile, the smaller 12-inch Surface Pro will cost as little as $799.99, the same price Microsoft charges for its existing 13-inch Surface Pro 11 with a Snapdragon X Plus inside. As you’ll see below, you’re getting a lot less. What’s new? The smaller sizes, of course, plus new colorways like Ocean and Violet, and a special Slate color for the Surface Pro. The Pro features yet another redesigned keyboard, while the Laptop’s chief selling point is a 16-hour battery life (23 hours for video playback) that Microsoft says is its longest yet. Microsoft is also using these Copilot+ PCs and the X Plus chip’s 45 TOPS as showcases for AI technologies like Recall, Click to Do, and its improved semantic search capabilities, while promising even new AI-powered features for the future. Microsoft is also waving goodbye to the Surface Connect port, the iconic magnetic power connector that defined Surfaces for a decade. Now, Surface is using USB-C ports only for charging and expansion, though there’s an extra USB-A port on the Laptop for legacy connections. It’s hard to look at those prices and not think “tariffs,” though that’s not the word Microsoft executives are focusing upon. “We think that these new Surface Pro and Surface Laptops are for a set of customers for whom affordability is going to be important,” Pavan Davuluri, the corporate vice president for Windows and Devices, told reporters. “Tariffs are a moving target for us,” Davuluri said. “We don’t have good information yet to share about where we’re going to land” on the topic of tariffs, he added. Keep in mind, too, that these new devices straddle the commercial and consumer markets. Microsoft executives said that these devices will eventually be offered to businesses, but appear to be sold to just consumers for now. (Only Windows 10 Home is offered, and not Windows 10 Pro.) A Surface Laptop in Violet is probably more suited to a classroom rather than a boardroom, anyway. Surface Laptop 13-inch: cutting corners At 0.61 inches thick and 2.7 pounds, the 13-inch Surface Laptop is the thinnest and lightest Surface Laptop Microsoft has ever created, executives said, with the longest battery life. The existing 13.8-inch Surface Laptop, also with an Snapdragon X Plus chip inside it, weighs 2.96 pounds, while the 15-inch Surface Laptop weighs 3.67 pounds. But Microsoft cut some corners to achieve the low price and smaller display size. First, there’s the processor. Both X Plus chips are not the same: The existing 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 7 includes a 10-core X Plus chip; the new 13-inch Surface Laptop offers an 8-core X Plus chip instead. Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop (13-inch) in various color options: Platinum, Ocean, and Violet.Microsoft Microsoft appears to be offering a single processor option with 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, but the choice of either 256GB or 512GB of removeable storage. Only the 256GB SSD is removeable; the 512GB model uses what’s known as Universal Flash Storage, a lower-power option that in this case appears to be soldered on to the motherboard. It’s easy to wonder where the new 13-inch Surface Laptop will fit into Microsoft’s existing Surface clamshell laptop lineup, too. The Surface Laptop Go 3 fizzled out in 2023, though the $799 ($999 as tested) clamshell with a 12.4-inch display certainly lives on in spirit inside the new 13-inch Surface Laptop. Physically, too! The new Surface Laptop carries over the fingerprint sensor that was embedded in the Surface Laptop Go’s power button. The Surface Laptop Go 3 was known for its sub-1080p display. The 13-inch Surface Laptop doesn’t go that far, but it offers a 1920 x 1280 display. That’s fine or even better than what you might expect on some cheaper laptops, given the small screen size, but the 178 PPI it offers pales in comparison to the 2304 x 1536 (201 PPI) the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop delivers. The larger Surface Laptop’s display also puts out 600 nits of rated brightness with a refresh rate up to 120Hz; on the 13-inch, expect 400 nits of brightness with a basic 60Hz-refresh rate instead on the newest 13-inch model. The Surface Laptop (13-inch) in Ocean.Microsoft Microsoft refers to the two external USB-C ports as capable of DisplayPort 1.4a with support for up to two 4K displays at 60Hz, but stops short of calling them USB4 or Thunderbolt ports. There’s also a USB-A (USB 3.1) legacy port, too. As noted above, the Surface Connector is gone, which means that you won’t be able to use Surface chargers from earlier laptops any more. Inside the laptop is Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth Core 5.4, however. Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch: specifications Display: 13-inch PixelSense (1920 x 1280 (178 PPI), “strengthened glass” ) up to 60Hz and 10-point multitouch Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus 8-core Graphics: Qualcomm Adreno NPU: Qualcomm Hexgaon (45 TOPS) Memory: 16, 32GB LPDDR5X Storage: 256GB SSD, 512GB UFS Ports: 2 USB-C (USB 3.2 w/DisplayPort 1.4a), USB-A 3.1 Security: Camera (Windows Hello), Fingerprint reader, TPM 2.0 chip Camera: 1080p (user-facing) with Windows Studio Effects and Windows Hello Battery: 23 hours video playback; 16 hours Web browsing Wireless: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth Core 5.4 Operating system: Windows 11 Home Dimensions: 11.25 x 8.43 x 0.61 in. Weight: 2.7 pounds Color: Platinum, Ocean, Violet Price: $899 and up Surface Pro 12-inch: a new keyboard complements a cheaper look Microsoft’s revamped 12-inch Surface Pro is interesting, in part because Microsoft sells the 13-inch Surface Pro with an LCD display, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD for $799.99 — or did, as Microsoft’s site currently lists it as being sold out. Now, Microsoft is offering the 12-inch Surface Pro at the same minimum price. Again, it’s not the same Surface as its predecessors. It too uses the downgraded processor, and the 2196 x 1464 offers a lower pixel density (220 PPI vs 267 PPI) than the existing Surface Pro. It’s protected by “strengthened glass,” without any mention of Gorilla Glass. As you might expect, the former OLED option has gone missing. However, the refresh rate isn’t 60Hz, but 90Hz, which is a cut above what you might expect at the low end. The Surface Pro (12-inch) in Violet, with a new dedicated keyboard.Microsoft Microsoft is offering a configuration with just 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, like the Surface Pro, and the a removeable 256GB of storage or 512GB of UFS storage soldered down. Microsoft’s port choice mimics the Surface Laptop, too, as do the wireless options. The Surface Pro’s camera quality decreases, too. Unfortunately, the user-facing camera is now just a generic 1080p option with Windows Hello, instead of the 1440p option Microsoft offered before. Support for AI-powered Windows Studio Effects is still offered, however. Microsoft also adjusted the keyboard yet again. A 13-inch Surface Pro would demand its own keyboard, but Microsoft hasn’t chosen to follow the almost ludicrous connectivity of the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard. Instead, Microsoft describes the 13-inch Surface Pro keyboard as one that folds completely flat with the Surface Pro for easier inking and typing, and that features a “customizable precision touchpad with adaptive touch mode.” The new Surface Pro can be used with the Surface Slim Pen 2, which now charges when clipped to the back of the tablet. The Microsoft Surface Pro (13-inch) tablet. Microsoft The Surface Pro contains 82.9-percent recycled content in the enclosure and is the first Pro to contain 100-percent recycled cobalt in the battery cell, Microsoft added. Microsoft Surface Pro 12-inch: specifications Display: 12-inch PixelSense (2196 x 1464, 220 PPI, “strengthened glass” ) up to 90Hz with dynamic refresh rate and 10-point multitouch Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus 8-core Graphics: Qualcomm Adreno NPU: Qualcomm Hexgaon (45 TOPS) Memory: 16, 32GB LPDDR5X Storage: 256GB SSD, 512GB UFS Ports: 2 USB-C (USB 3.2 w/DisplayPort 1.4a), 1 Surface Keyboard Port Security: Camera (Windows Hello), NFC/smartcard reader; TPM 2.0 chip Camera: 1080p (user-facing) with Windows Studio Effects and Windows Hello, 10MP rear-facing Battery: 16 hours video playback; 12 hours Web browsing Wireless: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth Core 5.4 Operating system: Windows 11 Home Dimensions: 10.8 x 7.47 x 0.30 in. Weight: 1.5 pounds without accessories Color: Platinum, Ocean, Violet Price: $799 and up Optional accessories: Surface Slim Pen 2, $90 on sale at Amazon Read...

Every file and every program leaves traces in your system: It accesses other files, uses Windows resources, makes entries in the registry, and possibly installs additional software. In the best-case scenario, you will only clutter up your Windows if the software’s uninstall routine does not delete all associated files and registry entries. In the worst-case scenario, malware will infect your system or ransomware will encrypt your files. If you want to try out new programs or open unknown files, it is best to do this in a particularly secure environment that is separate from the running system: This is exactly what a sandbox offers. If you open a program in a sandbox, it works as expected, but cannot make any permanent changes to the system or access resources outside its environment — the sandbox prevents this, redirects access, and deletes all activities of the program and itself when you close it. With a sandbox, you can therefore try out new software or install programs from dubious sources with less risk, surf potentially unsafe websites, and keep your system clean. We will show you various ways of setting up and using a suitable sandbox for programs and files under Windows: These range from Windows on-board resources and virtual systems to browsers and programs with their own sandbox function. We describe the Sandboxie-Plus software in particular detail — the simplest and most practical sandbox solution for most users. Further reading: Is a hacker logged into your Google account? Here’s how to tell Sandbox for the browser You probably already use a sandbox: Current browsers such as Chrome and Firefox use this protection technology. They rely on Windows security mechanisms: This has the advantage that they can guarantee a high level of protection without having to use a lot of resources, which could result in websites opening slowly, for example. Like most browsers, Chrome opens each tab in its own isolated process, which can be seen in the Task Manager. All websites are shielded from each other. IDG Each browser tab is opened in its own sandbox. This prevents Chrome and others from automatically downloading programs on a website or running malicious scripts. This process also protects against attacks that are executed via a website without an antivirus program raising the alarm (zero-day exploits). Each tab of the browser runs as an isolated process and has no access to other tabs or the system. It also starts with very limited rights — which is why you usually have to authorize a website’s access to the computer camera, for example. In addition, the separation of the individual tabs should mean that the crash of a website does not paralyze the entire browser, but only the corresponding tab. How and whether the browser sandbox works can be observed in the Windows Task Manager: Under “Processes” you can see that numerous other processes are running under the “Google Chrome” entry — these are the separate sandboxes of the individual tabs. Further reading: How to turn a USB flash drive into a secure login key for your PC You can find out more details by entering the command chrome://sandbox/ in the browser address bar: The tabs here are called “Renderer” — this is the function that displays web pages. Each should also appear in the “Sandbox” column and in the next column with the note “Lockdown.” Like the “Untrusted” entry to the right, this means that this process has very few access rights to the system. IDG Nevertheless, you should always update your browser, as hackers often try to exploit the sandbox via other security vulnerabilities in order to give scripts and programs on a website more access rights. Programs with a built-in sandbox Windows also uses a sandbox for certain programs: Apps from the Microsoft Store — the so-called UWP apps (Universal Windows Platform) — run in an isolated process with reduced rights. This means they can be uninstalled without leaving any residue. In many cases, you must also authorize them to access files or hardware such as the camera or microphone. However, only a few users use UWP apps. The more frequently installed standard programs — the so-called desktop apps — run without a sandbox and rights restrictions. You also give many UWP apps certain rights during installation. You can check what these are before installation on the app page in the Microsoft Store under the entry “This app can” and after installation in the Windows settings under “Privacy > App permissions.” You can revoke these rights there — although this often means that the app no longer functions correctly. Programs from the Microsoft Store run in an isolated environment: However, they often request numerous rights during installation, which undermine this protection.Foundry From version 24H2, Windows 11 also supports a sandbox function for normal programs — Win32 App Isolation. However, manufacturers must incorporate this into their software for the protection to work. Acrobat Reader offers a secure sandbox function for PDF documents: If you receive a PDF as an attachment from an email or an insecure source, you can prevent code contained in the document from being executed or you from being taken to a nefarious website when you click on a link in the PDF. To use the PDF sandbox, go to “Settings > Security (advanced)” in the Reader menu and activate the “Enable protected mode on startup” option. Additional protection is provided by the “Protected view” below, where you can choose whether it should apply to all PDFs or only to those from insecure sources. The Reader then opens the PDF in read-only mode, which means it cannot be filled in and usually cannot be saved or printed. Free special tool Sandboxie-Plus The small open source tool Sandboxie-Plus is ideal for running all suspicious files and programs in isolation. You install it as usual under Windows and can then start the desired content directly in a sandbox container. The complete range of functions of Sandboxie-Plus costs $40 per year: You can pay the programmer directly via Paypal or you can buy a supporter certificate on the website. For use on a home computer, however, the free basic functions, which we present below, are sufficient. With Sandboxie-Plus, programs can be started in an isolated environment: They cannot access the system and can be removed without leaving any residue.Foundry Sandboxie-Plus is available in versions for standard Windows and for Arm Windows. The tool can also be installed as a mobile app on a USB stick. After installation, you will be greeted by a setup wizard where you first select the option “Personal, for non-commercial use” for the free functions. In the next window, you can obtain a so-called evaluation certificate by clicking on the red, underlined text: This allows you to test the software with all functions for 10 days. Otherwise, click on “Next.” For the user interface, you can choose between an expert and a beginner mode as well as a light or dark mode for the display. It is best to accept the default settings and click “Next” again. Finish setting up the software in the last window by clicking on “Finish.” In the following window for the “Global settings,” you do not need to adjust anything and click on “OK.” Running risky programs in Sandboxie-Plus Sandboxie-Plus starts with a two-part interface: At the top you will see the entry for a “DefaultBox.” You can start suspicious programs in this box. In the lower window, the tool logs all actions and settings. The user interface can also be called up by right-clicking on the tool icon in the system tray and selecting “Show / Hide.” To start software safely in a sandbox, click on “Sandbox > Run in sandbox.” Confirm the settings in the next window with “OK.” Another window then appears: Enter the name of the software that you want to start in Sandboxie-Plus and confirm with “OK.” If you do not know the exact name or the tool cannot find a program that matches your input, you can call up the software directly with the Explorer via “Search.” This start procedure is recommended for programs that you have installed but want to start again in the secure environment — for example, your web browser: If you call it up again in the sandbox, you can use it to visit suspicious websites without risk. The program then starts: The corresponding EXE file appears in the top window of Sandboxie-Plus. You can recognize that software is running in the sandbox by two features: Its name in the program window begins and ends with a diamond symbol — for example, if you open the Chrome browser in the sandbox and drag the mouse to its icon in the taskbar, it will say [#] New Tab – Google Chrome [#]. If you move the mouse to the top edge of the program window, a yellow frame appears. There is also a window finder in Sandboxie-Plus under “Sandbox — Is the window in a sandbox?” There, click on the circle in the small program window on the left, hold down the left mouse button and release it in the window of the program whose status you want to check: The answer to the question will then appear in the window finder. Sandboxie-Plus is also entered in the context menu of Windows Explorer: You can then call up the desired program with a right-click and the command “Start Sandboxed.” For example, software that you have just downloaded can be installed in the sandbox by starting the corresponding EXE or installation file with Sandboxie-Plus. It is advisable to run each program and each file in its own sandbox: When starting via Sandboxie-Plus or the context menu, select the entry “Run in a new sandbox” in the next window and then “Standard sandbox.” You can also give each sandbox a meaningful name here. Important programs can be started particularly quickly in Sandboxie-Plus, for example your browser, your email program, or Windows Explorer: Click on an existing sandbox in the top right-hand corner of the tool window. Then select “Start > Standard programs” and then the desired software. Open and check suspicious files Like programs, individual files can also be opened in an isolated sandbox. Sandboxie-Plus starts the default program for this file — for example Word for a DOCX file. If the program crashes, change a setting in Sandboxie-Plus: Open the file in a new sandbox as described. In the window in which you select “Standard Sandbox” as the box type, tick the “Configure advanced options” option at the bottom right. After clicking on “Next,” select “Version 1” for “Virtualization scheme,” click on “Next” several times, and finish with “Finish.” With Sandboxie-Plus, you can tell whether a software really works in the sandbox by the yellow frame around the program window and the hashtags before and after the program name at the top.IDG Important: A program that you start in the sandbox can only read files outside the sandbox and cannot change them. If you open a file within the sandboxed software, it can be changed, but this has no effect on the original file: For example, if you start Outlook in the sandbox and delete an email there, it will still be there when you open Outlook normally. Emails with suspicious attachments can be examined in this way: You open your mail program in the sandbox and open the attachment. If it seems suspicious or comes from an unexpected sender, delete the sandbox and then delete the email in your normal email program without opening it or looking at the attachment. Sandboxie-Plus isolates programs and files by creating separate directories for them: These are located in the program directory “C:\Sandbox\username,” where there is a separate folder for each sandbox. The tool also stores changes made by the isolated program in the registry there. In this way, no traces remain in the system when you delete the corresponding sandbox. You can do this by right-clicking on the desired sandbox in the upper window of Sandboxie-Plus and selecting “Remove sandbox” from the context menu. If you want to keep the sandbox but close the programs running in it, select the “Close all processes” command in the context menu. Alternative: Virtual PC A virtual PC (VPC) is also suitable for starting risky programs or opening suspicious files. Windows includes the Windows Sandbox for this purpose. It is a VPC based on Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualization software, but is only included in Windows Pro. You also need to install it first: You do this via the Control Panel and “Enable or disable Windows features.” Select the “Windows Sandbox” entry there and restart the computer. You will then find the program as “Windows Sandbox” in the selection of installed apps. After starting, another Windows desktop opens as the user interface of the virtual PC: You operate this as you would your normal system — so you can install and try out programs in the Windows Sandbox. You can copy and paste suspicious files from the main system to the virtual Windows. Since the Windows 11 update 22H2, the VPC also supports a restart that preserves its data and applications. However, this only applies if you only restart the sandbox: If you close the VPC window or restart the main system, the contents of the sandbox will be deleted. If you are using Windows Home, you can use free virtualization programs such as Virtualbox for a VPC. However, the virtual computer needs an operating system — if it is to be Windows, you will need an additional lisence for this. A VPC is largely isolated from the main system and is a secure test environment. Compared to Sandboxie-Plus, however, it is oversized if you only occasionally want to try out unknown programs or open suspicious email attachments: You have to install your own operating system in the VPC, which places correspondingly high demands on your computer’s hardware. This applies on the one hand to CPU performance, but above all to RAM: You should provide at least 4GB of RAM exclusively for the virtual system; more RAM significantly increases the ease of use of the VPC. It is also not ideal for a quick file check: You have to start the VPC like a normal system and wait until the virtual Windows is ready for use. Read...

After writing about different technologies for over 20 years, I’m used to focusing my attention on the new, the next exciting gizmo ever-cresting over the horizon. So when one sticks with me and I end up using it for over a decade, that’s quite special—and in the case of my Harman Kardon GLA-55 PC speakers, that’s doubly true because I’ve never seen another pair of speakers like these in all my years. Similar in style to HK’s more common Soundsticks range, the GLA-55 speakers sport the same crystal-esque aesthetic that’s emblematic of Harman Kardon’s PC sound design. They’re huge, they take up way too much space on my desk, they don’t have any kind of modern wireless connectivity, and their aesthetic doesn’t even remotely fit with the rest of my PC hardware… but I love the GLA-55 speakers to death and I have no idea what I’ll replace them with when they finally bite the dust. The “coolest speakers ever made” Those aren’t my words. That’s TechPowerUp’s take when these speakers debuted in the UK market toward the end of 2009. The Times called them Gadget of the Week in 2010, too. Suffice it to say, the GLA-55 speakers made a big splash when they released over 15 years ago—and they still turn heads today. I have lots of cool tech in my home office space, and I’m particularly proud of my Uplift standing desk, but it’s these decade-plus-old speakers that get the most comments when people see them. Jon Martindale / Foundry I mean, look at them! They’re so over the top. They’re made from similar stuff to bulletproof glass, but they look like they’re made of crystal. It’s a unique design that I haven’t seen replicated elsewhere by anyone. They’re weird enough to look at, and they never quite blend into the background, no matter how used to them I become. It’s not a design I even particularly care for, but they just look so impressive and they’re a real centerpiece of my home office. Are they actually any good? Yes! I wouldn’t have kept them this long if they weren’t. To be honest, I didn’t actually buy them myself in the first place. They were gifted to me by an editor I used to work with, who was moving onto something better. That said, they were expensive when they came out—about $1,000 brand-new—and they still sound every bit as expensive now as they did then, 15 years on from their debut. Even the original marketing for the GLA-55 speakers was cool.Harman Kardon While the look of the GLA-55 speakers is definitely their main selling point, they back up their unique aesthetic with decent sound quality. The highs are clear and unmuddied, and the bass is impressively strong considering there’s no subwoofer. (They can handle an external sub if you feel you need it, but I never have.) The one thing they lack is support for the range of digital features you might expect on modern speakers, and they’re restricted to a 3.5mm input. But they sound excellent. I’m no audiophile, to be fair, so I won’t pretend to have used these speakers to their full potential, nor have I compared them to studio-grade hardware. But for listening to music while I work, playing immersive games, and watching the odd movie over the years, they’ve been fantastic. They’re complete overkill for the dancey synthwave and ASMR I listen to while I work, but when I have the house to myself and I want to get something really pumping, they rise to the challenge. Their age is slowly catching up to them As much as I hate to admit it, these speakers aren’t going to last forever. I almost felt like I needed to write this article before it’s too late. My kids have dented some portions of the plastic drivers, and the rubber is starting to thin and fray. There’s a strange buzzing sound when I use my headphones instead and the volume is cranked too high. The bass has always been rattly and loses its clarity at high volumes, too. And they really do take up way too much desk space. Jon Martindale / Foundry But they’re really fun speakers to have around. They’re a conversation starter and an iconic reminder of years of faithful service. They’ve outlasted at least four gaming PCs, a handful of monitors, and more mice and keyboards than I can count. My GLA-55 speakers are a symbol of longevity in an industry and profession where the old is always out and the new is always in, with techy e-waste piling up around the globe. They’re grounding in a very real way that goes beyond just sounding cool, and they continue to grab my attention year after year with their design and performance. Jon Martindale / Foundry So, while their end likely draws near, I find myself wondering what I’ll replace them with. I certainly won’t be spending $1,000 on a new set of speakers because, as I said, I’m no audiophile and the kind of music and videos I listen to don’t warrant something that good. I won’t be buying speakers this big again, because why would I? It’s ridiculous! I’m definitely more in the market for budget-friendly speakers. But I will sorely miss them—these ridiculous, beautifully ugly, impressive-sounding speakers that don’t even try to fit in with what’s around them. They’ve earned status as a legendary part of my home office and gaming PC space, having stood the test of time. I don’t know what I’m going to do without them. Then again, those new Edifiers look pretty good… Read...