MATCHES LOWEST PRICE **Samsung Odyssey G55C Monitor** View Deal If you’re still stuck on a cruddy 1080p monitor and want to level up your gaming and workflows, stepping up to a 1440p display can be one of the best upgrades you can make. And right now, the Samsung Odyssey G55C is on sale for just $190 ahead of October Prime Day—that’s a big drop from its original $330 and matches the lowest price it’s ever been. This 32-inch monitor delivers a 2560×1440 resolution and a fast 165Hz refresh rate, which will make your games look sharp and smooth. Its 1ms response time could be faster, but it’ll suffice for all but the fastest and sweatiest esports games. And it has a moderate 1000R curve that adds real immersion as it wraps around your field of view, plus helps to reduce eye strain when doing work or watching movies. It’s a pretty standard monitor as far as features go, but sometimes that’s all you need in a monitor. Why pay more for extra bling when you don’t need it? This is a good workhorse type monitor for gamers and workers, hitting a sweet spot with its 32-inch 1440p specs while staying affordable. At $190, the Samsung Odyssey G55C is an easy upgrade for a home workstation on a budget. If it’s not the one for you, check out PCWorld’s picks for the best gaming monitors. And if you want to score more deals ahead of October Prime Day, see our roundup of early deals to score.

In the world of PC gaming, there’s a persistent myth that, to achieve maximum FPS rates (FPS, frames per second), you generally have to set all graphics settings to their maximum. However, we’ll show you that just a handful of settings are enough to massively enhance the visual experience without placing an excessive strain on modern graphics cards. The absolute standout among these free upgrades is anisotropic filtering. This technique ensures that textures on surfaces at an acute angle to the camera — such as a road leading to the horizon or a tiled floor — remain crystal clear. Without anisotropic filtering, these surfaces appear muddy and blurred at medium and long distances, which severely disrupts immersion. Not all graphics options automatically consume a great deal of processing power. Even simple filters can result in visibly better graphics. Corsair The technical reason for the low power consumption is fascinating: Modern GPUs feature specialized hardware units for texture sampling. As the required texture data is already stored in the extremely fast graphics memory (VRAM), the additional sampling from different angles takes almost no processing time. Whether you set it to ‘8x’ or ‘16x’ often makes a difference of less than one frame per second on current graphics cards, while visual clarity increases dramatically. We therefore strongly recommend that you always force this setting in the driver, as many games use values that are too low by default. For Nvidia graphics cards, right-click on the desktop, open the ‘Nvidia Control Panel’ and navigate to ‘Manage 3D Settings.’ In the native graphics driver (in this case for Nvidia graphics cards), you can generally force the use of anisotropic filtering in applications. Foundry In the ‘Global Settings,’ locate the ‘Anisotropic Filtering’ option and set it to ‘16x.’ Users of AMD graphics cards should open the Adrenalin Edition software, then navigate via the ‘Gaming’ tab to the ‘Graphics’ section and expand the ‘Advanced Options.’ There, please set the anisotropic filtering mode to ‘Override application settings’ and also select the ‘16x’ level. Another important point is the overall texture quality: Many players are wary of the ‘Ultra’ setting, but a simple rule applies here: As long as your graphics card’s video memory is large enough to accommodate the high-resolution texture packs, this setting will not affect performance at all. The graphics card setting ‘Anisotropic Filtering’ ensures that surfaces in games that are at an acute angle to the camera remain sharp. Foundry It is only when the VRAM overflows and data has to be offloaded to the slower system RAM that severe stuttering occurs. The same applies to SSAO, screen-space ambient occlusion. This technique calculates subtle shadows where objects meet. At the same time, it adds depth to the scene so that objects do not appear to be floating in mid-air. SSAO is the resource-efficient variant of ambient occlusion and usually costs modern chips only about 1 to 2 percent of their processing power. If modern post-processing techniques such as TAA (Temporal Anti-Aliasing) make the image appear slightly too soft, you can also use the sharpening filter in the driver. On Nvidia cards, you’ll find it under ‘Image Scaling’ in the global 3D settings. On AMD cards, it’s called ‘Radeon Image Sharpening.’ A setting of around 30 percent is often sufficient to compensate for the blurring caused by TAA and achieve a crystal-clear image without any significant loss of performance. ## Related content * Speed up your laptop with these 3 easy Windows tweaks * Refresh rate vs. frame rate: Why they matter for gaming performance * Nvidia App tweaks: 5 changes every GeForce gamer should make ASAP

PC upgrades cost more than they used to. At least, if you’re looking to get more storage space. AI data center buildouts have obliterated affordable prices for SSDs and hard drives. Even SD cards and flash drives haven’t been immune! If you’d like to reduce the sting of sky-high costs, Amazon’s October Prime Day is worth a peek. The main event starts next Tuesday, October 6 at midnight Pacific time, and as it draws near, rivals like Newegg, Best Buy, and Walmart have announced their own deals in response. Given how harsh SSD prices are right now, I’ll draw on all of those sources to surface the best deals anywhere — not just at Amazon. Right now, storage deals are thin on the ground, but we expect at least a handful more to pop up next week. > Want to know the best drives out there? Have a look at our top picks for the best SSDs of 2026 and the best external drives of 2026. Looking for even _more_ deals, including limited-time ones? Check out all of our Amazon October Prime Day coverage. ## Deals at a glance #### M.2 NVMe SSDs * Kingston NV3, 500GB Gen 4 **– $100 (16% off at Newegg)** #### 2.5-inch SATA SSDs * Team Group T-Force Vulcan Z, 1TB SATA**– $122 (9% off at Newegg, w/ coupon TEEF4456)** * Team Group T-Force Vulcan Z, 512GB SATA**– $76 (7% off)** ## Best early NVMe SSD deal: Kingston NV3 Kingston / Newegg **Who is this for?** You can’t beat the speed of an NVMe SSD. If you can afford their now-inflated prices, starting (or upgrading) your PC with one ensures you’ll have snappier performance for years to come. **Why is this deal good?** Prices on NVMe SSDs have been stubbornly high, but at $100, this drive from a respected manufacturer deftly straddles the line between performance and cost. ## Best early SATA SSD deal: Team Group T-Force Vulcan Z Team Group / Amazon **Who is this for?** A SATA SSD have always been a great balance between “fast” and “affordable.” Team Group still delivers on this front with its Vulcan Z drives, which upgraders on a budget can easily grab in 512GB or 1TB configurations. **Why is this deal good?** SATA SSDs are harder to find, and most have risen in price. Even with single-digit discounts, these Vulcan Z drives don’t cost as much as rivals. ## Other great October Prime Day deals These aren’t the only October Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found. * Best Amazon October Prime Day tech deals: Great sales chosen by experts * Best October Prime Day laptop deals: Great notebooks at spectacular prices * Best monitor deals for October Prime Day: OLED, home office, and more * Best October Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs * Best October Prime Day mini PC deals: Big savings on tiny computers * Best October Prime Day deals under $10 * Best October Prime Day deals on Anker chargers, cables, and docks ## SSD and storage deals FAQ * * * 1. ### Why aren’t SSDs as cheap as they once were? The balance between demand and supply has shifted. Data centers want as much storage as possible, and that’s shrunk the number of drives available to consumers. As a result, prices have shot up dramatically over the past year. 2. ### Do brands matter for SSDs and storage? Yes, but only to a point. Major manufacturers are generally reliable—think Samsung, Crucial, Western Digital (aka WD), SK Hynix, Corsair, Kingston, and even newer players like TeamGroup and Solidigm. Outside of that, you may be playing a bit fast and loose with your data’s longevity. However, everyone has that one horror story about a hard-disk drive that failed, and why they’ll never use, say, WD or Crucial again. That’s less commonly a manufacturing error, and more so a matter of luck. No drive is guaranteed to meet its life expectancy, which is why you should perform regular backups. 3. ### Is an SSD better than a HDD? SSDs are faster and take less room in a PC than a hard-disk drive (HDD), which gives them a strong edge. If you only have one storage drive in your PC, it should ideally be an SSD so you get faster boot times and quicker access to your files. A HDD as your primary drive will feel much slower. But HDDs still have their advantages. First, they’re cheaper. The going price of a 2TB HDD is about the same (or less) than a 1TB SSD. You also can get them in higher capacities than SSDs, though the biggest capacities have become expensive. If you need secondary storage and you don’t need it to be fast, HDDs are a fantastic option. 4. ### How do I know if an SSD deal is good? Here’s the guideline we use for picking deals: First, it should be for an SSD that performs well (or in select cases, performs well for its MSRP), and has at least a 10-15 percent discount compared to its normal street price. Some models may be selected with a smaller discount if they rarely go on sale. 5. ### Have tariffs affected SSD and storage prices? Tariffs have caused small increases on computer components, but storage pricing has been most affected by data centers. Demand has grown enough that supply available to consumers have shrunk, driving up prices.

With PC hardware more expensive than it’s ever been, doubly so for gamers, you might be tempted to hunt for used parts. That’s prudent and practical…but not without its risks. In addition to the usual problems of used goods with no warranty, you might just find yourself banned from your favorite online multiplayer game after you boot up with that new upgrade installed. What? Yes, this is a real thing that happens to people. Though from what I’ve been able to see, it’s pretty darn rare. Here’s the gist: Player A, let’s call him Vincent, gets a little too heated in his games of _Valorant_ , and decides to use a cheat program from a less-than-reputable source. He gets caught, and his Riot user account is banned. Later Vinny Valorant gets a little hard up for cash, and decides to sell his Nvidia card on eBay to Vivian, who also plays _Valorant_. When she installs it in her PC and logs into the game, with her non-cheating account, Vivian gets banned right away. That’s what’s happened to a handful of players on different competitive multiplayer games, most recently chronicled in this Reddit post from a German Valorant player. The poster said that they picked up a used Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU, which worked just fine…but found themselves instantly banned from the game when they logged in. The culprit (aside from the alleged cheater) is anti-cheat systems that tag a lot more than just your account or your IP address. Modern anti-cheat software also tags hardware, down to individual hardware components. Upon contacting support at developer Riot, the user was told that there was nothing that would be done to alleviate the situation. Not only that, but the player’s other components, including motherboard and storage, were also blacklisted in the Vanguard anti-cheat system. Hardware identification requires fairly deep hooks into a PC’s operating system and even BIOS. For example, Heise.de reports that Vanguard only operates if you’ve got Secure Boot and a Trusted Platform Module enabled — these are some of the reasons that games like _Valorant_ and others still aren’t available on Linux or SteamOS. Similar anti-cheat hardware checks, and the occasional false positive after secondhand hardware goes to a new owner, have been reported for years. Jon Martindale / Foundry Exactly what checks each anti-cheat system uses aren’t generally known. But from a hardware perspective and with those deep kernel-level tools available, it’s technically possible for the software to identify individual components including: * CPU * Graphics card * Motherboard * SSD or hard drive * Network adapter * Specific operating system license * Any combination of the above Various other, less invasive data points can be used to “fingerprint” individual users beyond their accounts. I reached out to Riot, Valve, and Epic Games — operators of Vanguard, Valve Anti-Cheat, and Easy Anti-Cheat, respectively — for comment on this story. I asked if they could offer a guide on which hardware could be flagged, how buyers might avoid blacklisted parts on the secondary market, and what recourse an innocent deal-hunter might have if they find their account banned after installing a new part. None of them responded before publishing. Based on my research on the scant cases for the past few years, customer support is generally unwilling to lift bans put in place through hardware ID. Again, it appears that this is an exceedingly rare problem. To experience it you’d need to buy a part secondhand, from a cheater, who plays the same game (or at least a game from a company using the same anti-cheat system), and who’s been flagged by that system for cheating. That is a very small center of a Venn diagram — you’re much more likely to just get a part that doesn’t work, or be the victim of a more conventional scam. But with PC gamers experiencing very specific sticker shock on top of general economic anxiety, the used hardware market is thriving more than usual. That means the number of false positives has probably gone up recently, if not the actual percentage of them as a function of the total sales of used PC components. There’s no real way to know if a part has been flagged before you buy it if the seller doesn’t choose to share that information. So yeah, if your buddy admits to using an aimbot, maybe think twice before picking up their secondhand parts after they win the lottery and spring for an upgrade.

**TL;DR:** AcePDF Converter & Editor handles PDF conversion, editing, OCR, and form building on Windows and Mac for a one-time $23.97 (MSRP $99.99). Most PDF editors either charge a monthly fee or only handle one job well. AcePDF Converter & Editor is a lifetime license on sale during Deal Days, PCWorld’s answer to Prime Day, that does conversion, editing, and OCR in one app. On the conversion side, AcePDF batch-processes PDFs into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, and image formats while keeping the original layouts and hyperlinks intact. Going the other direction, you can merge Word docs, spreadsheets, and images into a single PDF in a few clicks. OCR is built in, so scanned documents become editable text without a separate tool. Beyond conversion, AcePDF lets you merge, split, compress, rotate, and password-protect files. A form builder rounds things out, letting you create fillable PDFs with text fields, checkboxes, and annotations from scratch. Both the Windows and Mac versions now support the full feature set, and one license covers two devices. AcePDF holds a 4.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot. Stop paying monthly for a PDF editor you barely use. Get AcePDF Converter & Editor: Lifetime License on sale for $23.97 through October 11 at 11:59 p.m. PT (MSRP $99.99). AcePDF Converter & Editor: Lifetime LicenseSee Deal StackSocial _prices subject to change._

MATCHES LOWEST PRICE **55-inch Amazon Ember 4K Smart TV** View Deal Amazon is currently selling its 55-inch Ember 4K Smart TV for just $279.99, a 39% discount off its original $459.99 price. That matches the lowest price it’s ever been, representing a _great_ deal in the days leading up to October Prime Day next week. If you want a feature-rich 4K TV for under $300, this is the deal you want to jump on. ## What the Amazon Ember 4K TV offers This Amazon Ember TV (model 4K55N402) has a large 55-inch screen with ultra-high-def 3840×2160 4K resolution, complete with HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG support, ensuring greater contrast and rendering of dark areas. You’ll notice the difference when watching compatible streaming content. With Direct LED backlighting and a 60Hz refresh rate, it’s great for well-lit rooms and sufficient for everyday TV, movies, and gaming. If you’re a serious gamer, you may want to opt for a more specialist model with 120Hz, 144Hz, or even 165Hz of refresh instead. As for audio, the built-in speakers support Dolby Audio and suffice for standard fare. If you’re picky about audio, maybe supplement with an Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus. Between the quad-core processor and updated Fire OS, the Ember 4-Series delivers a smoother experience, faster app launches, more responsive menus and interfaces, and shorter content load times. It’s especially noticeable when streaming high-resolution content and cloud gaming. Fire OS offers access to platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video, plus free ad-supported content. The Alexa Voice Remote makes it easier to search for content, bypassing the need to use on-screen keyboards. One extra cool feature is Ambient TV Mode, which can passively display photos and/or 2,000+ free works of art. It’s activated via ambient sensors that detect when people are in the room, at which point the TV becomes a decorative display instead of a flat, black screen. But you’ll need to keep the TV in standby rather than shutting it off when not in use. ## Is this the right deal for you? Reception for the 55-inch Amazon Ember 4-Series Smart TV is generally positive, with a 4.2 rating across 1,800+ reviews. Most of the praise is for its overall value, simple setup, 4K picture quality, vivid contrast, and user-friendly interface. 55-inch 4K TVs typically only fall under the $300 mark during big sales events, so now’s your opportunity. This TV is best suited as an entry-level 4K option for avid streamers, casual gamers, and those who want the decorative atmosphere offered by Ambient TV Mode. It’s not the best choice for users who have high gaming demands, for home cinema enthusiasts who expect peak brightness and premium black levels, or for picky audiophiles. It’s also not a good fit if you want to avoid the Fire TV ecosystem that’s heavily integrated into the TV. For more great deals worth scoring, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best early October Prime Day tech deals.

**Log your Days. Log your life.** AI Voice Recorder with a Personal Context System Soulog Sense There’s a particular kind of frustration that anyone juggling meetings, classes, or creative projects knows well: the good idea that slipped away because you were too busy talking to write it down, the client detail buried somewhere in a call, the lecture point you meant to revisit but never found again. Information isn’t usually lost because we weren’t paying attention—it’s lost because it was never captured in a form we could actually use later. Soulog Sense, the new AI Voice Recorder with a Personal Context System from Soulog, is built around that exact problem. Rather than treating recording as an end in itself, it treats a recording as raw material—something to be understood, connected, and turned into an output you can act on. ## Capture First, Think Later The device itself is designed to disappear into daily life. At just 0.124 inch (3.15mm) thick, Soulog Sense is slim enough to sit magnetically on a compatible phone or case. Before the first recording, users activate the device in the Soulog App. After that, recording starts with a simple physical sequence: slide the Power Switch up to turn on the device, then flip the Recording Switch up to start and down to stop and save the file. The dedicated power switch also gives users full hardware control when they want the device truly off. With more than 50 hours of continuous recording on a full charge, it’s built to keep pace with a packed week of meetings, classes, or travel rather than needing constant attention. Soulog One of Soulog Sense’s more thoughtful features is 30-Minute Live Rewind. Off by default, it must be enabled in the Soulog App while the device is on. Once active, pressing and holding the multifunction button saves up to the previous 30 minutes of audio—useful when a casual conversation becomes worth keeping before anyone thinks to start record. Live Rewind cannot retrieve audio from before the feature was enabled. As with any recording feature, users should make participants aware and comply with applicable recording and consent laws. Soulog ## From Recording to Understanding What sets Soulog Sense apart isn’t just what it captures, but what happens afterward. Powered by Soulog APP, from **Capture → Structure → Understand → Connect → Create → Publish** , the system doesn’t just transcribe—it works to understand meaning, connect related context across sessions, and generate structured outputs like summaries, key points, action items, owners, and open questions. Unlimited transcription spans more than 120 languages, with support for Vocabulary Management so specialized vocabulary doesn’t get lost in translation. Soulog For professionals tracking client calls or project meetings, Speaker Recognition can recognize and label registered voices—supporting one primary user and up to nine additional profiles, all encrypted and used only with the registered person’s permission. For students and researchers, that same structure helps turn a semester’s worth of lectures into organized, searchable material instead of a pile of disconnected files. Perhaps Soulog’s most distinctive feature is its Personal Context System, which brings related recordings, images, and files together as a connected body of context. A creator can combine interview clips with reference notes, a traveler can organize voice memos alongside trip photos, and a consultant can bring together research from multiple client calls. Instead of searching through hours of audio for one useful moment, users can ask questions across that accumulated material and trace the response back to its source. ## Built for How People Actually Work Soulog Soulog Sense won’t do the thinking for you—it’s a tool for keeping personal context connected so you don’t have to reconstruct it later. For the professional moving between calls, the parent trying to hold onto small family moments, the student trying to truly listen instead of transcribe, or the creative chasing an idea before it disappears, that connection is the point. Capture what matters. Let Soulog keep it together. Turn it into something you can use. After a recording is completed, the Soulog app can generate transcripts in 120+ languages and, depending on the plan, apply features such as Speaker Recognition, Vocabulary Management, structured AI summaries, and actionable insights. Unlimited transcription and 30-Minute Live Rewind are available on the Free plan. Other advanced features vary by subscription tier and can be explored through a seven-day Pro trial. Check the current plan details for the exact features included. ## Order now for a limited-time discount Soulog Sense retails for $139.99 in the U.S. From September 28 through October 28, 2026, all users can receive 20% off, bringing the early-bird price to $111.99.

October Prime Day (officially known as “Prime Big Deal Days”) is coming next week! If you missed out on June’s Prime Day, this is your chance to snag a bunch of stuff on sale—hopefully stuff that’s already in your cart, waiting for you to pull the trigger. Prime Big Deal Days runs **Tuesday, October 6th to Wednesday, October 7th**. But if you have cash to spend _right now_ and you want to score some early deals ahead of the big event, here are some of the coolest tech deals I’ve spotted in the days leading up. ## Deals at a glance * **Best cable deal:** Ugreen 100W USB-C Cable (2-pack) for $8.99 (31% off) * **Best power bank deal:** Baseus 45W Travel Power Bank for $29.97 (25% off) * **Best mini PC deal:** Acemagic M5 Mini PC for $563.97 (37% off) * **Best portable monitor deal:** AOC 16T20 Portable Monitor for $47.49 (32% off) * **Best docking station deal:** Anker 14-in-1 Docking Station for $169.99 (37% off) * **Best robot vacuum deal:** iRobot Roomba 115X for $139.99 (56% off) * **Best streaming device deal:** Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select for $17.99 (64% off) * **Best smart home assistant deal:** Amazon Echo Show 11 for $149.99 (40% off) * **Best video doorbell deal:** Ring Battery Doorbell 2K for $39.99 (60% off) * **Best tablet deal:** Amazon Fire HD 10 for $72.99 (53% off) ## Ugreen 100W USB-C Cable (2-pack) Ugreen ### _Now $8.99 (31% off)_ **Who is this for?** These USB-C cables are built for anyone juggling multiple devices that charge via USB-C—so that’s pretty much _everyone_. Rated for up to 100W, these can fast-charge most non-gaming laptops, plus they’re handy for phones, tablets, and all your smaller gadgets. **Why is this deal good?** At $8.99 for two cables, this is the best price we’ve seen in months, allowing you to stock up on cables and never worry again that you’ve grabbed an older, slower cable. What else costs you only $5 a pop and offers this much day-to-day utility? Get the Ugreen USB-C cable 2-pack at Amazon ## Baseus 45W Travel Power Bank Baseus ### _Now $29.97 (25% off)_ **Who is this for?** The compact Baseus 45W Travel Power Bank is the perfect portable charger for students, commuters, and anyone who goes on a lot of day trips. It measures 4.3 x 2.6 inches—slightly larger than a credit card—with a thickness of 1.2 inches, so you can easily slip it into a bag or pocket. With two built-in USB-C cables, you don’t have to carry any with you. It also has extra USB-C and USB-A ports, so you can charge up to 4 devices at once (though note the 45W power will get split between all used ports). **Why is this deal good?** At $29.97, this Baseus power bank is back down to its lowest ever price. Between its 20,000mAh capacity, fast 45W charging, built-in cables, and compact size, you’re getting a _ton_ of value at this price. The only things missing are wireless charging (rare) and laptop-capable charging speeds (much more expensive). Get the Baseus 45W travel power bank at Amazon ## Acemagic M5 Mini PC AceMagic ### _Now $563.97 (37% off)_ **Who is this for?** The Acemagic M5 mini PC is aimed at anyone who wants plenty of processing power in a tiny format. With an Intel Core 5 CPU, 24GB of RAM, and a sizeable 512GB SSD, this tiny machine can handle your daily workload easily—and it won’t choke on Windows 11. The RAM and storage are upgradeable too, meaning you can make it even more powerful in a few years (if hardware prices ever come down). **Why is this a good deal?** Ahead of Prime Day, this $900 mini PC is a steal with the $250+ in discounts via promos that brings its price lower than you can see on the product page. The configuration is great and the fact that you can enjoy a triple display setup with such a tiny PC is amazing. Get the Acemagic M5 at Amazon ## AOC 16T20 Portable Monitor AOC ### _Now $47.49 (32% off)_ **Who is this for?** Literally anyone with a laptop or handheld gaming device. The AOC 16T20 is a 16-inch 1080p IPS display that can hook up via Mini HDMI or USB-C video. Use it to add a second screen to your laptop whether you’re working at a cafe or waiting out an airport layover, then watch Netflix on it or use it with your Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch to play on a bigger screen. It’s so versatile, it’s pretty much a must-have in 2026. **Why is this a good deal?** A 16-inch 1080p portable monitor used to set you back nearly $100, and you can still pay way over that amount with a brand like Asus. Even now, you’d normally expect to pay around $60 on sale. AOC is a budget brand but not a trash brand, and snagging a decent portable monitor for under $50 is a downright steal. It even comes with a smart cover that doubles as a stand. The only downside? Only a USB-C charging cable is included, no Mini HDMI or USB-C video cables. Get the AOC 16T20 at Amazon ## Anker 14-in-1 Docking Station Anker ### _Now $169.99 (37% off)_ **Who is this for?** This Anker 14-in-1 dock is built for anyone who needs a single hub to manage multiple monitors, charge several devices at once, and move data fast. It looks sleek on any desk while providing an easy way to plug all your gear into your laptop even if you’re stuck with a single USB-C port. This dock features four USB-C ports, five USB-A ports, two HDMI 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, and an audio jack. **Why is this deal good?** At $169.99, down from $269.99, you’re saving $100 on a premium dock that’ll transform your laptop workstation. The 160W total output across four simultaneous charging ports is a game-changer if you’re always juggling multiple wireless devices. Get the Anker 14-in-1 docking station at Amazon ## iRobot Roomba 115X iRobot ### _Now $139.99 (56% off)_ **Who is this for?** The iRobot Roomba 115X is a strong fit for anyone who wants a little bit of extra help keeping the floors in tip-top shape even when they’re busy. It has 15,000 Pa suction and a microfiber mop pad that tackles both dry debris and light floor smudges in one pass. Mop pads aren’t the best robotic mopping option out there, but better options would cost you about 10 times more. **Why is this deal good?** This $180 discount slashes the price of this Roomba by more than half—an excellent budget-friendly price to pay for a vacuum and mop 2-in-1 helper. With four suction levels plus app and voice control, this early Prime Day deal is a smart buy. Get the iRobot Roomba 115X at Amazon ## Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select Amazon ### _Now $17.99 (64% off)_ **Who is this for?** The Fire TV Stick 4K Select is a great pick for anyone who wants to upgrade a basic TV with streaming capabilities at a dirt-cheap price. It’s the cheapest 4K streaming stick in Amazon’s Fire TV lineup, granting access to the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ in glorious 4K. All you need is an HDMI port. **Why is this deal good?** You’re getting all that for just $18! Given that Amazon recently bumped up the prices of all its Fire TV devices (citing the global RAM and storage shortage that’s impacting all consumer electronics), this is an immense deal. Get the Fire TV Stick 4K Select at Amazon ## Amazon Echo Show 11 Amazon ### _Now $149.99 (40% off)_ **Who is this for?** The Echo Show 11 is a smart display that doubles as a smart home assistant. It plays music, streams video, browses the web, and serves as a digital photo frame when not in use. But it can also be a control panel for other Alexa-compatible devices, useful for tapping into security camera feeds, controlling thermostats, toggling lights, and more. Anyone with an inkling of smart home interest will find it helpful. **Why is this deal good?** It’s pretty expensive at full price, but now that it’s $100 off, the Echo Show 11 is much closer to what it should be. At $149.99, it matches its previous lowest price (which came during June’s Prime Day), and that’s not a bad price at all for a music-playing, video-streaming, thermostat-controlling, photo-displaying hub of activity. Get the Echo Show 11 at Amazon ## Ring Battery Doorbell 2K Ring ### _Now $39.99 (60% off)_ **Who is this for?** The Ring Battery Doorbell 2K is the latest in Ring’s line-up of battery-powered video doorbells, now offering crisp Retinal 2K video and up to 6x Enhanced Zoom. It’s ideal for renters and home owners who don’t want to faff around with wires—it mounts with screws, connects via Wi-Fi, and recharges via USB-C. Just pop it off every 1 to 3 months, charge for a few hours, then pop it back on. **Why is this deal good?** The 60% discount is hard to pass up. It was hard to recommend at its original $99.99 price, but now that it’s only $39.99, it’s sitting at a brand-new all-time low price ahead of October Prime Day. Note that the Ring Battery Doorbell 2K Plus is also on sale, and that one has a detachable battery so you can recharge it without unmounting the entire doorbell, but it’ll also cost you more than double. _If you don’t mind spending a little more, you can even get this Ring Battery Doorbell 2K + Indoor Cam bundle for just $49.99, down from $149.99. One caveat here is that the Battery Doorbell comes in Speckled Gray while the Indoor Cam comes in Black for this bundle._ Get the Ring Battery Doorbell 2K at Amazon Get the Battery Doorbell + Indoor Cam bundle at Amazon ## Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet Amazon ### _Now $72.99 (53% off)_ **Who is this for?** The Amazon Fire HD 10 is the best budget-friendly tablet that won’t feel like a hunk of crap in your hands. The 10.1-inch screen is spacious with a crisp 1080p resolution, and between the octa-core CPU and 4GB of RAM, it actually feels responsive enough for basic use. Don’t get it if you’ll be doing heavy multitasking, playing intensive games, or taking lots of photos. It’s an entry-level tablet, so expect it to perform like one. **Why is this deal good?** A good entry-level tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ or Lenovo Idea Tab 11 would cost you around $150. That’s about the base price of the Fire HD 10, but with this October Prime Day discount, you can grab it for nearly half that. At $72.99, it’s a no-brainer—and it’s even cheaper than the slower Fire HD 8’s current sale price of $79.99. Get the Fire HD 10 tablet at Amazon

NOW $100 OFF **Ring Battery Doorbell 2K + Indoor Cam** Original value $149.98. Get this bundle for just $49.99. View Deal The Ring Battery Doorbell 2K is on sale for $39.99, down from $99.99. And the Ring Indoor Cam is on sale for $24.99, down from $49.99. But if you’re interested in both, you’re in luck—Amazon has bundled the two together and priced the package at just $49.99. That’s a $150 value with a massive $100 discount, or an extra $15 off buying them separately. That’s a huge deal ahead of October Prime Day next week. That Ring Battery Doorbell 2K is great for first-timers, with its no-wire setup and battery-operated design. You’re getting 2K resolution with up to 6x Enhanced Zoom, plus Two-Way Talk so you can give instructions to couriers and scare away intruders. The battery should last 1–3 months on a charge, and recharging is done via USB-C (just pop it off the mount first). And the Ring Indoor Cam offers 1080p coverage with night vision and a live feed that you can check into at any time. Mount it on a table, a shelf, or a wall, but note that this one’s wired so you’ll need it to be within the vicinity of a power outlet. It also swivels so you can point it exactly where you want, and it also has Two-Way Talk so you can chat with family while away. With this bundle, you can cover both inside and outside for just $49.99—you’d normally pay more than that for a single video doorbell. If you want to score more deals like this, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best early October Prime Day tech deals.

#### At a glance ### Expert's Rating ### Pros * Collects grass and leaves * Automatic emptying is reliable * Stable navigation via RTK and dual camera * App comes with zones, profiles, and schedules ### Cons * Noisy at 68 decibels * Needs space to turn round * Takes breaks to recharge * Rainwater collects in the basket ### Our Verdict We tested the Anthbot N8, a robotic mower that collects grass clippings and clears leaves. It’s slower and louder than typical models, but its cleanup performance is hard to beat. Price at time of review This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Price Today ### Price When Reviewed $1,699 ### Best Prices Today: Anthbot N8 Retailer Price Anthbot $1699 View Deal $1699 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Robotic mowers almost always leave the clippings on the lawn, but the Anthbot N8 does it differently. It collects grass and leaves and deposits both at a location of its choosing. This means it’s not just another variant of a mulching mower, but a machine for yard owners who prefer a tidy lawn. ## Anthbot N8: Design and build quality Anyone seeing the N8 on the lawn for the first time might easily underestimate it. At 24 inches long, the body itself is still manageable. With the grass catcher attached, the robot measures just under 3.3 feet. The manufacturer states a net weight of 38.7 pounds, while the shipping box says it weighs over 33 pounds. Michael Rupp The build quality is impressive. The top of the body is light in color, while the bumpers and underbody are anthracite. A purple ring on the wheels adds a splash of color. The drive wheels, with their deep tread, grip well even on damp grass. On the top is a control panel with a red stop button, three membrane keys, a battery indicator, and four status LEDs for 4G, Wi-Fi, GPS, and warnings. There is no display. All settings are managed via the app. Michael Rupp At the front, there are two camera openings behind the bumper, with an LED headlight between them. The robot is IPX6-rated for protection against water jets and can be hosed down with a garden hose. The charging station is IPX5-rated, and the adapter delivers 42 volts at 168 watts. Michael Rupp ## Anthbot N8: Two mowing systems The N8 has two operating modes. These are not controlled by a switch in the app, but by the blade disc. The Cyclone system collects clippings. The flat disc is fitted with three blades, which are bolted to the edge and bent upwards at the ends, similar to the high-lift blades on a gas mower. As the blades rotate, the wings on them generate an airflow. The mower deck above them tapers in a spiral pattern and opens into a discharge chute at the rear. The disc acts like a blower. It lifts the blades of grass, cuts them, and carries the clippings and leaves into the grass catcher via airflow. Anthbot quotes a collection rate of up to 99 percent and 4,000 revolutions per minute. Michael Rupp The Particle system mulches. This cutting disc is fitted with six blades: three straight blades and three spoon-shaped ones. The spoon-shaped ones keep the clippings in motion, while the blades break them down so they’re blown backwards and fall between the blades. Michael Rupp The two rear attachments differ mainly at the bottom. The 6.1-gallon grass catcher is enclosed and collects the clippings, while the discharge deflector is open at the bottom, directing the clippings straight onto the lawn. Both attach behind a hinged rear panel, which can be opened with a single movement. The N8 recognizes automatically which attachment is fitted to the mower. In the app’s main menu, Mulching is greyed out as long as the grass catcher is fitted. Michael Rupp To change the disc, screws on the underside need to be loosened first. This is a bit fiddly, but it’s meant to ensure safety. You only need to change the disc once or twice a season. The collection disc comes fitted as standard. If you want to mulch, you’ll need to swap the blade. When buying replacements, keep in mind that the N8 uses two different blade types: curved ones for the collection disc and straight ones for the mulching system. ## Anthbot N8: Setup There are more individual parts in the box than with many robotic mowers. As a result, assembly takes a little longer, but is straightforward. Clipping the two rear attachments (collection basket and discharge deflector) into place is a bit fiddly, as they need to be clipped into the correct position on the wire frames. No screws are required. Michael Rupp The charging station’s cables run through plastic screw connectors and are color-coded: purple for power and green for RTK. When connecting them, make sure to tighten them gently. The charging pad should be placed near the lawn, plugged into a socket. The app requires about 6.5 feet of clear space all around it as well as a Wi-Fi connection. At the top end of the station, the contact unit protrudes from the housing with two round contacts; above this is a black-and-white marking consisting of a cross and arrows, which the robot mower’s camera uses for orientation when docking. Michael Rupp The RTK antenna is mounted on a pole with a three-pronged ground spike and requires a clear view of the sky. If you skip this step, the N8 will use NetRTK via mobile networks and obtain its correction data from the internet. The 4G service is free for one year. After that, it costs $35.99 for one year, $75.99 for two years, and $107.99 for three years. Setup is done via the app. You pair the robot via Bluetooth, enter the Wi-Fi details, check the firmware, and then create the map. Automatic mapping (in the ACC app) isn’t something you can do while lounging in a deckchair. Michael Rupp The app requires clearly defined lawn edges and for you to follow the robot. Alternatively, you can map manually and guide the robot along the lawn edges using two joysticks. Michael Rupp Before the first mowing session, the grass should be shorter than 3 inches. The app recommends working your way down in stages from 3 to 2, and then to 1 inch. In our case, it took three or four passes before we were satisfied with the result. ## Anthbot N8: Features and app The app is clearly laid out and offers plenty of features. You can set up to 30 zones, each with its own name, and adjust the cutting height, mowing direction, and camera detection sensitivity separately for each one. The cutting height ranges from 1.2 to 2.8 inches, in 0.2-inch increments. The travel speed can be set to 0.66, 0.98, or 1.31 feet per second. For track spacing, you can choose between High Efficiency and Precision Cut. For the number of passes, you can choose between one and two. Michael Rupp You can adjust the sensitivity of the N8’s obstacle detection in three levels. The high setting avoids stepping stones and areas covered in leaves. The medium setting avoids stone paths and terrace edges. The low setting avoids only large areas without grass. If you switch off camera detection, you must first set up the pool, raised slabs, and tree roots as restricted zones. The app will remind you of this. The N8 detects rain and pauses for a pre-set period of three hours. It also features schedules, a quiet mode, anti-theft protection, a mower cleaning function, and a dedicated mode for the area around the charging station. Michael Rupp The Sweeping mode is not a third operating mode, but a profile for collection mode with two pre-set passes. Speed and noise levels remain the same. Sweeping doesn’t quite describe the process accurately, as nothing is actually swept up. A tip for autumn: If you just want to clear leaves from the area without cutting the grass, set it to 2.8 inches. As long as the grass remains below this height, the blades barely touch it. ## Anthbot N8: Collecting and emptying This is where the N8 really shines. The grass catcher fills up without leaving any significant debris behind. Nothing sticks to the soles of your shoes or your dog’s paws anymore. Michael Rupp You don’t have to empty the full collection basket yourself. A sensor monitors the fill level. When the grass box is full, the robot moves to a pre-defined dumping area, tilts the grass box and rear panel upwards, and then carries on working. This also happens at the end of a job or on command via the app. You can set up to five such areas, each at least 5 by 5 feet in size, which can be rotated and resized in the app. One detail: the dumping area must be within the mowing zone. If you’d like it to be somewhere else, simply extend the mowing zone accordingly. Michael Rupp There’s a reason why it’s a discharge area rather than a single point. The N8 discharges in a staggered pattern. This creates several small piles instead of a single cone, which could block the discharge. In our test, the discharge worked without a single failure. Michael Rupp The clippings in the basket are coarser than one might expect. The collection disc cuts once and then conveys the clippings on. It does not shred them. The result is reminiscent of an electric mower with a grass catcher: pieces of grass interspersed with leaves and leaf fragments. The contents of the grass catcher can be composted or put in the organic waste bin. A minor design flaw only becomes apparent when it rains. The upper covering of the collection basket is waterproof and forms a hollow in the center where rainwater collects. This does not hinder mowing or emptying. The water drains out when the basket is tipped. If the robot is in its docking station during a shower, a puddle forms. The original garage only covers the robot itself. The collection basket protrudes from the rear. A drain in the collection basket would be a simple improvement for the next model. Michael Rupp ## Anthbot N8: Fallen leaves Falling leaves are usually shredded by robotic mowers and often remain visible on the lawn. When there are large quantities, this is more than just a cosmetic issue. The layer of leaves can block out light from the grass, and the organic matter provides food for fungi. Leaves from trees infested with fungi should be removed from the lawn entirely anyway, as mulching spreads the pathogen. This is precisely where the N8 excels thanks to its Cyclone blade disc and collection basket. Michael Rupp On our test lawn, the area that had already been mown was largely clear after a single pass, while the leaves were still lying all over the area right next to it. The area wasn’t completely free of leaves, with a few individual leaves remaining. I can only achieve this level of cleanliness with a hand rake and great effort. The overall result is impressive: I come home from the office in the evening to find the leaves gathered in a small pile at the edge rather than scattered across the lawn. No other robotic lawnmower has managed this on our test course so far. You should clean the grass catcher every now and then with a broom or garden hose to ensure air can escape unhindered. ## Anthbot N8: Lanes, turning, and edges There’s nothing to complain about when it comes to the mowing result. The N8 cuts parallel lines with a slight striped pattern and covers the area completely. For the evaluation, we set up a 360-degree camera (DJI Osmo 360 II) securely at the edge of the lawn and recorded the process as a time-lapse. This allowed us to track the path, turning maneuvers, and evasive movements over a complete run. Michael Rupp During initial commissioning with an early firmware version, the robot’s behavior at the end of the track seemed erratic. Some tracks were missed, and the mower shut down while turning. Anthbot quickly rectified the issue. With firmware 0.3.90, navigation ran smoothly. Turning maneuvers remain complicated, and this is down to the design. The mower head is rigidly attached to the rear and does not turn with the robot. When the robot turns on the spot, this rear end swings outwards in a wide arc and collides with a wall, fence, or hedge, even though the wheels are free to move. Consequently, the N8 first veers off to the side, reverses, and then turns into the new path. Each end of a track thus requires several maneuvers. This extends the working time and has a greater impact the more turns are required – that is, when the mowing direction is transverse and the track spacing is narrow, and even more so when two passes are made. A strip remains uncut at the edge, up to about 6 inches depending on the distance to walls and obstacles. This is not a weakness of this model. A centrally mounted mower without a swiveling disc or trimmer cannot reach the edge. Three edge passes at the end of each mowing session reduce the width of the strip, but do not eliminate it entirely. Trimmers or hand shears are still required. Michael Rupp ## Anthbot N8: Obstacle detection On the test course, the N8 avoided a crisp packet, a watering can, fake hedgehogs, and children’s toys. It only recognized the fake dog poo at a cutting height of 1.8 inches and below – in other words, on short grass. The reason for this is the camera position. Taller blades of grass obscure objects that are low to the ground before the detection system kicks in. In this respect, the N8 is roughly on a par with the Navimow i210 LiDAR Pro. The N8 is also fitted with an LED spotlight. We advise against mowing at dusk or at night, as small animals are most active at those times. The schedules in the app offer the necessary settings to avoid this. ## Anthbot N8: Noise level, speed The N8 delivers on its 4-in-1 promise (mowing, mulching, collection, and leaf clearing) thanks to two distinctive features. The first is its noise level. In collection mode with the grass catcher fitted, we measured just under 68 decibels from a distance of 3.28 feet. This is down to the design. The blade disc and spiral housing work together to generate the airflow, and this requires a certain rotational speed. This cannot be optimized via a software update. When in operation, the N8 sounds like a cordless lawnmower. Michael Rupp The second compromise is the working speed. In one test area, the N8 mowed 1,200 square feet in 97 minutes, which works out at around740 square feet per hour. At the fastest speed setting, the maximum is 1.3 feet per second. You’ve also got to remember that it’s consuming more power in this mode. In another run, mowing an area of 960 square feet used up around 80 percent of the battery charge. With a charging time of 80 minutes, the N8 takes a corresponding number of charging breaks when covering larger areas. Anthbot itself quotes around 2,150 square feet of continuous mowing with the grass catcher fitted. ## Anthbot N8: Conclusion The Anthbot N8 is a specialist mower, and I mean that as a compliment. As a grass-collecting robotic mower and leaf clearer, it tackles tasks that were previously the preserve of rakes and leaf vacuums. The collection system works thoroughly, the automatic emptying function performed flawlessly in our test, and the app offers plenty of customization options without becoming confusing. The drawbacks stem from its design. The grass catcher makes the robotic mower longer and noisier, and it slows it down. The water trough on the grass catcher cover remains an avoidable blunder. Small, winding gardens with lots of corners are also not suitable for it. Before buying, consider how important grass collection is to you. If you want to leave the clippings on the lawn as fertilizer, you’re better off with the other Anthbot models, depending on the size of your lawn. ## Anthbot N8: Specifications * Model: Anthbot N8 * Price: $1,699 * Mowing systems: Cyclone disc with three blades for collection | Particle disc with six blades for mulching * Cutting width: 7.9 inches * Cutting height: 1.2 to 2.8, adjustable in 0.2-inch increments * Grass box capacity: 61 gallons, automatic emptying at up to five discharge points * Navigation: Full-band RTK with reference station and dual-vision cameras, optional NetRTK via 4G * Obstacle detection: AI camera detection, sensitivity in three levels * Mowing zones: Up to 30, each with its own cutting height, mowing direction, and detection level * Travel speed: 0.7 to 1.3 ft./sec. * Battery: 9.2 Ah, 198 Wh, 21.6 V * Charging time: 80 minutes * Maximum gradient: 24 degrees (45 percent), not tested * Noise level: 68 dB in collection mode * Dimensions: 24 x 17 x 13.1 without grass catcher * Weight: 38.7 pounds * Water resistance: IPX6 (robot), IPX5 (charging station) * Connectivity: Wi-Fi 2.4 and 5 GHz, Bluetooth, 4G * Firmware version: 0.3.90

Malware can gain access to more than just documents and apps on your PC. Get infected with a certain kind of virus, and your camera and microphone are fair game, too. You can minimize part of the headache by disabling unused microphones. For example, maybe you have both a dedicated microphone and a webcam with a built-in mic connected—if you disable the webcam’s mic and activate the standalone mic’s mute button, that should block any eavesdropping. Added bonus: You’ll minimize the annoyance of starting Zoom and Teams calls with the wrong mic active. (I swear, for me it’s every. single. time.) ## How to disable a microphone in Windows PCWorld Head to the Sound settings in Windows (_Settings > System > Sound_). Under _Input_ , click on the audio device you want to disable—this could be a webcam, a headset, or something else. In the individual device’s settings, find _General_ > _Audio_. Click on the _Don’t allow_ button. ## Why not just disconnect the cable? Unplugging an audio device from your PC is a valid strategy if you use it rarely. But otherwise, you may run into one of two problems: 1 – You can’t use the device because the audio input is mixed with other signals and routed over a single cable. (Ex: webcam) 2 – Your USB port wears out from frequent use. The second problem is fixable by buying a USB hub that has individual on/off switches. But turning off Windows’ access to a mic is free. ## Keep antivirus active on your PC! You can disable your microphone(s) as a precaution, but also take steps to avoid getting spyware in the first place. Let your antivirus program scan your system regularly, and avoid shady websites and downloads. Also keep an eye on your browser extensions and apps installed—sometimes, legit ones can turn bad right under your nose.

Logitech is launching the Zone Vibe Pro, a wireless over-ear headset that’s designed to be used both at work and in your free time. The Zone Vibe Pro doesn’t have a traditional microphone boom, instead using AI-based voice isolation to reduce background noise. The speakers feature 40mm drivers and adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC). With ANC enabled, the battery life is expected to last up to 30 hours with music playback or up to 18 hours with active talk time. Without noise cancellation, the battery life can reach up to 66 hours. A 5-minute charge is all that’s needed to regain about 1 hour of talk time. This headset can be connected to multiple devices via Bluetooth Multipoint, and the sound quality can be customized using the Logi Tune app. Logitech has also made the headband, ear cushions, and battery replaceable to extend the headset’s overall lifespan. Not a bad move given the current state of high-priced consumer electronics. So what exactly makes this headset for work _and_ leisure? Here’s what Logitech says in its announcement post: > “Modern professionals working across open offices, at home or on the go, shouldn’t need multiple audio solutions for work and life,” said Joseph Mingori, VP and General Manager of Mobile and Audio Solutions at Logitech. “Zone Vibe Pro solves that problem by giving employees the option of great sound everywhere with comfortable fit while giving IT teams reliable, certified hardware.” The Logitech Zone Vibe Pro is available now for $259.99 in three colors: Black, Graphite, and Off-White. For a limited time, it also comes with a free Logitech Wooden Headset Stand included.

**Sit Smarter. Save Bigger.** Up to 37% Off LiberNovo's Ergonomic Chairs VIEW SALE Gamers and PC users will spend hours tuning frame rates, working on a spreadsheet or presentation, or benchmarking a new GPU—but the chair underneath all of it often gets ignored. That’s a mistake, because no amount of horsepower fixes the ache that sets in after a long raid, a marathon coding session, or back-to-back video calls. A stiff neck, a sore lower back, legs that go numb by hour six—none of that is about discipline. It’s about sitting in a chair that was never designed to move with you. LiberNovo builds two lines of dynamic ergonomic chairs—Omni and Maxis—around a different idea: the chair should do some of the work of keeping you comfortable, not just cushion you while you sit still. This fall, timed to National Ergonomics Month, LiberNovo is running its Fall Prime Sale, cutting up to 37% off selected chairs and accessories. LiberNovo ## The Real Cost of Sitting Still If you’re gaming for hours at a stretch, running long builds in Visual Studio, or grinding through spreadsheets and back-to-back meetings on a Windows workstation, your body is under the same kind of load whether you’re a competitive streamer or an office IT admin: static pressure, in the same spots, for hours on end. A high-end chair with good foam doesn’t solve that—it just delays the discomfort by an hour or two. LiberNovo’s chairs take a more active approach. ErgoPulse Motorized Lumbar Support adjusts as you shift in your seat instead of staying locked in one position. An OmniStretch Recovery Mode feature works relief into the middle of a work or gaming session instead of waiting for a break you might skip. And a 105 to 160° recline range lets you swing from an upright competitive-gaming posture to a fully reclined “watching a stream, not playing” position without swapping furniture. The design idea is what LiberNovo calls a Dynamic Support System: headrest, backrest, armrests and seat move in sync, so support follows the body rather than holding it in one posture. LiberNovo ## Shopping for an Ergonomic Chair? Check These Boxes Not every “ergonomic” chair on the market earns the label. Before you buy, look for three things: adjustability that’s built around different body types (not a single generic frame), ErgoPulse Motorized Lumbar Support that tracks your movement rather than sitting fixed in place, and a recline mechanism that eases you back smoothly instead of dropping you. Maxis, the headline series in this sale, is a larger-frame chair line engineered for Big & Tall gamers and professionals, sold in Basic, Standard, and Premium tiers across Manual, Electric, and Airflow builds. It’s built with a 52 cm ultra-deep seat for extra thigh support, a wider frame (430 mm across the shoulders, 520 mm at the waist), a U-shaped headrest with 140 mm of vertical and 120 mm of horizontal adjustment, curved arc armrests that keep pressure off your sides, and a six-spring recline system tuned for stability under a bigger frame. The Maxis frame is rated to 399 lb (181 kg) and sized for users from 5’10” to 6’7″ (178–200cm). Maxis Airflow adds Active AirFlow Ventilation, a sensor-driven seat ventilation system powered by a rechargeable battery—a feature otherwise available only on the Omni Pro. Omni covers the rest of the lineup: Omni Pro for a full electric feature set, Omni Gen as the do-everything middle option, and Omni SE as a straightforward manual chair for anyone making their first real upgrade from a basic office or gaming chair. A core engineering feature shared by the Omni and Maxis is the Bionic FlexFit backrest, which uses eight adaptive panels and 16 pivot points to contour along the spine’s natural S-curve. LiberNovo ## Why Now Is the Time to Buy An ergonomic chair is closer to a PC build than an impulse buy—it’s a long-term investment, and LiberNovo has structured the sale that way. Buy early and you get 30-day price protection, plus gifts and automatic savings on qualifying orders, so there’s no incentive to rush the decision just to lock in a price. IT departments and studios outfitting five or more seats can also get bulk pricing across eligible Maxis and Omni models—a solid option for offices doing a round of workstation upgrades alongside new hardware. Whether you’re chasing lower ping times in a raid, pushing through a long compile, or just trying to make an 8-hour workday less punishing, the LiberNovo Fall Prime Sale is worth a look. Think of it the same way you’d think of a GPU or RAM upgrade: it’s not glamorous, but it changes how every session actually feels. LiberNovo The LiberNovo Fall Prime Sale runs September 30 to October 14, with some a limited-time Flash Sale between October 6-7 on some products and bundles.

One of the easiest ways to create your own, customized Gemini chatbot is about to be retired, but we just got a pair of encouraging updates about their replacements. We learned earlier this week that skills, a Gemini feature that was previously reserved for the Gemini Spark AI assistant, would step in for Gems, and that existing Gems would be converted to skills in the runup to the November sunset date. One of the big questions about skills, which are essentially custom instructions for Gemini that can be summoned within a prompt, was whether they’d be available to free as well as paid users. Previously, you could only use skills with the Spark agent, and Spark is reserved for paid Gemini AI users. But in an updated shared Wednesday, Google announced that Gemini skills will be available for any Gemini users over 18 with a personal Google account. Google added that skills will also be upgraded with missing features included in Gems, such as the ability to share skills with other users. You’ll also be able to add files from Google Drive as well as notebooks from Gemini Notebook. Existing Gems will be converted to skills automatically, Google confirmed, or you can do the conversion manually if you wish. Personal Gemini Gems will be retired starting in November, Google said, while Gems created by Google Workspace business, enterprise, and non-profit accounts will stick around until March 2027. Gems for Workspace education accounts won’t go dark until June 2027. Unlike Gems, which are essentially self-contained, Gemini-powered chatbots with their own instructions and knowledge files, skills can be invoked within any Gemini chat session by typing “/,” and you can even call a skill within another skill, allowing for powerful AI workflows. News that Google is phasing out Gems in favor of Gemini skills comes about two weeks after word surfaced that OpenAI is nixing custom GPTs, which (like Gemini Gems) allow you to create customized ChatGPT chatbots. Custom GPTs will be replaced by ChatGPT plugins.

NEW LOWEST PRICE **Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet (newest model)** View Deal Tablets with a compact 8-inch display are especially appealing if all you want to do is read ebooks, watch videos, browse the web, and use simple apps while on the go. Compared to larger models, 8-inchers are easier to carry around and fit into tight bags and backpacks. The Amazon Fire HD 8 (2024) is one of the best value picks in the 8-inch tablet category, and it just hit a new all-time best price: $79.99, which is 38% off its original $129.99 price tag. This is the special “early October Prime Day deal” price, and before this the lowest it ever got was $84.99. That means this is a real deal, one worth snagging if you need a budget tablet. ## What the Amazon Fire HD 8 offers The Amazon Fire HD 8 features an 8-inch 1280×800 screen. It weighs just 0.74 pounds, making it one of the lighter tablets in its class. It fits easily into most bags, making it ideal for travel or commuting. Under the hood, a 6-core processor works alongside 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage for good day-to-day performance. With this hardware, the 2024 version of the Fire HD 8 loads apps and web pages more smoothly than past models. You’ll notice some lag under heavy loads, but it’s good enough to handle typical everyday tasks. Need more storage? You can expand it by up to 1TB with a microSD card. At this price, don’t expect the display to blow you away. It’s fine for casual viewing of Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, or whatever else, but it won’t hold a candle in terms of color depth or contrast when compared to modern monitors or TVs. If you’re a cinephile and demand utmost picture quality, you’ll need to pay up a lot more for a tablet with a better screen. The 2024 Fire HD 8 promises a battery life of up to 13 hours of real-world, everyday use. Other features include Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band Wi-Fi, a USB-C port, and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Alexa is also built-in, so you can set reminders, control smart home devices, or retrieve information via voice commands. **Note:** The Fire HD 8 runs on Amazon’s own Fire OS. Apps are installed via the Amazon Appstore, and the Google Play Store is not officially supported. If you intend to run specific Android apps, you should make sure they’re available on the Appstore (or learn how to sideload the Play Store on the Fire HD 8) before buying this tablet. **Also note:** This deal is for the ad-supported version of the Fire HD 8, meaning you’ll see ads on the lock screen and in sleep mode. ## Why this deal is worth it The new all-time lowest price is what makes this Fire HD 8 deal worthwhile. For $79.99, you get a 2024-generation tablet with great battery life and good daily performance. With a 4.5-star rating across 10,000+ reviews, it’s hard to deny that users generally like what they’re getting. However, there are some criticisms regarding the tablet’s speed—it’s good enough, but lags behind what you’ll find in Samsung or Apple tablets. The display is also lackluster. But the biggest weakness? The camera. You probably shouldn’t get the Fire HD 8 if you’ll be taking lots of photos. The 2024 Fire HD 8 is for users who just want an affordable tablet. Anyone with high expectations regarding performance, display quality, or app selection will be better off with something from Samsung or Apple.

Firefox 157 is out for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android and the biggest change in this version is the new Nova design, which brings a more modern look to the browser. Mozilla has also fixed over 70 security vulnerabilities, and updates are also available for the Firefox ESR versions. The release of Firefox 158 is scheduled for October 13th, 2026. ## What’s new in Firefox 157? Now that Firefox has adopted a two-week release cycle, major new features are growing fewer and farther between. With Firefox 157, the focus is on the new Nova design, which has heavily rounded corners and subtle color gradients on surfaces. You’ll find 12 themes, each in light and dark variants. Mozilla has also brought back the popular Compact Mode, which groups elements together to save space—great for smaller screens. You can learn more about the Nova redesign and what it entails in this announcement post by the Mozilla team. ## Security fixes in Firefox 157 In the security advisory for Firefox 157, Mozilla lists 76 vulnerabilities that have been fixed, 30 of which were discovered and reported by external security researchers. Mozilla classifies 38 vulnerabilities as high risk, 29 as medium risk, and nine as low risk. Among them, 32 are use-after-free (UAF) vulnerabilities, some of which could be exploited to inject and execute code, and 15 of which could be exploited to escape the browser sandbox. ## Firefox ESR updates In addition to Firefox 157, Firefox ESR releases 153.4.0, 140.17.0, and 115.42.0 are also now available. However, the latter are only available for Windows 7 and 8.1 and macOS 10.12 to 10.14 until March 2027. In the ESR versions, Mozilla has fixed the aforementioned vulnerabilities that were also present in the code of these earlier browser generations. That amounts to 62 vulnerabilities in Firefox 153.4.0, 43 in Firefox 140.17, and 31 in Firefox 115.42. Firefox ESR 140 received its final update on September 29th. In two weeks, this version will finally be replaced by Firefox ESR 153. If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to start planning the switch.

Windows 11 26H2 is here earlier than expected, but before you run off and install it, you might want to take a second. Microsoft has issued a warning that the update contains a few known issues. According to the Windows Release Health notes: * **USB audio devices might fail to start or produce no sound** , meaning some USB Audio Class 1.0 devices display Code 10 or fail in multichannel audio modes after installing the September 2026 update. * **Domain-joined devices might lose their secure trust relationship with the domain** , meaning some accounts protected by Credential Guard might be unable to sign in with valid domain credentials. * **Devices might experience a black screen or desktop loading issues after sign-in** , which can occur in some virtual desktop environments. To be clear, these issues aren’t caused by Windows 11 26H2. In fact, Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2 also show those same issues on their respective Windows Release Health pages. However, it’s possible for your PC to not be experiencing these issues _now_ but start experiencing them once you upgrade to Windows 11 26H2. Meanwhile, if you’re already experiencing them, you’ll likely keep experiencing them post-update. While Microsoft has marked these issues as “mitigated,” the reality is that they still persist and Microsoft is still investigating solutions. ## What should you do? If you haven’t yet noticed the issues above and absolutely don’t want them to happen on your PC, you should wait until Microsoft reports that these issues have been fixed before installing Windows 11 26H2. (That’s our recommendation, not Microsoft’s.) It’s unclear how long it’ll be before those fixes are released—Microsoft hasn’t provided details. **Further reading:** What’s coming in the Windows 11 26H2 update?

According to past patterns, Windows 11 26H2 should’ve released next Tuesday… but it’s actually already here. Windows 11 PCs running 25H2 or 24H2 (but _not_ 26H1, which is specifically for Arm PCs) will receive the update as a tiny enablement package. Once installed, the update will require a single restart. That’s because the actual code for the new features is already on eligible PCs and simply needs to be enabled (hence it being called an “enablement” package). However, Microsoft isn’t actually _rolling out_ 26H2 to all compatible PCs right away. Instead, it’ll proceed the same way that recent fall updates have gone: Microsoft will slowly make the update available to more and more users, with the rollout occurring in waves. If Windows detects a problem on a particular PC, it’ll prevent the installation of 26H2 on that machine. To ensure you receive Windows 11 26H2 as soon as possible, you’ll need to enable the option “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” in Windows Update settings. After that, you’ll just need to wait until your Windows PC shows the “Windows 11 2026 Update” for installation. If you’re wondering whether the update is worth it, learn more about what’s coming in the Windows 11 26H2 update. However, there are some known issues with the update, so you might want to wait to update. Microsoft will provide support and feature updates for version 26H2 on Windows 11 Home and Pro until October 9th, 2028. Meanwhile, Enterprise and Education versions will receive support until October 8th, 2029. ## Direct downloads for a fresh install If you want to upgrade from an older version of Windows 11 (such as 23H2) straight to 26H2, you’ll need to perform a clean install of Windows 11 26H2, which is available on this download page. Using this method, you’ll of course need to activate Windows 11 using a valid license key. If you need a Windows 11 license key, you can grab one at a big discount from the PCWorld Software Store, where Windows 11 Home can be bought for just $59.99 (originally $139.99). You can then upgrade that to Windows 11 Pro for another $59.99 (originally $99) if you’d like extra features like sandboxing, BitLocker encryption, and virtualization.

If you’re moving your data to the latest version of Microsoft Outlook, it’s important to know that your calendar and contacts may need to be handled separately from your email. Classic Outlook can export your data in a PST file, but New Outlook does not restore calendar and contact information in the same way. Instead, you need to first export your calendar as an ICS file and then your contacts as a CSV file, then you need to import those files to the new version. ## Restoring your calendar To restore the calendar, open New Outlook and click on Add Calendar underneath the monthly view. Next select Upload from File, then Browse. Find the ICS file and select Open. Under Select Calendar, pick the calendar you wish to restore. Once you’ve clicked Import, Outlook will add the stored data to your current calendar. ## Restoring your contacts Now your contacts. Save your contacts as a CSV file. In New Outlook, open Contacts on the sidebar. They will appear there under the People tab. Next, click Export Contact in the ribbon, then Export. Outlook will then compile the CSV file with your contact information and save it to your local Downloads folder. Now open Contacts and click on Import Contacts. Next click on Select Browse for a File and upload the CSV file. Finally, select Open and then Import in the next window.

Meta’s Muse agent was born to shop, while Gemini’s Spark can help you book airline tickets or plan your weekly meals. But while Muse and Spark act like personal assistants, OpenAI’s new AI agents are designed to be, well, another “you” in the office. Dots, which OpenAI boss Sam Altman just unveiled at the company’s annual developers conference, are always-on AI assistants that — as with Muse — you can name, assign cute little avatars to, and chat with in the ChatGPT interface, via text, or even on the phone. But OpenAI is also positioning its Dots as your “delegates” and “extensions” in the office, where they can take on work duties you’ve assigned to them, as well as collaborate with colleagues (and their Dots) on Slack, Microsoft Teams, or in the new ChatGPT Spaces environment. OpenAI’s Dots are workplace agents you can collaborate with via ChatGPT Spaces, Microsoft Teams, or Slack (pictured). Ben Patterson/Foundry Powered by GPT-6 Astra (OpenAI’s “most aligned model,” Altman promised), Dots require a $100-a-month ChatGPT Pro plan or better, and can take on complex work and coding tasks, performing them locally or in the cloud before eventually coming back to report the results. Each eligible ChatGPT account comes with one Dot included, and users will eventually be able to take charge of multiple Dots. During the presentation, Altman was careful to emphasize that Dots let you “stay in control” thanks to Astra’s “built-in protections and safeguards,” while users are free to set custom instructions and boundaries for the assistants. “So this allows you to trust your Dot with as much responsibility as you’re comfortable with,” Altman said. Of course, OpenAI’s Dots debut comes amid mounting anxiety over the rapid growth of AI, with the biggest AI players calling for government regulation and “pacing” of frontier model development, while more and more AI whistleblowers are warning that AI could, quite literally, kill us all with the next decade. Just yesterday, OpenAI released a statement apologizing for an incident where its models hacked into Australian government websites, while another statement detailed new guidelines to bolster AI safety. But OpenAI’s peppy, Apple-style keynote belied the gravity of the moment, with Altman trotting out one agentic AI announcement after another, including GPT-6.1 Sol, a new GPT model designed to deliver Astra-level performance at a fraction of the cost. Also new is a ChatGPT Pro 500 plan, which at $500 a month becomes the priciest of OpenAI’s consumer ChatGPT individual plans. Aside from expanded usage limits, the Pro 500 plan also includes an Ultrafast mode, which boasts eight times the speed of standard mode at a whopping six times the price. Another subscription change involves the $200-a-month Pro plan, which has been re-opened to new subscribers while having its usage allowance cut roughly in half “to reflect our increasingly efficient models,” according to OpenAI. Pro 200 users (who will get to keep their current usage rates “for a bit”) are, quite naturally, already howling in protest. Then there’s Codex Security Cloud, a cloud-based that’s continuously scanning for vulnerabilities while spinning up security fixes, and OpenAI Private Intelligence, which sounds like OpenAI’s version of Apple’s Private Cloud Compute. I plan on testing OpenAI’s Dots once I scrounge up the cash for upgrading my Dot-less ChatGPT Plus account, so stay tuned. _Updated to add details about changes to OpenAI’s Pro 200 subscription plan._

The latest version of Claude Sonnet—Anthropic’s workhorse AI model—has just landed, and with it comes a prompt that could help keep any AI agent from leaping into action before making a plan first. Available now on the web, the Claude desktop app, and other Claude platforms, Claude Sonnet 5.5 is Anthropic’s middle-of-the-road model, It’s a step below Opus 5.5 but apparently just as capable as Fable 5.1 (Anthropic’s pricey frontier flagship) and a step above Haiku 5 (a fast but basic Claude model that’s due for a 5.5 upgrade). In Anthropic’s benchmarks, Sonnet 5.5 achieves scores rivaling Opus 5.5 in areas such as agentic coding and computer use, although the latest Opus model is still on top in terms of “complex, open-ended work requiring sustained judgement,” Anthropic notes. Still, Sonnet 5.5 appears surprisingly powerful and affordable compared to Claude Opus, and it also has the distinction of being the default Claude model for free users. In any event, with a new Claude model comes a new prompting guide, and the guide for the latest Sonnet contains a gem that could come in handy for other AI models, particularly those capable of building things. The prompt concerns “open-ended” requests, including those that don’t strictly define boundaries for what the AI should and shouldn’t do. An example provided by Anthropic is “show me what you can do with this,” with “this” being anything from an Excel spreadsheet to a code snippet. Like ChatGPT and Gemini, Claude can spontaneously start building charts, reports, videos, and other “artifacts” on the fly depending on your request, and an open-ended request could spawn an artifact you didn’t explicitly ask for. Needless to say, those artifacts will eat into your Claude usage limits—not great when you didn’t want them to begin with. In my tests, Sonnet 5.5 was pretty good about keeping its replies text-only when I handed it an Excel spreadsheet of made-up operating costs and asked “show me what you can do with this,” but in at least one instance it did spin up a chart on its own. I’ve previously written about prompts designed to keep AI models from jumping the gun, including one that directs an AI to stay in “pencil-and-paper” mode. But in Claude Sonnet 5.5’s prompting guide, Anthropic shares a new prompt for dialing down preemptive building: > When the user asks for ideas, options, or a plan, give them that and stop. Don’t start building or changing anything until they say to go ahead. You can use that prompt (or something similar) at the beginning of any AI chat, but it’ll be most effective as part of the AI’s custom instructions, or in the case of Claude Code as part of your CLAUDE.md file. Even if you don’t use this particular Anthropic prompt, it’s a good reminder to be specific when asking an AI assistant or coding agent to do something—or _not_ to do something, as it were.

A viral social media post claims Windows 11 stores a preview of every photo ever deleted. The controversy centers around a well-known Windows feature called the thumbnail cache, which can still contain image thumbnails long after their original files have been deleted. The discussion was sparked by user @Ayzacoder, which has been viewed millions of times over the last few days. However, the claim is only partially correct—while Windows 11 can store thumbnails of deleted images, not _every_ image will automatically end up in this cache. > Windows keeps a thumbnail of every photo you've ever deleted. > > It sits in a file called thumbcache_256.db, and forensic examiners pull it routinely. There are 15 more stores like it. > > Here's how to find them and wipe them: > > — Ayzaa (@Ayzacoder) September 26, 2026 ## What is the thumbnail cache? Windows 11 creates thumbnails for photos, videos, and some document types so that they can be displayed more quickly in File Explorer. Instead of recreating the preview every time it’s needed, the operating system stores it temporarily in a local database. This data is stored in the user profile at `%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer`. There you’ll find files with names such as `thumbcache_32.db`, `thumbcache_96.db`, `thumbcache_256.db`, or `thumbcache_1024.db`. These are individual thumbnail databases containing preview images in different sizes. This thumbnail cache system has been in place since Windows Vista. Previously, Microsoft used the familiar `Thumbs.db` files convention, which were stored in individual folders. ## Not every deleted photo is saved The claim that’s circulating social media right now gives the impression that Windows 11 automatically archives a preview of all deleted images. However, there’s no evidence to support this. For example, a test conducted by Windows Latest showed that several images that were downloaded and later deleted didn’t appear in the thumbnail cache. The database files weren’t altered at all. The reason? A thumbnail preview is normally only saved when File Explorer (or another application) generates a thumbnail as part of the file preview process. If an image is never actually displayed as a preview anywhere, it won’t have made a thumbnail to end up in the cache. ## Why do thumbnails remain after deletion? The thumbnail cache is stored separately from the original image files. That means when an original photo is deleted, Windows 11 doesn’t automatically remove the corresponding thumbnail. As a result, small image previews may still be present even though the original file itself has long since been deleted from the PC. ## Investigators make use of the data The thumbnail cache has been of interest to IT forensic experts for years. Using specialized tools, stored thumbnails can be extracted from these databases even after the original files have already been deleted. This doesn’t automatically pose a security risk for home users. However, it does show that “file deleted” doesn’t necessarily mean that all associated information is completely wiped from the system. Should you worry? That depends. Since these are thumbnails, they aren’t complete copies of the original images but rather reduced-size previews. A lot of the original detail will be lost, and whether the thumbnail remains recognizable will depend on the size and subject of the image. ## How to clear the thumbnail cache If you want to remove existing thumbnails from your Windows 11 PC, you can do so using the built-in thumbnail cleaner: 1. Press the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut. 2. Type “cleanmgr” and press Enter. 3. Select the Windows drive. 4. Tick the “Thumbnails” box. 5. Click “Delete files.” Windows 11 will then remove the stored thumbnails. The cache will be rebuilt as required whenever you browse folders later. In Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education, you can also permanently disable thumbnail caching. To do this, open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) and navigate to User Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → File Explorer. There you will find the policy called “Disable thumbnail caching.” Microsoft recommends enabling this setting on public computers, shared computers, or any computer where security is a key concern. Users of Windows 11 Home can instead enable the option “Always show icons instead of thumbnails” in File Explorer. This means that image previews will no longer be displayed and, consequently, no new thumbnail previews will be created.

Microsoft is expected to release the next major fall update for Windows 11 in a few days. But when _exactly_? We have a guess. Windows Latest analyzed when Microsoft released the last few fall updates for Windows 11 over the last few years and found that next Tuesday—October 6th, 2026—is the most likely date. According to the analysis, Windows 11 versions 21H2, 22H2, 23H2, 24H2, and 25H2 were all released on a Tuesday. In three cases, that Tuesday fell in October; in two cases, it fell in September. Only one of those October days fell at the _end_ of the month; all other Tuesdays in October came _early_ in the month. Going by the odds, it seems most likely then that Windows 11 26H2 will arrive on the **first Tuesday of October 2026**. Okay, that’s all good and well. But what’s so special about Windows 11 26H2? Who’s going to get it? And _how_ do you get it? We’ve answered all the major questions in our rundown of what to expect when Windows 11 26H2 lands. In short, don’t get too excited; let it come when it comes and install it whenever it’s most convenient for you.

Back in February, Discord first attempted to launch its age verification process—only to run straight into massive user outcry. In response, the company went back to the drawing board. Now, half a year later, the branding of teen and adult accounts has finally rolled out. As a regular Discord user, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the process. So, while waiting my turn, I read up on what I needed to know. ## You can’t opt out Discord first framed age verification on the platform as a move to protect teens. Problem was, it expected users to submit to a facial scan or upload a government ID. That sparked protest—and rightfully so, given today’s greater privacy and security concerns. Now Discord has easier methods to prove adulthood, if you somehow get flagged as a teen. But you can’t escape the classification process. Multiple countries have begun requiring companies to confirm the ages of users, in order to protect children from harmful content and exposure to unsafe adults. The only true way to opt out is to leave the platform all together. ## Verification is now less invasive If you stick around, Discord automatically assigns you an age group based on what it calls “signals.” Using machine learning, the platform guesses your age based on details like how old your account is, who you speak with the most, the servers you belong to, and if you’ve ever subscribed to Nitro. Discord says it does not read your messages (either those sent on servers or over direct message) as part of its evaluation. According to Discord, this method will accurately assign an age category to over 90 percent of users. If it doesn’t, adults can prove their age through credit card info, the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, Google Wallet, or AgeKey. (AgeKey is a service owned by Singaporean age verification company k-ID.) Discord says its third-party vendors for age confirmation must abide by its data retention policies. Namely, any age verification related data can only be kept for the time needed to confirm age, then must be deleted after. If facial age estimation comes into play, it can only be performed on your device. ## You can choose not to verify Still don’t want Discord to have any further information about you in order to escape classification as a teen? You can still keep using the platform, but your access will be more locked down. Teen accounts are restricted from age-gated servers, content, and settings. Messages with sensitive content may be blurred or all together blocked, depending on the source. Direct messages from non-friends will automatically be sent to a message request inbox, allowing you to screen them before they appear in your normal DM list. (For the full details on Teen protections, you can read Discord’s full rundown.) Perhaps a small benefit: Discord is now enabling “spoiler channels,” which will let server owners sequester juicy info without having to age-lock them. (AKA the long-standing workaround.) ## Where to check your status PCWorld Head to _Settings > Account_. Under _Account Status_ , you’ll see “Age Group.” Your status will be listed as either _Teen_ or _Adult_. Anecdotally, users on PCWorld’s The Full Nerd Discord server have reported getting _Adult_ status—and just before I filed this story, I received the same designation, too. So Discord may end up being right about its high estimates for accurately pinpointing “mature” behavior. (We’re all still emotionally unsure it was correct, though.)

NOW JUST $12 **Ugreen Revodok 5-in-1 USB-C Hub** View Deal Tired of missing connectivity on your laptop? Wish you had extra USB-A and HDMI slots but don’t want to buy a bunch of different adapters to juggle? There’s a small accessory you can get that’ll solve your woes: the Ugreen 5-in-1 USB-C hub, normally $16 but on sale for $12 right now. This hub turns your laptop’s USB-C port into five ports _without_ making you give up the USB-C port’s charging capabilities. The hub includes a 100W USB-C Power Delivery port so you can keep your laptop charged while using its other ports: a 4K HDMI, a 5Gbps USB-A data port, and two USB-A ports for peripherals. All laptops _should_ come with these ports by default, but if yours is lacking, this is a great way to add them back in. Need examples of what exactly this hub can do for you? That HDMI port lets you connect a high-res external monitor as a second screen for boosted productivity. The 5Gbps USB-A port is for flash drives and external SSDs, allowing you to fast-transfer data to and from your laptop. And those slower USB-A ports can be used to connect a keyboard, a mouse, a gaming controller, a headset, or maybe a printer. And the best part? Just unplug the hub from your laptop and _everything_ disconnects with it, then plug it back in to instantly reattach it all. It’s a budget option, but one worth having even just as a backup. If you want a more powerful hub (sometimes called a docking station), check out PCWorld’s picks for the best USB-C hubs and Thunderbolt docks.

Thanks to AI data centers, consumer SSDs, flash drives, and SD/microSD cards have doubled or even tripled in price. That really sucks if you haven’t stocked up on local storage options, and it _really_ sucks if you’re relying on SD/microSD cards for DSLRs, dashcams, security cameras, and more. 2026 is not the best year for dying memory cards. They’re impractical or even impossible to repair at home, and they’ve gotten notoriously expensive to replace. If you want your SD and microSD cards to survive as long as possible, here are the most common causes you need to know about and what you can do to avoid premature wear-and-tear. PROMOTION **Get $10 Off on Stellar Data Recovery** Recover lost or deleted photos, videos, and more from any SD card, whether it was accidentally formatted, corrupted, or became inaccessible. Go beyond recovery by repairing corrupted photos and videos, ensuring your cherished memories are not only restored but also fully viewable again, all with one powerful, easy to use solution. Buy now _Note: I’ll only refer to SD cards going forward, but these reasons also apply to microSD cards, which are just miniature versions of the same tech._ ## Flash memory wear Virtually all SD cards use NAND flash memory. While NAND is great because it’s fast, non-volatile, and able to pack a lot of data into a tiny physical space, it has its downsides. The biggest one is that NAND cells physically wear out with every write/erase cycle—too many of those and cells will start to fail, causing errors. That means any real-world use case that involves constant writing and rewriting of data will inevitably cause an SD card to wear out. Dashcams and security cameras with continuous recording can’t exactly avoid this, but a photographer who regularly fills up a card with burst shots and deletes most of them is causing undue wear-and-tear. Mahdi Gharib / Unsplash QLC (quad-level cell) cards are cheaper than TLC (triple-level) cards but have lower per-cell endurance and therefore wear out fast. Likewise, TLC is cheaper than MLC (multi-level) but also dies faster, and the same for MLC versus SLC (single-level). The cheaper the design, the more often you’ll have to replace it. The good news is, SD cards have built-in wear-leveling algorithms that smartly distribute writes so all cells wear out at similar rates. The bad news is, too much static storage can prevent the algorithm from doing its thing. Avoid filling up a card to over 90 percent capacity, and try to reformat the card regularly to give wear-leveling a clean slate to work with. ## Physical damage SD cards aren’t delicate, but they’re more fragile than you might expect. Even if you aren’t snapping it in half, the internal parts are susceptible to factors like temperature, humidity, and static electricity. Extreme heat is a big killer. That microSD card in your dashcam? It bakes in 135°F temperatures for hours, days, weeks throughout the summer, slowly breaking down under the stress. Rain and other forms of moisture exposure can corrode the contacts. Accidental static discharge can instantly fry the entire card, destroying it. Avoid leaving your SD cards in extreme temperatures for long periods of time. Don’t get them wet, and dry them off quickly if they do. Be careful when coming in from the cold, which can cause the inside warm air to condense on the card. And carry your SD cards in a case! ## Manufacturing defects All SD cards can fail “for no reason”—yes, even ones from reputable brands with good quality assurance. Truth is, everything that’s made and assembled in factories has a margin for error, and the bits inside your SD card all have variable failure rates. The most common failure point is the controller, which renders the card inoperable when it dies, but other failure points include bad solder joints and bad flash cells that should’ve been rejected. This means you can buy a high-quality card that unexpectedly dies after a week of light use. H2testw While you can’t avoid manufacturing defects, you _can_ reduce the likelihood by only buying from reputable brands like SanDisk, Samsung, and Lexar. You can also use free tools like H2testw to verify there aren’t any errors on the card. (H2TestW writes data to the entire card and reads it back to ensure all sectors are working properly.) ## Improper ejection or power loss Every SD has two layers: the physical layer where the data is actually written to flash cells, and the software layer (called the file system) that “knows” where to find the data across those cells. Think of the file system as an index or table of contents. When data is written or erased on the card, the file system also needs to be updated. If the card is ejected in the middle of an operation—or if the power goes out—then there will be a mismatch and the file system will have an incorrect view of data on the card. Always wait for the SD card to finish all operations before ejecting, and always make sure to use “safe eject” measures to insure against improper ejects. Also, replace SD card reader accessories once their connection points are worn out and no longer stable, and make sure your laptop/camera batteries don’t die while writing to cards. ## File system corruption The file system of an SD card can get corrupted in other ways beyond improper ejection and power loss. Did you know there isn’t just _one_ file system? A card can be formatted in FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, and others. Sometimes a device might expect or assume your card to be formatted a certain way and write proprietary metadata that corrupts. For example, formatting an SD card within a drone or camera then inserting that card into a PC or Mac can sometimes lead to issues with the index. Or when a card is reformatted improperly, it may have leftover data or structure that causes issues until it’s properly blanked out. Wyze Labs Always format an SD card using the primary device it’ll be used with. If you’ll be using it with multiple devices—like your camera _and_ your laptop—choose a file system that’s supported by all of them. Also consider doing regular health checks to catch a degrading file system before it craps out and causes catastrophic data loss. ## Protect your SD and microSD cards 2026 was not a good year for electronics, and memory cards have gotten _expensive_. Don’t expect prices to come back down until 2027 at the earliest, but even then it’ll be unlikely. Don’t want to shell out unreasonable amounts for a replacement card? Take care of what you’ve got. By understanding what kills memory cards and the habits you can employ to avoid premature death, you’ll be able to add extra years to the lifespans of your SD and microSD cards. That said, if they happen to die anyway, here’s what you should do with it before tossing it.

If you’re a fan of Gems—the Gemini feature that lets you create customized Gemini chatbots with their own instructions and knowledge files—prepare for some big changes coming soon. According to a banner that popped up on the Gems Manager page over the weekend, Google is about to turn Gems into skills, a feature within Google’s Spark AI assistant that offers related but also somewhat different functionality. The news comes just a few weeks after OpenAI announced the impending “retirement” of custom GPTs, a popular ChatGPT feature that’s similar to Gemini Gems. While a number of Redditors spotted the Google banner on the Gems Manager page, I’m not seeing the banner in my own Gemini account. I’ve reached out to Google for more details. As shown in screenshots posted on Reddit, the banner reads: “Starting November 17, 2026, we’ll automatically begin migrating your Gems to skills,” adding that users “will be able to use [their] Gems until they migrate.” A “Learn more” button leads to an empty Google support page. Gemini Gems essentially let you create custom Gemini chatbots, complete with their own custom names and detailed instructions about what they should do and how they should act, plus upload files to use as knowledge bases. Once built, you can chat with a Gem as you would with Gemini, except your Gem can have its own abilities and personality. Skills, on the other hand, are custom instructions for Gemini apps, namely Spark, the personal AI assistant that lives within a separate tab in the Gemini interface. Whereas Gems are launched within their own chatbot environment, Spark skills can be invoked during any Spark chat, typically starting with a “/”. Spark can also call a skill on its own if it determines the skill is relevant to a particular task at hand. Besides invoking skills during Spark chats, you can also add skills to scheduled tasks, or even embed skills within other skills. Those skills can lead to some powerful automations, but they’re not exactly like the customized Gemini chatbots you could spin up using Gems, and it’s not clear exactly how migrated Gems will work once they become skills. In another wrinkle, skills currently only work with Spark, which requires a paid Google AI subscription (such as Google AI Pro for $20 a month) while Gems are available to free Google users. It’s entirely possible that skills will become available in standard Gemini chats once November 17 rolls around, but we’re still awaiting more details. There have been rumblings of Google potentially retiring Gems since August, while code discovered in the Google app has hinted about migrations plans for Gems turning into skills.

A few days ago, Google quietly announced that it’ll be allowing certain Chromebook models to upgrade from ChromeOS to Googlebook OS at some point in the future. The announcement was made via a new support page, spotted by The Verge. Googlebook OS is the company’s newest laptop operating system, which is being launched alongside its new lineup of Googlebook laptops. As of now, the first Googlebooks will come from manufacturers including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. However, exactly which models will be included in the upgrade, or how it will be carried out, remains unclear. Google states that more information will follow. Chromebooks that don’t receive the upgrade will still receive regular updates until the end of their standard support period. The operating system combines elements of ChromeOS with Android technology and is tightly integrated with the Gemini AI assistant. That said, our first-hand impressions show that Googlebooks are phone-first, not AI-first and their most compelling feature is actually native support for fully isolated Linux environments.

MATCHES ALL-TIME LOW PRICE **Anker 140W USB-C splitter cable** View Deal What do you do when you need to charge two devices? One option is to use a multi-port charger with multiple cables. Another option is to use a single USB charger with a single cable—like this Anker 2-in-1 USB-C splitter cable that’s now on sale for $15.99, matching its lowest price ever. On one end, it has a typical USB-C connector. Plug that end into any USB-C power adapter, ideally one that can put out up to 140 watts because that’s how much this cable can support. The other end is split into two USB-C connectors for two different devices, like a phone and a tablet, or a phone and a laptop, or a phone and earbuds. You get my drift. The cable itself is 6 feet long, with the main end stretching 5 feet and the split end up to 1 foot (though it can be shortened with the cable slider). That’s long enough to plug into a wall and not be tethered too closely, and two people can charge phones while still using them comfortably. Just be careful when packing it away, as cables of this length can tangle. One caveat worth knowing is that the power delivery isn’t so straightforward. Only when charging a single device does the cable actually deliver the full 140W it’s capable of. When charging two devices and one uses more than 100W, the cable maxes out at 130W. If neither device uses more than 100W, the cable only maxes out at 100W. The first device plugged in gets the higher share.

MATCHES LOWEST PRICE **Ring Indoor Security Camera** View Deal There’s one thing that’ll give you peace of mind when you’re on vacation, at work, or on a grocery run—a security camera that watches over your home and lets you tune in remotely. Right now, Amazon is selling its Ring Indoor Cam for just $25 instead of $50. Not only is that half price, but it matches the lowest price it’s ever been. At half off, the Ring Indoor Cam is a fantastic value. It records 1080p video, it’s easy to install and set up, and it has all the basic features you’d need in an indoor cam. It’ll walk you through setup via the Ring app, and once it’s set up, you can check in at any time via Live View no matter where you are. This Ring camera allows you to stay in the loop day and night, providing clear video and audio around the clock, plus push alerts when motion is detected so you know right away when something amiss happens. And if you spot your dog chewing on your slippers, for example, you can use the Two-Way Talk feature to issue a “Drop it!” command. It does require power, so you’ll have to place it somewhere in the vicinity of a power outlet (a 6.5-feet cable is included, but you can also buy a 10-feet alternative that’s sold separately). But that’s not a bad trade-off considering how little you’re paying for it. For just $25, the Ring Indoor Cam is an easy pick if you want simple, dependable home monitoring without the hassle.

Microsoft recently released optional out-of-band update KB5002907, intended to bring outdated versions of Microsoft 365 Apps back in sync and continuing to receive updates. However, Microsoft quickly halted the rollout of this update due to a serious issue. This update was for Windows PCs on which Microsoft 365 Apps were more than 90 days out of date and either on the Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel. Installing the update would allow those apps to be updated again and switch to a more current update channel. KB5002907 was available via Windows Update. It wasn’t an update for the Windows operating system, nor was it installed automatically. It could only be installed manually. If you installed it, you may have noticed some issues afterward. Here’s what Microsoft says in an updated note for the patch: > Microsoft has received reports of unexpected results on some devices running Office 2016 or Office 2019 after this update is installed. This update was intended to address issues with devices not receiving updates to Microsoft 365 Apps. As part of the repair action applied by this update, some devices were left without functioning versions of Microsoft 365 Apps or Office. To prevent additional devices from being affected, we have paused the rollout of this update. If your device is affected, use the appropriate resolution: > > * In some cases, the product may appear to be unlicensed. Users should reactivate their purchased product: Activate Office for Windows > * In rare cases, the product may have been removed. Users should reinstall their purchased product: Download and install or reinstall Office 2021, Office 2019, or Office 2016 > > > If the issue persists after you complete the appropriate resolution steps, contact Microsoft Support. When you contact support, describe the issue and the steps you have already completed so that we can connect you with the appropriate assistance. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the paused rollout to BleepingComputer: “We are aware of these reports and have paused the update while we investigate. Additional customer guidance will be communicated via appropriate channels.”

Remember back when Windows 11 first came out and Microsoft gave everyone a free pass to upgrade? On the surface, it was a generous move; in actuality, it was a ploy to lure us away from Windows 10. #### get windows 11 pro for cheap ### Windows 11 Pro Price When Reviewed: 199.99 Best Prices Today: $59 at PCWorld Store – Win 11 Pro Upgrade Only | $79.99 at PCWorld Software Store Obviously, if Microsoft was giving something away, it was going to come with a catch. In this case, it’s all the ads that are being added to Windows 11, going above and beyond what we’ve seen in previous versions. Fortunately, we can disable those ads… for now, at least. If you’re fed up with all the ads and recommendations throughout Windows 11, there are plenty of ways to push back. Here are the settings you need to turn off to ditch Windows’ worst ads. > **Further reading:** 13 important Windows settings to change immediately ## Shut down Start menu ads Jon Martindale / IDG The Start menu has been fertile ground for Microsoft’s “Recommended” apps since Windows 10, and it’s alive and well in the latest builds of Windows 11. Fortunately, it’s straightforward to turn off. Navigate to **Settings > Personalization > Start**, then look for the option titled “Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more” and toggle it to **Off**. ## Ditch Windows notification ads Jon Martindale / IDG I’m not a fan of notifications. I have enough trouble concentrating on tasks day to day without pop-ups and alerts distracting me — and the last thing I need are ads disguised as important notifications. Let’s turn those off, shall we? And while we’re at it, let’s remove those pesky full-screen “Finish setting up” prompts, too. Navigate to **Settings > System > Notifications**. Scroll down to the bottom where you’ll find **Additional settings**. Click to expand those options, then uncheck the boxes for “Get tips and suggestions when using Windows,” “Suggest ways to get the most out of Windows and finish setting up this device,” and “Show the Windows welcome experience after updates and when signed in to show what’s new and suggested.” Phew, what a mouthful. ## Stop suggested ads in Settings Jon Martindale / IDG Fed up with Microsoft’s “suggestions” for Copilot and other features in the Settings app? You can turn those off, too. Navigate to **Settings > Privacy and Security > General**, then toggle the option for “Show me suggested content in the Settings app” to **Off**. ## Remove File Explorer ads Jon Martindale / IDG OneDrive may not be one of our top-pick cloud backup services, but it’s still pretty good and affordable. The problem is, being bombarded with ads for it can be a huge turn-off — and if you’re like me, you’re probably sick of those ads in File Explorer. Here’s how to switch those off. Open File Explorer and select the three-dot menu in the actions toolbar. Select**Options** followed by the **View** tab. Scroll down to near the bottom of the list and look for “Show sync provider notifications.” Make sure it’s unchecked, then select **OK**. ## Eliminate widget feed ads Jon Martindale / IDG If you make use of Windows’ widgets, you know all too well that they often try to push you towards breaking stories, stock updates, and other content that may be irrelevant to you. To disable those, you can either turn off specific feeds or disable widgets entirely. To remove an individual widget feed, select the widget icon at the bottom-left of your screen, then select the cog icon at the top-right of the widget window. Select **Show or hide feeds** and switch the feed(s) to **Off**. To remove widgets entirely, right-click on your taskbar and select **Taskbar settings**. Then, toggle “Widgets” to **Off**. ## Disable manufacturer bloatware ads Joel Lee / IDG If you bought your PC or laptop from a major manufacturer like Dell, Lenovo, or HP, there’s a good chance it came preloaded with unsolicited apps (“bloatware”) you don’t want or need. If you don’t want to uninstall them altogether, you can at least cut down on notification spam. Navigate to **Settings > System > Notifications** and look through the list of apps until you find any named after your PC’s manufacturer. Disable those ads by toggling those notifications to **Off**. Sometimes they give their apps names that are less obviously identifying. If you spot any suspicious or unusual apps, do a quick Google search on them to see if they’re worth disabling. ## Block lock-screen and background ads Jon Martindale / IDG The Windows Spotlight feature dynamically changes your background and lock screen images to keep your desktop feeling fresh and interesting. But Microsoft has occasionally shown ads for various games with it, and the related tips can be a little ad-like at times, too. Unfortunately, the only way to stop that for now is to turn off Windows Spotlight. If you’d rather resort to static images that you change yourself, here’s what you can do: Navigate to **Settings > Personalization > Background**. Then, next to **Personalize your background** , use the drop-down menu to select anything other than Windows Spotlight. Also, navigate to **Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen**. Then, next to **Personalize your Lock Screen** , use the drop-down menu to choose any option that isn’t Windows Spotlight. ## Hide the highlight ads in Windows search Jon Martindale / IDG Ah, Windows search, how I love and loathe thee. You’re good at finding apps as long as I type them out correctly, but I don’t need you to show me ads and suggested shopping content. Let’s turn that off. Navigate to **Settings > Privacy and security > Search permissions**. Scroll down until you find “Show search highlights” and toggle it **Off**. ## No more personalized ads Jon Martindale / IDG While all the above settings will prevent Microsoft from serving you as many ads within Windows itself, they won’t stop the operating system from collecting your data to serve you personalized ads in the future. You can put a stop to that now so that even if an ad does somehow get through, it won’t be highly targeted to you and your activity. Disable Windows device usage tracking by navigating to **Settings > Personalization > Device Usage** and toggling **Off** all the options there. You can also disable further gathering of diagnostic data by navigating to **Settings > Privacy and security > General** and toggling all the options there to **Off** as well. **Further reading:** All the ways Windows 11 collects your data

BEST PRICE ALL YEAR **Samsung ViewFinity S9 Ultrawide Monitor** View Deal Prime Day is a week away and we’re already seeing impressive discounts for tech gear we’ve been eyeing. Right now, Samsung’s impressive 49-inch ultrawide monitor is on sale for $799.98, a whopping $400 discount that matches the best price it’s been all year. What’s interesting is that high-end ultrawides like this are typically marketed towards gamers, but this one is a business-class model. You’re looking at double HDMI plus DisplayPort inputs, along with Ethernet and a USB-C port with 90W of passthrough charging, making it a great home office monitor to pair with a laptop. The built-in KVM switch means you can hook up multiple PCs to this monitor and easily switch between them, using the same keyboard and mouse as you switch. With its 5120×1440 resolution, you’re getting tons of screen space—that’s equivalent to two 1440p monitors side by side, but without an annoying bezel down the middle. That’s enough screen real estate to dock multiple apps on screen for maximum productivity, and the 120Hz refresh rate will feel responsive and smooth as you work or watch Netflix. Can you use it for gaming? Sure, but you’ll need a powerful machine to push high frame rates at this resolution, and the 120Hz refresh rate might not be enough if you’re a hardcore gamer. Meanwhile, the VA panel lacks the ultra-fast response times you’d want for twitchy games. This is a monitor that’s designed mainly for productivity but can support casual gaming after hours; it’s not primarily for gamers. Huge 49-inch ultrawides don’t come cheap, especially not from a premium brand like Samsung. Getting this ViewFinity S95UC for just $799.99 is a real deal, and one of the better early October Prime Day deals. If you’re interested in an ultrawide but would rather one that’s more affordable, check out PCWorld’s picks for the best ultrawide monitors.

Monitor placement is key to a healthy posture at your desk, whether for work or gaming. If the monitor is too far, too close, too high, too low, or tilted at the wrong angle, you _will_ develop posture-related problems at some point—like eye strain, fatigue, back pain, or more severe issues like herniated disks and pinched nerves. As someone with chronic back issues who works at a desk all day, I take my workstation setup seriously. I switched to a standing desk and sometimes even use an under-desk treadmill, plus I incorporate all kinds of other desk-related health tips and habits. I know first-hand what can happen when I neglect these things. Proper monitor placement is up there as a top priority. Here’s what I’ve learned over the years and what I do with my monitors now for best comfort and posture while working and gaming. ## Center it, straight ahead of you Whether you have a single monitor or multiples, keep them as centered in front of you as possible. You want to spend the majority of your PC time looking straight forward—not to the side, where you’ll place undue strain on your neck. A neutral, face-forward position. This guy would have to keep his head on a swivel.Esten Erbol / Unsplash If you have multiple monitors, of course they can’t _all_ be perfectly centered. In that case, just make sure you aren’t turning your head to extreme angles. You can cut down on horizontal spanning by using a vertical monitor or stacking your monitors vertically. Just be careful you aren’t craning your neck, wherever it ends up. ## Obey the rule of thirds We all know staring down at a phone all day is bad for our necks and backs, so why do the same with a monitor? Don’t do what every stock image laptop user appears to do, looking down at a 45-degree angle to the laptop in their lap—you’re begging for pain and posture issues. The same is true for the PC monitor that’s ahead of you. Instead, raise your monitor so that your eye level falls somewhere between the top edge of the display and one-third down the screen. This way your eyes will naturally rest at a slightly downward angle while still being able to see the majority of the screen. You can look up or down every once in a while, but try to avoid it for extended periods. _**Note:** It’s a little different if you wear bifocals. In that case, you’ll need to align the monitor with the close-distance portion of your lenses: place the monitor a little lower and tilt it upwards at the right angle._ My neck hurts just looking at this picture.Maxim Ilyahov / Unsplash This also means taking ownership of what’s on your screen, too. If you’re working on a document or reading a website, scroll in a way that puts your subject (e.g., the paragraph of text you’re reading) towards the top half of the screen. In doing this, you’ll keep your gaze at a good height and prevent your neck from craning uncomfortably. Can’t adjust your monitor high enough? You have options—like a monitor riser or monitor arm—that give you more control over the height and positioning of your display. If you want to take it a step further, you can also consider an adjustable standing desk in conjunction with those. ## Keep your monitor at arm’s length For standard-sized monitors in the 21 inches to 27 inches range, you want your display to be about an arm’s length away. Stretch your arm out in front of you (being careful with the angle so you aren’t mistaken for a wayward tech CEO) and see if your fingers can barely brush the screen. If they can—or if they’re close—then that’s a fair distance. For larger displays, it’s OK to sit back even further. You may want to adjust your monitor’s scaling and/or resolution if you find it difficult to read text on the screen. The end goal here is eye comfort. Make sure you aren’t sitting too close or too far, else you may experience eye strain. ## Lean back, lean back Your monitor’s tilt functionality is useful even if you don’t wear bifocals. Indeed, due to the way our eyes naturally gaze downwards, having a light 10- or 15-degree upward tilt is what most experts consider ideal for maximum eye comfort with monitors. If your monitor stand doesn’t tilt, try a monitor arm. The one pictured here is the MountUp MU0004 Single Monitor Arm. Matthew Smith / Foundry If you do wear bifocals, consider a more extreme tilt. The right amount will depend on your eyes, your glasses, and the monitor you’re using. Fiddle around and get it comfortable. If you get it to where neither your neck nor eyes feel strained at the end of the day, you did it. ## Minimize glare from lights It’s not just about _how_ you position your monitor. It’s also important _where_ you position it, at least in relation to the light sources around you. Glare is a real problem for picture quality and quick comprehension of what you’re seeing on the screen, but it’s _also_ something that can lead to eye strain. The harder it is to discern what you’re looking at, the more your eyes struggle to figure it out. Avoid facing your monitor directly towards windows or bright lights—this advice is for _all_ monitor types, but _especially_ glossy screens. If it’s unavoidable, consider using blinds, curtains, or working/gaming with the lights off to avoid undue eye strain. Matte coatings can also help reduce harsh reflections and strain-inducing glares. ## Other helpful tips for desk sitters **Keyboard and mouse also matter.** Keeping your elbows, forearms, and wrists at a neutral angle can make a big difference and prevent repetitive strain. Use a keyboard tray if you need to. Whatever it takes, position your peripherals and accessories to be at a height where your elbows can rest at approximately 90 degrees. **Look away, often.** Eye strain can happen just from staring at a screen for too long. Take a break every 20 to 30 minutes and look at something in the distance, giving your eyes a moment to relax. There’s the oft-cited 20-20-20 rule, which means take a break every 20 minutes to look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. But even just making a cup of tea or gazing out the window for a minute is fine as a more casual approach. **Get moving.** Sitting or standing still for too long is unhealthy, period. Try to move around every hour. Go make a drink, shuffle and dance, shake out your arms and legs, drop and do squats and stretches—whatever works for you. The human body was meant to move. ## You’ll reap the benefits in time Repositioning your monitor and getting use to a new setup isn’t easy, I know. Making any of the above recommended changes will likely feel weird for a while—or even uncomfortable. You may need a few days, weeks, or months for your body to adapt. Stick with it, though, and feel free to make adjustments every few days as needed. It’ll be worth it, I promise. Once you’ve gone through that awkward period of discomfort, you should find that your posture and pains improve with time. Combine it with stretches and exercises and you may find your issues go away entirely. In short, taking care of your monitor placement is taking care of yourself. **Further reading:** These standing desks accessories are worth it

**TL;DR:** Tired of renewing Microsoft 365 every year? Get Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows for $49.97 (reg. $249.99) and own it outright during this limited-time September Flash Sale. A perpetual license means you pay once and keep the apps on your PC for good. Pick up Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for $49.97 (reg. $249.99) and skip the annual bill. ### The full Office lineup, minus the renewals Word and Excel handle documents and spreadsheets. PowerPoint builds presentations. Outlook manages email, calendar, and contacts in one place. OneNote keeps notes organized, and Access covers database work that lighter office suites can’t match. This version focuses on stability over constant feature churn. You get a refined interface with dark mode support, built-in security and compliance features, and advanced data analysis tools. Regular security updates continue for the supported lifecycle, and no Microsoft 365 subscription is needed. It’s Windows only, compatible with Windows 10 and 11. It won’t run on macOS. The license installs on one PC, is tied to that device rather than your Microsoft account, and isn’t transferable. Redeem your code within 7 days of purchase. More than 10,000 buyers have already grabbed this one, and it holds a 4.8/5 star rating from 319 verified reviews. Get Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows for $49.97 (reg. $249.99) during this September Flash Sale, running through Sept. 29. Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows: Lifetime LicenseSee Deal StackSocial _prices subject to change._

**TL;DR:** Get lifetime access to PDF Agile for $39.99 instead of signing up for an ongoing Adobe Acrobat subscription. Adobe Acrobat may be the familiar name for working with PDFs, but it’s far from the only tool available. PDF Agile offers another way to handle everyday PDF tasks without adding another recurring software expense. The all-in-one editor normally costs $119, but it’s currently available for $39.99 with lifetime access. PDF Agile is simple and easy to use. It can edit text, images, or scanned files directly, and convert between PDF and Microsoft Office formats without losing your fonts or formatting. If you work with a lot of documents, there are tools to merge files, split them up, reorder pages, crop layouts, and even reduce file size without sacrificing quality. OCR is also included, so you can extract text from images or scanned documents with just a few clicks. The app includes a full set of annotation tools like highlighting, freehand drawing, and comment bubbles, along with features to redact sensitive content or add electronic signatures. You can also use slideshow mode to present your PDFs without having to convert them into PowerPoint. PDF Agile runs on Windows, and each license works on two devices. Once activated, your access is permanent, with updates included and no recurring fees. If you don’t want to pay monthly for Adobe Acrobat, this is your chance. For a limited time, it’s only $39.99 (MSRP $119) to get PDF Agile for life. PDF Agile Premium: All-in-One Lifetime Subscription (Windows & Mac)See Deal StackSocial _prices subject to change._

October Prime Day (officially known as “Prime Big Deal Days”) is coming next week! If you missed out on June’s Prime Day, this is your chance to snag a bunch of stuff on sale—hopefully stuff that’s already in your cart, waiting for you to pull the trigger. Prime Big Deal Days runs Tuesday, October 6th to Wednesday, October 7th. But if you have cash to spend _right now_ and you want to score some early deals ahead of the big event, here are some of the coolest tech deals I’ve spotted in the days leading up. ## Deals at a glance * **Best cable deal:** Ugreen 100W USB-C Cable (2-pack) for $8.99 (31% off) * **Best smartwatch deal:** Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for $245 (18% off) * **Best mini PC deal:** Acemagic M5 Mini PC for $563.97 (37% off) * **Best docking station deal:** Anker 14-in-1 Docking Station for $169.99 (37% off) * **Best robot vacuum deal:** iRobot Roomba 115X for $139.99 (56% off) * **Best streaming device deal:** Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select for $17.99 (64% off) * **Best power bank deal:** Baseus Picogo MagSafe Power Bank for $34.16 (51% off) * **Best wireless charging station deal:** Anker 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station for $139.98 (39% off) * **Best security camera deal:** EufyCam C37 for $99.99 (23% off) * **Best wireless headphones deal:** Beats Studio Pro for $169.95 (43% off) ## Ugreen 100W USB-C Cable (2-pack) Ugreen ### _Now $8.99 (31% off)_ **Who is this for?** These USB-C cables are built for anyone juggling multiple devices that charge via USB-C—so that’s pretty much _everyone_. Rated for up to 100W, these can fast-charge most non-gaming laptops, plus they’re handy for phones, tablets, and all your smaller gadgets. **Why is this deal good?** At $8.99 for two cables, this is the best price we’ve seen in months, allowing you to stock up on cables and never worry again that you’ve grabbed an older, slower cable. What else costs you only $5 a pop and offers this much day-to-day utility? Get the Ugreen USB-C cable 2-pack at Amazon ## Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Samsung/Amazon ### _Now $245 (18% off)_ **Who is this for?** The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is a strong fit for health-conscious Android users who want more than a basic fitness tracker. If you’re someone who takes sleep seriously (or wants to), has a running routine, or needs help monitoring blood pressure regularly, this watch delivers on all fronts and then some. **Why is this deal good?** At $245, down from $300, you’re saving $55 on a watch that typically sticks closer to its MSRP. This pre-Prime Day discount is a fantastic opportunity to save big on a feature-packed smartwatch. Get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 at Amazon ## Acemagic M5 Mini PC AceMagic ### _Now $563.97 (37% off)_ **Who is this for?** The Acemagic M5 mini PC is aimed at anyone who wants plenty of processing power in a tiny format. With an Intel Core 5 CPU, 24GB of RAM, and a sizeable 512GB SSD, this tiny machine can handle your daily workload easily—and it won’t choke on Windows 11. The RAM and storage are upgradeable too, meaning you can make it even more powerful in a few years (if hardware prices ever come down). **Why is this a good deal?** Ahead of Prime Day, this $900 mini PC is a steal with the $250+ in discounts via promos that brings its price lower than you can see on the product page. The configuration is great and the fact that you can enjoy a triple display setup with such a tiny PC is amazing. Get the Acemagic M5 at Amazon ## Anker 14-in-1 Docking Station Anker ### _Now $169.99 (37% off)_ **Who is this for?** This Anker 14-in-1 dock is built for anyone who needs a single hub to manage multiple monitors, charge several devices at once, and move data fast. It looks sleek on any desk while providing an easy way to plug all your gear into your laptop even if you’re stuck with a single USB-C port. This dock features four USB-C ports, five USB-A ports, two HDMI 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, and an audio jack. **Why is this deal good?** At $169.99, down from $269.99, you’re saving $100 on a premium dock that’ll transform your laptop workstation. The 160W total output across four simultaneous charging ports is a game-changer if you’re always juggling multiple wireless devices. Get the Anker 14-in-1 docking station at Amazon ## iRobot Roomba 115X iRobot ### _Now $139.99 (56% off)_ **Who is this for?** The iRobot Roomba 115X is a strong fit for anyone who wants a little bit of extra help keeping the floors in tip-top shape even when they’re busy. It has 15,000 Pa suction and a microfiber mop pad that tackles both dry debris and light floor smudges in one pass. Mop pads aren’t the best robotic mopping option out there, but better options would cost you about 10 times more. **Why is this deal good?** This $180 discount slashes the price of this Roomba by more than half—an excellent budget-friendly price to pay for a vacuum and mop 2-in-1 helper. With four suction levels plus app and voice control, this early Prime Day deal is a smart buy. Get the iRobot Roomba 115X at Amazon ## Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select Amazon ### _Now $17.99 (64% off)_ **Who is this for?** The Fire TV Stick 4K Select is a great pick for anyone who wants to upgrade a basic TV with streaming capabilities at a dirt-cheap price. It’s the cheapest 4K streaming stick in Amazon’s Fire TV lineup, granting access to the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ in glorious 4K. All you need is an HDMI port. **Why is this deal good?** You’re getting all that for just $18! Given that Amazon recently bumped up the prices of all its Fire TV devices (citing the global RAM and storage shortage that’s impacting all consumer electronics), this is an immense deal. Get the Fire TV Stick 4K Select at Amazon ## Baseus Picogo MagSafe Power Bank Baseus ### _Now $34.16 (51% off)_ **Who is this for?** This ultra-slim Baseus Picogo Magsafe power bank is the perfect choice for iPhone users or Android users with MagSafe cases. This power bank is just 0.5 inches thin, so it’s easy to slip into a bag or pocket, making it ideal for commuters, travelers, and anyone else who’s worried about phone battery life throughout the day. **Why is this deal good?** The Baseus Picogo already features a 46% discount on page, but there’s an extra price cut you can redeem at checkout, bringing the price down further. Considering the 10,000mAh capacity, 15W wireless charging, razor-thin profile, and fast recharge with USB-C cable, that’s a steal of a deal. Get the Baseus Picogo MagSafe power bank at Amazon ## Anker 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station Simon Jary ### _Now $139.98 (39% off)_ **Who is this for?** This 3-in-1 wireless charging station from Anker is the absolute perfect purchase for any Apple user who wants to wirelessly charge their iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods at once. No risk of cable tangles, and it sits nicely on your desk and keeps all your gear organized in one place. The charging station also comes with temperature control to protect the health of your batteries in the long run. **Why is this a good deal?** At $139.98, down from $230, this is the best price we’ve seen for this model outside of official sales events. You get 25W charging, active cooling, a live HD touchscreen, and a 65W USB-C adapter included in the bundle. Get the Anker Prime 3-in-1 Charging Station at Amazon ## EufyCam C37 Security Camera Eufy ### _Now $99.99 (23% off)_ **Who is this for?** The EufyCam C37 is the outdoor security camera for anyone who needs their first home surveillance device and doesn’t want to worry about wiring. The detachable solar panel keeps this camera running without direct power, while the 360-degree pan and tilt with AI auto-tracking lets you keep an eye on your entire yard easily. **Why is this deal good?** The $99.99 price tag we’re seeing ahead of October Prime Day is the best price this camera has had so far, making this an easy buy. For the price, you’re getting 4K color night vision, solar power, and zero monthly fees. What more could you want? Get the EufyCam C37 at Amazon ## Beats Studio Pro Headphones Beats ### _**Now $169.95 (43% off)**_ **Who is this for?** The Beats Studio Pro is for anyone who wants to be able to block out the world with active noise cancellation, but it’s especially perfect for commuters, remote workers, and frequent travelers. These headphones have one-touch pairing with both Apple and Android devices, and it has a transparency mode that disables noise cancellation and lets you hear what’s going on around you on demand. **Why is this deal good?** At just $169.95, the Beats Studio Pro have the best discount we’ve seen in months. You’re getting 40 hours of battery life, fast charging, and personalized Spatial Audio. If you’ve been looking for a pair of premium headphones at a great price, well, you found it. Get the Beats Studio Pro at Amazon

NEW LOWEST PRICE **SCUF Envision Pro Wireless V2 Controller** View Deal Amazon is currently selling the SCUF Envision Pro Wireless V2 at a nice discount: normally $179.99, it’s now available for $139.99. That’s a new all-time low price for a wireless gaming controller that boasts some killer features, with one caveat—it’s PC only. This is the 2025 revised version of the SCUF Envision Pro Wireless, specifically designed for PC gaming. It offers a total of 11 configurable inputs, including four rear paddles, two side SAX buttons, and five G-keys on the front. Those G-keys can be programmed to Windows functions, keyboard shortcuts, or macros. Corsair’s iCUE software can also be used to customize key assignments, stick and trigger profiles, and RGB lighting. For shooter gamers, the switchable Instant Triggers are a nice feature. A switch allows you to toggle between normal analog trigger travel and short trigger action that feels like a mouse click. The ABXY buttons and D-pad also feature mechanical Omron switches. This controller can be connected either wirelessly via Corsair Slipstream or via USB-C cable. According to SCUF, the built-in battery lasts for approximately 19 hours with typical use. It weighs around 285 grams, features a 3.5mm audio jack, and has a wireless range of up to 45 feet. Note that the package includes a wireless dongle, a 6-foot USB-C cable, two extra thumbsticks, and covers for the SAX buttons. **Important:** Unlike many Xbox and/or PlayStation controllers, the Envision Pro isn’t a multi-platform controller. SCUF lists Windows 10 and Windows 11 as compatible systems, while macOS and iOS are explicitly not supported. This model is therefore not a good pick for console gamers. If you’re exclusively a PC gamer and you want a premium wireless controller, this price drop is hard to ignore. Save $40 and get the SCUF Envision Pro V2 for its cheapest ever price—and that’s for the White colorway. If you don’t mind the less conventional Steel Gray option, you can save an additional $20.

Time and again, Microsoft has to issue fixes for Windows 11 because its monthly updates cause unexpected damage. But just how prone to errors is Windows 11 really, given the number of updates that constantly cause new problems? And how robust is Windows 10 in comparison? According to Windows Latest, which analyzed all the Windows updates released since January 2026, the results are unsurprising: Windows 10 is significantly more stable and reliable than Windows 11. Most recently, the Windows 11 September update broke USB audio and broke the File History feature, but it’s been a monthly pattern. August broke printers and PDFs, July broke certain Dell PCs, June broke startup and BitLocker recovery, all the way back to January. Of the nine months that have passed this year, Windows Latest found that eight of them involved at least one major issue or regression. Windows 10 hasn’t been flawless this year. For example, a June update caused a BitLocker user lockout problem, echoing a similar issue that flared up back in November 2025. But on the whole, it’s been noticeably more stable, with fewer system crashes and catastrophes. One big reason for Windows 10’s greater stability is that it no longer receives new features. Ever since support ended in October 2025, Microsoft has only been pushing out security updates for Windows 10, and only for users who enrolled in the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. With fewer sweeping changes, it’s less likely to break. So anyone who’s satisfied with Windows 10’s feature set, has no interest in Copilot AI, and prioritizes stability over fancy new features and experiments is clearly better off with Windows 10. Meanwhile, if you’re on Windows 11 and you’re experiencing system instability or other unexpected issues after installing an update, it’s usually best to roll back the update and wait for future fixes. Windows 11 also has a feature called Known Issue Rollback (KIR) that can revert buggy non-security features without uninstalling the whole update.

When AI PCs first hit the market back in early 2024, Microsoft led the initiative with its hyped-up Copilot+ PC branding. The “Copilot+ PC” label was reserved for Windows machines that met minimum specs for running local AI features: an NPU with 40+ TOPS, at least 16GB of RAM, and at least 256GB of SSD storage, plus Windows 11 24H2 or later. But it seems the end is nigh for the whole Copilot+ PC movement. Windows Central reports that Microsoft’s newest 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop, which were recently showcased at the Snapdragon Summit, both meet the hardware requirements for the Copilot+ PC badge… yet neither of them flaunts it. Jaime Marrero Microsoft’s Surface chief, Brett Ostrom, says that the two devices will not be referred to as Copilot+ devices, which would be a strange move if Microsoft intended to keep pushing the label. Meanwhile, Qualcomm’s SVP of compute and gaming, Kedar Kondap, reportedly told Windows Central that the Copilot+ PC badge is unlikely to be used in the future. The writing has been on the wall for a while now. Windows 11’s Copilot+ AI features were never well-received, feeling like early tech demos when they first launched and newer advancements failing to catch on. A year after debut, we explored all the ways Copilot+ PCs still needed to improve if the movement was going to succeed. That didn’t quite happen. Late last year, Microsoft was seemingly pushing all Windows 11 PCs to become AI PCs regardless of whether or not they qualify as Copilot+ PCs. Then earlier this year, Microsoft exercised deep reflection and came to the conclusion that maybe the right move is to pull back on its AI ambitions in Windows 11 and scale back on AI integration. To add insult to injury, reports suggest that no one is using Microsoft’s Copilot AI. Put it all together and it almost seems inevitable that Copilot+ would be sunset, if not this year then next. Note, however, that Ostrum didn’t say Microsoft is abandoning AI altogether: “[The new Surface Pro and Laptop] are not called Copilot+ PCs, [but] they do meet all the requirements of our previous bar for what Copilot+ devices are. We still lean into the narrative around AI on the edge and being able to have a hybrid solution out there.”

Our mobile phone cameras are taking increasingly better photos and videos, and this isn’t all good news. One of the consequences is that the files themselves are taking up more and more space, and this can become a problem for anyone who saves them on their computer. This is because computer storage capacity hasn’t grown at the same rate. On the contrary, many computers are now sold with fairly small hard drives, which means they quickly fill up. A simple way to save space is to delete all unnecessary duplicate files. Whether they’re photos, videos, or something else, it’s easy to end up saving the same large file in several different places, and this sometimes happens automatically if you’ve enabled various types of backup and synchronization. Finding duplicates is a tedious chore for a human, but much simple for a computer. A handy tool that does the job is called CCleaner. ## What is CCleaner? CCleaner is a popular computer cleaning program. It has been around for more than 20 years and has millions of users worldwide. The program can clean and optimize your computer in various ways, but the feature for finding duplicate files is one of the most useful. CCleaner is what’s known as a “freemium” program, which means the basic version is free, but there’s a paid version for those who want more features. It’s called CCleaner Professional and costs around $30 a year. The free version is sufficient for simply searching for duplicates, but it’s important to be aware that the manufacturer is quite aggressive in its marketing. The program displays warnings such as “You have an urgent performance problem,” but this is mainly a way of promoting the company’s paid service. As a general rule, you can ignore the warnings and instead focus on removing the duplicates. Here’s how to do it. ## 1. Install Foundry You can download CCleaner via **_the Microsoft Store_**. Using the search field on your PC, type **CCleaner** , click _‘Install’_ and __ accept the warning. If you prefer a standard installer, go to www.ccleaner.com and select _‘Free Download_.’ ## 2. Upgrade Foundry If you have an older version, you may need to upgrade to the latest version, called CCleaner 7.x, yourself. Depending on which version you have, you can do this via ‘ _Check for updates_ ’ in the bottom right-hand corner. You can also do this via _‘Settings_ ’ > _‘Updates_.’ ## 3. Start Foundry To start, open CCleaner, click _‘Duplicate Finder’_ in __ the left-hand menu and select _‘Start Now_.’ You can scan your entire computer by clicking _‘Drives’_ and selecting a drive. You can also go to _‘Select specific folders,’_ then _‘Browse’_ to, for example, scan only your Documents folder. ## 4. Delete all duplicates Foundry Start the scan by clicking _‘Scan_.’ Once it’s finished, all duplicates will be displayed in a list organized by file type. To remove all duplicates, click _‘Bulk Selection’_ and choose _‘Keep the oldest files’_ or _‘Keep the newest files_.’ ## 5. Or just a few Foundry Deleting everything can be risky, so you can instead select _‘Deselect All’_ and manually select the files you want to delete. When you’re done, in all cases click _‘Move to Bin’_ (or _‘Delete’_ if you don’t want to be able to recover the file). ## 6. View file Foundry You can find out more about a file by tapping the three dots on the right and selecting _‘View information_.’ Use the link under _‘Location’_ to open the folder where the file is stored. You can also delete the file by selecting _‘Move to Bin’ or ‘Delete’_ (as in step 5). ## 7. Get more power Foundry The Duplicate Finder feature in CCleaner is simple and stripped-back. If you need a more powerful tool, Alldup is a popular free alternative. It has many advanced features for searching through large numbers of files, and offers greater scope for customizing it to your requirements. However, its interface may seem off-putting to inexperienced users. To install it, go to www.alldup.de/en and select ‘ _Download_ ’ from the top menu. Click on _‘Alldup (Freeware)’_ to open the download page. Click on the top _‘Download’_ button and choose to save the file to a suitable location on your hard drive. Double-clicking the file will launch a self-explanatory installation program.

MATCHES LOWEST PRICE **Amazon Smart Plug** View Deal If you’ve ever complained about getting off the couch just to turn off the lamp across the room, then this smart plug from Amazon might be just what you need. It’s now on sale for $12.98 at Amazon, half off its original price and matching the lowest it’s ever been. This tiny little device works without any complicated setup. You don’t need a smart home hub, and you don’t have to wire it up. Just plug it into any power outlet, open the Alexa app, follow a few steps to get it paired and operational, and you’re good. From there, you can turn it on and off from your phone or with voice, effectively controlling whatever you plug into it. “Hey Alexa, turn off the lamp!” and it’s off. This smart plug works nicely with all sorts of household devices that have a physical on/off switch, from lamps to fans to coffee makers. You can even set timers for holiday lights or build schedules to make it look like you’re home even when you’re away on vacation. It’s also possible to create routines that string together multiple smart home tasks. For instance, you can say “Alexa, good night!” and have it mapped to cut off power to the smart plug, turn off your outdoor light, set your morning alarm, and so on—all with a single command. The Amazon Smart Plug is a good first step for anyone who doesn’t own any smart devices yet but wants to dip their toes, but at its original $25 price, it was a hard ask. Now that it’s half off, it’s an easy buy.

Disney doesn’t seem to think too highly of its individual Disney+ and Hulu subscribers. That’s the only explanation for its latest price hikes, which largely eliminate any reason to pay for either service separately. Oh, Disney will still let you do it, but you’ll only be saving 50 cents per month versus the bundle of Disney+ and Hulu together. The a la carte route is a rip-off by design, intended to make Disney’s bundles look more attractive. If Disney had a little more respect for its customers, it would just end this charade and combine Disney+ and Hulu already. Instead, it’s made the cynical calculation that the appearance of a deal is better for business. ## Disney’s latest price hikes See if you can spot the pattern in Disney’s September 2026 price hikes: * **Disney+ (with ads):** $11.99 → $12.49/mo. * **Hulu (with ads):** $11.99 → $12.49/mo. * **Disney+ and Hulu bundle (with ads):** Still $12.99/mo. * **Disney+ (no ads):** $18.99 → $21.49/mo. * **Hulu (no ads):** $18.99 → $21.49/mo. * **Disney+ and Hulu bundle (no ads):** $19.99 → $21.99/mo. (If you’re bundling Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max, those prices quietly ticked upward this week as well. The trio rose from $19.99 to $21.99 per month with ads, or $32.99 to $34.99 without. The cost of Hulu + Live TV also rose from $90 to $100 per month when bundled with Disney+, Hulu on-demand, and ESPN Unlimited.) With the new pricing, paying for just Disney+ or Hulu is a mere 50 cents per month cheaper than combining them, down from $1 per month savings previously. While Disney has obviously been pushing customers toward bundles for some time, the latest price hikes squeeze the a la carte savings down to farcical levels. ## The Hulu-Disney+ merger plan Disney has already made clear its intention to mash Disney+ and Hulu into a single app. If you subscribe to both services, you can now access most of Hulu’s catalog through Disney+, with an option to sync your Hulu profile to port over your watchlist and viewing history. And while Disney has not committed to a timeline for discontinuing the Hulu app, it’s become an afterthought as the company pushes people over to the Disney+ experience. One employee told Business Insider‘s James Faris that Hulu’s app is now “on life support, with no active development.” Strangely, though, Disney has insisted that it will keep selling standalone Hulu and Disney+ subscriptions, even if Hulu’s app goes away. With the latest price hikes, you have to wonder why it would even bother. The charitable view is that Disney doesn’t want to push happy Hulu subscribers out of their current subscriptions and into an unfamiliar app. It also hasn’t ported Hulu’s live TV service into Disney+ yet, so it can’t wind down Hulu’s own app until that happens. But I propose a more cynical explanation: By keeping individual Hulu and Disney+ subscriptions around, Disney gets to crow about the savings you get from combining them. Never mind that those inflated savings come from pushing standalone prices to comical levels, or that bundle pricing continues to rise as well. Instead, Disney can point to the value of getting two services basically for the price of one. ## The bundle savings are a ruse Sadly this outcome was predictable a couple of years ago, as more streamers started bundling their services together. It was easy to see then how standalone prices would rise at much faster rate than bundled pricing, giving customers the feeling of getting a deal even if it’s on services they don’t really want. It’s similar to the playbook that Disney and others followed in their move to ad-supported streaming. While they initially pitched these plans as a way to bring down prices, all they really did was turn ad-free streaming into a bigger luxury, with prices rising at a faster rate than their ad-supported plans. If Disney wanted to do right by its standalone subscribers, it would combine Disney+ and Hulu and automatically grant customers access to both. The company would even waive the 50-cent surcharge for existing subscribers, at least until the next inevitable round of price hikes. The cost to the company would be minimal, and it would even serve the larger goal of moving more people into the Disney+ app, ultimately reducing operating expenses and subscriber churn. Instead, Disney has opted to treat its standalone customers like rubes, with a la carte pricing that serves no purpose beyond making its bundles look better. _Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more streaming TV advice._

For years, collaborating inside Office documents has been the foundation of Microsoft’s productivity scheme. But what’s the plan for the future? In a telling sign of the AI era, users may collaborate and share custom _apps_ they’ve created themselves in Copilot. Microsoft just announced changes to Copilot that realize a deeper vision of AI in the workplace. Some of it is cursory: The Copilot app will now have separate tabs for Home, Code, and agents, now called “Autopilots.” Other changes are more functional, such as a more comprehensive “Today” dashboard that outlines and even performs your to-do tasks. Finally, there are the conceptual changes: Copilot-coded apps and agents, which will require an as-yet undisclosed payment system. Today’s announcement marks the sort of vision statement that Microsoft is known for: Chart out the future, then release various elements of that vision over the subsequent months. You should see the Copilot app’s look-and-feel evolve throughout October. “Today” will launch in a private preview in October as well, Microsoft said. Let’s dig in a bit deeper… Microsoft’s new menu options for the Copilot application. Microsoft ## Today is full of tasks “Today” sounds like the most immediately useful tool in Microsoft’s new design, and that’s because you’ve seen iterations of it ever since Windows 10. For years, Microsoft has used what it knows about your inbox to offer a look at your meetings for the day and what you need to do to prepare for them. Outlook, for example, offers you a Copilot-generated “daily briefing” that highlights action items for you to respond to. (Click the Copilot button in the Outlook app to trigger this.) Mark Hachman / Foundry Like Copilot, Today will also prepare a summary of your day, but a more interactive one. Put another way, Copilot supplies a list of tasks for you to act upon. Today appears to take the next step and proactively perform them. “What’s really important about Today is it’s not just surfacing the work, it’s actually moving it forward,” Jacob Andreou, Microsoft’s executive vice president of Copilot, said in a prerecorded briefing. “So Today leverages Copilot to write the draft that needs to be sent. It actually proposes the change to your schedule when there is a conflict. And if there’s a thing that you forgot, it’ll surface it back to you but always with the context of what actually makes it important.” Microsoft’s Andreou demonstrates the Today functionality. Microsoft You’ll see the Today functionality appear in Outlook and Teams as well as in the “Home” tab in the redesigned Copilot. Will you want Microsoft’s Copilot responding on your behalf? After giving it some thought, maybe! I don’t respond to every email I receive, though I’m not sure what would be more well received, an AI-generated reply or no reply at all. ## Microsoft 365 within Copilot Until now, application vendors have used artificial intelligence to help human users navigate through a maze of tasks and functions, simplifying and automating them. Adobe first integrated AI into Photoshop and other Creative Cloud applications, while Copilot destroyed its human competition when calculating formulas from the Excel World Championship. Adobe later launched Prompt to Edit, using a prompt to control the Photoshop application. Microsoft is now following suit. Microsoft 365 running inside Copilot. Microsoft Adobe’s products have become integrated into ChatGPT: With the correct plugins, you can ask ChatGPT to perform a task, and the chatbot will access the right tool and execute the instructions. Likewise, you’ll now be able to ask Copilot to create a spreadsheet and it will, if all goes as planned, open an Excel spreadsheet and input the correct data. Microsoft says it’ll roll out Microsoft 365 within Copilot in the coming weeks to its “frontier” test program. ## Copilot Code: Now you’re a vibe coder “Code” will form the second tab of the redesigned Copilot, and it’s here where Microsoft sees “vibe coding” intersecting the productivity sphere. “To date, the unit of knowledge work has been the file: the document, the spreadsheet, the deck,” said Jared Spataro, chief marketing officer of AI at Work, at Microsoft. “Those aren’t going anywhere, but Code adds a fourth: small, purpose-built solutions anyone can create to get a job done. Learning to build them is becoming as basic a skill as writing a memo or modeling a budget.” Essentially, Code will be used to create a tracker, dashboard, automation, or a full-fledged app, and then run it safely online, Andreou added. Forget widgets: Microsoft promises Copilot’s Code will be able to spin up its own productivity apps. Microsoft That’s a pretty big statement for Microsoft to make, especially as it asks — well, anyone, really — to take their personal data, give it over to an algorithm, and then run it securely. Microsoft says that a “couple of frontier” customers are testing this, and broad availability will happen over the next couple of weeks. Still, there’s some big, interesting potential here. What happens when consumers start coding their own alternatives to paid software services? I’ve already started looking at this, and I’m sure others have, too. ## Autopilot will roam between Teams, Outlook and beyond It’s fair to say that Microsoft has been behind on rolling out support for agents — though whether its development efforts have truly lagged, or whether it has simply been more careful with how data is handled, is unclear. The other Copilot efforts, from Today to Code, feel like they straddle consumers and businesses. Autopilot, meanwhile, seems aimed at businesses first. The fundamental problem, however, is the same. “The hallmark of an amazing, long-running agent is autonomy and flexibility,” Andreou said. “It is their superpower. That is the same thing that makes them absolutely terrifying to an IT admin or somebody who’s trying to maintain a business posture.” An Autopilot will be an agent that you name, assign a role and tasks to, with its own memory, permissions, compute, and workspace, Microsoft says. Autopilots won’t “live” within any one application, but instead will roam between Teams, Outlook, and other Microsoft applications, governed by oversight and policy. And there could be hundreds, Microsoft believes. Microsoft hasn’t said anything about Autopilots arriving on Windows, or within the consumer or small business versions of Microsoft 365. Still, hundreds of autonomous agents crawling about your virtual workspace? With ongoing reports about how AI agents from OpenAI and others “broke containment” and hacked external companies, I’m still concerned about trading the benefits of automating certain productivity tasks with the risks of autonomous AIs pursuing their own direction. Hopefully, Microsoft has all of this locked down as it begins testing Autopilots at the end of this month. ## How is it all paid for? What Microsoft hasn’t said is how this will all be paid for. Some of this is clear: Basically, all of the chat capabilities within Copilot’s “Home” tab will be governed by user subscriptions like Microsoft 365. But the rest — Code and Autopilot, namely, plus models like Astra and Fable — will be charged using what Microsoft calls “usage-based billing.” “As AI capabilities and the ways people use them continue to evolve, we’re evolving Copilot pricing alongside them,” Spataro’s blog post said. Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn’t said what UBB will be based on, or how much it will actually cost. For now, features like Today and the integration of Microsoft 365 into Copilot feel like they can be realized in the short term. As for the rest? It will all depend on how much users want to pay. That’s why users continue to look hard at local AI versus running it in the cloud — for many, slow, “free” AI makes more sense than more powerful, paid tools.

MATCHES LOWEST PRICE **Ring Indoor Security Camera** View Deal There’s one thing that’ll give you peace of mind when you’re on vacation, at work, or on a grocery run—a security camera that watches over your home and lets you tune in remotely. Right now, Amazon is selling its Ring Indoor Cam for just $25 instead of $50. Not only is that half price, but it matches the lowest price it’s ever been. At half off, the Ring Indoor Cam is a fantastic value. It records 1080p video, it’s easy to install and set up, and it has all the basic features you’d need in an indoor cam. It’ll walk you through setup via the Ring app, and once it’s set up, you can check in at any time via Live View no matter where you are. This Ring camera allows you to stay in the loop day and night, providing clear video and audio around the clock, plus push alerts when motion is detected so you know right away when something amiss happens. And if you spot your dog chewing on your slippers, for example, you can use the Two-Way Talk feature to issue a “Drop it!” command. It does require power, so you’ll have to place it somewhere in the vicinity of a power outlet (a 6.5-feet cable is included, but you can also buy a 10-feet alternative that’s sold separately). But that’s not a bad trade-off considering how little you’re paying for it. For just $25, the Ring Indoor Cam is an easy pick if you want simple, dependable home monitoring without the hassle.

Opera hasn’t made much of a splash lately, with its most recent innovation being a new Paste Protect feature from July 2026 that blocks clipboard hijacking attacks. Indeed, it seems Opera is playing catch-up. The browser’s latest move is an improvement to its free, built-in VPN, according to this announcement post. As part of its “commitment to free, zero-friction browser privacy,” Opera wants to protect you while using your browser on public Wi-Fi networks—and so the browser will automatically enable its VPN protection when it detects you’re on public Wi-Fi. Public Wi-Fi has long been risky, with many establishments failing to put up strong enough guardrails to protect users who hop on. It recently got even riskier to use, with hackers now targeting airports and hotels in an attempt to steal credentials and private data. When you’re on public Wi-Fi, you never know who might be eavesdropping—malicious users can intercept your data, see what you’re doing, and even install malware. That’s why it’s important to take security measures when using public Wi-Fi, and one such measure is to use a VPN. A VPN routes your traffic through its own servers, effectively masking your activity and preserving your privacy. VPNs also add a layer of security between you and hackers. Opera was the first major browser to include a free VPN, initially launching this feature back in April 2016. But now, that same built-in feature is now automatically enabled on public Wi-Fi. For it to work, you’ll have to go to settings and enable “Always use VPN on public Wi-Fi”—but be aware that this feature is being rolled out so you may not see it right away. **Further reading:** Big reasons to switch from Chrome to Opera

#### At a glance ### Expert's Rating ### Pros * Excellent traction on slopes and uneven ground * Good obstacle detection and avoidance * No boundary wire required ### Cons * Automatic mapping struggled on a complicated lawn * Expensive * Large and heavy for smaller yards ### Our Verdict The Mova LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD is a capable robot mower for challenging terrain, with excellent traction and dependable performance once its boundaries are established. Its unreliable automatic mapping, however, is a significant drawback at this price. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today ### Best Prices Today: Mova LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD Retailer Price $2399 View Deal $2399 View Deal $2399 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide The Mova LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD is built for the kinds of lawns that can give robot mowers a lot of trouble: medium-to-large yards with slopes, uneven ground, and irregular shapes. I tested it on a roughly 7,600-square-foot lawn with all three, plus trees, a play structure, bare patches, mulch borders, and a raised strip of grass beside a fence, with a narrow gap below it. At $2,399—discounted from a $2,999 list price—the LiDAX is a premium mower aimed at homeowners whose terrain demands more than a basic model can deliver. ## **Mova LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD: Design and specs** The LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD is a hefty mower, measuring 29.1 × 20.9 × 12.6 inches and weighing 52 pounds. Its UltraDrive system uses four 116-watt hub motors to drive the wheels, while independent suspension and omni wheels help it stay stable on uneven ground and turn in tight spaces. Controls on top of the mower let you enter its anti-theft PIN and perform basic tasks without opening the app, including starting or stopping a mowing job and sending the mower back to its charging station. A large red stop button provides a quick way to halt the mower in an emergency. The Mova LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD uses four driven wheels and a raised LiDAR sensor to navigate difficult terrain without a boundary wire. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry A raised 360-degree 3D LiDAR sensor on top of the mower scans its surroundings, while two forward-facing AI cameras identify lawn boundaries and potential obstacles. A physical bumper on the front of the mower provides another layer of detection when something makes contact with it. Together, these systems let the LiDAX navigate without a perimeter wire. Mova rates the mower for a single lawn up to 0.75 acre. It can store two maps, each covering up to 0.75 acre, and manage up to 150 mowing zones. Its 15.8-inch cutting deck can be adjusted through the app to cut grass from 1.2 to 3.9 inches high. The cutting disc shifts toward the side of the chassis near a raised boundary, which Mova says lets it trim within 1.2 inches of walls, fences, and similar edges. Mova also says the mower can climb an 80-percent grade and cross vertical obstacles up to 2.36 inches high. Its 7.5Ah battery is rated for 150 to 170 minutes of mowing and 0.2 to 0.25 acre of coverage per charge. ## **Mova LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD: Setup and mapping** The mower comes with a charging station and power supply, ground anchors, cable pegs, replacement blades, and the hardware needed to install them. The charging station needs to be placed on level ground with a clear approach so the mower can enter and exit unobstructed. Once I found a suitable spot, I connected the power cable and secured the station and cable with the included anchors and pegs. A flip-up panel on the LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD reveals its onboard display and controls for basic functions, including starting or stopping a mowing job and returning the mower to its charging station. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Connecting the mower to the MovaHome app was even quicker. The app recognized the mower immediately and pairing it with my phone and connecting it to Wi-Fi took only a couple of minutes. The mower arrived locked, so I had to enter its PIN using the onboard controls before proceeding. The app then ran it through a short calibration routine. The app offers automatic and manual mapping. With AI mapping, the mower identifies the grass and traces the perimeter on its own. Manual mapping requires driving it around the boundary with the app’s virtual joystick. I started with AI mapping, but the lawn proved too complicated. Where the boundary was irregular or poorly defined, the mower sometimes left the lawn and became stuck. On one attempt, it drove into a broad mulch-covered area beside the play structure. On others, it fell over the raised edge near the fence. The MovaHome app provides quick access to mowing modes, manual control, cutting height, mowing direction, and other job settings. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry After several attempts, I gave up on AI mapping and drove the mower around the perimeter myself. That worked, but it erased much of the setup advantage automatic mapping was supposed to provide. The feature might fare better on a flatter lawn with sharper boundaries. On this property, it wasn’t dependable. ## **Mova LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD: Mowing performance** Once the manual map was in place, the LiDAX behaved like a different mower. It traveled systematically up and down the lawn in parallel passes, while the app showed its live position, the area already cut, and its progress through the job. More important, it respected the boundary I had created. It never wandered onto the mulch or veered off the grass while mowing, even though those same areas had confused it during AI mapping. Its all-wheel drive provided plenty of traction to cross the lawn’s slopes, dips, and uneven patches without wheel-spinning or stalling. It also maneuvered cleanly around the trees, play structure, and other obstacles. Mova says the LiDAR and cameras can recognize more than 300 types of stationary and moving obstacles. The app can classify detected objects and assign a confidence rating; in one instance, it identified a person with 90-percent confidence. It also lets you report a mistaken identification and, if you enable the feature, capture photos of detected obstacles. The mower left open areas looking evenly trimmed. I didn’t find obvious missed strips or clumps of poorly cut grass, and it worked close enough around obstacles that little follow-up trimming was needed. ## **Mova LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD: App experience** The MovaHome app puts the information you need during a mowing job on one screen. It shows the mower’s battery and connection status, live position, mapped area, completed area, and overall progress. Start, pause, end, and return-to-station controls are also easy to reach. During AI mapping, the MovaHome app alerted me when the LiDAX became stuck and needed assistance. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry A drop-down menu allows you to switch between all-area, edge, zone, spot, and manual mowing using the virtual joystick. You can choose standard or efficient mowing, adjust cutting height electronically, set the mowing direction, and enable automatic edge mowing. Settings can apply across the whole lawn or vary by zone, and recurring jobs can be scheduled for specific days and times. The app also supports rain protection, frost protection, do-not-disturb hours, recharge-and-resume operation, work logs, and maintenance tracking. Despite the number of options, it rarely feels crowded, and the main controls are easy to find. ## **Should you buy the Mova LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD?** The LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD didn’t deliver the automatic mapping experience Mova advertises, at least not on my complicated lawn. Driving the mower around the perimeter to map the boundary manually took more time and effort, but it also solved the mower’s navigation problems. Once the map was saved, the LiDAX stayed on the grass, handled slopes and uneven ground, and traveled along a narrow raised edge that had defeated a smaller robot mower. That makes it particularly appealing for medium-to-large lawns with difficult terrain, provided you’re willing to take over the mapping if the AI struggles. Buyers mainly attracted by the promise of effortless automatic setup should be more cautious. Its size and $2,399 price are also hard to justify for a small, uncomplicated yard.

My goal was a simple one: Go to the DMV and replace my old driver’s license with a Real ID one. A tad annoying, yes, but not all that difficult. Yet somehow, I just couldn’t get it started. Maybe it was because we’d just moved to a new apartment, or maybe it was work, or the state of the world, or the fact that I hadn’t had lunch yet. For a million reasons I didn’t fully understand, I just wouldn’t — couldn’t — deal with the Real ID thing. Now, one solution to my Real ID roadblock could’ve been to break it down into manageable chunks, but task management wasn’t the problem here. This was more … _paralysis_ rather than lack or organization. This was brain overload. A list of 20 steps to complete would’ve made things worse. Instead, I just needed a nudge: one small, concrete thing that would at least get me started, like pulling out my wallet. Opening it. Getting my ID out. (That’s three things, but still.) Anything to get started. And yes, I _do_ have my Real ID now, thank you very much. This concept of taking a micro-step toward a daunting goal is sometimes referred to as “task initiation” or “step zero” in ADHD communities, but I’m guessing the process could benefit anyone feeling stuck in place. There are also plenty of effective “step zero” AI prompts making the rounds, along with Goblin Tools, a set of AI-powered tools designed to help break down large tasks into smaller steps. Working with the just-released Claude Opus 5.5 and OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra, I crafted my own version of a “step zero” prompt that takes any task and gives you that first micro-step, along with a few more (and manageable) follow-up steps. If you’re feeling ambitious after those first steps, you can type “next” for a few more. Here’s the full prompt: > Help me start a task I’ve been avoiding. > > 1. Step Zero: one physical action toward the task, no thinking required. > > 2. Steps 1–3: three mechanical actions, each under 60 seconds. No planning, drafting, deciding, organizing, or figuring out, whatever verb a step uses — “list what the trip needs” is still planning. Don’t assume objects or locations I haven’t mentioned. > > 3. End with: “Reply ‘next’ for three more.” > > Tone: short, plain, neutral. No pep talk. Numbered list, bold the verbs. > > My task: [Fill in task] And here’s a shorter version: > Help me start a task I’ve been avoiding: one physical first action toward the task that needs zero thought, then three more actions under 60 seconds each (no planning, drafting, or deciding, and no assumptions about my surroundings). End with “Reply ‘next’ for three more.” My task: [Fill in task] Notice that this prompt doesn’t probe the “whys” and “wherefores” of your blockage, nor is it intended to guide you all the way through a given task. It also doesn’t make any decisions for you. I tested this prompt with a variety of scenarios (a 10-page work report, preparing a tax return, doing the laundry after a stressful day, and so on) using ChatGPT Instant, Claude Sonnet 5, and Gemini 3.8 Flash, running through a few different iterations before settling on the final version. In my control tests, I noticed that ChatGPT Instant came the closest to spontaneous “step zero” replies without needing the prompt, while Gemini was the worst offender in terms of serving up lengthy task lists. With the prompt either at the beginning of the chat or as a system “instruction”, the responses became reliably short, simple, and direct. For example, here’s what Gemini gave me after I fed it the “step zero” prompt with the task, “I have to apply for a Real ID”: > 1. **Sit** down in a chair in front of your computer or phone. > > 2. **Open** a browser window. > > 3. **Type** your state name plus “Real ID document checklist” into the search bar and **press** enter. > > 4. **Click** the first official state government (.gov) link in the results. > > That’s a little different from “pull out your wallet and get your old ID,” but it works: It’s simple, mechanical, and it gets you started, without any AI-style “you got this!” asides. Give it a shot the next time you’re feeling stuck in neutral.

Back in August 2025, Microsoft launched a new kind of software initiative called “Microsoft 365 Companions,” which were like mini-apps that lived within the taskbar and served a middle-of-the-road solution between simple notifications and complex Widgets. When they first launched, there were three Microsoft 365 Companions immediately available: People, which showed your favorite contacts and let you search your full contact list; Files, which could search, preview, and share cloud files without fully opening them; and Calendar, which let you join Teams calls without opening the full app. But now, just over a year since these Companions were first announced, Microsoft has decided to discontinue them. It’s unclear why they’re being discontinued—Microsoft offers no explanation. According to this Microsoft 365 support page, all three companion apps will be going into retirement starting on December 16th, 2026. You can keep using these until then, and once they’re removed, you won’t lose any data and no other existing Microsoft 365 features will be impacted. Since Microsoft 365 Companions are mostly managed by organization administrators, you may not have to do anything—they will be removed when the administrators trigger the removal. But if you aren’t part of an organization, you’ll have to remove them yourself. You can do this by navigating to Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps. As far as what you can use in place of them once removed, Microsoft offers the following guidance: > For calendar and people information, use Outlook and Teams. For files, use Windows Search Box, File Explorer, SharePoint, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. You can also use Copilot, even when you only remember a few details about what you’re looking for.

Chrome is the most popular browser in the world by a country mile. With more than 77% of the browser market across all kinds of devices, it’s most people’s first choice—especially after a fresh Windows install. But Chrome isn’t some privacy-centric upstart that puts the user first. Just like Google’s “free” search engine, Chrome’s users are the product. The browser collects a lot of information about how, when, and where it’s used, and that can make some people uneasy. If you’re in the nothing-to-hide, nothing-to-fear camp, feel free to mosey along and enjoy your browsing experience with Chrome (resource hog or not). But if you’d rather limit how much data Chrome, and by extension, Google, has on you, there are steps you can take. We don’t know everything Chrome gathers; Google keeps those details deliberately vague. But thanks to court filings, independent studies, and forensic testing from privacy researchers, we do have a clear picture of some of the data Chrome collects behind the scenes. Here’s what the evidence shows, and what you can do about it. PROMOTION **Ever wonder how scammers get your number?** Data brokers collect and sell your personal info, including your phone number, to advertisers and fraudsters. **PCWorld recommends using Incogni** to automatically remove your data from these sites, helping to protect you from spam, scams, and identity theft. Don’t Miss Out ## Telemetry data: How you use the browser Disabling telemetry data in Chrome can help restore some privacy. Jon Martindale Just about every app collects data on how you use the app in question. It’s one of the best tools the developers have for figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and how they can improve the user experience based on the very real habits of its users. Chrome does much the same, but it’s certainly not something you have to be onboard with if you don’t want to. Chrome actually has a built-in tool for disabling at least a portion of its telemetry recording. In the Chrome browser, select the three-dot menu icon in the top-right, then **Settings** > **You and Google** and look for **Help improve Chrome’s features and performance**. Toggle it off. To further restrict how Google tracks you across sites and services, you can logout of the browser and change Chrome’s sign-in habits. Navigate to **Settings** > **You and Google** and consider some of the available options. Select the **Sign out of Chrome** button to log out. You can also use the drop-down menu on the right to decide what happens when you sign in to other Google services. You don’t have to sign in to Chrome just to take advantage of your YouTube Premium account. ## Your browsing history: The websites you visit Reduce unwanted tracking by changing Chrome’s settings on web searches. Jon Martindale Unsurprisingly, Google’s Chrome web browser knows the websites you visit while using it. It’s been caught out collecting even in incognito mode in the past and had to settle a lawsuit just a few years ago, deleting enormous reams of data on user browser activity that it collected, even when it wasn’t supposed to. Although we probably can’t trust Google to entirely disregard what you’re looking at in Chrome, you can at least tell it not to track some of it. Using incognito mode is a good start, but you can also adjust Chrome’s settings to reduce the chance it’s tracking which websites you visit. Navigate to **Settings** > **You and Google** and next to **Make searches and browsing better** make sure to toggle that option to **Off**. For good measure, also turn off **Enhanced spell check** , as that sends what you’re typing to Google. It’ll stop the spellchecker working, but it’s a small price to pay for enhancing your privacy (at least a little). You might also want to navigate to **Settings** > **You and Google > Sync and Google services**, and toggle off **Improve search suggestions** so that you only send your searches to whatever search engine you’re using, not also to your default one (which is probably Google). If you don’t mind reducing your security a little, you can also navigate to **Settings** > **Privacy and security** > **Security** and make sure that under **Safe browser** , you select **No protection**. Any other option sends at least a portion of the URL you’re visiting and the page content to Google to check if it’s safe or not. Also toggle off **Help improve security on the web for everyone** for similar reasons. Alternatively, if you want to improve your protection, the AI enhanced safe browsing feature is interesting. ## Your purchasing habits and advert effectiveness Reducing the amount of personalized ads through Chrome can help reduce another layer of data collection. Jon Martindale Google makes the majority of its money from advert sales, which is why it wants to collect so much data on its users in the first place: to better target ads at them. Although you can’t stop Google sharing some information with advertisers, you can reduce the amount the adverts that do reach you that are personalized. Select the three-dot menu icon and navigate to **Settings** > **Privacy and security**. Select **Ads privacy** followed by each of the tree options in turn: **Ad topics** , **Site-suggested ads** , and **Ads measurement**. Toggle all of them to off to restrict the data Chrome shares with advertisers. Alternatively, you can sack off all the adverts altogether by using an adblocker. Popular options include Ublock Origin and Ghostery and they’re simple to install – they’re some of my favorite Chrome extensions, in fact. You may need to chop and change which one you use on occasion, though, as Google and Chrome updates regularly break certain functions of one blocker or another. It’s an ongoing cat and mouse game. ## Extra tips worth considering Alongside advertisers, Chrome also helps others collect data on you and your browsing habits too. Using anti-tracker and advert blocking extensions and apps is the best way to block them out, but you can also use Chrome to make it more difficult for them as well. * Navigate to **Settings** > **Privacy and security** > **Third Party Cookies**. Toggle on the **Block third-party cookies** off to cut down on what other sites and services can track about you, though certain site features may not work correctly. * Navigate to **Settings** > **Privacy and security** > **Third Party Cookies** and toggle **Send a ‘Do not Track’ request with your browsing traffic** , to **On**. There’s no guarantee a site will listen to it, but if they do, it’s there at least. * **Settings** > **Privacy and security** > **Delete browsing data**. You can do this manually to remove any browsing data Chrome has collected on you, but you can also have it do it automatically after you close the browser, or on a trigger of your setting. It won’t stop Chrome collecting any data, but it will make sure there’s no record of it on your local machine. ## Using another browser The ultimate way to stop Google collecting so much data about you via Chrome, is to simply not use Chrome. I know that’s a tricky proposition when it’s so often the default browser option and much of the internet is built with Chrome in mind. However, that’s not as strictly true as it might seem and you don’t even need to ditch the style of browser you’ve grown used to in moving over. Chrome is based on the Chromium open source project but it’s not the only one. It’s the underlying core of Opera, Microsoft’s Edge, Vivaldi, and the Brave Browser. Any of them will feel quite similar to Chrome, even if they don’t work in quite the same way. There’s also the venerable Firefox, which privacy proponents tend to be quite fond of. There’s also Colibri for a very minimalist browser experience, or Maxthon, which makes bold claims about its lack of user tracking. Give one of them a try. You might find you like it.