His bus, known as the `music bus`, features daily singalongs and games. Read...

The last black-type race of the Ellerslie season features one of our busiest juveniles. Read...

This deal had me rubbing my eyes because I couldn’t believe it was real. Right now, it’ll only cost you $549 for a touchscreen 2-in-1 laptop with an Intel Core 7 processor and 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. I’m talking about the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 that’s currently 39% off at B&H. We’ve seen affordable laptops of this type before, but at this price point you’re usually only getting a Core 5 CPU and maybe half the RAM. If you want to run Windows 11 plus other apps smoothly, you’re going to want at least 16GB of memory and a speedy processor like this. It’s a solid combo that’ll carry you through the day, whether you have emails to write, doomscrolling to do, or shopping to get done. The IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 has a 16-inch IPS touchscreen display with a crisp 1920×1200 resolution and an office-level 60Hz refresh rate. With it being a 2-in-1, you can quickly shift between tablet and laptop modes thanks to the 360-degree hinge, and you can even prop it up like a tent for an angled display that’s perfect when streaming Netflix or reading PDFs. Connectivity won’t be an issue with this laptop either, which features two USB-A and two USB-C ports as well as an HDMI. Quit hemming and hawing and grab this Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 for $549 while it’s still on sale because this deal is bonkers! The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 for $549 is a bargainBuy now from B&H Read...

Back in March, one Twitter user leaked a new Windows 11 24H2 feature that tells you whether your PC hardware is powerful enough to handle demanding tasks like gaming and video editing. Now, that feature is being tested via Windows Insiders and will roll out to all regular Windows 11 24H2 users in the coming weeks, reports Windows Latest. This new feature can be found in the Settings app as a special FAQ section in the About page (accessible via Settings > System > About). In that FAQ area, you’ll see expandable questions like: “Am I running the latest version of the Windows OS? What is the latest Windows version?” “How does having 8-16 GB of RAM impact my PC’s performance? Can I run modern applications smoothly with this RAM capacity?” “What is a GPU? I don’t have a dedicated GPU, how does its absence impact gaming and graphical performance?” “Is my GPU sufficient for high-end gaming and video experience? How can having a dedicated GPU enhance my experience and productivity?” When you expand a question, Windows provides answers that are personalized to the very hardware in your system and will flat-out tell you if it’s sufficient or insufficient for various scenarios. They’re pretty generic, as you can tell, but the fact that they’re tweaked and customized for your PC makes this feature pretty useful potentially. Further reading: Windows 11’s May update has cool new features Read...

CPUs and GPUs are old news. These days, the cutting edge is all about NPUs, and hardware manufacturers are talking up NPU performance. The NPU is a computer component designed to accelerate AI tasks in a power-efficient manner, paving the way for new Windows desktop applications with powerful AI features. That’s the plan, anyway. All PCs will eventually have NPUs, but at the moment only some laptops have them. Here’s everything you need to know about NPUs and why they’re such a hot topic in the computer industry right now. What is an NPU? NPU stands for neural processing unit. It’s a special kind of processor that’s optimized for AI and machine learning tasks. The name comes from the fact that AI models use neural networks. A neural network is, in layman’s terms, a vast mesh of interconnected nodes that pass information between them. (The whole idea was modeled after the way our own human brains work.) An NPU isn’t a separate device that you buy and plug in (as you would with a GPU, for example). Instead, an NPU is “packaged” as part of a modern processor platform — like Intel’s Core Ultra, AMD’s Ryzen AI, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus. These platforms have a CPU along with an integrated GPU and NPU. NPU vs. CPU vs. GPU: What’s the difference? Explained For many years now, computers have been running tasks on either the central processing unit (CPU) or graphics processing unit (GPU.) That’s still how it works on AI PCs (i.e., computers with NPUs). The CPU runs most of the tasks on the computer. But the GPU, despite its name, isn’t just for graphics and gaming tasks. The GPU is actually just optimized for a different type of computing task, which is why GPUs have been critical for non-gaming endeavors like mining cryptocurrency and running local AI models with high performance. In fact, GPUs are very good at such AI tasks — but GPUs are awfully power-hungry. That’s where NPUs come into play. An NPU is faster than a CPU at computing AI tasks, but not as fast when compared to a GPU. The trade-off is that an NPU uses far less power than a GPU when computing those same AI tasks. Plus, while the NPU handles AI-related tasks, the CPU and GPU are both freed up to handle their own respective tasks, boosting overall system performance. Why use an NPU instead of a CPU or GPU? If you’re running AI image generation software like Stable Diffusion (or some other AI model) on your PC’s hardware and you need maximum performance, a GPU is going to be your best bet. That’s why Nvidia advertises its GPUs as “premium AI” hardware over NPUs. But there are times when you want to run AI features that might be too taxing for a regular CPU but don’t necessarily need the top-tier power of a GPU. Or maybe you’re on a laptop and you want to take advantage of AI features but don’t want the GPU to drain your battery down. With an NPU, a laptop can perform local (on-device) AI tasks without producing a lot of heat and without expending inordinate battery life — and it can perform those AI tasks without taking up CPU and GPU resources from whatever else your PC might be doing. And even if you aren’t interested in AI per se, you can still take advantage of NPUs for other uses. At CES 2024, HP showed off game-streaming software that uses the NPU for video-streaming tasks, freeing up the GPU to run the game itself. By using the NPU’s extra computing power, the streaming software doesn’t take up any GPU resources… and it’s much faster than using the CPU for the same type of task. But what can Windows PC software do with an NPU, really? With an AI PC, the NPU can be used by both the operating system and the apps that reside on the system. For example, if you have laptop with Intel Meteor Lake hardware, the built-in NPU will let you run Windows Studio Effects, which are AI-powered webcam effects that provide features like background blur and forced eye contact in any application that uses your webcam. Microsoft Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs — the first wave of which were powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X chips — have their own AI-powered features that use the NPUs built into that platform. For example, the Windows Recall feature will require an NPU. Related: What is a Copilot+ PC? Explained Earlier this year, AMD and Intel processors gained access to Copilot+ features that were previously exclusive to Qualcomm PCs — but only AMD and Intel PCs that have the new AMD Ryzen AI 300 series and Intel Core Ultra Series 2 (Lunar Lake) processors. And those are just the features built into Windows; app developers will also be able to use the NPU in a variety of ways. Don’t be surprised to see plug-ins for Audacity and GIMP that offer AI-powered audio and photo editing that’s powered by a computer’s NPU. The possibilities are endless, but it’s still early days for the hardware so it’ll be a while before its full potential is realized. Why do I need an NPU if my PC can already run AI software? Most current applications that have AI features — including Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot — don’t utilize an NPU yet. Instead, they run their AI models on faraway cloud servers. That’s why you can run things like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Adobe Firefly, and other AI solutions on any device, whether an old Windows PC, a Chromebook, a Mac, an Android phone, or something else. Adobe But it’s expensive for those services to run their AI models on the cloud. Microsoft spends a lot of money churning through Copilot AI tasks in data centers, for example. Companies would love to offload those AI tasks to your local PC and reduce their own cloud computing expenses. Of course, it’s not just about cost savings. You also benefit from the ability to run computationally heavy AI tasks on your local device. For example, those AI features will still work even when you’re offline, and you can keep your data private instead of uploading it all to cloud servers all the time. (That’s a big deal for companies, too, who want to maintain control over their own business data for privacy and security reasons.) Further reading: I tried running AI chatbots locally on my laptop — and they kinda suck Which NPUs are available and how powerful are they? Intel NPU performance is measured in TOPS, which stands for trillion operations per second. To give you a sense of what that means, a low-end NPU might only be able to handle 10 TOPS whereas PCs that qualify for Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC branding must handle at least 40 TOPS. As of fall 2024, the following NPUs are available: Intel Core Ultra Series 1 (Meteor Lake): Intel’s first-generation Core Ultra NPU can deliver up to 11 TOPS. It’s too slow for Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC features, but it does work with Windows Studio Effects and some third-party applications. This same NPU is found in newer “Arrow Lake” Intel gaming laptops, as well. Intel Core Ultra Series 2 (Lunar Lake): Intel’s Lunar Lake chips will include an NPU with up to 48 TOPS of performance, exceeding Copilot+ PC requirements. AMD Ryzen Pro 7000 and 8000 Series: AMD first delivered NPUs on PCs before Intel did, but the NPUs in Ryzen 7000 series processors are too slow for Copilot+ PC features, with up to 12 and 16 TOPS of performance. AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series: The NPUs in the latest AMD Ryzen AI 300 series processors can deliver up to 50 TOPS of performance, more than enough for Copilot+ PCs. Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus: Qualcomm’s Arm-based hardware includes a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU that’s capable of up to 45 TOPS. It’s worth noting that NPUs aren’t just on PCs. Apple’s Neural Engine hardware was one of the first big splashy NPUs to get marketing attention. Google’s Tensor platform for Pixel devices also includes an NPU, while Samsung Galaxy phones have NPUs, too. Bottom line: Should you get a PC with an NPU right now or wait? Honestly, it’s risky being on the bleeding edge. If you went out of your way to get a Meteor Lake laptop in hopes of future-proofing your PC for AI features, you actually got burned when Microsoft later announced that Meteor Lake NPUs were too slow for Copilot+ PC features. (Intel disagreed, pointing out that you still get all the features those laptops originally shipped with.) The silver lining to that? Copilot+ PC features aren’t that interesting yet. And most of the biggest AI tools — ChatGPT, Adobe Firefly, etc. — don’t even use NPUs at all. Still, if I were buying a new laptop, I’d want to get an NPU if possible. You don’t actually have to go out of your way to get one; it’s just something that comes included with modern hardware platforms. And those modern processor platforms have other big features, like big battery life gains. On the other hand, those fast NPUs are only on the latest laptops right now, and you can often find great deals on older laptops that are nearly as fast as the latest models. If you spot a previous-generation laptop that’s heavily discounted, it may not make sense to shell out tons more cash just for an NPU, especially if you don’t have any AI tools you plan to run. As of this writing, most big AI tools still run in the cloud — or at least offer that as an option — so you’ll be able to run them on any Windows laptop, Chromebook, or even Android tablets and iPads. For desktops, the NPU situation is different. Intel’s desktop CPUs don’t have NPUs yet. You could hunt down an AMD desktop chip with a Ryzen AI NPU, but AMD’s Ryzen 7000 and 8000 series chips don’t support Copilot+ PC features anyway. So, if you’re putting together a desktop PC, set aside the NPU for now. It just isn’t that important yet. Looking for a PC with a high-performance NPU? Consider Arm-based Windows laptops like the Surface Laptop 7 and AMD Ryzen AI 300 series laptops like the Asus ProArt PX13, as well as Intel Core Ultra Series 2 laptops like the Asus Zenbook S 14. Further reading: Why can’t my $3000 gaming PC run Copilot+ features? Come on, Microsoft! Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Small, compact stand Excellent SDR contrast and color gamut Good HDR performance Crisp 240Hz refresh rate with broad adaptive sync support Cons Small, unimpressive RGB-LED lighting elements Lacks USB-C video input with Power Delivery Slim on features: speakers, a KVM switch, 3.5mm audio-out, and HDR brightness adjustment are absent Our Verdict The Alienware AW3425DW ditches features to deliver top-notch SDR and HDR image quality at an aggressive price. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Alienware AW3425DW Retailer Price $799.99 View Deal $799.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket OLED monitors are incredibly prolific, so much so that it’s easy to forget they weren’t really a thing just five years ago. The Alienware AW3423WF was arguably the monitor that changed that, but it’s now several years old. So, Dell has discontinued the AW3423DWF in favor of a successor: the Alienware AW3425DW. Like its predecessor, the AW3425DW is a 34-inch ultrawide with 3440×1440 resolution, but it now has support for refresh rates up to 240Hz. While not necessarily the most impressive OLED monitor on the market, the AW3425DW’s design and pricing make it a sensible choice. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best ultrawide monitors for comparison. Alienware AW3425DW specs and features The Alienware AW3425DW’s basic specifications don’t look much different from its predecessor. This is still a 34-inch ultrawide monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a display resolution of 3440×1440. It still has a Samsung QD-OLED panel, too, although the refresh rate has increased to 240Hz. Display size: 34.2-inch 21:9 aspect ratio Native resolution: 3440×1440 Panel type: Samsung QD-OLED 10-bit Refresh rate: 240Hz Adaptive sync: Yes, VESA Adaptive Sync, Nvidia G-Sync Compatible, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro HDR: HDR 10 Ports: 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x USB 5Gbps Type-B, 1x USB 5Gbps Type-A, 1x USB-C 5Gbps with 15 watts charging Additional features: AlienFX Audio: None Warranty: 3-year warranty Price: $799.99 MSRP The monitor unfortunately lacks a USB-C input, which is disappointing for a premium monitor sold in 2025. On the plus side, however, the monitor provides official compatibility with VESA Adaptive Sync, Nvidia G-Sync, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, so you should enjoy smooth pacing no matter what video card you use. Pricing might be the most appealing specification as the monitor retails with an MSRP of just $799.99. Older QD-OLED ultrawide monitors currently sell around $700 or slightly below, so you’re only paying a roughly $100 premium for a newer QD-OLED panel with a higher refresh rate. Alienware AW3425DW design The Alienware AW3425DW’s design doesn’t follow the same script as its predecessor. Like other recent Alienware monitors, it ditches the older model’s retro-futuristic vibe for a curved, organic look. It’s also available in just one color: dark blue. To be honest, I don’t much like the look of it. I think it’s a clear downgrade from Alienware’s earlier models, which seemed more premium. The AW3425DW also reduces the RGB-LED lighting elements found on earlier models. Only the Alienware logo and the power button provide RGB-LED lighting, and both are rather small. Matthew Smith / Foundry It’s not all bad news, though. While the design isn’t remarkable, it’s inoffensive, and the monitor feels solid in-hand. I also like the monitor’s subtle curve. Personally, I prefer flat-screen ultrawides (in the 34-inch size, at least). The AW3425DW isn’t flat, but the curve is often unnoticeable in day-to-day use. I also like the small and compact stand, which minimizes the monitor’s impact on your desk. It’s an upgrade over the large, wing-shaped stand that shipped with the AW3423DWF. Like its predecessor, and most competitors, the AW3425DW’s stand adjusts for height, tilt, and swivel. It can also “slant” up to five degrees for fine-tuning the angle at which the panel sits relative to your desk. A 100x100mm VESA mount is available for connecting a third-party monitor stand or arm. I like the AW3425DW’s subtle curve — it’s often unnoticeable in day-to-day use. Alienware AW3425DW connectivity The Alienware AW3425DW’s video connectivity includes two HDMI 2.1 ports and a single DisplayPort 1.4, all of which can handle the monitor’s full refresh rate and resolution. What you won’t find, however, is a USB-C port with DisplayPort and USB Power Delivery. Many competitive monitors now offer USB-C with Power Delivery, so the lack of USB-C is notable. The lack of USB-C also means the monitor doesn’t have a KVM switch. The monitor’s downstream USB connectivity doesn’t impress, either. It has just one USB-A downstream port and one USB-C downstream port. The USB-C port offers 15 watts of Power Delivery, and both ports provide 5Gbps of data. Because the AW3425DW doesn’t have USB-C upstream, owners instead need to connect their PC to the monitor over a USB-B upstream connection (a USB-A to USB-B cable is included in the box). You won’t find a 3.5mm audio-out jack for audio passthrough, either. This is unusual for a gaming monitor in 2025, and it’s bad news if you use headphones with a 3.5mm connector. In short, the AW3425DW’s connectivity is as basic as it gets for an OLED monitor in 2025. This is exactly the opposite of what I would have expected, as most of Alienware’s competitors are going all-in on USB-C. However, USB-C carries a premium, and competitors with it are often more expensive. The MSI MPG 341CQPX is very similar to the AW3425DW but offers USB-C with 98 watts of Power Delivery, and it retails at $899.99. Alienware AW3425DW menus and features Owners can control the Alienware AW3425DW’s options with a joystick centered behind the monitor’s lower bezel. This is a typical arrangement for a 34-inch monitor, and the AW3425DW’s joystick feels responsive. The monitor’s features can also be changed through Alienware’s Command Center software. It’s an attractive utility that provides quick access to many monitor settings including brightness, contrast, and input, to name a few. It doesn’t offer adjustment for gamma or color temperature, however. The AW3425DW’s range of image quality options is decent, though there’s still room for improvement. Alienware provides a Creator image mode preset, which has sub-modes for sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut, as well as gamma calibration which targets precise values. However, this mode doesn’t allow for color saturation, temperature, gain, and offset adjustments. These instead are found in different modes; all game modes, as well as the custom color mode, provide significant color calibration. There’s enough here for most users to calibrate the monitor’s image quality as desired, but it’s odd that Alienware doesn’t provide an image mode that allows adjustment for all the above simultaneously. Matthew Smith / Foundry Moving beyond image quality, the AW3425DW offers a good range of gaming-centric features. It has a dark stabilizer, which can increase brightness in dark scenes to make enemies easier to see, plus an on-screen crosshair, timer, and FPS monitor. Gamers can also customize and select from three Alienvision presets, which apply some of these features to a limited portion of the display (sort of like looking down the scope of a gun in an FPS game). One feature you won’t find is a pair of built-in speakers. This is common among gaming monitors, as built-in speakers rarely perform well enough to do games justice. Still, the lack of built-in speakers means you’ll have to use headphones or desktop speakers if you want to hear anything at all. Much as with connectivity, the AW3425DW’s feature set feels built to a budget. It covers the basics but doesn’t provide any significant features not available from competitors. Alienware AW3425DW image quality The Alienware AW3425DW has a Samsung QD-OLED panel with a refresh rate of 240Hz. Monitors with QD-OLED panels tend to look great in SDR (as well as HDR), but there’s often not much difference between monitors from different manufacturers. The AW3425DW doesn’t change that trend, though it does score a few small victories. Matthew Smith / Foundry First up is brightness. As expected, all the OLED monitors performed more or less the same. The Alienware AW3425DW’s maximum sustained SDR brightness of 258 nits is a little higher than some QD-OLED alternatives, but in the real world, these results will look rather similar. It should also be noted that the LG Ultragear OLED 45GX950A-B scored the highest of the monitors used for comparison, and it uses an LG WOLED panel. So, if you do want the best SDR brightness, you might want to look at that monitor, although it is quite a bit larger than the 34-inch alternatives. Even so, the Alienware AW3425DW’s SDR brightness is more than adequate for use in a typical home office or a gaming den. However, if you’re trying to use it in a brightly lit room or room with large windows that don’t have shades or blinds, it might not be bright enough. Also, the AW3425DW has a rather glossy finish over the display panel, which can make glare more obvious. Matthew Smith / Foundry Next up is contrast. There’s not much to say here because all OLED monitors perform exceptionally well. OLED provides an effectively infinite contrast ratio due to its ability to reach a minimum brightness of zero nits. This allows for an extremely immersive and deep image. This is a perk for the AW3425DW, but it’s also not a competitive advantage, as all OLED monitors offer the same level of performance. Matthew Smith / Foundry Next up is color gamut. QD-OLED monitors offer some of the widest color gamuts of any display that you can put on your desk. The Alienware AW3425DW hits 100 percent of sRGB, 98 percent of DCI-P3, and 95 percent of Adobe RGB. As the graph shows, all the QD-OLED monitors have basically the same level of performance, give or take a percentage here and there. The LG Ultragear OLED 45GX950A-B, which again uses an LG WOLED display, is the only monitor at a notable disadvantage because it only displays up to 95 percent DCI-P3 and 89 percent of Adobe RGB. These results are more applicable to content creators than they are to gamers. All of these monitors have a color gamut that’s more than wide enough to make games look vibrant, but if you want a very wide color gamut to ensure that you’re seeing as many colors as possible when editing a video or a photo, the Alienware AW3425DW is a good choice. Matthew Smith / Foundry The Alienware AW3425DW excels in color accuracy, delivering an average color error that significantly outperforms its competitors. While any average color error below 2 generally produces realistic imagery (and none of these monitors struggle with accuracy), the Alienware has a clear advantage for content creation tasks like video and photo editing. Gamma and color temperature testing revealed both strengths and weaknesses. The AW3425DW ships with an ideal gamma curve of 2.2, which is what most PC applications target. This ensures images don’t appear artificially dark or bright, and it’s a welcome improvement over QD-OLED competitors that tend toward a gamma curve of 2.3, which displays content slightly darker than intended. Color temperature, however, misses the mark. At 50 percent brightness, I measured a color temperature of 6100K, which is warmer than the standard 6500K target. While I personally don’t mind a warmer tone, this deviation is noticeable. The AW3425DW’s sharpness is merely adequate. Like all 34-inch QD-OLED ultrawides currently available, the AW3425DW offers 3440×1440 resolution (approximately 110 pixels per inch). This feels increasingly dated as the market shifts toward new 27-inch and 32-inch 4K QD-OLED displays. For those willing to go larger, options like LG’s UltraGear 45GX950A-B deliver 5120×2160 resolution, which works out to about 125 pixels per inch. Overall, the AW3425DW’s SDR image quality is excellent. Its great out-of-box color accuracy and spot-on gamma curve deliver a slightly more refined and realistic image than alternatives like the Gigabyte MO34WQC. QD-OLED monitors tend to look far more similar than different, but a win is a win, and my testing shows the Alienware has a slight edge in SDR image quality. Alienware AW3425DW HDR image quality Things get more interesting in HDR. The Alienware AW3425DW supports HDR and has VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification. Testing results show the AW3425DW is an exceptional HDR performer that outshines many past WOLED and older QD-OLED monitors. It reached a peak brightness of 978 nits in a 10 percent window, which is the second highest in this competitive set, just behind the MSI MPG 341CQPX. The Alienware also performed well in a 50 percent window, again coming in just slightly behind the MSI. The AW3425DW offers a significant advantage over older QD-OLED displays in HDR content. I measured peak brightness of just 400 to 500 nits from the Gigabyte MO34WQC and the veteran Alienware AW3423DWF. If you’re looking for a reason to upgrade from the older Alienware QD-OLED, HDR performance is it. Matthew Smith / Foundry Beyond the test results, HDR content looks fantastic on the AW3425DW. In the “Into the Storm” scene from Mad Max: Fury Road, lightning bolts streak through the dust storm with eye-searing brightness. Viewing the gargantuan scene from Interstellar, I could see excellent detail in the accretion disk around the black hole—an area that often appears blown out and featureless in SDR or on less capable HDR displays. While the AW3425DW is solid in HDR, I was disappointed to see that it wouldn’t let me adjust brightness while in HDR. Some QD-OLED monitors now offer optional HDR adjustment. It’s a handy feature, as HDR content can at times feel overly bright on a computer monitor. The AW3425DW is a good monitor for HDR content. Only Mini-LED monitors, which can reach higher brightness levels when large portions of the display are lit, will outperform it. However, Mini-LED hasn’t gained much traction in the market, so trying to find a Mini-LED alternative may not be worth the effort. Alienware AW3425DW motion performance The Alienware AW3425DW has a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz, meaning the image can update up to 240 times each second. It also has a minimum pixel response time of 0.03 milliseconds, which is typical for a QD-OLED monitor. For comparison, IPS LCD monitors typically have a response time between 1 and 8 milliseconds. These specifications conspire to provide excellent motion clarity. Fast-moving objects are rendered with good detail and quick camera pans keep most of a game’s scenery intact. Viewing fast-scrolling test images from League of Legends, I found character silhouettes and terrain looked crisp. Character names and moving UI elements (like HP bars) could be a little hard to make out but were generally legible. This is great performance and, if you happen to be upgrading from a 60Hz or 144Hz IPS LCD, it’s going to knock your socks off. However, virtually all of Alienware’s direct competitors offer a 34-inch 240Hz QD-OLED ultrawide, and they all have similar motion clarity. 240Hz is table stakes for a gaming monitor in 2025. Alienware also provides official support for VESA Adaptive Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible. Most competitive monitors only list official support for one or two of these standards. The Gigabyte MO34WQC2 lists AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, for example, while the Corsair Xeneon 34WQHD240-C lists Nvidia G-Sync. Should you buy the Alienware AW3425DW? Much like new Alienware’s 27-inch 4K QD-OLED, the Alienware AW3425DW takes the brand in an unexpected direction. The AW3425DW doesn’t try to beat its competitors on design or features. Instead, it’s all about delivering the best image quality possible at an affordable price. If this was Alienware’s mission, I must admit it was successful. The monitor’s retail MSRP of $799.99 is lower than the MSRPs of similar monitors and still competitive with the best sale prices I’ve seen on competitors. Yet despite its pricing, the AW3425DW delivered great results in both SDR and HDR. On the other hand, the Alienware AW3425DW is slim on features. There’s no USB-C video input with Power Delivery, no speakers, and no KVM switch. RGB-LED lighting is technically included, but it’s so subtle it’s basically non-existent. The monitor also lacks an HDR brightness adjustment. If it were my money, I’d spend a little bit more on the MSI MPG 341CQPX, which offers nearly identical image quality and does have USB-C with 98 watts power delivery, a KVM switch, and other features not found on the Alienware. But if you just want QD-OLED image quality and a 240Hz refresh rate at an attractive price, the Alienware makes a lot of sense. Read...

Chromebooks work exceptionally well straight out of the box. With an easy setup process and an operating system that just works, they’re perfect for less techy folk. But Chromebooks are also great for more experienced users like myself. In fact, I personally made the switch from a Windows PC to a Chromebook and haven’t looked back. While ChromeOS may not be as customizable as Linux or even Windows, it offers plenty of power if you know what to do. After tweaking some of the more basic settings, here are the next steps you should take if you want to level up your Chromebook skills and do more with less. Learn all the useful keyboard shortcuts Dave Parrack / Foundry Honestly, if there’s only one thing you do to enhance your productivity, let it be this: memorize as many keyboard shortcuts as you can and train yourself to use them every day. Keyboard shortcuts offer the most bang for your buck, and that’s true whether you’re on a Chromebook or otherwise. It’s extremely inefficient to move your hand from keyboard to mouse, then move the cursor to where it needs to go, to press buttons and navigate menus. Why bother when you can often do it all with a single keystroke? And that inefficiency really adds up over the course of a day. You can view a list of all possible keyboard shortcuts in ChromeOS by using the Ctrl + Search + S keyboard shortcut. Alternatively, use your mouse to navigate to Settings > Device > Keyboard and inputs > View keyboard shortcuts. (See how much faster it is to just use the keyboard shortcut?!) What’s nice is that you can even customize some of these keystroke combinations, which is useful for frequently used actions. Pin oft-used apps to your shelf Dave Parrack / Foundry While pinning apps to your Chromebook shelf is a basic feature, a lot of regular users seem to skip this step for some reason. If you find yourself launching the same apps over and over—maybe even on a daily basis—then pinning them to the shelf means they’re instantly available without needing to open the launcher and locate the app every time. To pin an app to your Chromebook shelf, open the launcher in the bottom-left of your screen. Find the app you want to pin to your shelf, then right-click on it. Select Pin to shelf to instantly pin it. You can later unpin an app by right-clicking on it in the shelf and selecting Unpin. Use split screen for multitasking windows Dave Parrack / Foundry I don’t blame anyone for using multiple monitors for productivity. Extra screen real estate is a godsend, and it can be hard to be efficient when you’re constantly flipping back and forth between apps. But you don’t need multiple monitors to multitask, especially if you have a larger display with a 1080p or even 4K resolution. Before you shell out for a portable monitor or two, try using ChromeOS’s built-in split screen feature for stacking two windows side by side. To split the screen, you have a few methods you can use: Hover over the Maximize/Restore button in any window to open the window layout menu, where you’ll see options for Split, Partial, Full, and Float. Choose Split to create two equally sized windows. Drag the title bar of any window to either side of the screen, then release the window to snap it to that side and fill that half of the screen. Then select another window to fill the opposide side. Use the Alt + [ keyboard shortcut to snap a window to the left side of the screen. Use Alt + ] to snap to the right side. Organize windows across multiple “desks” Dave Parrack / Foundry You know the saying “out of sight, out of mind”? One way to boost productivity is to keep those distracting apps and windows out of sight, only turning to them when you actually need them. In ChromeOS, you can do this using virtual desktops called “desks,” with each desk housing its own set of windows that don’t appear on other desks. To create an addition desk, tap the Show Windows key on your keyboard. Then, at the top right, click the Add new desk button. You can have up to a total of 8 desks. You can also use the Show Windows key to switch between desks, rename desks, show or hide desks, move tabs or windows between desks, and even combine desks together. You might also want to learn the Shift + Search + 1 through 8 keyboard shortcuts to instantly switch between your various desks, or the Search + [ and Search + ] shortcuts to switch to left or right desks, respectively. Use the search function to find files Dave Parrack / Foundry ChromeOS has a surprisingly capable search feature that makes it easy to find any file, app, shortcut, and more. It’s a shame more people don’t use it. If you’ve ever used the Spotlight search feature on macOS, then you kind of know what I’m talking about. To access the search tool, open the launcher by clicking the Launcher button at the bottom left on the shelf (or tapping the Search key on your keyboard). You’ll see a search bar, which you can click to focus and start typing whatever you want to look for. As you type, ChromeOS will make suggestions while showing matching results sorted into categories (e.g., websites, files, apps, etc.), with the best matches at the top. Click the result that best fits what you were looking for, and you’ll be whisked straight to it. Connect an external keyboard and mouse Dave Parrack / Foundry If you want a fuller desktop-style experience than your Chromebook can offer, consider connecting an external keyboard and mouse. You can do so either via USB or Bluetooth depending on your specific gear and the port availability on your specific Chromebook. Connecting an external keyboard and/or mouse via USB is as simple as plugging them in. Connecting via Bluetooth requires you to enable Bluetooth from the menu in the bottom right, then pairing your devices by following the on-screen instructions. Explore the Crosh terminal Dave Parrack / Foundry Crosh is ChromeOS’s developer shell—a command-line interface that can be used to perform all kinds of tasks. Think Command Prompt in Windows or Terminal in macOS. And while Crosh isn’t something the average user would ever need (or want) to explore, ChromeOS power users should take advantage if they want to do advanced things. To access Crosh, you can use the Ctrl + Alt + T keyboard shortcut. Once open, type help for a list of commands you can use in Crosh. Only use Crosh if you feel the need to delve deeper into ChromeOS, as the majority of users don’t need to do so. Commands that you may want to use include memory_test to see information about your Chromebook’s memory, battery_test [seconds] to check battery health with a battery discharge test, and ping [domain] to run a ping test. Enable the Linux subsystem for more apps Dave Parrack / Foundry If you’ve done everything you can to maximize ChromeOS productivity but still feel limited, and if you’re a techy power user with a tinkerer’s mind, then you might want to enable Linux on your Chromebook. Enabling Linux on ChromeOS (sometimes called Crostini) is an easy way to expand the power of your Chromebook. You basically get a Linux container than runs within ChromeOS, allowing you to run full-blown Linux apps that behave as if they were native ChromeOS apps, all while benefiting from ChromeOS’s usability and battery management. To get started, go to Settings > About ChromeOS. Under the Developers subcategory, navigate to Linux development environment, click on Set up, then follow the on-screen instructions. After setup is complete, you’ll have access to a Linux environment where you can run Linux commands and install Linux apps. Note that since Linux runs in its own environment, you have to manually mark certain files and folders if you want them to be accessible to Linux apps. It’s easy to do, though. Just right-click any file or folder and select Share with Linux. Boom! Maybe consider experimental features Dave Parrack / Foundry In ChromeOS, a “flag” is an experimental setting that hasn’t yet made it into the operating system’s stable release. By tweaking flags, you can essentially test out features that are still in the works. But do so at your own risk because experimental features may cause hardware, software, or security issues, according to Google. To access ChromeOS’s experimental features, open Chrome and type chrome://flags in the address bar. You’ll be taken to a special flags page with all the available flags on your version of ChromeOS, along with a search bar for quickly finding the ones you need. Some flags that can improve your Chromebook performance and productivity include #enable-zero-copy (which allows data to be transferred without extra copies) and #smooth-scrolling (which makes page scrolling smoother). You can also use flags to tweak the look and feel of the Chrome browser itself. Alternatively, you can gain access to even more experimental features by switching to the Beta or Dev releases. The Beta channel is low risk and updated every 4 weeks while the Dev channel is buggier and updated once or twice every week. But I don’t recommend doing this if you’re on a work machine and need long-term stability. Further reading: The best Chromebooks you can buy this year Read...

The council says the alterations, including removing historic features, were denied planning consent. Read...

We seem to have more video footage and still images than ever before, thanks to smartphones, GoPro cameras and the backlog of older ones collected across a lifetime. Managing all these formats, as well as making sure they look their best, can be a frightening proposition. Thankfully, Winxvideo AI is a powerful all-in-one solution that not only uses advanced Artificial Intelligence software to upgrade the quality of your content but can rescue old photos and footage too. The newly updated version 4.0 also brings huge improvements to speed, plus a special price offer, so you can save both time and money while you upgrade your photo and video library. Grab your discount on Winxvideo AI Powerful AI tools that upgrade your videos Winxvideo AI comes with an impressive array of features that can turn tired, old, blurry videos into something far more professional. For example, if you have footage of a significant event that was shot on an old device and only displays in low resolution, then the AI upscaling tool can cleverly convert it to 720p ,1080p or even 4K! It offers dedicated AI models for different video types – whether enhancing fine details, smoothing low-detail footage, refining animations, or upscaling photorealistic content. Digiarty Winxvideo AI significantly improves video quality thanks to its advanced AI models that remove noise, sharpen footage, and clean up compression artifacts caused by low light or poor equipment. This means that the unimpressive video you shot of an important occasion can instantly look better than you thought possible, and play back in glorious 4K with realistic detail, revealing textures like skin, hair, fur, and fabric with impressive clarity. Is a great shot spoiled by the camera shaking? No problem, the AI Stabilization capabilities in Winxvideo AI can fix that in only a few clicks. If you find that your video is jerky and stutters due to a low frame rate, that’s fixable too thanks to the AI frame interpolation that can boost frame rates for smooth footage or allow you to convert it to slo-mo instead. Alongside these tools there’s also a full suite of video editing features so you can put together your own films, remove noise from audio tracks, the option to convert video to and from a wide range of formats, plus the helpful ability to compress file sizes to make them easier to share over email or messaging services. Restore and enhance photos and images  It’s not only video that you can improve with Winxvideo AI, as it also brings serious enhancements to still images. The AI upscaler technology instantly improves low-quality images by up to 10x, removing noise and blurriness to give you pin-sharp results.If you want to enhance portraits, Winxvideo AI’s Face Recovery restores fine details like eyelashes, pupils, and skin texture, while removing blemishes. It works perfectly for both individual portraits and group photos. Digiarty The same thing works on old photographs, which you can scan and then make them look like they were taken yesterday. Should you want to modernize old black and white pictures, then the colorize feature in Winxvideo AI makes this incredibly simple, bringing old images to life with full color versions. Everything is handled by the simple-to-use software that does all the heavy-lifting for you. Winxvideo AI version 4.0 takes things to a new level Thanks to big improvements in two of the AI models used in version 4.0, the latest iteration of Winxvideo AI boasts incredible performance gains, with upscaling speeds increased by up to 80% over version 3.9! Digiarty Not only that, the finished results also come with enhanced quality and details too. All this, while the CPU/GPU usage has been lowered, so your PC won’t be punished while working on the video or images. Grab time-limited special deals for Winxvideo AI This year also marks the 19th anniversary of Winxvideo AI’s creators Digiarty, which is being celebrated by a superb deal on the software where you can buy it for only $29.95, saving you $40 off the normal price. Hurry, though, as this is a time-limited deal to accompany the Digiarty festivities. With so many useful tools to upgrade your video and photo library, there’s never been a better time to buy Winxvideo AI, and thanks to the special deal there’s never been a cheaper time either. Save $40 on Winxvideo AI View Offer Read...

Alongside the latest security fixes, Microsoft just added a number of new features to Windows 11 via the KB5058411 update. The new Copilot+ AI feature known as Windows Recall and the ability to use Phone Link in the Start menu have been mentioned in previous articles, so we don’t need to mention them again. One of the best improvements in the update is that Windows Search now supports AI, which means—among other things—that you can now use “natural language” in your search queries to find documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and images. Get Windows 11 Pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro File Explorer also got some boosts, like how it’s now possible to view Microsoft 365 content directly in File Explorer (but requires you to pay for the service). File Explorer should also open files and unpack ZIP archives much faster, and as for the colors in the bars, the shades of blue and green are now darker than before. Other goodies in the update include Microsoft removing the blue-colored background for shortcuts on the desktop, which users complained about, as well as numerous bug fixes, which should mean that the risk of running into “blue screen” crashes has gone down. Update KB5058411 should automatically download and install to your system, assuming you’re on Windows 11 24H2. If it hasn’t yet, you should be able to jump-start it with a manual check in Windows Update. Further reading: Windows 11 24H2 is now auto-downloading on PCs Read...