Scammers use demand for Bank Holiday entertainment to steal money using fake social media posts, consumer groups are warning. Read...

Roku is best known for its streaming boxes and sticks, but it also offers free TV entertainment on its Roku Channel, including live linear TV and some original movies, and you don’t need to have Roku’s hardware—or a Roku TV—to watch it. We’ll show you all the ways you can enjoy the bounty. You can access the Roku Channel via a web browser or via Roku’s mobile apps for Android and iOS. To watch on a smart TV or another brand of streaming device (an Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Samsung smart TV), you’ll need to install the Roku Channel app from that device’s app store. Unfortunately, Roku doesn’t have a version of the Roku Channel app for LG smart TVs or the Apple TV streamer. But we’ll show you some workarounds for those platforms later. You don’t need a Roku-powered streaming device or TV to watch the free entertainment on the Roku Channel; in fact, you don’t need a media streamer at all. Just point your web browser to theRokuChannel.com and pick what you want to watch.Michael Brown/Foundry What’s available on the Roku Channel? The Roku Channel offers a wide array of FAST (free ad-supported TV) channels, movies and TV series you can watch on demand, as well as live linear TV (movies and shows are streamed on a fixed schedule—as in the good ol’ days of broadcast television—but you can drop in whenever you want). You’ll find some of this same content on other FAST services, such as Pluto and Tubi, but Roku always has a selection of popular films and shows that are exclusive to the Roku Channel. Roku’s most high-profile original project so far is the Emmy-winning Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, starring Daniel Radcliffe as the satirical singer. Roku offers a small amount of its own original programming, including Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, starring Daniel Radcliffe.Jared Newman / Foundry Other original shows include The Great American Baking Show, Honest Renovations, and Visionaries: The Arch Project with Keanu Reeves. It’s a tiny catalog when compared to what’s streaming on Max or Netflix, but you can watch all these shows for free (with ads). Roku has also gone bargain hunting, picking up worthy projects other streaming services have dropped. That includes the entire library of Quibi, the failed “quick bites” short form video service that Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg (former chief executive of Disney and co-founder of Dreamworks), designed for phones. Roku rescued an entire library of Quibi shows like Die Hart with Kevin Hart, Most Dangerous Game, a Punk’d revival with Chance the Rapper, the Reno 911! revival, and Bill Burr Presents Immoral Compass. Roku also picked up The Spiderwick Chronicles TV series from Disney+. Roku acquired the entire Quibi library of short films and offers it for free on the Roku Channel.Quibi Since The Roku Channel was designed as a hub for Roku streaming devices, there’s a lot of emphasis on luring users to subscribe to other streaming services, such as Prime Video, Peacock, MGM+, and Paramount+. If you’re not familiar with the catalogs of those streaming services, you might find yourself routed to their apps or websites when you click on a title. If you are interested in subscribing to those services, it’s best to sign up for them directly, so that your customer relationship is with the service provider and not a go-between. How to use a browser to watch the Roku Channel First, point your browser to therokuchannel.com. You’ll see a large grid with thumbnail images of the movies and TV shows on offer. At the risk of contradicting everything I’ve said about this entertainment being free and ad supported; well, some of it—a little of it—isn’t. But the Roku Channel user interface makes it easy to tell the difference.Roku’s browser view makes it easy to identify which content is free with ads and which requires a subscription to one service or another. Each section features tiles that slide to the left or right with arrows on each side of the screen, much like the navigation on Netflix. You’ll need to scroll down three times to see the entire user interface when viewing the Roku Channel in a web browser on an iPhone. Michael Brown/Foundry What you can’t do is adjust the view of the page to hide the Premium Subscription content. That makes sense—for Roku, at least—because part of the company’s business model revolves around you subscribing to outside services from within its site, for which Roku collects a commission. But it would be nice if users could hide the subscription options they don’t plan to use. A Browse tab allows a viewer to focus on such categories as Roku Originals, Movies, Series, Comedy, Drama, Western, and dozens of others. You can click a + button next to a program’s description to add it to a Saved tab. The Live TV tab shows what’s streaming now with the same sliding tile interface the rest of The Roku Channel site uses. It’s a bit counterintuitive for anyone who grew up with the traditional cable guide grid interface that Pluto and Tubi use for their live TV offerings. How to use the Roku Channel mobile app The Roku Channel lives inside the Roku app for iOS and Android. That app is primarily designed to act as a remote for a Roku device or Roku-powered television, so you’ll need to get used to working around that capability if you’re primarily using the app to just watch the Roku Channel. There is no Roku Channel app for the Apple TV streaming box, but you can play the service on your phone and cast it to the box connected your big-screen TV via Apple AirPlay.Michael Brown/Foundry For example, I use an Apple TV streamer with a TCL television that happens to have the Roku software built in. I don’t use the Roku software on the television, but I do have a Roku account. Press the wrong icon on the screen, and the Roku interface launches on the TV screen. There’s no way to turn that off or eliminate the icons for apps you may have installed on a Roku device or television. The mobile app uses the same sliding tile interface as the web version, but it’s far more difficult to use on a smaller screen. There’s no way to get an overview of what’s streaming live, and it’s impossible to surface a list of Roku Originals if you’re looking to focus on movies and shows exclusive to the channel. If you own an Apple TV, you can watch The Roku Channel on your television screen via mirroring. There’s no support for AirPlay. That means you won’t have access to anything but the streaming video when watching. What’s the best way to watch the Roku Channel? If have a Google-, Amazon Fire- or Roku-powered streaming device or television, download the Roku Channel app for your respective device, as that’s the easiest way to watch the service, as you’ll be able to use a remote control. If you don’t have one of those devices, the easiest way to watch the Roku Channel is on a web browser on a computer or tablet. If you’re looking to use your mobile device and want to have access to the full catalog of movies and shows, your best bet is to log in via a web browser and add what you want to your Save List. That content will then be easily accessed on the mobile app. Free streaming has become a major player in home entertainment. If you’re willing to put up with a few commercials (and sometimes the same commercials playing during every single ad break), there’s a wide variety of classic and relatively new movies and shows available on the Roku Channel—and other FAST services—to pass the time. Read...

In 2004, we got the famous “You Wouldn’t Steal a Car” anti-piracy public service announcement urging the public not to illegally download files like movies and music. The campaign compared file-sharing to stealing handbags, televisions, and cars, and it frequently appeared before films in theaters and on commercial DVDs. Now, TorrentFreak points out that the font used in the ads may have been pirated. Instead of using the original font called “FF Confidential,” which was designed by Just van Rossum in 1992 and requires licensing for commercial use, it appears that the anti-piracy campaign used a font called “XBAND Rough” instead. XBAND Rough is a free clone of FF Confidential, created by Catapult Entertainment in 1996. How can you tell the difference? Well, one Fediverse user found the XBAND Rough font embedded in a PDF file that was hosted on the official campaign website. TorrentFreak confirmed that XBAND Rough is embedded in both an official brochure (PDF) and an official flyer (PDF). However, TorrentFreak cautions against drawing any direct conclusions, as it’s entirely possible that the campaign still used a licensed version. “I knew my font was used for the campaign and that a pirated clone named XBAND Rough existed. I did not know that the campaign used XBAND Rough and not FF Confidential, though. So this fact is new to me, and I find it hilarious,” said Just van Rossum to TorrentFreak. Van Rossum says he has no plans to follow up on the whole thing as he is no longer the font’s official distributor. The licensing of FF Confidential is currently handled by Monotype. Read...

Around two-thirds of all internet users use Google Chrome, according to StatCounter. That’s about 3 to 4 billion people! And yet many Chrome users still aren’t using Google’s browser to its full potential. Chrome works well out of the box, but if you delve just a little deeper beneath the surface, you’ll find plenty of Chrome features that you might find helpful but aren’t using yet. These features aren’t going to radically change your life, but they’re practical. Some are small and easy to enable, while others are more work but worth the effort. Here are some key Chrome features that are worth trying out to see if they improve your day-to-day web browsing experience. Use multiple user profiles Joel Lee / Foundry Chrome has built-in support for user profiles, where each profile has its own separate collection of data: settings, open tabs, bookmarks, passwords, browsing history, synced accounts, etc. Each profile opens as a separate Chrome browser window for your convenience. You should be using multiple profiles for different purposes. For example, I have different profiles for work, hobbies, personal stuff, and more. My work profile is where all my work-related stuff goes, including bookmarks, open tabs, and account passwords. When I’m done for the day, I can close that window and switch to my hobby profile for fun. Click the user profile photo at the top right of Chrome to see your current user profile. Here you can add new profiles, manage existing ones, tweak your current profile, and more. Use Guest profiles when sharing your PC Joel Lee / Foundry Chrome also has support for a so-called Guest profile, which is like a blank slate for one-time use. For example, if your friend wants to check their email, you can let them in a Guest profile window. Then, when you close that window, none of their data is saved. How is this different than Incognito mode? When you open a private Incognito window, it still has access to your current profile’s settings and data, but doesn’t save browsing history. The Guest profile similarly doesn’t save browsing history, but it also doesn’t have access to the settings or data of any of your other Chrome profiles. You can launch the Guest profile by clicking on your user profile at the top right of Chrome, then selecting Open Guest profile. Sync Chrome between multiple devices Joel Lee / Foundry If you use Chrome on multiple devices—like your desktop PC, work laptop, MacBook Air, and Android phone—then you should set up synchronization. Your settings and data are shared across all devices, and you can select which settings and data are shared. To sync, you first have to log into Chrome using a Google account. To do this, click the three-dot menu at the top right and open Settings, then navigate to You and Google in the sidebar. Click Sign in to Chrome and follow the prompts. Once signed in, click Turn on Sync, then follow the prompts to select what exactly you want synced. Lastly, sign into Chrome with the same Google account on every device you want synced. Now you’ll have access to all your saved passwords, bookmarks, browsing history, etc. on each synced device. Send tabs or links to other devices Dave Parrack / Foundry If you’re reading a web page on your PC but you want to read it on, say, your phone or tablet, then you can simply right-click the address bar (or the tab for the web page), then select Send to your devices. From the pop-up, you can select which device to send it over to. Before you can do this, you’ll need to link your devices to your Google account. Fortunately, that’s really easy: just log into your Google account via Chrome on each device you want to link. Another cool tip is that if you’ve enabled sync (see above) and you’ve allowed syncing of your bookmarks, you can just save any web page as a bookmark and it’ll sync to all your synced devices. Grab open tabs from other devices Joel Lee / Foundry Let’s say you’ve synced Chrome between multiple devices (see above) and you’re doing a lot of research on your desktop PC with tons of open tabs. Later, you head out for the day with your MacBook Air. You hit a lull and want to continue your research—but those tabs are on your PC. No worries! You can actually open tabs from other devices right on your current device, as long as Chrome is synced on both devices and you’ve allowed syncing of open tabs. To open a tab from another device, click the three-dot menu at the top right of Chrome and select History > History. In the left sidebar, click Tabs from other devices. You’ll then see a list of all tabs on your other devices, grouped by each device. Just click to open! Create and manage tab groups Dave Parrack / Foundry If you’re the kind of person who keeps dozens and dozens of open tabs in Chrome, then you need to be using tab groups. A tab group lets you organize multiple tabs together, and then you can collapse or expand the group as needed to save space in your tab bar. By using tab groups effectively, you can organize your tabs in a more logical fashion, whether by subject matter, or project, or even by progress or timeliness. For example, you might have tab groups for “Vacation Planning,” “Archery Tips,” “Home DIY,” etc. If you no longer need a tab group, you can always ungroup those tabs. There are two ways to create a new tab group. The first way is clicking the three-dot menu at the top right of Chrome, then selecting Tab groups > Create new tab group. The second way is to right-click any tab in the tab bar, then select Add tab to new group. You can also right-click on any tab group to rename it and/or change its color. Reopen that tab you accidentally closed Joel Lee / Foundry We’ve all been there. You somehow close a tab without meaning to, and now you don’t know how to get back to where you were. Or you think you’re done, so you close that tab… except wait! You wanted to check one more thing and now you can’t. Fortunately, the answer is simple: press Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen the last closed tab. In fact, you can hold Ctrl + Shift and then press T multiple times to keep reopening tabs in reverse order of how you closed them. You can also click the three-dot menu at the top right of Chrome, hover over the History sub-menu, then look at the Recent tabs list. Here you’ll find your eight most recently closed tabs, which you can open by simply clicking on them. Yes, it’s a simple thing. But I do it multiple times every day. Once you start using this keyboard shortcut, you’ll never stop. Retrace your steps with grouped history Joel Lee / Foundry As you use Chrome to browse the web, it keeps track of what sites you visit. That history of all your visited web pages can be viewed in list format, making it easy to revisit any sites from before. To explore your browsing history, click the three-dot menu at the top right and select History > History. Here, you can see your journey across the web either By date (chronological) or By group (topical). The grouped history is surprisingly useful when you need to retrace your steps! If you want to clear your history for any reason, you can do so by clicking Delete browsing data in the left-hand sidebar. This opens a separate tab with various elements to delete as well as the time range you want it to cover (from the last hour to all time). Enable flags to test experimental features Dave Parrack / Foundry If you’re feeling adventurous, you can enable experimental Chrome features through the use of flags. Flags allow individual users to test new or niche features that haven’t yet made it to stable release. To enable flags, type chrome://flags into the address bar. You’ll find a list of available flags along with options to enable or disable them. You’ll also be able to search for a specific flag if you have one in mind. Google warns you against messing around with flags too much, and I would urge caution here. But if you’re at least semi-technically literate and are happy to mess around under the hood a bit, you can use flags to change the look or functionality of Google Chrome. Force all websites to go dark Dave Parrack / Foundry While I’m personally not a fan of dark mode, a lot of people prefer it—even when it isn’t night time. Maybe you find it easier on your eyes, or maybe you just prefer the darker aesthetic. Fortunately, Chrome offers a few ways to enable dark mode. The first way is to apply it via the settings. Click the three-dot menu at the top right and select Settings. Under Appearance, you’ll see Mode, with the option to select “Light,” “Dark,” and “Device.” Select Dark to force Chrome to go dark. Or you can enable dark mode via an experimental flag. To enable it, type chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark into the address bar, and change the setting to Enabled. Once enabled, this will automatically apply dark mode to all web content. Change what Chrome does at startup Dave Parrack / Foundry The startup page is what you first see every time you open Chrome. You have three main options to choose from: starting with a blank new tab, continuing with all the same tabs that were open when you last closed Chrome, or starting fresh with a certain tab or tabs. Click the three-dot menu at the top right of Chrome, open Settings, then select On startup in the left sidebar. The first two options require no further customization, but with the third you’ll have to specify which page(s) you want opened at launch. (I find that “continuing where you left off” is the most convenient way to use any browser.) Manage your bookmarks and reading list Dave Parrack / Foundry To manage your bookmarks and/or reading lists, click the three-dot menu at the top right of Chrome, then hover your cursor over the Bookmarks and lists sub-menu. What you click from there will depend on what you want to do, and you have different options. You can show or hide the bookmarks bar; open the bookmarks manager for more control over adding, removing, and rearranging bookmarks; add open tabs to your reading list; import bookmarks and settings from other browsers. It’s all very useful stuff. I highly recommend creating a reading list, which basically lets you store tabs away for later and prevents them from clogging up your tab bar. Use bookmarks for frequently revisited sites, and use the reading list for pages that you’re probably only going to read once. Install some Chrome extensions Dave Parrack / Foundry Chrome extensions are essentially plugins that extend or enhance what the browser can do. Extensions can be used to customize the appearance of Chrome, add or change features, automate certain tasks that are normally manual or cumbersome, and more. To manage your extensions, click the puzzle piece icon next to the address bar, then click on Manage extensions. This will open a new tab where you can see and tweak your installed extensions. You’ll also be able to install more extensions from the Chrome Web Store, including extensions for productivity and lifestyle, with specific categories for everything from communication to entertainment. Read...

Kiwi Bluey fans have been eagerly awaiting the show`s arrival, so was it worth the wait? Read...

PCWorld isn’t a site about cars or trucks, so I thank my editor and you for indulging me in this story. To be clear, I’m a Texan who’s been raging at gigantic 20-foot-long F-150 pavement princesses for a more than a decade now—and yet, my desktop PC-building heart is going thump-thump-thump for the Slate electric pickup truck. Slate is an American electric vehicle (EV) startup, and it’s far from the only one. We’ve seen almost every company that tried to follow in the footsteps of Tesla stumble and fall, dealing with the realities of a hugely competitive market that’s very difficult to break into. But Slate has the eye of the car-buying press because it’s shooting for a small, low-cost pickup truck, something that American buyers have been desperately missing for a long time. It probably doesn’t hurt that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is a high-profile investor—that’ll get you some headlines. The Slate pickup, with a name the same as the company, is aiming low. And I mean really low. The base model is expected to debut at $27,500 or so when it hits the streets in 2026, which would make it $20,000 if the US federal EV tax credit holds. (That seems pretty optimistic at this point.) But even without the credit, it would be cheaper than the Ford Maverick, the least expensive pickup truck on the US market right now. (Miss me with the “it’s not a truck” arguments. Again, the site is called PCWorld.) And it would be the cheapest electric pickup by far, with the F-150 Lightning starting at around $50,000. How does Slate plan to do this? Well, again, it’s a very small pickup truck. By length it’s shorter than the Maverick, only a little longer than the 2-door Jeep Wrangler. This is the kind of teeny pickup Americans haven’t seen since the 80s, and enthusiasts have even taken to importing teeny-tiny “Kei trucks” to get their fix when all they can buy at dealers are giant gas guzzlers. Slate is well aware of this hole in the market and leaning into it, combining it with electric guts for maximum appeal to small truck fans, tech nerds, and those who just want something affordable. But Slate is more than just a name. It’s a philosophy. See, the Slate is kind of like the truck version of an ATX desktop or a Framework laptop. When you buy the base model, it is indeed a base model. It has manual, wind-up, wind-down windows. It has no interior entertainment system and no speakers. It only has a tiny LCD screen for the speedometer and instrument cluster. It does have a phone holder, because it expects you to navigate and get your tunes from the phone in your pocket. This thing doesn’t even have paint—it only comes in slate gray (ha) and will wrap its big, flat external panels if you want something else. The Slate’s interior comes with a phone charger and not much else, not even power windows. You can add in all the electronics yourself, from Slate or your own gear.Slate There’s the rub. Slate is both rejecting the car trend of upselling you tons and tons of extras, and embracing customization options at the same time. You can configure the Slate in near-endless ways. You can add a rear roof and an extra row of seats to make it an SUV. You can order a lift kit to make it more capable off-road (though sadly there’s no AWD or 4×4 option at launch). You can add extra range with a bigger battery. You can add in all the extra little creature comforts in the exterior that’ll bring it up to modern standards, including speakers and power windows. And here’s the crucial thing that gets me excited: you can add all of these elements to the truck yourself. Slate will sell the parts directly to you and give you videos on how to install them. While this was generally an option for modern cars, it’s far from easy, and plenty of installations require some advanced knowledge or tools. Slate plans to make it easy for anyone with a basic home tool box and access to YouTube, and it’s calling the instructional videos “Slate University.” Slate While Slate will be happy to sell you all these customizations pre-installed, you can also buy them and install them yourself at any time, even swapping them out to reconfigure the truck for specific purposes. Suddenly got a new family member and need an extra row of seats? Just order the SUV kit and break out the ratchet set. And since it’s all designed to be as accessible as possible, even for non-greasemonkeys, I imagine that the aftermarket parts makers (especially those that are already selling gear for pickup trucks and Jeeps) are going to have a feeding frenzy. Again, the variability and invitation to tinker remind me of the wide-open possibilities when building a desktop PC. And this “customize it however you want” approach is pretty much exactly what Framework is doing with its excellent laptops, right down to the modular USB-C ports that can be swapped almost instantly. Granted, shifting a bog-standard Slate pickup to a full SUV would take a lot more time and effort. But it wouldn’t take a trip to the dealership, and that’s the appeal for me. Slate Slate is currently taking reservations for its initial deliveries, planned for late 2026. A refundable $50 deposit saves your spot, and in the meantime you can use Slate’s very fun customization tool to tweak your little dream electric truck to your heart’s desire. There’s a lot that can happen in the next year and change—just ask anyone who’s trying to run a US-based PC business right now. I wouldn’t bet more than fifty bucks on Slate making that timeline in the current chaos, or keeping to that low starting price. But for the first time in a long time, a new car has me genuinely excited. Just get me that AWD option before too long, please, because a rear-wheel drive pickup is not going to get up a gravel driveway in five inches of snow. Read...

Roku is going small with its latest streaming players, unveiling a new pair of streaming sticks that are up to 35 percent smaller than its competitors, the company says. Revealed Wednesday during a press event in New York City, the Roku Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus are designed for streamers on the move, with slimmed-down profiles that (hopefully) won’t block other HDMI ports. The players have also been optimized to run off a TV’s USB power port (a USB-C to USB-A cable is included). With each player measuring 3.7 x 0.8 x 0.45 inches and weighing in at just 0.9 ounces, the HD-only Streaming Stick ($29.95) and 4K-enabled Streaming Stick Plus ($39.99) replace the Roku Express and Roku Express 4K respectively. That leaves just five players in Roku’s streaming lineup, including the Streaming Stick 4K (which adds Dolby Vision HDR, as the newer Streaming Stick Plus supports only HDR10), the high-end Roku Ultra (which offers ethernet and a backlit remote), and the Streambar SE soundbar. Both the Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus will ship with Roku’s Voice Remote, allowing you to navigate the players’ streaming interfaces as well as control basic TV functions with your voice. That’s a step up from Roku’s now-legacy Express player, which included just a standard Roku remote. The new Roku Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus both ship with Roku’s Voice Remote.Ben Patterson/Foundry The new streaming players support dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity and Apple AirPlay casting, typical for Roku’s compact streaming sticks. Neither device offers native Dolby Atmos support, but they will pass through Dolby audio, including Atmos, to an Atmos-capable TV or A/V receiver. Both the Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus are available for pre-order now, and are slated to ship May 6. Roku made some other home-entertainment announcements during its New York press event, including the introduction of mini-LED backlighting for its step-down Roku Plus Series TVs. The Plus Series is also getting the scene-by-scene Smart Picture Max image enhancement mode that previously debuted with its high-end Roku Pro Series TVs, along with an integrated remote finder button and cable management channels. Expect the new sets to arrive in the “coming months.” We can also expect Roku to land on even bigger screens, with the company announcing the release of a design specification that third-party manufacturers can use to build Roku-branded portable video projectors. More details on Roku’s projector plans will be coming soon, Roku said. This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best media streamers. Meanwhile, the Roku OS is getting a “Coming Soon to Theaters” row featuring in-cinema releases that you can add to your “save” list, along with short-form content rows in the All Things Food and All Things Home hubs, plus “award-winning” badges for video titles. Also coming to the Roku OS is a personalized highlights row for sports fans as well as notifications for favorite teams. In the smart home arena, Roku unveiled a pair of new battery-powered security cameras. We’ll have a report on those shortly. Read...

TechHive Editors Choice At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Renders the remote control easier and more comfortable to grip Protects your remote control from drops Can accommodate a tracking tag to locate a lost remote control Cons Costs about half as much as a new remote (when not on sale) Adds bulk to the remote control Won’t prevent the remote’s buttons from wearing out with use Our Verdict This ingenious silicone sleeve will protect your streaming device’s remote control while making it easier to use and to locate when the remote gets lost in the house. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: GripStand (for Apple Siri Remote 2nd & 3rd Generation) Retailer Price $19.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket I came this close to laughing off the PR pitch for 73&Sunny’s GripStand remote control cases. Who needs a case for their streaming device’s remote control? It turns out that everyone needs one–and not just to shield the remote from damage when it inevitably falls onto the floor. Made from a rubbery silicone, the sleeve wraps your remote in a tight embrace, with cutouts for its buttons and ports: USB-C, Lightning, headphone jack, microphone, volume controls, and so on, depending on the model. The manufacturer makes them for the Amazon Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote Pro (2022 model), the Apple TV Siri remote (second and third generations), the Roku Express remote, and the Roku Voice Remote. I received four samples in a variety of colors, but this review is primarily based on my experience with the Apple TV Siri remote. GripStand cases are available in various colors for the Amazon Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote Pro (2022 model), Apple TV Siri remote (2nd and 3rd generations) (left), Roku Voice Remote, and the Roku Express remote. Michael Brown/Foundry The silicone material makes the remotes supremely easy to grip, but a lanyard and a strip of vertical ridges in the middle of the backside of the sleeve makes this even easier. The extra-thick back and sides of the sleeves cushion the remote and should protect it from a drop from just about any height onto just about any surface. Finally, the bottom of the sleeve flares out, allowing the remote to stand up vertically. But the design also provides a second function: It can harbor a Tile Tracker or an Apple AirTag. The bulged bottom and the grippy sleeve already make it difficult for the remote control to get lost in the couch cushions; but should that happen anyway—or if the remote wanders off through some other means—putting a Bluetooth tracker inside it will make it a snap to find. This last feature is less valuable for the Alexa and Roku Voice remotes, which already have their own remote finder features, but the Apple and Tile trackers might offer better range. The bulged bottom of the GripStand Remote Case lets you stand the remote up on its bottom, but you can also put a Bluetooth tracker in that cavity.Michael Brown/Foundry GripStands are available in both wild and tame colors, depending on the model. The Siri Remote version I reviewed has the most options: Lime Glow, Sky Glow, Ultra Black, Army Green, Slate Ocean, and Fiery Red. The Glow colors, as you’ve probably guessed, glow in the dark. The two versions of the Roku remote GripStand are available in the same colors as the Siri Remote model, except for Fiery Red. The Alexa Voice Remote Pro version of the GripStand has the fewest color options, just Coral (pink), Green, or Yellow. Should you buy a GripStand Remote Case? Prices, which are generally about half the cost of buying a new remote, are the one reservation I have about recommending the GripStand. And, for whatever reason, the Siri Remote version costs more than the rest of the collection: $24.99 compared to $19.99 for the Amazon and Roku versions. At the time of this writing, however, the Apple remote was on sale for $19.99, the Roku Express model was slashed to $9.99, and the Roku Voice Remote was discounted to $14.99. Those sale prices make the GripStand a better value, but it’s a great product even at full price. It will make your streaming remote easier to hold and use, and it should eliminate the annoyance of sitting down to watch some TV entertainment only to realize you can’t find the remote. Read...

The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is powerful, fast, and has a gorgeous 16-inch OLED touchscreen that’ll knock your socks off—and right now, it’s only $1,149 at B&H. That’s a massive $550 discount! There are so many great features to enjoy with this Lenovo laptop that make it a powerhouse device for work, leisure, and gaming. The IdeaPad Pro 5i features a 16-core Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and a massive 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM. Those are fantastic specs for anyone who needs a laptop for tasks that require a lot of power, including video editing, 3D rendering, and data analysis, to name a few. This IdeaPad Pro 5i also comes with an RTX 4050 graphics card, making it possible to game on decently high settings. This isn’t the newest or the best graphics card currently available, but it’s well-priced for the performance you get, especially in tandem with all the other stuff packed into this laptop. The large 16-inch OLED touch display is vivid and deep, perfect for both productivity and entertainment. Between the fast CPU, lots of memory, discrete GPU, and gorgeous OLED screen, you’re getting quite the deal at this price. And it’s all rounded out by a sizable 1TB M.2 SSD. That’s large enough to hold all your apps, games, and files, not to mention the speedy load times. Don’t delay! Laptops are about to get way more expensive due to Trump’s trade war, so snag the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for $1,149 at B&H and take advantage of this $550 discount while you can. Save $550 on Lenovo`s powerhouse OLED laptop todayBuy now from B&H Read...

It’s never easy to decide what to pack for a trip. Whether you’re packing light for some quick business or heading out on the next big family vacation, it’s important to bring the right tech. Here at PCWorld we’re continually testing the latest gadgets to sort the good from the bad. This means we’ve had the opportunity to find the best tech gear and accessories built for travel. From voltage converters to noise-cancelling headphones, we’ve curated a list of the very best tech gear to optimize your next travel experience. The items below are worthy of any packing list and will help you prepare for anything you may encounter on the road—or in the sky. Manage electrical needs with a voltage converter BESTEK Universal Travel Adapter 220V to 110V Bestek, Mapambo When you’re traveling from the U.S. to Europe, for instance, you don’t just need a different type of plug for your chargers and gadgets, but also a voltage converter because Europe runs on different settings. The Bestek Universal Travel Adapter will convert 220V outlets to U.S.-standard 110V, thus ensuring that your devices don’t burn out. It’s not only affordable, but it has three AC outlets and four USB ports. Plus, the product comes with a couple of extra plug adapters. If a more compact version is all you need, then the Mapambo converter will work just fine with one AC plug, two type-C, and two type-A ports. Buy the BESTEK Universal Travel Adapter at Amazon Buy the Mapambo 220V to 110V Voltage Converter at Amazon Take control of tangled cords Rolling Square inCharge 6 Portable Keychain Charger Cable Rolling Square If you’re like most travelers, you bring multiple electronics to make the most of your experience—we’re talking camera, phone, laptop, headphones, etc. But along with all of these items, you’ll need to carry all of their charging cables. That can take up space and lead to a tangled web of cords in your bag if you’re not careful. With the Rolling Square inCharge 6 Portable Charger Cable on Amazon, you have the option of USB-C or USB-A inputs and Micro USB or USB-C outputs all in a cable that is small enough for your keychain. Buy the Rolling Square Portable Charger Cable at Amazon Keep your devices charged with a portable power bank Anker GaN Prime Power Bank 2-in-1 10,000mAh portable power bank with wall charger Anker Traveling is always fun, but ending up with a depleted phone battery in an unknown place can be terrifying. This Anker Prime power bank takes up two roles in one. On one hand, it can plug into a wall outlet and give you the recharge you need while you’re at your hotel, for instance, but it can also act as a power bank when you’re out and about exploring. 10,000mAh is enough to charge your phone twice over (or close to that). There are three ports on this Anker hybrid charger, two of which are type-C that can reach 65W charging. It’s available for $110, but you can often find it closer to $70 when on sale. Buy the Anker GaN Prime Power Bank 2-in-1 Charger at Amazon Never lose your valuables again Apple AirTag, Tile Pro, Samsung SmartThings, Tile Slim Apple, Tile, Samsung We’ve all been there. You arrive at your destination and you’re waiting for your checked bag to show up on the carousel, but it never does. Baggage handling is at it again. With a Bluetooth tracker you can easily keep tabs on where your bag is and maybe even help TSA locate it, should it be lost. There are quite a few Bluetooth trackers on the market that you can get. Apple users should look into the AirTag, while Android users can choose Samsung’s SmartTag2. Anyone can go for the Tile Pro. If you’re more worried about your wallet, Tile’s Slim tracker will neatly fit in there. These are all around $30 a piece, but you can quite often get them for less or in bundles, thus lowering the price even more. Buy the Apple AirTag at Amazon Buy the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 at Amazon Buy the Tile Pro at Amazon Buy the TIle Slim at Amazon Enjoy an in-flight movie without annoying headphone cables Twelve South AirFly Pro or Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver Ugreen, Twelve South Twelve South’s AirFly Pro Bluetooth wireless audio transmitter for $54.99 on Amazon (although it’s frequently on sale) allows you to turn any audio jack into a wireless Bluetooth transmitter. Simply plug in the device to the headphone jack on the back of the airplane seat and connect your wireless headphones. Then sit back and relax while you enjoy the in-flight entertainment on your sweet noise-canceling headphones. Alternatively, you can also go for the more affordable Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver, which is $36.99 but often drops below $30. Either will allow you to connect up to two earbuds or headphones. Buy the Twelve South AirFly Pro at Amazon Buy the Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver at Amazon Drown out noise with noise-canceling earbuds AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) or Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 Apple, Bose Flying on an airplane is loud. Engines roar, babies cry, passengers snore. That’s why you need noise-canceling headphones, which have become essential tools in making your flight as easy as possible. And because you’re traveling and bag space is a premium, your headphones need to be small. Not just for iPhone users, but for anyone who needs good headphones, the AirPods Pro 2 for $225.00 on Amazon continue to be the best choice due to their convenient size and noise-canceling capability. If you’re an Android user, you may want to look into the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, which deliver something our buddies at TechAdvisor have called “astonishing noise cancellation” on top of superb sound quality and a secure fit. Get the AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) at Amazon Buy the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 at Amazon Or get some noise-canceling headphones Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max Apple, Sony If earbuds aren’t for you, then perhaps a pair of proper headphones will do the trick. The Sony WH-1000XM5 are easily some of the best noise-canceling headphones out there (as our friends at TechAdvisor attested with a 5-star review), delivering phenomenal audio and a comfortable build. Apple fans may want to look into the AirPods Max that are also known for what our friends at MacWorld call “industry leading active noise cancelling”. Buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 at Amazon Buy the Apple AirPods Max at Amazon Capture and print your favorite memories Fuji Instax Mini 12 instant camera Fujifilm Sure, you could bring a giant SLR camera with multiple lenses and an extra special carry-on bag to store everything. Or for those who aren’t professionals, you can opt for a small, retro instant camera such as the Fuji Instax Mini 12 for $143.95 on Amazon. Just like an old-school Polaroid, you can take a picture and instantly print it out to capture the moment. Just be aware that you’ll need to purchase and carry the film separately. Buy the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 at Amazon Keep your wires from getting crossed Bellroy Tech Kit Bellroy Bellroy is known for making great tech cases and kits, and the Bellroy Tech Kit for $59.00 on Amazon is our favorite. This well designed, travel-friendly bag allows you to keep all of your cables and small peripherals stored and organized with ease. The folio style means that you can open the entire kit out flat for easy access to everything stored inside. Plus, the fabric is waterproof so you shouldn’t have to worry about a little liquid spilling on your precious gear. Buy the Bellroy Tech Kit at Amazon Game in-route to your destination Steam Deck, Switch OLED, or Backbone One Backbone, Nintendo, Valve The Steam Deck for $399 on the Steam store is a great handheld gaming system that allows you to play your favorite PC games on the go. It wasn’t so long ago that the Steam Deck was sold out everywhere and people were clamoring to get one. Thankfully, Valve has increased its supply and it’s easier than ever to get your hands on this excellent gaming portable. Play games from your Steam library on the go or load up on new titles for your next vacation. Gaming makes those long-haul flights a breeze. If you’d rather go for a different platform, the Switch OLED is an absolutely fantastic gaming console. And yes, we know the Switch 2 is en route, but good luck getting your hands on one of those anytime soon. If you’d really just play on your phone, but have an upgraded experience, the Backbone One will mold to your phone, whether that’s an Android or iPhone model, and will help you play anything you want, including titles in your Xbox, PlayStation, or Steam libraries. Buy the Steam Deck at Steam Store Buy the Nintedo Switch OLED at Amazon Buy the Backbone One at Amazon Keep your hands and wrists happy while typing Logitech MX Keys Mini Logitech Laptop keyboards are cramped and can lead to some serious wrist pain if you type on them for long enough. Save yourself the carpal tunnel and grab a wireless keyboard like the Logitech MX Keys Mini. This compact keyboard is not only easy to travel with, but offers convenient features such as a semi-customizable layout, multi-device switching, and more. And the most important part is that it offers a great typing experience with comfortable and quiet keys that won’t bother your fellow travelers. The MX Keys Mini is currently $99.99 on Amazon. Buy the Logitech MX Keys Mini at Amazon Carry a library everywhere you go Kindle Paperwhite Amazon Books are a great thing to have around on vacation, but they’re heavy and they take up precious space in your luggage. Instead opt for an e-reader like the Kindle Paperwhite for $159.99 on Amazon and bring an entire library worth of books in this lightweight tablet. Plus the Paperwhite version comes with an anti-glare screen and adjustable brightness settings making it perfect for a bright beach or dark airplane. Not sure which Kindle to buy? Check out our handy Kindle buying guide to help you make the right choice. Buy the Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon Grab a mobile hotspot to stay in range of Wi-Fi range Solis Lite 4G LTE WiFi Mobile Hotspot Solis Those who travel a lot know that Wi-Fi is essential. From being able to work online while on the road or just looking up restaurant recommendations in another country, it’s an invaluable tool to get the most out of your travel experience. There are quite a few services nowadays offering pocket Wi-Fi for travelers, but Solis is one of the best with reliable global coverage across 135 countries. Plus, it has flexible plans depending upon your needs. You’ll need to purchase the Solis Lite Mobile Hotspot for $159.99 on Amazon before registering for a Wi-Fi plan, but it’s only a one-time fee and you can then use it on all of your future trips. Buy the Solis Lite Mobile Hotspot at Amazon Never worry about safe tap water again Philips Water GoZero self-cleaning water bottle Philips No matter if you’re traveling to a new city or going camping, making sure that you have access to clean and potable water is a necessity. The Philips Water GoZero bottles bring in some smart technology to ensure the water is safe to drink. Available for $73.89 at Amazon (or lower when on sale), the bottle uses UV technology to eliminate up to 99.999 percent of bacteria and 99.9 percent of viruses in just a few minutes. Even when empty, the cap can disinfect your bottle and remove odors. Made out of stainless steel and double-walled, the bottle won’t just purify your water, it will also keep your drinks hot for up to 12 hours or cold for 24 hours. Buy the Philips Water GoZero water bottle at Amazon Mount your smartphone on anything Universal in-flight airplane phone holder mount Perilogics This Universal in-flight airplane phone holder mount for $13.97 on Amazon allows you to easily clip your phone onto an airplane seat for hands-free convenience. Maybe you loaded up that latest season of your favorite show or have a game to occupy that long-haul flight. Either way, holding your phone with a craned neck for hours and hours is bound to give you a strain. Just hook this bad boy up to the back of the seat in front of you on the airplane then sit back, relax, and enjoy. Buy the Universal in flight phone holder at Amazon Travel with an ultraportable laptop Asus ZenBook S 14 Thomas Rau If you’re going to get a super-light laptop, the Zenbook S 14 is a fantastic pick because it weighs just 2.65 pounds, which make sit lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air. We gave this one a 4.5-star rating and our Editors’ Choice award, appreciating the fantastic battery life and lovely large OLED screen. Plus, the laptop has an Ultra 7 processor, 32GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. You can also check out our other best ultraportables or our best laptop roundup for even more options. Buy the Asus ZenBook S 14 at Best Buy Or opt for a 2-in-1 for even more versatility HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 IDG / Josh Hendrickson If you want a more versatile laptop, then a 2-in-1 model will do like our very favorite HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14. The 360-degree hinge will make it easy for you to turn this laptop into a tablet and into a Netflix-watching tent in a blink. The 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED touch display is absolutely gorgeous and the 500 nits make it perfect to use everywhere you go. Buy the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 at Amazon Increase your screen real-estate with a travel monitor Azorpa A1 Gamut Matt Smith Sometimes you just need a second monitor, even when you’re traveling. The extra screen really helps productivity for business travelers and it makes for a great way to play your portable games on a larger screen while on the road. We really like the Azorpa A1 Gamut which delivers good image quality for an extremely budget friendly price—the A1 Gamut is usually about $70 on Amazon. It also comes with useful connectivity options and a solid build quality that will stand up the rigors of travel.  Buy the Arzopa A1 at Amazon Grab some extra storage Crucial X9 Pro IDG If you plan on taking about a million pictures and videos and you want to have a safe way to back them up without relying on random hotel Wi-Fi, then you can also grab a portable SSD. The Crucial X9 Pro is the best external SSD for most folks because it’s not only affordable but also super fast. We gave the X9 Pro a near-perfect score and our Editors’ Choice award, utterly impressed with the 10Gbps performance and the small form factor. Buy the Crucial X9 Pro at Amazon Stream content in your hotel room Amazon Fire TV Stick HD Amazon If you’re going to travel, you may as well keep up with your shows. The Amazon Fire TV Stick HD makes it super easy to bring all your favorite shows with you anywhere you go. You’ll just need to pop this thing in the TV, connect it to the hotel’s Wi-Fi (or the hotspot you set up), and just have fun. It’s also super affordable, available for $35 (although it’s frequently on sale for $20 or less). Buy now at Amazon Read...