Experts are assessing the potential fallout for marine species and nearby wildlife populations. Read...

For years, Windows users have complained about “ads” touting Microsoft services, showing up in various places. Now the alarm bells should be seriously ringing: Microsoft has publicly disclosed plans for monstrous ads within Copilot, as well as a roadmap to what appears to be AI-driven advertising, too. Last week, Microsoft’s advertising blog outlined what it called the “future of audience engagement.” And you already know what that is: AI. Microsoft believes that not only will generative AI provide a more natural interface for users to shop, but agents will assist them. It gets worse: Brands may even deploy their own agent AI, too. “We are committed to helping brands create agents and making it easy to connect them to our audiences,” Microsoft wrote, via Windows Central. “As the first step in this journey, we are launching a pilot product that enables brands to create smart, AI-based agents on their websites.” “Imagine if a website could talk?” Microsoft suggested. Microsoft Advertising’s new digital ad format plants ads right next to a Copilot window.Microsoft It’s hard to say what’s worse: having a virtual version of Elon Musk knock on your virtual screen and offer to help buy you a Tesla, or just a giant ad pop up once you start digging around for the best EV available. But that’s coming, too. Microsoft now says that it has two new ad formats, “entirely designed with Copilot in mind,” it said. “These ads are interactive in nature, adapting to each user input.” The first is what Microsoft calls an “Advertising Showroom” ad, which appears nothing more than a giant ad alongside a Copilot text box. “For example, if a user starts asking questions to Copilot about a particular product and expresses purchase intent, they may be invited to enter a Showroom ads experience,” Microsoft says. “Here, rich sponsored content complements the organic experience, helping to showcase the product benefits as people ask Copilot more questions. This immersive environment allows users to interact with products in a way that closely mirrors the experience of visiting a physical showroom. In the future, the experience will be even richer, as brand agents will be integrated into the Showroom ads allowing people to engage directly with a virtual brand representative.” Suggested ads within Copilot would dynamically create new ways to shop, Microsoft believes.Microsoft Microsoft is also testing dynamic filters, which apparently is designed to narrow down a search to something you can buy: “This feature removes the friction of typing additional questions and quickly narrows down options that are more likely to drive conversions based on an individual’s preferences,” Microsoft said. But it appears that advertisers won’t even have to buy ads. Instead, Microsoft will create them, just for you! Microsoft has started to create what are known as Dynamic Seach ads, using queries as a basis to crate ads. In the future, Microsoft says, the company will “personalize ads,” such as location and seasonal events, specifically for each user’s context. Time and again, we’ve written features that show you how to turn off ads within Windows. But Microsoft’s new vision for the future of ads — start chatting with Copilot, and a digital gremlin will show up, pushing you to buy the latest sneaker, cereal, or credit card — sure doesn’t seem to be consistent with what Microsoft has said before. Save us, ad blockers! Read...

If you’ve got an old laptop sitting at home and taking up space, you may be tempted to dispose of it. But before you give it the heave-ho, know this: Your old laptop actually has more potential than you think and that’s worth exploring, even if you have a new laptop up and running. You can do a lot of neat things with an old laptop, both practical and recreational. To boost productivity, you can turn it into a second monitor or a distraction-free writing device. If you’re looking to have a bit of fun, you can even set it up to play your favorite retro games. If you can avoid ditching your old laptop and adding to the e-waste problem, I’d really recommend it. You’d be saving money and helping the environment–that’s a win-win right there. Here are five creative ways to repurpose your aging laptop.  Install Plex to stream movies, TV shows, and music You can use your old laptop as a central location for all of your movies, music, TV shows, and so on. This is a great solution if you’re sick of juggling files between different devices. I’d recommend downloading the free version of Plex onto your old laptop as a way to store and organize all of your digital media. This app allows you to access your content remotely and from any device that’s connected to your Wi-Fi. It also automatically organizes your movies and grabs information like plot summaries and ratings, saving you a ton of extra work. Plus, you don’t have to pay for multiple streaming devices, which can be a real drag as it adds up and gets criminally expensive. Let the film festival begin!Ben Patterson/Foundry Turn it into a distraction-free writing device If you’re looking to boost your productivity, I’d recommend installing FocusWriter on your old laptop. It’s a simple, lightweight word processor with an interface that hides your menus and toolbars until you’re ready to use them again. It also has a lot of cool features like typewriter sound effects, daily word count goals, timed sessions, and more. It’s free to use and it’s available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Download a lightweight OS for basic tasks Installing a lightweight operating system like Ubuntu or Puppy Linux can breathe new life into your machine. It doesn’t need a lot of power to run and it’s great for day-to-day tasks like checking Facebook, writing papers, and so on. Not only is this an excellent way to extend the life of your old laptop, but you’re also saving money you would’ve spent on a Chromebook or a comparable machine that’s designed for daily use. If you’re going the Ubuntu route, make sure you’ve got at least 4GB of RAM and a dual-core processor to ensure smooth performance. You can also use Ubuntu’s lighter version Lubuntu, which runs on as little as 512MB-1GB of RAM.  Lubuntu is an even lighter version of Ubuntu. Lubuntu Use it as a second monitor I’m a big fan of dual monitor setups. It helps me be more productive at work and it’s also useful when I’m playing a game and need to reference the accompanying Wiki page without minimizing or pausing the window I’m on. If you fancy the idea of using your old laptop as a second monitor, there are a couple ways to go about it. However, make sure both devices are running Windows 10 or 11, otherwise this won’t work. If you’ve got a Windows 10 or 11 PC, you can wirelessly connect to another Windows PC (aka your old laptop) with the Wireless Display feature. The first thing you’ll need to do is set up the Wireless Display feature on your old laptop. To do this, go to Settings > System > Projecting to this PC and set “Some Windows and Android devices can project to this PC” to “Available Everywhere.” Next pick “First Time Only” and then open the Connect app. On the PC you’re projecting from, press Win+P, select Extend, and click on “Connect to a Wireless Display.” Select your old laptop from the list of available devices and voila! You’ve officially transformed your old laptop into a usable secondary display. If the built-in Wireless Display feature doesn’t work for some reason, you can always use Spacedesk, a third-party application that allows you turn another device into a secondary monitor. Once you’ve installed Spacedesk on your main PC and on your old laptop, you’ll want to make sure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi. Now open the Spacedesk app on your old laptop and connect to your main PC. That’s really all there is to it! Play your favorite retro games Sometimes you just want to relive your childhood by playing your favorite NES games, you know? Fortunately, you can do this on an old laptop. All you have to do is install an emulator, which mimics a gaming console, onto your old laptop. Personally, I’d recommend installing RetroArch. The interface is easy to navigate and it houses multiple consoles in one program, so you don’t have to go installing separate emulators for each console. It also has tons of popular classic games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Final Fantasy VII, Spyro the Dragon, and more. To get the most out of your gaming experience, I’d recommend using a USB or Bluetooth controller and connecting an HDMI cable to play on a TV screen. RetroArch Read...

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`You`re paying for the privilege of leaving your pet in a nice environment,` a pet cemetery owner says. Read...

Like millions of people around the world, I work from home. And doing so means I need to create a healthy work environment that encourages productivity. Working on a PC all day can cause health issues — not just physical ones, but mental ones. Everyone understands the need to maintain good PC work habits for physical health, yet many ignore the mental aspects. Here are some practical things you can do to tweak your home office so that it’s more conducive to better mental health and overall happiness. Avoid relaxing in your office space In my view, the most important thing you can do is keep your work environment separate from where you spend your time relaxing. If you want good work/life balance, then you have to take steps to keep work and life apart, especially when working from home. If you’re lucky enough to own a big house, you probably have lots of options for this, with plenty of other rooms where you hang out in the evenings and while on break. If you live in a smaller dwelling, like an apartment? Separating work life from home life can be tricky. Ross Helen / Shutterstock.com Tricky, but doable. One thing you can do is cordone off a very specific section — maybe even just a corner — of your living space. Use dividers to give it some physical boundaries. Only use that laptop or PC for work-related purposes and keep a separate device for personal stuff. Only sit at that desk when you’re working. That desk is your “work mode” desk. If you want to take a break or relax, physically move yourself elsewhere. For a more drastic solution, if you have a backyard, consider building or commissioning a “home office shed.” These can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000+ depending on size and features. Expensive, I know, but if you’re serious about working from home and you just don’t have an extra room, this could be worth it. Establish (and keep) your office clutter-free You might enjoy living with a lot of “stuff” around you, but there’s evidence that clutter isn’t good for mental health. You’ve heard people say things like “Tidy house, tidy mind”? It’s true, and you should extend that truth to your office workspace. Undrey / Shutterstock.com Get rid of the clutter and tidy things up. If you need it, add more storage space with things like drawers and filing systems. Buy some boxes to keep tucked away in your closet if you need to. Organize your cables so they aren’t strewn all over the place. When you’re done with something, don’t just put it down — put it away. It’s one thing to go clutter-free. It’s another to maintain it. Set yourself up for success by doing the little things as you can instead of letting it all build up into a mess. A disorderly desktop may not seem like a big deal, but it’s a subconscious drain on energy. Keep it clean. Soundproof your home office space Visual clutter isn’t the only thing wearing down on your brain. Loud sounds, distracting hums, and noise pollution from outside can prevent you from being fully focused and stress-free. More than that, the buildup of frustration and anxiety can take a toll on your mental health. insta_photos / Shutterstock.com The simplest and lowest impact thing you can do is to get yourself a pair of noise-canceling headphones or earbuds. For example, the Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Earbuds are solid, but you can go cheaper with the EarFun Air Pro 3 Earbuds or opt for full-on budget-level affordability with the Anker Soundcore P30i Earbuds. Don’t want to wear stuff in your ears all day long? Look into physical soundproofing options. If you own your home, insulate your walls. If you don’t, consider hanging up soundproofing blankets over your door and windows (which is how most sounds get in). A speaker playing brown noise can also help drown out background distractions. Bask in as much natural light as you can Commercial offices rely far too much on artificial lighting for reasons of practicality. If you’re working from home, you can do the opposite — strive to let in as much natural light as possible. Natural light has positive effects on mental health, with numerous studies consistently proving it year after year. Of those many benefits, exposure to sunlight boosts serotonin production, which helps improve mood. (That’s why it’s often referred to as the “feel good” chemical.)  ShotPrime Studio / Shutterstock.com Natural light also helps regulate the internal body clock, leading to better sleep patterns. More sleep (and better quality sleep) itself can boost your mental wellness. Last but not least, natural light can help alleviate symptoms of depression, especially during the winter months. So, whenever possible, set up your workspace in an area with windows and sunshine. Skylights are also helpful. And if natural light simply isn’t an option for whatever reasons, you might try using a UV-free sunlight lamp that mimics sunlight using an LED source. Keep the temperature comfortable Work is stressful enough as it is even when you aren’t shivering in your seat or melting into your chair. When ambient temperatures are too high or too low, it can harm productivity — and when you struggle to finish your tasks on time, it can bring down mental health. Maridav / Shutterstock.com Nobody likes to “waste” money on heating and cooling, I know. But it might help to think of office comfort as an investment. In the winter, raise your thermostat a few degrees and get an electric blanket. In the summer, run a fan and get a portable AC if you need to. With how much time you spend in your home office every day, a quality-of-life boost like this can work wonders for mental health. Suffering through hot and cold isn’t worth it if you can afford otherwise. Use nature to bring your home office alive As humans, we’re instinctively drawn to nature. That’s why so many people find hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities so beneficial to mental health. But unless you’re fortunate enough to have a home office in the middle of the woods, nature likely evades you. Ground Picture / Shutterstock.com To get the same benefits, you need to bring the outdoors inside. There are two main ways to do this: Opt for natural (and natural-looking) materials when building and/or furnishing your home office. A desk with a natural wood finish would be the most obvious example of this. Populate your home office with plants and flowers. Position them so they don’t get in the way of you working but remain visible. Hanging plants are particularly nice as they don’t take up desk space. Cycle in fresh air on a regular basis Fresh air is crucial for anyone looking to enjoy a healthy, happy life. While conditioned air is welcome during the sweltering summer months, it can’t replace the freshness of outdoor air. Sure, there will be days when the weather demands you shut your windows, but when the weather permits, try throwing open those windows more often. Andrey Popov / Shutterstock.com You can kill two birds with one stone here, combining this with the above tip on letting in natural light. All of this assumes you have windows, of course, and that you live in an area that isn’t ruined by excess pollution. Still, you have to get fresh air sometimes. Working from home in stale air day after day will take its toll on your mental wellness. Further reading: The best work-from-home tech products Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Enjoyable keyboard  Vivid, high-contrast OLED display  High-resolution webcam and good microphone Strong processor and integrated graphics performance Lots of Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C connectivity Cons Modest audio quality Battery life falls behind the pack Expensive Our Verdict The HP Elitebook X G1a makes up for mediocre battery life with solid all-around performance, an enjoyable keyboard, and future-proof connectivity. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Premium business laptops are an unusual slice of the broader laptop arena. They tend to fall behind consumer laptops on performance-per-dollar, then make up for it with premium design and forward-looking connectivity. The HP Elitebook X G1a doesn’t stray too far from this path, but its overall performance is strong for the category. HP Elitebook X G1a: Specs and features The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is the star of this show, and not only because it provides a 12-core GPU. It also has AMD’s Radeon 890M integrated graphics and an NPU that offers up to 55 TOPS. The model I reviewed also had 64GB of RAM, which is a ton. CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 Memory: 64GB LPDDR5x-8533 Graphics/GPU: AMD Radeon 890M Graphics NPU: AMD NPU up to 55 TOPS Display: 2880 x 1800 OLED Multi-touch up to 120Hz, 16:10 aspect ratio Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 solid state storage Webcam: 1440p 30fps camera with IR 3D camera for Windows Hello, physical privacy shutter Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (with USB-C 4, DisplayPort, Power Delivery), 1x USB-C (with DisplayPort, Power Delivery, 10Gbps data), 1x USB-A (10Gbps data), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm audio Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: Windows Hello facial recognition, fingerprint reader Battery capacity: 74.5 watt-hours Dimensions: 12.29 x 8.45 x 0.72 inches Weight: 3.3 pounds MSRP: $2,749 The HP Elitebook X G1a has a fantastic keyboard that’s among best features. It offers a spacious layout with large keys—among the largest you’ll find in the 14-inch category. This is the most expensive Elitebook X G1a configuration and retails at $2,749. HP also sells a $1,999 entry-level model with an AMD Ryzen AI 7 Pro 360 (which still provides Radeon 890M graphics). It scales back the memory to 32GB and halves the solid state drive to 512GB. HP Elitebook X G1a: Design and build quality IDG / Matthew Smith The HP Elitebook X G1a doesn’t make a strong first impression. Designed for a corporate environment, it features a simple, understated chassis adorned only by a small HP logo. But the details matter, and they hold up well. I appreciate that the HP Elitebook X G1a incorporates rounded corners and beveled edges, giving the laptop a softer and more approachable feel. The shade of silver used is also appealing, and the materials feel premium to the touch. While it may not stand out as unique, it feels durable and expensive. Which is good, because it is, in fact, expensive.  HP’s online store lists the Elitebook X G1a’s height at up to 0.52 inches, but that measurement is, shall we say, a bit optimistic, as it doesn’t include the rather thick rubber feet on the bottom of the laptop. The materials HP provided to me as part of the review clarified that the laptop’s full thickness is up to 0.72 inches at the rear, which more accurately represents how the laptop feels. That’s a bit thick for a 14-inch workstation laptop with discrete graphics, but it’s mitigated by its weight of 3.3 pounds. Though certainly heavier than some alternatives like the Asus Zenbook S14, the Elitebook X G1a won’t feel like a burden when stowed in a messenger bag or backpack. HP Elitebook X G1a: Keyboard, trackpad IDG / Matthew Smith The HP Elitebook X G1a has a fantastic keyboard that’s among best features. It offers a spacious layout with large keys—among the largest you’ll find in the 14-inch category. Key travel is generous, and each key activates with a satisfying, tactile feel. It’s not a mechanical keyboard, to be clear, but it feels crisp and responsive. I also appreciate that HP uses a large font on the keycaps. This makes the keys easier to read, which is especially helpful if your vision isn’t perfect. A keyboard backlight is included, too, and because the backlight shines through the large-font keycaps, it remains easy to see after dark. The touchpad is less impressive. It measures a tad under five inches wide and about three inches tall, which is average for a 14-inch laptop. And while I found it responsive, the look and feel of the touchpad didn’t stand out. There is, however, one feature some users will no doubt appreciate and that’s the right or left click at the bottom of the touchpad reveals significant physical travel. HP Elitebook X G1a: Display, audio IDG / Matthew Smith Most HP Elitebook X G1a configurations, including the one I reviewed, have a 14-inch OLED touchscreen with a 16:10 aspect ratio and 2880 x 1800 resolution.  This is a common 14-inch display found across dozens of Windows laptops, but it’s popular for a reason. The OLED display provides vivid color, rich contrast, and excellent motion clarity with support for refresh rates up to 120Hz. It’s one of the best laptop display panels available, defeated only by a rare few OLED alternatives with a higher resolution, like the 14.5-inch 3200 x 2000 panel in the Dell XPS 14.  Brightness is the only potential issue, as the display hit a maximum measured SDR brightness of 403 nits. That’s typical for this panel but, because of the display’s glossy finish, it can seem dim when it’s used near a sunlit window or outdoors. A pair of upwards-firing speakers line each side of the Elitebook X G1a’s keyboard. They provide good volume and clarity but can sound boomy and harsh at higher volumes as the weak speakers try to overcompensate for the lack of bass. Still, the speakers worked well when watching YouTube or listening to music at lower volumes. HP Elitebook X G1a: Webcam, microphone, biometrics Business and productivity laptops like the Elitebook X G1a are often used for video calls and HP leans into that by bestowing the laptop with an excellent 1440p webcam. It provides a crisp, sharp image with good color reproduction. A physical privacy shutter is included to block the camera when it’s unwanted.  The dual-array microphone is solid, too. It captured my voice easily even when I spoke quietly and readily removed background noise caused by a nearby space heater. The audio can still sound a bit distant and hollow, but it’s great for video calls. HP provides two forms of biometrics. Windows Hello facial recognition is supported via the webcam, while fingerprint recognition is supported by a fingerprint reader in the power button. Both worked flawlessly in my testing, though the same is also true of most competitors with these same features. HP Elitebook X G1a: Connectivity IDG / Matthew Smith The HP Elitebook X G1a takes a modern approach to connectivity. It has two Thunderbolt 4 ports and one USB-C port, all of which support up to 100 watts of USB Power Delivery and DisplayPort. One Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C line the left flank, while the second Thunderbolt 4 is joined by the laptop’s lone USB-A port on the right flank. This setup means there’s limited support for connecting older USB-A devices. On the plus side, however, this configuration provides access to gobs of data and video bandwidth, as well as USB-C charging across three ports.  I also like that the Thunderbolt 4 ports are split with one on each side of the laptop, instead of both on one side, as that provides more versatility when connecting a Thunderbolt 4 dock or hub. Many competitors offer similar Thunderbolt and USB-C connectivity, but some place both Thunderbolt ports on one side—which is annoying if that’s not the side on which your dock or hub is located. The included 100-watt power adapter can charge the laptop over any of the Thunderbolt 4 or USB-C ports and has a lengthy, durable six-foot braided cord. HP Elitebook X G1a: Performance The HP Elitebook X G1a configuration I received for review is a powerful model with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 processor that packs 12 cores and 24 threads, as well as AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics. It had 64GB of LPDDR5x memory, too, plus a 1TB PCIe solid state drive. These are solid specifications, and the Elitebook X G1a’s performance lived up to expectations.  IDG / Matthew Smith The HP Elitebook X G1a got off to a weak start in PCMark 10, where it lagged behind the competitive set. The exact reason for this result isn’t clear, as the specification sheet suggests it should defeat the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition, but repeated test runs showed no difference.  IDG / Matthew Smith Fortunately, the story changed when I ran Cinebench R23. This is a multi-threaded test with a modest duration that leans heavily on CPU performance and gives the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 a chance to strut its stuff. The CPU’s relatively performant cores provide a major advantage over Intel Core Ultra competitors, which can’t sustain the same level of multi-threaded performance. IDG / Matthew Smith Handbrake, another multi-threaded CPU test but with a longer duration, once again puts the HP Elitebook X G1a in a solid position. While it only lands mid-pack in these rankings, it’s worth noting that only AMD’s own hardware provides significant competition and that the differences between AMD-powered laptops are slim. Laptops relying on Intel Core Ultra, like the Asus Zenbook Duo and ThinkPad X1 Carbon, fall much farther behind. IDG / Matthew Smith As mentioned, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 includes Radeon 890M integrated graphics. It’s an extremely capable solution with a total of 16 graphics cores (up from 12 on Radeon 880M). That translates to great performance for integrated graphics. Up until recently, any score above 3,000 was considered a great result for integrated graphics, but AMD’s Radeon 890M regularly scores around 4,000. Intel hasn’t sat on its hands, however, and the 140V proves itself competitive, though it is a tad behind, at least when considering this set of business laptops.  The Asus ProArt PX13, housing RTX 4050 graphics, doubles the HP Elitebook X G1a’s performance, which is to be expected for a laptop that has discrete graphics. The ProArt PX13 is in the same price range, however, and it’s a better choice for a creative professional who might use 3D-accelerated productivity apps. While the HP Elitebook X G1a doesn’t set records, its performance is solid for a 14-inch business laptop. Its performance is led by the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 CPU, which delivers a big upgrade over similar laptops that have Intel Core Ultra processors. AMD’s lead in integrated graphics is much smaller, but the HP is still a fine choice for light-duty 3D acceleration including productivity apps and older or less demanding 3D games.  HP Elitebook X G1a: Battery life The HP Elitebook X1 G1a ships with a 74.5 watt-hour battery. That’s rather large for a 14-inch laptop, as most have a battery between 50 and 70 watt-hours.  However, the large battery didn’t translate to excellent battery life. The Elitebook X1 G1a endured our standard battery test, which loops a 4K video file of the short film Tears of Steel, for a tad under 11 hours. That’s a good result, but it’s still a long way from others. IDG / Matthew Smith My time using the laptop showed this was no fluke. I found the battery could drain quickly at times, losing up to half its charge in about four hours or less.  My use wasn’t light as I typically have many open windows, but most of my time is spent in Microsoft Word and the Microsoft Edge browsers, so I found the rate of battery drain disappointing. Even so, this level of battery life is fine in many situations, and could get owners through an eight-hour workday so long as demanding apps are avoided. Also, as mentioned, all the Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C ports support Power Delivery. The laptop is designed to consume up to 100 watts of power, but in most situations it will still charge when fed less power. That means you can more easily get away with leaving the charger at home, or pack a smaller, lower-wattage charger for emergencies.  HP Elitebook X G1a: Software & AI This HP Elitebook X1 G1a is considered a Windows Copilot+ PC and, to underscore that point, it also ships with a piece of software called AI companion. It provides access to a competent LLM that includes the ability to parse documents. However, the LLM does not run locally, and it doesn’t provide anything you can’t get from the free version of ChatGPT. I also installed LLM Studio and loaded several large language models, including DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 7B and Meta’s Llama-3.3-70B-Instruct. The Elitebook X1 G1a I received, with 64GB of RAM, can actually load Llama-3.3-70B-Instruct, but it generates at just 1.68 tokens per second, which is too slow to be useful in most situations. DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 7B, on the other hand, loaded quickly and generated text at about 14 tokens per second. Qwen2.5-Coder-14B also loaded quickly and output about 8 tokens per second, which is bit slow but usable for simple tasks.  In addition to its AI software, the Elitebook X1 G1a has a built-in IT management and security features, such as HP’s Wolf endpoint security. As I’m not running a corporate IT department, I can’t comment on its effectiveness, but it’s something for enterprise buyers to keep in mind.   HP Elitebook X G1a: Conclusion The HP Elitebook X1 G1a is a solid premium business laptop that sits between thin-and-light business laptops, like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition, and more focused workstations or creative professionals, like the Asus ProArt PX13. It’s not quite as portable as the former or as powerful as the latter, but offers a good compromise between the two extremes.  Like most premium business laptops, the Elitebook X1 G1a will struggle to reach a wider audience, as it’s priced similarly to consumer laptops with more powerful hardware. HP says it’s meant for “business leaders,” and the Elitebook X1 G1a’s performance and design will hit the mark with that demographic. Read...

TV antennas are having something of a renaissance in the U.S. Buoyed by the ever-increasing costs of cable and streaming subscriptions, and additional channels enabled by the advent of digital TV, roughly one in five U.S. homes now rely on an antenna for their television. Beyond the cost of the antenna, all the channels are free, and you might even get a better picture than through a pay TV service. When it comes to choosing an antenna, the selection is almost as wide as the programming you can receive, but if you do a little homework, you should be able to buy with confidence and ensure a good picture. We’ll walk through the steps required to figure out what kind of antenna you need and what you might receive, then you can use PCWorld’s buyer’s guide to help narrow down your choices when you’re ready to shop. The first step is figuring out what TV programming is available where your live. What can I tune in with a TV antenna? The quantity and selection of TV channels depends on where you live. In general, the closer you are to a large metro area, where the broadcasters’ towers are generally located, the more channels will be broadcast. In rural areas, the opposite is typically the case. If you live near the Canadian or Mexican borders, you might be able to receive additional channels from those countries. Most parts of the U.S. have access to the four major commercial networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) and a local PBS station. Many of these stations broadcast additional digital networks dedicated to a particular theme, such as children’s shows on PBS Kids and classic TV on MeTV, Cozi, and Antenna TV. If you find yourself limited to an indoor antenna, you’d be best served by one that includes a signal amplifier. These draw electrical power from a USB adapter or an open USB port on your TV.Winegard To figure out what’s available, we recommend navigating to Rabbit Ears. This website models TV reception based on the location of the antenna and TV transmitter data from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Signal Search Map page is where you need to be. Enter your address (street, city, and state) When the map updates to show your house, click “Move pushpin to center of Map View” in the panel below the map Set the approximate height your antenna is above ground level Click “Go” The site will display its best prediction of the TV channels available in your location, along with an estimate of the strength of their signal levels (higher numbers are better). Take a look at the channels and networks and figure out what you want to receive; make a note of the predicted signal level. Use the website RabbitEars to discover the TV broadcast tower locations in the vicinity of your home address. The signal strength it reports will help you determine whether an indoor antenna will be strong enough to pull in the channels you want to see, or if you’ll need to buy an attic or roof-mount model.Michael Brown/Foundry As a rule of thumb, an indoor antenna will be sufficient for channels with a good signal level, an attic or outdoor antenna will likely be required for stations marked fair, and a larger outdoor antenna with an amplifier will be required for those marked poor. Stations marked as bad will likely be difficult to receive without extreme measures. Finally, take a look at the direction of the transmitters from your location. If they are all in roughly the same direction, a single antenna should be fine. If they are wide apart, an antenna on a rotator—a motor that can turn the mast the antenna is mounted to to change the antenna’s orientation—might be required, especially if the signals strengths are poor. Choose an antenna Now you’re armed with everything you need to make an informed decision. PCWorld’s antenna picks are divided into several categories, from cheap indoor antennas to substantial roof-mounted ones. In general, an outdoor antenna will always deliver the best performance, no matter the signal level. They’ll provide much more reliable reception than indoor antennas, which are always a compromise. If an indoor antenna will fit your needs, this transpartent Ultra-Vizion model virtually disappears when attached to a window.Martyn Williams/Foundry That said, not everyone can install an outdoor antenna, so we have several indoor antennas, from basic, thin antennas that can be put in a window so better amplified antennas that should provide a step up in reception. A further level up are smaller outdoor antennas, many of which can easily be installed on the side of a house, on a balcony, or inside an attic space. Many of these are also amplified. Finally, we have tested a number of roof-mounted antennas that are the gold standard in TV reception. A roof-mounted antenna will provide the most reliable reception and should pull in the greatest number of channels. If you are planning to install one yourself, please use safety precautions when on a roof and ensure the system meets local building code requirements, especially for grounding. Warning! Don’t believe the claims If you browse online shopping sites or look at the advertising for antennas, you’ll see lots of dubious claims. The first rule is to ignore anything about antenna range claims. Reception depends on a multitude of factors, including the transmitter frequency and power, the location of the transmitter, the immediate environment around your house, and more. There is simply no way an antenna can guarantee its claimed number of miles. Use the method outlined above, that takes all these factors into account. Don’t fall for the specious claims some TV antenna manufacturers make for their products. It’s highly unlikely that any indoor antenna will be capable of pulling in signals from a broadcast tower 130 miles away. Nor will one be capable of streaming ESPN.Jared Newman / Foundry The second thing to remember is that there’s no such thing as an HD, 4K, or NextGen TV antenna. An antenna simply receives signals and isn’t dependent on the format being broadcast, so ignore those claims as well. PCWorld’s antenna reviews are conducted under real-world conditions with the same equipment and at the same location, so we can give an honest and measured comparison of every antenna we test. Attention renters, HOA residents, and apartment dwellers If you rent a house or apartment or live under the terms of an HOA (Homeowners Association), don’t let anyone tell you you cannot install a TV antenna. In the U.S. federal law gives you the right to do so under the FCC’s “OTARD” regulations. In short, you have the right to install a TV antenna for reception of local broadcast signals in an area you rent or have exclusive access to. If you’re facing resistance, read the FCC page, linked above, and quote the OTARD rule. Connecting the antenna to your TV A length of coaxial cable cut and ready for a connector to be attached. Martyn Williams/Foundry Most indoor antennas come with a small cord attached that can be connected directly to a TV or amplifier, if one is supplied; other antennas might come with a cable or require you to supply your own. TV antenna cable is called coaxial cable, or coax for short. It has a center wire that carries the signal, a plastic insulator, an outer braid that shields the center cable from interference, and an outer sheath protects the cable from the elements. The standard for TV antennas is called RG-6. It’s important to use a good quality coax because cables result in signal loss. You can minimize this by using a good cable and keeping the length as short as possible. If you need to run a very long cable, consider an amplifier, ideally at the antenna end of the connection. And that’s how to choose a TV antenna That should be everything you need to choose and install a TV antenna. TV reception is mostly a science but can be a little bit of an art; so, if you don’t get satisfactory reception, go over the steps again. Try moving the location of the antenna to see if that improves picture quality. If you get a lot of interference, consider adding an amplifier. Most of all, don’t give up! A good antenna will provide thousands of hours of free entertainment for many years, so invest a bit of time and money into getting it right. Still unsure which one to buy? Check out PCWorld’s most highly recommended TV antennas. Read...