Our computers have many features to protect our privacy. For example, it can feel unsettling to know someone outside your home could use your computer’s microphone to record whatever you’re doing. However, these protections can be a problem if you accidentally enable them. Here are three common sources of error you should be aware of: Windows: You can completely block the microphone’s access directly in Windows. Open Settings (via the Start button at the bottom left) and click on System > Sound. Scroll down to Advanced, click on All Audio Devices and select your microphone. Under General, choose which apps can access the device. Make sure it’s set to Allow. Web browser: You can control which sites can access your microphone. In Google Chrome, click on the three dots in the top right and select Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings > Microphone to manage permissions. Button: Some computers have shortcut keys that toggle the microphone on and off. On many computers, you can use Fn + F4 to toggle it. Make sure this is in the correct position. Read...

Your laptop’s great because it’s slim and light, but you’ve probably lamented how lacking it is in ports, haven’t you? The recent trend in laptops sacrificing ports for thinner bodies is a real downer. How else are you supposed to connect all your devices to your laptop? Fortunately, there’s a solution: all you need is a good USB hub or docking station (they’re basically the same thing). I’m talking something like this Anker 11-in-1 USB-C Hub that’s 29% off on Amazon, down from its original $69.99 to a much more affordable $49.99. This compact hub transforms a single USB-C port on your laptop into 11 fully operational ports, expanding your laptop’s functionality well beyond its out-of-the-box capabilities. This hub features 1x USB-C with 100 watts of passthrough charging, 2x USB-A (480 Mbps), 1x USB-A (10 Gbps), 1x USB-C (10 Gbps), 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, 1x Gigabit LAN, 1x SD and 1x microSD card slots, and 1x audio jack. Count ’em up. That’s 11. Use those varied ports to connect all kinds of peripherals (keyboard, mouse, etc.) and monitors, plus drives and cards for moving data around in the blink of an eye. A hub like this can turn a limp laptop into a versatile workstation, and my favorite part is that you can just unplug the hub to instantly disconnect everything—then plug the hub back in to instantly reconnect everything. So easy, so convenient. This is a heck of a USB-C hub for the price, so take advantage and level up your laptop’s connectivity for just $49.99 while you can! If you miss this deal, or if you’d rather shop around for more options, check out our picks for the best USB-C hubs. Save 29% on Anker`s excellent 11-port USB-C hub for laptopsBuy now at Amazon Read...

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Anthropic has released a new Import Memory tool that lets you “switch to Claude without starting over.” In short, this new tool makes it extremely easy to import chat histories from other AI chatbots (including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot) into Claude, reports Engadget. The Import Memory tool creates a text prompt that you’ll copy into Claude. Afterwards, the chatbot can then continue conversations from other AI platforms and resume from where you left off. It’ll take about 24 hours for Claude to absorb the memories. You can also view and adjust what’s saved in memory after importing. The new tool comes at a critically important time, as Claude explodes in popularity following its unwillingness to compromise on two key issues relating to how AI is used by the government: “mass domestic surveillance” and “fully autonomous weapons.” Thousands of users worldwide are now leaving platforms like ChatGPT in favor of Claude, and this import tool will make that switch easier. Read...

Maybe your PC doesn’t have the latest and greatest CPU, or tons of RAM, or cutting-edge SSDs with massive amounts of storage. Maybe you’re still running on Windows 10 because your PC can’t handle more. You’ve decided that you don’t want to upgrade your hardware, that you’re fine to make do with what you have. But if you’re struggling with apps that are slower than you’d like, what can you do? Do you just have to tolerate the sluggishness of Microsoft Office, Chrome, etc.? Well, no! You can try switching to lighterweight software that won’t hog as much of your system resources. Such alternatives are great for older and weaker PCs, and you have plenty of options to explore. Here are some of our favorite lightweight apps for your slow PC. Softmaker FreeOffice (office suite) Softmaker Softmaker is best known for Softmaker Office, which is available in subscription and one-time-license versions. But the company also offers Softmaker FreeOffice, which is nearly on par with its main product in terms of functionality. It consists of word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation apps, plus it’s compatible with Microsoft formats (DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX). The software opens with a modern ribbon-based interface that can be switched to a classic menu interface, plus all the essential features you’d expect (like spell check, autocorrect, and more). You can easily export documents to PDF format, but it’s missing certain advanced features like macros and VBA. Unlike the commercial version Softmaker Office NX, this one has no integrated AI features. Basilisk (web browser) Basilisk Browsers have come a long way since they were simple HTML display tools. They’re now uber complex with all kinds of features like password managers, extensive security settings, and integrated AI. The resource requirements for all that are correspondingly high. However, you can still find lighter browsers that are better suited for use on older PCs. One such browser is the open-source Basilisk, which is based on Firefox’s code base (up to version 57) and therefore supports many older Firefox extensions. Basilisk uses the Goanna rendering engine, which is also used by Pale Moon, Mypal, and other browsers. The developers say that Basilisk’s design hasn’t changed in years, unlike Firefox, which they say resembles an annual fashion show due to how frequently its appearance changes. Basilisk only implements changes when necessary, so its appearance may seem old-fashioned in spots. Still, that makes it easy to learn and intuitive to use. Claws Mail (email client) Claws Mail Claws Mail is a free alternative to major email program like Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird. Despite its small size, this free email client has everything an email program needs. That includes support for POP3 and IMAP, the ability to create and check multiple accounts, an address book, and features for email encryption with GPG and S/MIME. Simplenote (note-taking app) Simplenote When it comes to note-taking apps, the two leaders—Microsoft OneNote and Evernote—have long dominated the field. But there’s also a smaller, lighterweight option in Simplenote. Simplenote takes notes either in the browser or as an app for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iPhone. But no matter which version you use, your notes always end up synced to the cloud and available across all your registered devices. It’s really simple, though. Simplenote doesn’t accept images, videos, audio, or any other kind of attachment or embed. It strictly focuses on text and the only formatting option is Markdown. Avast (antivirus software) Foundry Antivirus software is crucial as a constant lookout, minimizing the likelihood of malware infecting your PC. But due to constantly updated virus definitions and bloated features, lots of antivirus apps have grown sluggish and significantly slow down older PCs. That makes it all the more important to choose an antivirus that’s lightweight but effective. For that, we recommend Avast. It’s really good at catching malware and other threats, plus it’s free! Sure, you could rely on Microsoft Defender which is integrated into Windows itself, but Avast performs better both in terms of protection and speed. PhotoFiltre 7 (image editing) PhotoFiltre 7 Image editing apps often take up several hundred megabytes of space on your hard drive. Not so with the freeware PhotoFiltre 7! This lightweight tool fits into a ZIP file of around 5 MB and, once unzipped, only takes up about 7.4 MB on your computer. And yet, you don’t have to compromise on functionality. PhotoFiltre offers all the standard features of professional image editing, from brightness, contrast, and saturation settings to histograms, layering, and functions for sharpening and softening images. Plus, it has dozens of filters. You can apply sepia effects to photos, convert them into comic drawings, or add fog. And, of course, you get essential drawing tools like lines, erasers, and magic wands. CrapFixer (Windows tune-up) CrapFixer The small open-source tool CrapFixer is very similar to performance-tuning apps like CCleaner and Winaero Tweaker, except CrapFixer focuses on correcting annoying Windows 11 settings on demand (although it also runs on Windows 10). For example, it can banish advertising from the Start menu, remove pre-installed bloatware, prevent Windows from collecting data, and restore the old context menu in File Explorer. It’s easy to use: just launch the app and click on “Analyze.” CrapFixer then examines the Windows configuration and marks all recommended fixes in a prominent list. Click on “Run Fixer” and the Windows configuration will be changed accordingly. Done! Media Player Classic BE (video player) Foundry When it comes to playing music and videos, most users turn to VLC Media Player or simply use Windows Media Player. But while VLC is an excellent app, it takes up more than 100 MB of space on your computer. Media Player Classic is a good lightweight alternative. Although the name is reminiscent of Microsoft’s Windows Media Player, it is a completely separate app that’s written from scratch and distributed under an open-source license. It plays all major audio and video formats, yet can also play DVDs and has several features for improving image quality. Subtitles are also supported. It can also stream YouTube videos directly if you have the URL. There are two versions of this app available: Media Player Classic HC hasn’t been actively developed since 2017, whereas the forked Media Player Classic BE (where BE stands for Black Edition) is current. Avidemux (video editing) Avidemux Video editing is one of the most demanding tasks for any PC. Many video editing apps are, therefore, practically unusable on low-powered computers… or they run so slowly that you’ll tear your hair out. When it comes to simply cutting clips and converting formats, the open-source Avidemux is a good alternative to the much heavier options from Adobe, Blackmagic, etc. With Avidemux, you can easily remove parts of a video and reassemble the rest, and it can export to 10 common formats. Note, however, that Avidemux doesn’t support post-processing of either video or audio tracks. It’s a simple editor and nothing more. Further reading: Free “hidden gem” apps for Windows PCs Read...

One of the most annoying things you need to handle every day might just be charging all your devices and gadgets while sitting at your desk. With traditional power strips, you always end up unplugging one adapter for another, just to charge something else, right? Well, you can do away with that once and for all with a proper charging station. Check out this awesome Anker Nano 100W charging station that’s on sale for $59.98 right now (25% off on Amazon). With this thing on your desk, you can plug in up to 7 devices at once—and that includes your PC, two monitors, and a handful of USB gadgets. That’s because this charging station has 3x AC outlets plus 3x USB-C and 1x USB-A connections. Those AC outlets are capable of handling anything you’d normally plug into a power strip, but then you also have those USB-C connections for your phone/laptop/earbuds plus that USB-A port for any other older device you’re still hanging on to. (Note that this charging station caps out at 100W, which splits among the ports when multiple are being used. The USB-C ports reach 100W when used individually.) What’s really lovely about this charging station is that two of those USB-C connections are built-in retractable cables. That means you can pull them out as needed, charge up, and put them back in with zero unnecessary clutter on your desk when not in use. There’s also a smart display that’ll tell you exactly how much power is going through each port. Save 25% on this awesome 7-port Anker Nano charging stationBuy now at Amazon Read...

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If you’re in the market for a 4K monitor, I just found a great one from a top-notch brand that’s 32% off on Amazon, bringing it down to its lowest price ever. This 27-inch LG UltraFine is only $259.99 right now (was $379.99), and it’s extremely worth it at that price. The LG UltraFine 27UP850K-W is a 27-inch IPS monitor at glorious 4K, which means you’ll have tons of space to stream content, split the screen between work apps and passion projects, and so on. The extra-crisp 4K resolution is amazing because it’s basically equivalent to four 1080p screens in a square. That’s a lot of screen real estate. With a 60Hz refresh rate and 5ms response time, this monitor is better suited for office work, browsing, and streaming content—not so much for gaming, unless you’re just a casual gamer. You can play games on this, but it’s a waste if your PC is powerful enough to pump out frame rates above 60 FPS, and you won’t have a competitive edge in online multiplayer. Otherwise, it’s an excellent monitor for the price. It comes with a built-in speaker (don’t use it) and it connects via HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C video ports. That USB-C port even has 90 watts of power delivery, so it’s great to use with laptops—it’ll keep yours charged and ready to go. A 4K monitor like this from a brand like LG is a steal if you can score it for just $259.99, so snag this deal before it expires. Again, it’s the lowest price it’s ever been, so you know you’re winning! If you’d rather keep looking, check out our picks for the best home office monitors and best gaming monitors for one that’s more tailored to your needs. Get this 27-inch LG 4K IPS monitor for 32% offBuy now at Amazon Read...

Mining billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest argues the tech giant’s advertising systems helped criminals loot Australians’ savings at industrial scale. Read...

Pokopia, a game mixing Animal Crossing and Minecraft, has been a surprise hit with critics. Read...