Anthropic has now launched Claude Opus 4.5, the latest version of the company’s flagship AI. Techcrunch writes that Opus 4.5 should perform superbly in several benchmark tests, such as SWE-Bench (coding), tau2-bench (tool usage) and GPQA Diamond (problem solving). It is the first model to score over 80 per cent on SWE-Bench Verified, an important benchmark of a model’s programming ability. New features include Claude for Excel, a sidebar in the programme now available to Max, Team and Enterprise users. It supports pivot tables, charts and file uploads. At the same time, Claude for Chrome will also be available to all Max users. Another new feature is improved memory management. Users can now talk to Claude without interruption when the memory limit is reached, by the model itself compressing older parts of the conversation in the background. Opus 4.5 is also optimised for so-called agentic use cases, where it can act as the main agent and control smaller Haiku-powered sub-agents. According to Anthropic, Opus 4.5 is also their most secure model yet with better protection against prompt injection attacks. Read...

Historically, you’ve had two options to expand the port capabilities of your laptop: an inexpensive USB-C dongle or a more powerful, pricey Thunderbolt docking station. A third option is quietly emerging, trying to split the difference. A DisplayLink docking station (sometimes called a USB-C dock) uses data compression to offer the capabilities of a Thunderbolt dock over a standard USB-C or Thunderbolt cable. Why buy one? DisplayLink docking stations work great for normal day-to-day productivity, and historically the docks are cheaper and more stable than older Thunderbolt 3 desktop docks. They’re an upgrade over our picks for the best USB-C hubs dongles, and less expensive than the best Thunderbolt docking stations for your laptop. They can even support more displays than a native Thunderbolt dock. They’re just not suited for gaming. If you need a fuller explanation of how DisplayLink works and what it offers, you’ll find that directly under our two recommended DisplayLink docks, below. You’ll also find a FAQ with answers to questions you might have. I base my recommendations on hands-on testing of the DisplayLink docking stations. Why you should trust me: I’ve worked as a technology journalist for about 30 years, and at PCWorld for the last decade. I’ve tested dozens of USB-C hubs, Thunderbolt docks, and DisplayLink docking stations. I use a docking station in my daily work, connected to multiple 4K displays, and I typically review a handful of new products each month. Updated Nov. 24, 2025 with some additional details from Synaptics. Look for the DisplayLink logo to identify it as a DisplayLink dock.Mark Hachman / IDG The best DisplayLink docking stations Though I’ve tested a number of DisplayLink docking stations for laptops, I have two recommended docks. They’re the same picks that appear on PCWorld’s list of the best Thunderbolt desktop docks for your laptop. Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C (Revodok) Docking Station CM615 – Best USB-C DisplayLink dock Pros Terrific price and value Excellent stability Great display port flexibility Support for two 4K60 displays Cons Have to provide your own power supply Can warm to somewhat alarming temperatures A lack of naming consistency Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $109.98 View Deal eBay $129 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Who should buy the Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C (Revodok) Docking Station CM615 Like some of the premium Thunderbolt docks, Ugreen’s DisplayLink dock provides options to use either HDMI or DisplayPort to connect a display, allowing you to use your existing display cables and save some money. Like most DisplayLink docks, this dock was unusually stable, with no flickering between displays — one of the reasons I like DisplayLink docks. Some other Thunderbolt docks offer the same flexibility to shift between monitors, but not many. Ugreen’s dock does so affordably. Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C (Revodok) Docking Station CM615: other considerations If you’re not worried about hunting down the proper software driver (because Ugreen, bless them, does not make it apparent that it needs one) than I would recommend that you buy this dock. It offers many of the features of more expensive Thunderbolt docks at an affordable price. Read our full Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C (Revodok) Docking Station CM615 review Plugable USB-C Dual 4K Display Horizontal Docking Station (UD-6950PDH) – Best USB-C DisplayLink dock runner-up Pros Terrific value for office workers Great display flexibility Plenty of USB-A ports SD/microSD card slots, too 100W of charging power Cons No USB-C ports No dedicated charging ports Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $179.95 View Deal B&H $199 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Who should buy the Plugable USB-C Dual 4K Display Horizontal Docking Station If you’re a home office worker who doesn’t want or need to game, this dock will suit you just fine. Plugable’s USB-C Dual 4K Display dock takes Plugable’s traditional approach: provide dedicated display interfaces, and let the user choose between which cables they’ll need to connect to their display. The dock is a pretty simple affair, with a pair of legacy USB-A ports and standard gigabit Ethernet connection. Interestingly, Plugable has recast this dock as a Mac-dedicated device, with a grayish tint to boot. (That’s what you’ll see on the Amazon page.) It’s really not — it will work on Macs and Windows PCs just fine, though you’ll need the Windows driver for it instead. Plugable USB-C Dual 4K Display Horizontal Docking Station: further considerations For whatever reason (maybe the bandwidth that a 10Gbps port consumes?) USB-C ports aren’t common on DisplayLink docks. (The Ugreen dock that we’ve picked as our favorite has one; this dock does not.) This is going to sound redundant, but just keep in mind that these docks are terrific for video playback or office work, but gaming is beyond them. Read our full Plugable USB-C Dual 4K Display Horizontal Docking Station (UD-6950PDH) review Other DisplayLink reviews and features Laptop docking stations may evolve into “AI Docks”: Synaptics believes its high-speed signaling finesse can give it a leg up in future devices. DisplayLink goes ‘Pro’ to highlight even faster speeds: Synaptics’ DL-7000 chip will be rolling out in new DisplayLink docks. Plugable Thunderbolt Docking Station with DisplayLink (TBT-6950PD) review: Add up to four external displays and fast ports with this quality DisplayLink Thunderbolt 4 dock. It’s time to start docking phones again, DisplayLink says: Modern smartphones are powerful enough to try out this technology again, DisplayLink thinks. DisplayLink USB-C docks: How DisplayLink works USB-C hubs, Thunderbolt desktop docks, and now DisplayLink docking stations have emerged because of two factors: the growing ubiquity of do-anything USB-C ports, and the realization by laptop makers that they can use these ports to eliminate all the dedicated HDMI, microUSB, SD card slots, and USB-A ports that can clutter up their notebook PCs. DisplayLink docks provide some of the native functions of a Thunderbolt dock, namely the ability to drive multiple high-resolution displays. Because of the inherent bandwidth limitations, DisplayLink docking stations offer a good choice for office workers, who can use those extra displays for static applications like email, chat, spreadsheets, or office work. A USB-C port typically provides 10Gbps of bandwidth. Thunderbolt 3/4, which runs over the same physical USB-C port, supplies 40Gbps. In the real world, that typically means that a USB-C dongle can connect to a single 4K display (at 30Hz) while Thunderbolt can connect to two 4K displays, at 60Hz. DisplayLink can you give the advantages of a 40Gbps Thunderbolt connection via just a 10Gbps USB-C interface. How? Data compression. A DisplayLink dock can either use a “traditional” 10Gbps USB-C connection, or take advantage of the extra bandwidth provided by an existing Thunderbolt 3 or 4 port. Either way, it uses data compression to squeeze more data throughput over the port. We use data compression every day, in photos and streamed video from YouTube and Netflix, and never notice. It’s the same here; your Windows desktop and applications will look the same. Two similar products with different characteristics: a Lention USB-C hub (left), which has been previously featured among PCWorld’s u003ca href=`https://www.pcworld.com/article/402858/the-best-usb-c-hubs-for-your-laptop-tablet-or-2-in-1.html`u003erecommended USB-C hubsu003c/au003e, and the u003ca href=`` data-product=`699911` data-manufacturer=`10079` class=`product-link`u003eHP Thunderbolt G4 Docku003c/au003e, part of PCWorld’s recommended u003ca href=`https://www.pcworld.com/article/393714/best-thunderbolt-docks-for-a-laptop-pc.html`u003ebest Thunderbolt docksu003c/au003e. DisplayLink is a technology owned by Synaptics, meaning it’s a proprietary standard. Each DisplayLink dock has a special DisplayLink chip built inside of it. (DisplayLink docks rarely, if ever, publish which Synaptics chip they use, so a DisplayLink dock’s capabilities may vary by product.) DisplayLink USB-C docks: Pros and cons DisplayLink’s data compression means there are two negatives to the technology, which we’ll get out of the way. While USB-C and Thunderbolt work out of the box, DisplayLink requires a software driver. Without it, it will function as a generic USB-C dock. I’ve never seen any DisplayLink docks use their own unique drivers (though they may). In any case, you can use Synaptics’ official DisplayLink drivers. Most dock makers publish this information right up front, but not all do. (Be sure to reboot after installing it.) DisplayLink works perfectly well for email, Word, Excel, and anything static, like a web page. But it does have limitations: 10Gbps is a nice chunk of bandwidth. But pushing a ton of data across it will cause images to stutter and hitch. In practice, this means that PC gaming on a DisplayLink dock is iffy: A slow-paced game like Baldur’s Gate 3 should be fine, but a frantic shooter like Battlefield or Helldivers 2 probably won’t give you a good experience at all. Playing 4K video from Netflix or YouTube? It shouldn’t be a problem. Playing 4K video while copying files from a hard drive and downloading a file? Everything will work, albeit slowly. The big advantage for me is that DisplayLink tends to be really stable. Older Thunderbolt 3 hardware can be a little glitchy when connecting to multiple displays. In my experience, DisplayLink docks aren’t. That matters to some people. DisplayLink (often with a DisplayLink 4K logo on it) can also connect to multiple displays, even more than Thunderbolt. I don’t have room to neatly show off a photo of three or even four displays, but trust me — I’ve tried it on multiple occasions, and it works. The hitch is that your laptop has to be capable of rendering on four displays, and you’ll typically need to close your laptop to do so. That may mean adjusting the Windows Control Panel to tell your laptop to leave it up and running. This is only necessary if you are running four 4K displays with a DisplayLink dock. Mark Hachman / IDG Can I get a bit nerdy for a second? When you use a DisplayLink dock to connect to more than two displays, there’s even more magic going on behind the scenes. Take a DisplayLink dock like the Plugable UD-6950PDZ, which supports three 4K displays at 60Hz. It uses Synaptics’ most advanced chip, the DL-6950. But the DL-6950 only supports a pair of displays. To enable a third external display, the dock is using DisplayLink for two displays, and your laptop’s own “normal” DisplayPort connection (called DisplayPort Alt Mode) to drive the third. That brings up the final point that I always have to make: Recent hardware is best. A standard DisplayLink docks works best on, say, a 10th- or 11th-gen Core processor or a complementary AMD Ryzen laptop. With anything more advanced — 12th-, 13th-, and 14th-gen — you should have a pretty ideal experience. To be fair, Synaptics feels that you should be able to use older hardware with DisplayPort, and it should just work. “Regardless of your PC’s specs or age, DisplayLink docks will efficiently allocate bandwidth to handle your network connection and other peripherals, ensuring optimal performance,” a Synaptics representative says. That’s a fair objection. But I’m still more comfortable recommending more modern hardware, perhaps because I’m a little gun-shy after using other USB-C hardware. Unlike other Thunderbolt docks we’ve tested, Plugable’s UD-ULTC4K highlights not only which port is which but which I/O protocol each port is associated with. Note the “Alt Mode” label on the bottom ports.Mark Hachman / IDG How I test DisplayLink docking stations I use the same methodology to test DisplayLink docks as I do to test Thunderbolt docking stations. Here’s a synopsis. First, I take the dock from its packaging and evaluate its construction. I measure the cord length and check the dock’s physical dimensions with a ruler. I’ll then read the manual: Does the dock need any drivers? (Yes it will.) Are there links? What does the manual say about the dock’s capabilities, in terms of power and speed? Next, I take a USB key or two and connect them to the available USB ports to determine if they have enough space to allow several to be connected at the same time. I then examine the display ports, find the appropriate cables, and then connect the dock to the laptop. I use a series of laptops with various generations of AMD and Intel hardware, and check to see if the experience is the same on each one. If it isn’t, I make notes. I then measure the power output of the ports, using a USB multimeter, a smartphone, and a laptop to measure how much power the dock delivers to a laptop. Finally, I check to see how well the dock performs under load. I use a specific test laptop for this purpose for repeatable results. I stream a 4K60 YouTube video using the Ethernet port on the dock (if it has one) and note any dropped frames. I usually check with a pre-recorded 4K60 video running from an SSD. I then run PCMark 10’s SSD storage benchmark off of a test SSD, connected to the dock. I measure the score, then measure the score again while streaming a video. I then copy a large, multigigabyte folder of various files from my laptop across the bus and measure the time it takes to do so. I repeat the test while streaming video. Finally, I check the operation and performance of any SD card slots the dock has and listen to audio through the audio jack, to make sure it works. FAQ 1. Should you buy a DisplayLink USB-C dock? Not all DisplayLink docks are created equal, which is why we test them. But for office workers on Windows, absolutely. For gamers, give it a pass. DisplayLink docking station offers a chance to expand your PC’s I/O capabilities, even with hardware that doesn’t support Thunderbolt. If you aren’t comfortable with this, feel free to return to the relative safety of a either a generic USB-C dongle or a powerful Thunderbolt dock: Both offer simplicity and a known experience. 2. How do I know if my dock is a DisplayLink dock? It should prominently feature a DisplayLink logo, which we include a photo of earlier in the story. Not always, though. Shopping for a DisplayLink dock can be a bit confusing, too, since the term “DisplayLink dock” isn’t really in vogue. Instead, vendors will sometimes use “USB-C dock” instead. Just read the documentation closely and look for the label. 3. How much should a DisplayLink docking station cost? DisplayLink was a much cheaper alternative to Thunderbolt docks during the height of the work-from-home years. Then, a Thunderbolt dock would cost about $300, and a DisplayLink dock about $150 to $200 or so. Prices for both have come down some, with DisplayLink docks starting for as low as $125. 4. How many devices can a DisplayLink dock support? You’ll usually see close to as many ports on a DisplayLink dock as you will on a Thunderbolt dock, and maybe more. In general, DisplayLink is just fine for connecting multiple devices simultaneously. It’s when they’re all in use, transferring data, that the bus may get clogged and transfer rates may slow down. 5. What’s better, a DisplayLink dock or a Thunderbolt dock? For now, there’s a case to be made that a DisplayLink dock is a better value: They’re generally cheaper, more stable, and offer the potential for more displays. But if you’re a gamer, the answer is not the same. Gamers should buy a Thunderbolt dock instead. The game changes, though, when Thunderbolt 5 debuts later in 2024. Then, Thunderbolt 5 bandwidth will shoot up to 80Gbps in both directions, allowing those docks to connect to four 4K displays at 144Hz refresh rates and offer improved charging. Again, Synaptics is competitive; its most recent DL-7000 chip allows four 4K displays to be connected at 120Hz. 6. Can a DisplayLink dock charge your laptop and your smartphone? If the DisplayLink docking station ships with its own external power brick, it should be able to, yes. Most DisplayLink docks supply the same amount of power as a Thunderbolt dock (a maximum of 90 to 95W to your laptop, and hopefully enough power to fast-charge a smartphone.) 7. Is a DisplayLink docking station plug and play? Not really. You’ll need a driver from Synaptics or the dock maker to enable the dock’s full functionality. 8. What’s DSC and HBR3? I’ve heard that those are a competitor to DisplayLink. Display Stream Compression with High Bandwidth Rate 3 (DSC with HBR3) is a more open version of DisplayLink. It doesn’t require a software driver, but you won’t see this technology advertised at all. However, you will find it in products like the Kensington SD5800T, which uses Thunderbolt 4 and DSC to enable four external 4K displays. Basically, the same rules apply. If you own a recent, modern laptop, you may have one with DSC inside: It’s found within laptops with an Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics chip, or as part of Intel’s “Tiger Lake” platform, aka the 11th-gen Core chips. But this is absolutely not a feature that laptop makers advertise, either. 9. Are DisplayLink and DisplayPort the same thing? No, they’re not, though the names are confusingly similar. DisplayPort is a physical display connector as well as a display protocol. Your laptop can route DisplayPort display protocols over Thunderbolt without ever using the connector itself. DisplayPort can also be routed over a USB-C connection encoded with DisplayLink, too. 10. Is a DisplayLink dock good for gaming? Not especially. It’s best for productivity, which uses a number of windows with static applications. Any time you push gobs and gobs of data over the DisplayLink bus, as you would with gaming, you risk the connection being saturated and your game reduced to a stuttery mess. You may be able to “game” with a slow-paced game or one that doesn’t use a lot of fast-paced motion or detailed graphics, but it’s risky. Buy a Thunderbolt dock instead. Read...

If you use multiple monitors on your computer, it can be a bit difficult to access all the controls to change the brightness and contrast of the different screens. But a new tool in Microsoft’s downloadable Powertoys collection of utilities for Windows enthusiasts will soon make it easier. The PowerToys team is ?????????. ??? pic.twitter.com/79y3WBDuOg— Niels Laute (@Niels9001) November 24, 2025 Niels Laute, one of the developers on Microsoft’s Powertoys team, has announced on social media platform X that the new Powertoys tool PowerDisplay will add a context menu to the taskbar to control brightness, contrast, volume and other features across multiple screens. According to Laute, the plan is for PowerDisplay to launch in January, probably in version 0.98 of Powertoys, but that could change. But there’s no reason to delay snagging PowerToys — here are 9 useful Windows PowerToys features you might’ve overlooked. Read...

If your current laptop is struggling to keep up with your daily workflow, Black Friday is the perfect time to get a brand new one. The Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro is $350 off at Samsung.com, which brings the price down to $1,000. This speedy laptop is fantastic for handling your work and personal needs. This Book 5 Pro features an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and 16GB DDR5 RAM, which is a nice combo that’ll complete tasks lickety-split. The laptop’s got 512GB SSD on board, which is a good amount of headroom for your files and apps. You can also upgrade if need be, as its got two SSD card slots. The Galaxy Book 5 Pro has a really nice 14-inch AMOLED screen with a crisp 2880×1800 resolution. It also has a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, ensuring you’ll have a smooth experience throughout. Even better, this is a touchscreen, which means you can use the S pen whenever your heart desires. Snag the Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro for $1,000 at Samsung.com this Black Friday before it’s gone. For even more savings, check out all the best Black Friday laptop deals we’ve gathered. Upgrade your laptop for 26% offBuy now at Samsung.com Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Excellent display Great CPU performance and modest GPU performance Not too heavy Cons Disappointing battery life Unfortunately bulky dimensions Uncomfortable keyboard Unimpressive design Our Verdict The Predator Helios Neo 14 AI aims for compact gaming, but ends up neither small nor powerful enough, stuck awkwardly between lightweight and full-size laptops. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI Retailer Price $1,699.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices The Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI (PHN14-71-939W) is Acer’s latest stab at a compact gaming laptop. It’s a formula that may have started with Razer but has caught on with many laptop makers, seeing some especially impressive models hit the scene like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.  While this trend is generally centered around excellence in design met with respectable performance that you wouldn’t expect from such a machine, Acer didn’t seem to fully commit to the bit. This results in the Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI being a bit too big and heavy in the name of performance while still lagging behind the typical gaming laptops that don’t worry as much about their weight. There’s still a lot of good about the Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI, but in the end it just doesn’t stand out.  Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI: Specs and features Model number: PHN14-71-939W CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 285H Memory: 16GB LPDDR5X-7467 Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 5060 115W Display: 14.5-inch 2880×1800 120Hz OLED, Glossy, G-Sync Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD Webcam: 1080p IR Connectivity: 1x Thunderbolt 4 with Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alternate Mode, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alternate Mode, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x microSD card reader, 1x 3.5mm combo audio Networking: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: Windows Hello facial recognition Battery capacity: 76 watt-hours Dimensions: 12.77 x 10.07 x 1.02 inches Weight: 4.14 pounds MSRP: $1,699 as-tested ($1,699 base) We tested the base model, which comes priced at $1,699. For $1,899, you can upgrade to a configuration with an RTX 5070 and get double the system memory — a very sensible upgrade, especially considering you can’t upgrade the memory after purchase.  Against its rivals, the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI consistently proves to be good, but just not good enough.   Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI: Design and build quality Foundry / Mark Knapp Acer doesn’t appear to have changed too much about the outward appearance of its laptop with this generation. There are a few tweaks here and there such as a different keyboard deck and a larger cutout above the display to house an IR-backed webcam. But the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI appears to follow up on the prior Helios Neo 14 model with largely under-the-hood upgrades.  This leaves you with a reasonably compact and lightweight gaming laptop, though not one that’s pushing the boundaries. The Predator Helios Neo 14 AI is still 4.14 pounds, and though it has a slim profile, its thickest point is a hair over an inch thick (rubber feet included). Acer also made the unfortunate choice of really jutting out at the rear for exhaust, giving the system a 10.07-inch depth that made it hard to fit into a laptop sleeve. The shame of it is that rear exhaust port appears to be largely superfluous. Acer didn’t load it up with a beefy radiator stack — the last half-inch or so of the space is mostly empty. The rest of the laptop’s build is a mix of good and meh. The Predator Helios Neo 14 AI gets an aluminum display lid and base, but the keyboard deck is plastic. The display is also flanked by plastic bezels. Though the laptop feels reasonably sturdy, there’s just a little more flex to the display and light creaking to the base than I like. The hinges hold the display firmly in place and don’t wiggle much after moving the screen. The base of the laptop is also heavy enough to stay in place and make it possible to open the laptop with one hand.  Acer has set the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI to pull in air from the bottom and top of the system, with a large grille above the keyboard hiding what are actually rather small intakes for the job. The exhaust occupies almost the entire rear half of the base, with vents on the sides and rear of the laptop. Acer sits the laptop on four rubber feet that do a good job keeping it in place while also providing some clearance for the bottom vents. Acer has a lot to say about the cooling architecture inside the system, but all that matters at the end of the day is how effective and loud (or quiet, ideally) it is. Fortunately, all the airflow proved sufficient to let the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI run consistently under load, passing 3DMark’s Steel Nomad Light Stress Test. The fans are a little noisy when the system is under a heavy load (even more so in the Turbo mode), but generally not a bother. The Predator Helios Neo 14 AI is a decent enough looking laptop, but it’s hard not to view in direct comparison to the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 — not just because I just reviewed that laptop but also because they are aiming for the same niche. And in that matchup, Acer’s laptop comes away looking and feeling like a disappointing also-ran. It’s bulkier, heavier, less elegant, and feels cheaper. To be fair, it is cheaper, but not by much. At least it has a Kensington lock slot.  Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI: Keyboard, trackpad Foundry / Mark Knapp Like just about every Acer laptop I’ve tested (which is many), the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI has a keyboard that’s hard to love. Rather than having helpful contours to direct my fingers to the center of each keycap, the keycaps bulge slightly, tending to push me to the edges. And without good stability, I can end up rolling off the edges a bit. There’s also inconsistent tactility as the edges and centers of keys depress differently. It’s only thanks to this consistent design on Acer keyboard that I have been able to get so well acquainted with the quirks of these keyboards to be able to reach a typing speed over 110 words per minute in Monkeytype with a decent degree of accuracy, but this speed is never comfortable or confident.  To squeeze in full-size arrow keys, Acer shrunk the right shift key, which can make using it more tedious. Acer has also included a column of extra media control keys at the right edge of the laptop. The result is that the main keyboard is shifted slightly left of the laptop’s centerline, which just may not be an issue for gaming but makes the laptop that little bit more annoying to use for typing.  The Predator Helios Neo 14 AI’s keyboard includes fun, RGB lighting that effectively illuminates the full legends on the keys. It is just three-zone lighting, though, not offering per-key customization. By default, Windows controls this lighting and PredatorSense indicated as much. But this awkwardly made the built-in keyboard shortcuts for adjusting lighting levels not work consistently, and there was no shortcut to the Windows settings for keyboard lighting.  The trackpad on the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI is fine, but not impressive. It’s smooth and responsive. The physical click is a bit stiff and has an unsatisfying thunk. While it’s big enough, it feels almost tiny coming from the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI: Display, audio Foundry / Mark Knapp The Predator Helios Neo 14 AI offers about as good a display as you’re likely to find in a gaming laptop of this class. That is to say, it offers an excellent one that leaves little more to be desired. It achieves 100 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color space and manages that with excellent color accuracy, hitting a max dE1976 of just 1.93 and an average of 0.88. It can reach 431 nits for a full white screen in HDR and 10 percent windows can reach 635 nits. Pair that brightness with the infinite contrast of OLED, and you’ve got a screen that really pops. It also zips along at a fast 120Hz for smooth visuals in games and everyday operation while G-Sync helps avoid tearing. If there’s anything to knock, it’s the glossy finish’s reflectivity, which can cause some glare at lower brightness levels. The screen also isn’t perfectly flat, with subtle warping that leads to some funhouse mirror-style reflections. The Predator Helios Neo 14 AI’s speakers put out a good deal of volume, but they lean into the mids and treble too much giving them a harsh quality at high listening levels. While you can rely on them in lieu of headphones from time to time, I’d avoid gaming or listening to music on them, as that harsh quality can be headache inducing after a while.  Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI: Webcam, microphone, biometrics The webcam and microphone on the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI feel like a bit of an afterthought. It’s nice that the webcam supports Windows Hello facial recognition for quick sign-ins, but it would have been even nicer if the webcam looked good in use. The camera struggles with noise even in well-lit scenarios, and the graininess of the footage can end up looking very offputting and reduce clarity in spite of the 1080p resolution.  The mics don’t help much either, as they capture audio at very low level. They don’t seem to struggle with background noise, but that may just be the result of failing to pick up much sound at all. After making a test recording, it was hard to hear myself clearly in anything but a silent room even with the laptop’s speakers maxed out. Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI: Connectivity Foundry / Mark Knapp Acer has done a good job with the port selection on the system. It offers USB-A and USB-C ports on both sides, and both USB-C ports support 90W PD power input and DisplayPort Alt Mode for video output. Only the left USB-C port provides Thunderbolt 4 speeds, but the remaining USB ports are all 10Gbps ports. There’s an HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) port on the right side along with a microSD card slot. Acer rounds out the selection with a 3.5mm headphone jack on the left. The left edge also includes a barrel power adapter for use with the included power brick. Having the option to leave the heavy power brick at home and use a lightweight USB-C charger on the go is always lovely to see on lighter gaming laptops.  The positioning of these ports is less fortunate. Since the rear of the laptop is largely occupied with exhaust vents, all of the ports are pushed forward to the front edge of the front half of the system. This can make using the laptop with peripherals plugged in a little wonky.  The wireless connectivity is solid with fast and stable Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4, which have worked reliably in my testing.  Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI: Performance All it takes is a quick look at the specs list to see that the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI is primed to be a solid-performing machine with ample CPU performance and respectable, if not mind-blowing GPU performance. That Predator Helios Neo 14 AI largely hits the mark, though there are some areas where it falls a little short.  PCMark 10 shows off the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI’s strong general performance, with it delivering a highly satisfactory score. Some gaming laptops push higher thanks to even more potent GPUs than the RTX 5060, but anything above 5,000 points is quite good. he Predator Helios Neo 14 AI might have gone even higher if it weren’t held back by its storage. Though the SSD included in the system hit over 7,100MB/s sequential reads and 6,100MB/s writes in CrystalDiskMark 9, its random read and write speeds were on the slow side at around 380MB/s, which even some old SATA SSDs can muster.  The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H proves a strong inclusion for the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI. It carries the system to a solid lead over most of its competitors, with its 16 cores providing excellent multi-core performance that the AMD competition can’t quite match. Its single-core performance is also excellent, though more readily rivaled by the Razer Blade 14 (2025)’s AMD Ryzen AI 9 365. Newer isn’t always better though, as we see the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI consistently lag behind the Intel Core i7-14700HX in the Lenovo Legion 5i 15IRX10 on both single-core and multi-core tests, likely thanks to that earlier chip’s 8P+12E configuration, which skips Low Power Efficient-cores entirely and hits a higher max turbo frequency. Still, it’s a close enough matchup, with the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI even pulling off a win in our Handbrake encoding test. A strong CPU is a great partner for a GPU, though power and cooling can often be the bigger factors in laptops. While the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI shows solid performance in 3DMark’s Port Royal test, edging out the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA403UM that wields the same GPU (but with a 100W power limit), Acer still falls behind both of Lenovo’s systems. Even with its Turbo power setting boosting its score to 7,337 points, it lags behind those two and fails to catch up to the Razer Blade 14’s RTX 5070. That Turbo power setting tends to only offer a small uptick in performance while coming with a big noise penalty, seeing the fan noise go from reasonable to annoying.  While Port Royal is very demanding of the GPU, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a good showcase for how 1080p gaming can benefit from stronger CPU performance. Here we see the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI once again take the lead over Asus and the Lenovo LOQ 15, both of which trailed it in CPU performance. That lead isn’t quite as great as in pure CPU tests, but it’s a lead nonetheless. We also see the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI not only lag behind the Lenovo Legion 5i 15IRX10, but also close the gap with the Razer Blade 14 thanks to its CPU performance. A demanding game like Metro Exodus shifts the load back over to the GPU, so performance plays out again much like it did in the Port Royal benchmark. Here, the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI again fails to quite keep up with Lenovo’s system, but remains ahead of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.  Cyberpunk 2077 again shows how GPU power and cooling can be crucial in graphically demanding games. The Lenovo Legion 5i 15IRX10 once again leads the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI. Performance is still respectable, with the system managing well above 60 FPS, but if pure performance is what you’re after, the Lenovo has the edge for a better price. Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI: Battery life Performance and battery life are a fine balancing act, and though the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI doesn’t do horribly, it also doesn’t impress. It ran our 4K local video playback test for just over five hours before its 76Wh battery was drained. That gives it a much-needed win over the Lenovo Legion 5i 15IRX10, which dogged it in performance benchmarks. But that leaves it below even the lifespan offered by the small 60Wh battery in the Lenovo LOQ 15 15AHP10, never mind how far it falls behind the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, which managed almost 13 hours on a 72Wh battery. Real-world battery use tends to see the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI fall more in the range of 4-5 hours, and even that can entail some conservative use of the display’s brightness.  Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 AI: Conclusion The Predator Helios Neo 14 AI is a competent machine, but not quite the one I’d recommend. While it tries to join the fray of thinner and lighter gaming laptops, it doesn’t quite hit its mark with a weight of over four pounds and awkward dimensions that can make it hard to fit into laptop sleeves. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 fulfills that promise much more effectively, has a better design, an equally excellent display, much longer battery life to go alongside the portability, and it offers close enough performance (that even sometimes catches up in its Turbo mode) while costing a similar amount. And where raw performance is more of a concern than portability, the Lenovo Legion 5i 15IRX10 showed that it can beat the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI while costing far less. Against its rivals, the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI consistently proves to be good, but just not good enough. Read...

Debian works itself or in derivatives such as Open Media Vault or Raspberry Pi OS as a stable and lean server system on countless public and private devices. However, anyone looking for a stylish and beginner-friendly desktop will not think of Debian first. This is due to unprocessed software, including the respective user interface, which always comes as an original upstream from the manufacturer (such as Gnome or KDE). In addition, there are Debian peculiarities that irritate Linux beginners, but also those switching from Ubuntu systems. Even the installer wants to know much more from the user than with Ubuntu or Mint. More fundamental, however, is the extremely conservative release model, which does not provide for any kernel updates or functional software updates for two full years. Setup with small but some hurdles Even the search for the Debian installation medium requires a minimum knowledge of Linux terminology. The website debian.org is not difficult to find, but if you simply click on “Download” here, you will receive the Netinstaller without a live system. This is unsuitable for pre-testing with a desired desktop. The subpage debian.org/distrib turns a lot of information into a confusing search game, especially the redirection to the worldwide “Download mirrors”. If newcomers don’t load Debian with the desired desktop here, this is understandable, but can usually still be corrected in the installer. Debian has a number of system peculiarities and delivers desktops unprocessed. The setup therefore requires some adjustments – for Gnome, for example, with the Gnome-shell-extension-manager. Gnome Extension Manager The installer asks significantly more questions than Ubuntu. Most of them are not critical: domain and proxy can simply be skipped; the root account, which is unfamiliar to many, is mandatory here, and with partitioning (with a number of specialties) you can get away with the simple default settings, provided Debian solo is allowed to take over the data carrier. Answering “Yes” to the question “Use network mirror?” can correct any download mishaps, because this then allows another “software selection”. It’s always advisable to select the “Debian desktop environment” option and also a desktop such as Gnome or KDE. Without a desktop, only the substructure is available, but the system is headless. Without the “environment”, the selected desktop is available, but no desktop software (browser, sound, cups, and network manager may also be missing). The release policy Debian prioritizes stability at the expense of up-to-datedness. A new Debian version is released approximately every two years (currently Debian 13) and receives three years of support. During this period, there are only regular security updates—the kernel and software (including the desktop) remain at the same level. Experienced users can circumvent this by including backport sources, but by default Debian software remains fixed for at least two years. This is the opposite of the agile rolling model of Arch Linux, and Ubuntu is also comparatively progressive with its biannual updates (point releases with kernel upgrades). The Debian installer offers this choice in the “Netinst” variant, but also with live installation media, provided the “Network mirror” option is activated. LinuxTechi Release upgrades to the next higher version after two years are technically offered to users, but are not automated. The user must replace the old release name (e.g. “bookworm”) with the new one (e.g. “trixie”) in the “/etc/apt/sources. list” file each time it occurs (at least three times) and then perform an upgrade with sudo apt full-upgrade to request an update. This is not rocket science, but it’s different from the simple click offer in an Ubuntu “update manager”. Debian is in good hands on computers where no new hardware components are expected for years. By “components” we mean critical candidates such as graphics cards or CPUs that may require newer kernels or graphics libraries. Debian desktop users should also be unconcerned about missing out on two years of new features in Gimp, VLC, or Gnome. Debian peculiarities Debian does not recognize “sudo” for simple account changes. For administrative tasks, “su” should be used to switch to root, whose password was defined during installation. If you want Ubuntu conditions, you can install sudo (and visudo) in the root account: apt install sudo The main user can then be added to the sudo group. usermod -aG sudo sepp This leads to the next peculiarity: “usermod” seems to be missing like all typical admin commands. The background to this is a restrictive path specification: directories such as “/sbin” or “/usr/sbin” with the system administration tools are not included in the default path. A command such as “usermod” will therefore only work with the complete path “/sbin/usermod”. In continuous operation, it’ll be easier to add the PATH variable accordingly (“export PATH=[…]:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin”). After a Debian installation, the file “/etc/apt/sources.list” often contains the line “deb cdrom […]” (the installation ISO image) as the package source, which leads to errors with every apt command. The line must therefore be commented out or deleted. Such minor issues are easy to fix, but can initially irritate Ubuntu users considerably. Service configurations are also a little more restrictive under Debian than under Ubuntu distributions. By default, Debian only accepts its own, classic DEB sources as package sources: External PPAs are not permitted, snaps and flatpaks can be optionally retrofitted—as everywhere else—but they are not standard. Desktop, drivers and software As with Arch, the selected desktop comes in the default original version. Debian provides a few of its own background images, but nothing more. Depending on the desktop, you’ll have to make your own improvements here—certainly more with Gnome than with KDE or XFCE, for example. This is not a disadvantage in principle, but assumes that you are familiar with desktop extensions, desktop settings and themes, and are happy to carry out such customizations yourself. Typical for Debian: Firefox ESR, which is only updated (functionally) once a year, is pre-installed as the default browser. Sam Singleton With regard to proprietary drivers and firmware, Debian has relaxed its previously restrictive stance so that “nonfree” sources are now automatically permitted. GPU drivers (such as “nvidia-driver”), graphics libraries (such as “mesa-utils”), or codecs (such as “ffmpeg”) can therefore be installed directly or are already added during installation. Software and kernels are only reasonably up-to-date in brand-new Debian versions and remain at this level. Typical for conservative software is also the use of Firefox ESR as the standard browser, which also receives function updates as an exception, but only once a year. Debian-like alternatives No question: Compared to Ubuntu & co., Debian requires a number of steps to set up the system and desktop. Compared to Arch Linux, however, the effort is limited. If you still want to avoid these steps but want to use the rock-solid Debian, you can switch to derivatives such as MX Linux with XFCE or Q4-OS with KDE. The Debian derivative that guarantees the closest possible proximity to Ubuntu is the Mint variant Linux Mint LMDE. Read...

Using a virtual private network (VPN) is most commonly associated with protecting your privacy and staying safe on public Wi-Fi. But VPNs also provide an excellent solution for improving accessibility to the streaming services you already subscribe to, and Norton’s latest version is an effective, affordable way to augment your online streaming. There is a range of extras you can bundle in for just a few dollars more, too.  Unfortunately, the streaming experience isn’t consistent around the world. Different territories have access to different streaming services and different content on those services. That makes mainlining episodes of your favorite show every night a bit tricky when you’re travelling for work or vacation. Did you know you can use a VPN to keep watching your favorites, no matter where you are? Save up to 72% on Norton VPN in the Cyber Week Sale and take your favorite shows away with youView Norton VPN Be where you want to be One of the neatest aspects of using a VPN is that you can decide where you appear to be. So if you’re holidaying in Europe, you can use a VPN like Norton’s to make it seem as if you’re in the US. So you can still get on to your favorite streaming platform and watch your favorite shows like normal. The same goes for new film releases you were excited for. No need to miss out if you’re out of the country. Just set your location back to home and whatever you could watch there, you can watch it wherever you are.  The IP masking effectively hides where you are, which is what makes VPNs so good for protecting your privacy, too. As far as whatever streaming service you’re watching is concerned, you’re located wherever the VPN says you are. You could be working on a remote research station in the Antarctic, dodging penguins and snow drifts, and still have access to all the latest releases from back home.  Additional security protection Norton’s Cyber Week Sale is now running until December 2, with crazy prices on Norton VPN subscriptions. With the Norton VPN Standard package, you can get the full VPN functionality for the equivalent of just $3.33 $2.08 a month for the first year thanks to a 50% 68% off discount. That gets you protection and easier streaming on up to five different devices. Find a streaming service has clocked you’re using a VPN? There’s a built-in double VPN service with IP rotation to make your real location more difficult to detect.  For a handful of useful extras, the Norton VPN Plus package is at 54% 72% off right now, with the equivalent of $4.17 $2.50 a month for the first year. Along with the standard VPN features, you also get Norton’s effective Antivirus software, AI-powered scam-detection with its new Genie service, a secure password manager, and 10GB of encrypted cloud-backup service.  If you’re part of a larger family you want to protect, or you have a number of devices on which you want to use the VPN, the Norton VPN Ultimate package is equivalent to $5 $3.33 per month for the first year, and gives you support for up to 10 simultaneous devices. It also has a selection of robust parental controls you can take advantage of, and with a handy device finder for all the kids’ smart gadgets and devices.  Whichever package is right for you, Norton the VPN is effective and easy to use. If you’re finding yourself frustrated by streaming roadblocks, particularly when travelling, a VPN like Norton’s might be the way to go. Norton VPN is available from just $24.99 in the Cyber Week Sale!View Norton VPN >> Read our Norton Security Buyer’s Guide Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Sharp 1536p head-to-toe video Flexible battery or wired installation Smart alerts microSD card slot for local storage Cons Advanced AI requires paid subscription Chime sold separately No Apple HomeKit support Our Verdict The Wyze Battery Video Doorbell delivers crisp video, solid smart features, and flexible setup, making it an especially good choice for renters or anyone who wants simple, reliable front-door security without the wiring. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Wyze Battery Video Doorbell (model MR_BVD) Retailer Price $65.98 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices The Wyze Battery Video Doorbell is aimed squarely at people who want front-door security without the hassle of wiring or facing a high price tag. Like most Wyze products, the appeal is straightforward: it’s easy to set up, simple to use, and at just $65.98, inexpensive enough that installing one doesn’t feel like a commitment. Design and features The Wyze Battery Video Doorbell is a slim black rectangle measuring just over five and a half inches tall and less than two inches wide, small enough to fit on most doorframes without crowding them. The camera lens sits above a large button ringed with a soft LED light. It feels solid for the price, with tight seams and a sturdy mount that locks the body in place. Wyze gives you plenty of flexibility in how you install it. The doorbell can run entirely on its built-in 6400mAh battery for three to six months at a time, or you wire into to a transformer and an existing chime circuit for uninterrupted power. A corner-mount plate comes in the box, letting you angle the camera toward your walkway or doorstep for a better view of people and packages. The Wyze Battery Video Doorbell comes with everything you need for an easy wired or wireless installation.Michael Ansaldo/Foundry The camera captures square 1536 × 1536 HD+ video with a 1:1 aspect ratio and a 150-degree horizontal and vertical field of view. That’s wide and tall enough to see faces, feet, and packages left right against the door. Audio is handled through full-duplex two-way talk in the Wyze app, along with canned voice replies and an optional motion-triggered deterrence that tells visitors they’re being recorded. There’s also a built-in 90dB siren you can activate manually from the app if you need to draw attention or scare off an unwanted visitor. On the smart side, motion detection works through an infrared sensor and edge processing, while Wyze’s Cam Plus subscription ($2.99 per month or $19.99 per year per camera, or $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year for unlimited cameras) unlocks person, package, pet, and vehicle recognition. You can save recordings locally to a user-provided microSD card (up to 256GB) if the doorbell is on wired power, or rely on a Cam Plus cloud storage for event clips. Be sure to check out our comparison of the subscription plans from all the major security camera manufacturers. The Wyze’s doorbell is rated IP65 rating, meaning it’s dust tight and protected against water projected in jets from any direction. (Read our IP code guide for more details on that topic). The Wyze Battery Video Doorbell ties neatly into most smart ecosystems, working with Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, and Wyze Automations, but it doesn’t support Apple’s HomeKit smart home ecosystem. In Wyze’s lineup, it slots between the wired Video Doorbell v2 and the pricier Doorbell Pro, keeping the focus on flexibility and value. Setup and performance Everything you need to set up the doorbell is in the box: a mounting bracket, screws, wall anchors, a corner wedge for angled installation, and a small release pin for removing the doorbell when you need to charge its battery (if you don’t hardwire it). The Wyze app walks you through the Wi-Fi connection process step by step, starting with pressing the setup button to initiate the pairing process. You control the doorbell through the Wyze app, which allows you to answer calls and manage security settings. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Whether you opt for a straight-ahead or angled view, you’ll need a Phillips  screwdriver for installation, and if you’re mounting on a harder surface such as brick or stucco, Wyze recommends drilling pilot holes first. The doorbell attaches securely to the back plate and corner kit with the provided screws. If you plan to run the doorbell on battery power, as I did, you’re done. If not, Wyze provides detailed instructions for hardwiring in its quick-start guide. You’ll manage the doorbell through the Wyze app. It displays a live camera feed with quick controls for recording, snapshots, and toggling the siren. You can review recent events as thumbnails with clear timestamps and see which were triggered by motion and which resulted from button presses. The app also offers practical extras, such as canned voice responses (“Can I help you?” or “Please leave the package at the door”) and an optional motion warning that plays a “You are being recorded” message when someone approaches. The camera captures crisp detail, and the 1:1 aspect ratio keeps both faces and packages in view. You can toggle between standard and wide-angle views in the Wyze app, which helps fine-tune framing depending on your doorway layout or how close visitors stand. At night, the color night vision looked better than I expected, producing clear, evenly lit footage instead of the flat gray you get from many budget doorbells. The motion sensor worked reliably and push notifications hit my phone within a second or two of detection. Out of the box, the camera flags most movement in front of the door, but with the optional subscription, you can fine-tune alerts to trigger only on people, pets, vehicles, or packages. That should dramatically cut down on false alarms, especially if your front door faces a busy street or sidewalk. Wyze also offers a Cam Unlimited add-on ($12.99 per month or $129.99 per year) that introduces its “Friendly Faces” feature, which recognizes familiar people and sends alerts when, say, a family member gets home. Pressing the Setup button on the back of the doorbell intiates the process for connecting it to your Wi-Fi. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Battery life will vary depending on motion frequency and video length; in typical use, expect around four months before recharging through the USB-C port. Wired installation adds a few perks, including pre-roll clips that capture a few seconds of activity before motion is registered, and the option for continuous 24/7 recording. Should you buy the Wyze Battery Video Doorbell? Wyze isn’t trying to reinvent the video doorbell here; it’s just making it accessible to people who’ve been priced out of the category. And at $65.98, it’s among the lowest-priced full-featured options available. That said, there are a few extras you may need to budget for. To unlock person, package, pet, and vehicle detection you’ll need to factor in the additional cost of at least a Cam Plus subscription. And if you want a chime for indoor alerts, that’s sold separately—the plug-in Wyze Wi-Fi Universal Chime costs $19.98, and the Wyze Chime Controller for wiring the doorbell to a mechanical chime is $17.99. If you’re a renter, a first-time buyer, or simply want video coverage for your front door without spending hundreds, you’ll get a capable, smart, and affordable front-door camera that performs well above its price tag. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best video doorbells. Read...

I don’t like the fact that Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 as much as anyone else, but it’s definitely a sign that you need to upgrade to a more modern software. I know the price is something that’s keeping most of us from getting new Windows 11 licenses, so I’m always digging for discounts—especially this time of the year. Fortunately, Black Friday deals have hit the PCWorld Software Store, which means you can get a lifetime Windows 11 Pro license for 65% off, bringing the price down to $70 (was $200). View this deal Whether you’re getting a new mini PC, laptop, or desktop this Black Friday season, or whether you simply have to get a fresh copy of Windows 11 Pro for your device, this Black Friday deal at the PCWorld Software Store is one you don’t want to pass up. The price includes a license for a single PC, so if you have multiple devices, you’ll need to buy multiple licenses. The good thing is that this license won’t need renewing and you’ll be able to use it forever… well, at least until Microsoft cuts support for Windows 11 one day. Windows 11 Pro comes with all the cool features we love in Windows 11 Home, plus a ton of business functionality for advanced data encryption, sandboxing for extra security, remote desktop control, and virtual machines. If you want it for cheap, now’s your chance: get Windows 11 Pro for just $70 before this deal expires! Save 65% on Windows 11 Pro with this Black Friday discountBuy via PCWorld Software Store Read...

Microsoft and Crocs—the brand of polyethelene clogs that are as divisive as they are ubiquitous—seem to have a thing goin’ on. Just a short time after causing an online sensation with the limited edition Windows XP shoes, the brands are back with an Xbox edition. The “Xbox Classic Clog” doesn’t actually play games, but it might fool you with toes covered in Xbox controller buttons and even joysticks. With typical Xbox green-on-black styling and an air of intentional ridiculousness, the crossover is perhaps leaning into the irony. And somebody at Microsoft is certainly trying to make a bit of synergy with the “This Is An Xbox” campaign, in which Xbox Game Pass flouts its near-universal availability on everything from phones to cars. Microsoft is also trying to extend the Xbox brand into the PC gaming space with devices like the Asus ROG Xbox Ally handheld, which is not an Xbox but does get access to tons of Xbox features and a streamlined Windows 11 interface tuned for gaming. That interface is now available on other handhelds (and even laptops and desktops if you’re willing to tinker with Windows Insider settings). View this post on Instagram Meanwhile, the Xbox console brand has never been weaker versus the PlayStation and Nintendo, and Valve is now positioning itself as a stalking horse for the entire gaming industry. The PC gaming giant is building off the success of the Steam platform and the Steam Deck to make a console-style mini PC in the revamped Steam Machine. But enough about industry stuff. You’re here for the shoes. They’re going for $80 on the Crocs site, which is pretty typical for the brand, in US sizes from 6 to 12 for women and 4 to 13 for men. At the time of writing, it looks like pretty much all of them are in stock. Unlike the Windows XP Crocs, these don’t seem to be limited edition. Read...