Category: Entertainment

Categories
Entertainment

The best laptops for gaming and schoolwork

[ad_1]

Why choose between a gaming laptop and one meant for school when you can get a PC that does both? Gaming laptops are now cheaper and more powerful than ever, and many wouldn’t look out of place in a classroom. If you’re aiming to do some serious multimedia work alongside playing video games online, it’s worth taking a look at a dedicated gaming system. You can find general advice on choosing a gaming notebook in our guide. But if you want a few models that will be perfect for school and play, you’ve come to the right place.

Are gaming laptops good for school?

As we’ve mentioned, gaming laptops are especially helpful if you’re doing any demanding work. Their big promise is powerful graphics performance, which isn’t just limited to games. Video editing and 3D rendering programs can also tap into their GPUs to handle laborious tasks. While you can find decent GPUs on some productivity machines, like Dell’s XPS 15, you can sometimes find better deals on gaming laptops. My general advice for any new workhorse: Get at least 16GB of RAM and the largest solid state drive you can find (ideally 1TB or more). Those components are both typically hard to upgrade down the line, so it’s worth investing what you can up front.

The one big downside to choosing a gaming notebook is portability. For the most part, we’d recommend 15-inch models to get the best balance of size and price. Those typically weigh in around 4.5 pounds, which is significantly more than a three-pound ultraportable. Today’s gaming notebooks are still far lighter than older models, though, so at least you won’t be lugging around a 10-pound brick. If you’re looking for something lighter, there are plenty of 14-inch options these days. And if you’re not into LED lights and other gamer-centric bling, keep an eye out for more understated models (or make sure you know how to turn those lights off).

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Read our full review of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

The ASUS ROG Zephryus G14 may be a bit more expensive than it was when it originally launched, but it remains a fantastic 14-inch laptop for all purposes. The beauty of the latest model is that it features an all-new unibody aluminum chassis, a vibrant 120Hz OLED display, solid performance and tons of ports–all for hundreds less than an equivalent Razer Blade 14. It even has a built-in microSD card reader and presets for several color gamuts, so it can easily pull double duty as a photo/video editing machine. Its audio is also way above average thanks to punchy up-firing stereo speakers. Battery life is solid too, with the Zepyrus lasting just shy of eight hours on our rundown test. And to top it off, the G14 weighs almost half a pound less than rival laptops with similar designs. The main downsides are that its GPU caps out at an RTX 4070 (instead of a 4080 like on the previous model) and that its RAM is soldered in. But if you want a really great all-rounder that offers big power in a portable package, this system has to be at the top of your list. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Writer, Reviews

$2,000 at Best Buy

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

For years, Razer has built a reputation for making gaming laptops that look as good as MacBooks. And that’s still true. Razer’s Blade 15 features a sleek and sturdy metal case, an understated design (unless you really kick up those RGB keyboard lights), and just about all the power you’d want in a portable gaming powerhouse. If money is no object, you can equip the Blade 15 with Intel’s latest 13th-gen processors, NVIDIA’s powerful RTX 4070 and 1,440p OLED display running at 240 Hz.

While you’ll pay a bit more for the Blade 15 compared to some other models, you’ve still got a few different price points to work with. The entry-level model starts at $1,999 with an RTX 3070 GPU and 360Hz 1080p display. That’s certainly enough power for most games and creative apps. If you’re looking for something a bit smaller, Razer’s new AMD-powered Blade 14 looks compelling as well. Razer also recently debuted new Blade 16 and 18 models, which cost (and weigh!) much more than the Blade 15, but may be useful if you need a bigger screen.

$2,450 at Amazon

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

While Alienware has established itself as a solid premium brand, Dell’s cheaper G-series notebooks are worth a look for anyone on a budget. In particular, the G15 continues the trend of delivering very capable hardware – including Intel’s latest 13th-gen CPUs and NVIDIA’s RTX 30 and 40-series GPUs – for under $1,000. Sure, the case is mostly plastic, and the screen doesn’t offer all of the latest niceties, but for the price it’s hard to find anything more powerful.

$800 at Dell

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Taking the idea of a gaming laptop to the absolute extreme, ASUS’s latest Zephyrus Duo 16 combines AMD’s latest Ryzen mobile processors with NVIDIA’s great RTX 40-series hardware. And, true to its name, it has two screens: a gorgeous 16-inch main display (with optional Mini-LED backlighting), and a very wide 14-inch secondary panel right below. That opens up a near desktop-level of multitasking, since you can have windows spread across both screens. It could help you, say, follow an online lecture while fitting in a Halo Infinite match on your main screen. Don’t worry, we won’t tell.

$3,500 at ASUS

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

The biggest and most powerful Alienware laptop yet, the m18 is the ideal gaming notebook for someone who prioritizes screen size above all else. It can be equipped with Intel’s fastest 13th-gen CPUs, NVIDIA’s RTX 4090, and either a 165Hz QuadHD+ screen or a wickedly fast 480Hz 1080p+ display. It’s a gaming beast, but it’ll also be a great option for students editing audio or video. A bigger screen means a larger timeline view–exactly what you’d want for massive projects.

$2,800 at Amazon

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Entertainment

Microsoft’s Windows 11 beta testers may start seeing ads in the Start menu

[ad_1]

Microsoft is exploring the idea of putting ads in your Windows 11 Start menu. To be specific, it’s looking to place advertisements for apps you can find in the Microsoft Store in the menu’s recommended section. I could hear you sighing in defeat if you’ve used Windows 10 extensively before — the older OS serves ads in the Start menu, as well, and they’re also for apps you can download. At the moment, Microsoft will only show ads in this version if you’re in the US and a Windows Insider in the Beta Channel. You won’t be seeing them if you’re not a beta tester or if you’re using a device managed by an organization.

Further, you can disable the advertisements altogether. To do so, just go to Personalization under Settings and then toggle off “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more” in the Start section. Like any other Microsoft experiment, it may never reach wider rollout, but you may want to remember the aforementioned steps, since the company does have history of incorporating ads into its desktop platforms. Last year, Microsoft also deployed experimental promo spots for its services like OneDrive in the menu that pops up when you click on your profile photo.

A screenshot of the Windows 11 start menu showing an advertisement for 1Password.A screenshot of the Windows 11 start menu showing an advertisement for 1Password.

Microsoft

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Entertainment

Meta is stuffing its AI chatbot into your Instagram DMs

[ad_1]

On Friday, people around the web noticed a new addition to their Instagram: Meta AI, the company’s general-purpose, AI-powered chatbot that can answer questions, write poetry and generate images with a simple text prompt. The move isn’t surprising. Meta revealed Meta AI in September 2023 and has spent the last few months adding the chatbot to products like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, so adding it to Instagram seems like a no-brainer.

“Our generative AI-powered experiences are under development in various phases, and we’re testing a range of them publicly in a limited capacity,” a Meta spokesperson told Engadget, which suggests that not everyone has the feature available yet. TechCrunch, which first noted the news, said that Meta AI was showing up in Instagram’s search bar. But for some of us at Engadget, the feature actually showed up in the search bar in Instagram’s Direct Messaging inbox.

Tapping it let me start a conversation with Meta AI just I would DM a friend on Instagram. I was able to ask the chatbot to give me definitions of words, suggest headlines for some stories I’m working on, and generate images of dogs on skateboards. I was also able to ask Meta AI to recommend Reels with cats in them, which it was able to do easily.

But when my colleague Aaron Souppouris asked Meta AI in WhatsApp to recommend Reels, it showed him some Reels in that app too — suggesting that the bot in Instagram isn’t really doing anything specific to Instagram. Instead, Meta is simply shoehorning the same chatbot into every app it owns.

If you tap a hamburger menu within the bot, Meta AI will also show you a long list of possible actions you ask the bot to take.

Meta AI will present a list of actions you can ask the bot to take.Meta AI will present a list of actions you can ask the bot to take.

Aaron Souppouris

Why would you want a chatbot in Instagram to suggest tips for dealing with credit card debit, have a debate about cardio versus weights, or suggest hacks to travel with points, I do not know. But the point is that if you want to, you can.

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Entertainment

The Fellow Aiden makes coffee good enough for snobs with a single button

[ad_1]

Sometimes even the most die-hard coffee enthusiasts just want a quick cup of joe. Unfortunately, that often leaves people with sipping less-than-satisfactory java from traditional drip brewers. But now after years of customer requests, Fellow is finally releasing a machine that it claims can deliver a pour-over experience at the touch of a button. And after seeing it in action, there’s a lot to like.

Starting at $365, the Aiden certainly isn’t cheap. That said, compared to the $500 grinders and pricey accessories that so many aficionados lust after, this might seem like a bargain to some. But the big difference between the Aiden and traditional coffee machines is that unlike a typical drip-based brewer, it features an adjustable showerhead that mimics the process of a traditional pour-over. Fellow also uses a thick film Ferro Techniek heating element which is said to deliver exact water temperatures (down to a single degree and up to 210F). When combined with the ability to adjust things like bloom time, the amount of water used and more, you get a ton of control over the brewing process. Fellow even includes two different baskets: a single-serve option that delivers a slightly more nuanced product or a batch filter to accommodate big crowds (up to 10 cups at a time).

The Aiden's carafe is double-walled as Fellow wanted to avoid a built-in hotplate which could potentially scorch your coffee. The Aiden's carafe is double-walled as Fellow wanted to avoid a built-in hotplate which could potentially scorch your coffee.

The Aiden’s carafe is double-walled as Fellow wanted to avoid a built-in hotplate which could potentially scorch your coffee. (Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget)

The Aiden also features a guided brew process that walks you through various settings, though you can always create your own profiles or download instructions directly from participating roasters via a QR code and Fellow’s free companion app. That said, I appreciate that if you don’t want to break out your phone just to make a cup of coffee, you can still set programs, start a brew and input data directly into the machine via its bright color LCD screen and large control dial.

But the best thing about the Aiden is how easy and convenient it is to use. It features a 1.5L reservoir and its heating element is completely silent so you can brew a cup in the morning without disturbing the peace. Once you have your favorite brews dialed in, starting a batch is as simple as dumping in some grounds and hitting start (and adding water to the tank if you haven’t done that already). The machine will remind you when you need to run a clean cycle or descale it. Because its showerhead is super precise, if you schedule it to run in the morning before you wake up, it will be ready exactly when you tell it. Not a minute too early or late. There’s even a cold brew setting that will slowly drip water through the grounds throughout the day (and of course you can set how long or short this takes) instead of relying on a prolonged immersion like you would otherwise.

The Aiden comes with two different brewing baskets and a switch for you when you need to change between single-cup and batch brew functions. The Aiden comes with two different brewing baskets and a switch for you when you need to change between single-cup and batch brew functions.

The Aiden comes with two different brewing baskets and a switch for you when you need to change between single-cup and batch brew functions. (Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget)

However, one feature the Aiden doesn’t have is a keep warm function, but that’s because most coffee lovers tend to stay away from machines with built-in hotplates that can result in scorched joe. Instead, Fellow relies on a thermal double-walled carafe to keep things warm until you can get to it (which probably won’t be long if you’re in need of caffeine).

Finally, while your tastes may vary, I like the Aiden’s minimalist design. It’s short enough that it should fit under most kitchen cabinets and its sleek lines and boxy shape make it a cinch to clean. And while I only got to sample a single cup, the Scandinavian light roast I tried retained a lot of the subtle vanilla and hickory notes that would normally be stamped out by traditional drip brewers.

That said, it’s important to remember that the Aiden isn’t meant to replace your V60 or Aeropress or whatever your preferred brewing method is. It’s simply meant to provide a higher quality joe than what your standard drip brewer can make for situations where you don’t have the time or energy to make a cup yourself. From what I’ve seen so far, it does just that.

Pre-sale for the Aiden is live today, with shipments expected to begin sometime this September. Additionally, anyone who pre-orders will get a bag of coffee each from Onyx Coffee Lab, La Cabra and Verve Coffee Roasters specifically designed for this machine along with scannable brewing profiles.

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Entertainment

8BitDo’s Ultimate Controller with charging dock drops to $56 on Amazon

[ad_1]

makes some of our favorite third-party game controllers. The gamepads work with a variety of devices (now including the ) and they’re well-built. Right now, you can pick up a bundle of an 8BitDo Ultimate Controller and charging dock for $56 on Amazon. That’s 20 percent off and close to a record low. It’s the best price we’ve seen so far this year.

8Bitdo

8Bitdo makes some of the best third-party game controllers around. This one is compatible with PC, Switch, Steam Deck and even Apple Vision Pro.

$56 at Amazon

If you’re a Prime member and you’re signed in, you’ll see that the controller is sold by 8BitDo directly. Otherwise, you’ll see the peripheral for the same price, but a third-party seller is flogging it instead.

Along with other devices, the Ultimate Controller is compatible with Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck over Bluetooth or a 2.4g adapter. To connect wirelessly to a Windows PC, you’ll need to use the adapter.

You can use a PC or mobile app to customize the sensitivity of the joysticks, triggers and vibrations, as well as to remap the buttons, add macros and create settings profiles that are saved to the controller. Other features include Hall effect sensing joysticks that will likely be more resistant to wear and drift than many other joysticks, a pair of back paddle buttons and motion controls.

While 8BitDo says that you’ll get up to 22 hours of use out of a single charge, having a dedicated dock to plunk the Ultimate Controller into is handy. In a neat touch, the controller automatically turns off or on when you dock or undock it, respectively.

Overall, the Ultimate Controller is a great, flexible gamepad (for one thing, it’s one of the few third-party controllers that can wake a Switch from sleep mode). After six months of using the peripheral, Engadget Senior Commerce Writer Jeff Dunn a “comfortable and versatile pro-style pad that should stay alive over the long haul” and “my endgame controller for both Switch and PC.”

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.



[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Entertainment

Apple’s MacBook Air M2 returns to an all-time low, plus the rest of the week’s best tech deals

[ad_1]

Another week is coming to a close, which means it’s time for another roundup of good discounts on good tech. This week’s highlights include the return of the best price we’ve seen for Apple’s M2 MacBook Air, which is down to $849. No, this isn’t the latest and greatest MacBook, and yes, a Bloomberg report this week said that Apple may debut a new M4 chip later in 2024. If you need a new laptop right now, though, the M2 model gets you most of the way to the newer M3 version for a good bit less cash. Beyond that, we’ve also found all-time lows for the 10th-gen iPad, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and a Nintendo Switch Lite bundle, among others. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still buy today.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

The 13-inch version of Apple’s MacBook Air with an M2 chip is back down to $849 at Amazon, Best Buy and B&H. That matches the lowest price we’ve tracked for the entry-level configuration, which includes 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Apple normally sells this model for $999. Just note that Amazon’s listing includes a shipping delay as of this writing.

The M2 Air is a generation old, but it remains a good value when it’s discounted to this extent. The performance gap between the M2 and the M3 chip found in the newest Air isn’t huge, and the design of the two laptops is largely the same, so you still get a great screen, comfortable keyboard and thin aluminum chassis. You do lose the ability to use two external monitors, and the M3 Air technically has faster storage, though the latter shouldn’t be a major issue unless you often deal with large files. In general, the limited memory and storage in this config means it’s not a great fit for media editing and more involved work. But if you only need a notebook for the essentials and really want to save a couple hundred bucks, this is a nice price. We gave the M2 Air a score of 96 back in 2022.

$849 at Amazon

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

The 10th-gen Apple iPad is on sale for $349 at Amazon and Best Buy, which matches the lowest price we’ve seen from major retailers. Apple sells the 10.9-inch tablet for $449, though we often see it drop between $350 and $429 on Amazon. This deal is for the base model with 64GB of storage; if you need more space, the 256GB model is also $100 off its MSRP at $499.

Before you pull the trigger, note that Apple reportedly plans to release new iPad Airs and iPad Pros in early May. If you don’t need a new tablet right this second, it’s probably best to wait a few weeks. However, a refresh to the base iPad isn’t expected until later in 2024, so this should remain a decent deal if you must buy a slate today and want to stay under $400.

We gave the 10th-gen iPad a review score of 85 in late 2022. Its aluminum design feels premium, it gets a solid 10+ hours of battery life and its A14 Bionic chip is still plenty fast for media consumption. Because its webcam is located on its landscape edge, it’s also a bit more convenient for video calls than other iPads. That said, it doesn’t support the highest-end Apple Pencil or Magic Keyboard, and its lack of an M-series chip means it can’t work with some high-end games. Its display isn’t laminated, either, so there’s a small but noticeable air gap between the display and cover glass. Still, it’s an iPad, and it’s a noticeable upgrade over the cheaper 9th-gen model if you just want a nice tablet for reading and streaming.

$349 at Amazon

Nintendo

Walmart is selling a bundle that pairs an Animal Crossing-themed Nintendo Switch Lite with a digital copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons for $179. That’s $20 below the bundle’s usual price and an all-time low. 

It’s a tricky time to buy a Switch: The console is seven years old now, and murmurs of a next-gen follow-up have circulated for months, with the most recent reports suggesting that it’ll arrive early next year. If you’ve waited this long to pick one up, it’s probably worth holding out a little longer. But if you want to start catching up today, or if you just want something appropriate for a kid, the Lite is the smallest and most affordable route into Nintendo’s excellent library. As a reminder, this is the only Switch that can’t hook up to a TV, but it can run all the same games with no performance drop-off. New Horizons, meanwhile, remains one of the device’s most relaxing games, a cozy sim about developing your own personal island. It normally costs around $50 on its own.

$179 at Walmart

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

The JLab Go Air Pop is a good buy for those who just want dirt-cheap wireless earphones that aren’t horrible. Right now the pair is on sale for $15 at Amazon and Best Buy, which isn’t quite an all-time low but still takes roughly $5 off the set’s usual street price. As we note in our budget earbuds buying guide, the Go Air Pop feels light in the ear, lasts a solid eight to nine hours per charge and has touch controls that actually work (which is far from a given in this price range). It’s also water-resistant with an IPX4 rating, so it can survive light workouts. Its bass-heavy sound isn’t exactly balanced, and it does lack any sort of app support. But again, we’re talking about $15 earbuds. As a cheap backup pair, the Go Air Pop is a great value.

$15 at Amazon

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Best Buy has the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus on sale for $389, which is $110 off Lenovo’s list price and only $10 more than the all-time low we saw around Black Friday. This is the top pick in our Chromebook buying guide. It’s fast enough for everyday emailing and web browsing, its 14-inch touchscreen is solid for the money and it has a better keyboard and trackpad than most cheap laptops we’ve tested. The IPS display has a tall 16:10 aspect ratio, so it’s well-suited for reading and writing. There are still trade-offs: The webcam isn’t great, battery life is mediocre, and the plastic design is a bit hefty at 3.6 pounds. But for a sub-$500 laptop, it gets more right than wrong. This configuration includes an Intel Core i3-1315U processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of eMMC storage, two USB-C ports, one USB-A port and a microSD slot.

$389 at Best Buy

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

The black version of 8BitDo’s Ultimate Bluetooth Controller has dropped to $59.49 for Amazon Prime members. Though we’ve seen the device go for less in the past, steeper discounts aren’t super common, and this deal still takes about $10 off 8BitDo’s usual selling price.

This is a wireless gamepad for Switch and PC whose praises I’ve sung in the past. The main advantage it has over standard controllers is its Hall effect joysticks, which use magnets to read inputs instead of contact-based potentiometers. In plain English, this means the sticks should be much less susceptible to annoying “drift” over time. The rest of the design feels sturdy, too, with responsive buttons and an accurate d-pad. It may be a smidge too small for those with especially large hands, but its Xbox-style design should feel natural for everyone else. It’s also fairly customizable, with a set of programmable back buttons and a clean app that lets you assign macros and remap inputs as you see fit, plus it comes with a dedicated charging dock.

$59 at Amazon (Prime only)

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

The top pick in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers, the Chipolo One, is down to $20 at Amazon via Chipolo direct. That’s $5 off the device’s usual street price and an all-time low. The deal is technically available at Best Buy, too, though it doesn’t include free shipping there. The One doesn’t have the giant crowd-finding network or Apple-friendly features of an AirTag, so it won’t be as helpful for finding an item you’ve misplaced very far away. But for simply making sure you don’t forget your keys or wallet when leaving a house or restaurant, it’s great. It rings loud, and it’s consistently quick to alert you when you’ve left a tagged item behind. It also has a built-in keyring hole, unlike AirTags, and it plays nicely with both iOS and Android. If you need multiple trackers, a four-pack is on sale for $60, though that deal has been live for almost all of the past month.

$20 at Amazon

SEGA

Hisense

The 55-inch Hisense U6K TV is down to an all-time low of $350 at Walmart and Best Buy, while the 65-inch version is down to a low of $500. Each deal is roughly $50 below the average street price we’ve seen over the last few months. The U6K is a budget-level TV from 2023 that’s received almost universally high marks from reviewers we trust. It’s one of the only TVs in its price range with quantum-dot color, a mini-LED backlight and full-array local dimming, so it should provide better contrast and color volume than most cheap sets. It’s still not ideal for gaming, as it lacks HDMI 2.1 features and is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. Its brightness levels won’t blow anyone away, either. But at this price, it looks to be a great value. 

It’s worth noting that this TV’s successor, the U6N, recently went on sale and promises even better brightness and contrast. However, that one currently costs $600 for a 55-inch set. For now, the older model should remain the better value for most people.

$348 at Walmart

Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

The USB-C AirPods Pro are back down to $189, which is $10 more than the all-time low we saw last month but $10 less than their usual street price on Amazon and $60 less than buying from Apple direct. Best Buy has the pair for a dollar more. The AirPods Pro continue to offer a host of conveniences for iPhone users, from faster pairing and integrated controls to hands-free Siri and Find My device tracking. Their active noise cancellation isn’t quite best-in-class, but it’s still above-average, and their warm sound profile plays well across musical genres. Call quality and battery life are just OK, though. We gave the second-gen AirPods Pro a score of 88 back in 2022. It’s worth noting that Apple is expected to launch new noise-canceling AirPods later this year, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, but new AirPods Pro reportedly aren’t on tap until 2025.

$189 at Amazon

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

The newest Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is once again on sale for $40, tying the lowest price we’ve tracked. We’ve seen this deal pop up a number of times over the last three months, but it’s still about $10 below the streamer’s average street price over that period. The 4K Max is Amazon’s fastest and most featured streaming stick, with support for all the major apps and HDR formats, Dolby Atmos audio and WiFi 6E (with a compatible router). Its software isn’t as pleasant to use as rival devices from Roku and Google, however — voice search is fast, but there are prominent ads on the home screen, and Amazon likes to promote its own Prime Video app across the UI. Still, those other sticks aren’t on sale as of this writing, so this is a decent deal if you just want a fast way to put apps on a TV.

The standard Fire TV Stick 4K is also back on sale for $30. That’s not an all-time low, but the only time it’s been cheaper was during Black Friday. This model has a slightly slower chipset than the Max and lacks that device’s Ambient Experience mode, which displays artwork and other info when your TV is idle. It also stops at WiFi 6 instead of 6E. But it isn’t that far off the Max if you really want to save another $10.

$40 at Amazon

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

The GoPro Hero 12 Black is on sale for $350 at Amazon, Best Buy and GoPro.com. While this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this $50 discount, it still ties the lowest price we’ve seen. The Hero 12 Black is GoPro’s latest flagship action camera. You can read our review from last September for a fuller breakdown, but in short, it continues to offer excellent image quality, top-notch video stabilization, a rugged design, a variety of shooting modes and a robust ecosystem of accessories. It makes it easy to shoot vertical videos for platforms like TikTok or Instagram, and now its battery life is a bit better than its predecessor. This model lacks GPS functionality, and all action cameras can have issues in very dark settings, but this is a good bet whether you’re new to action cams or looking to upgrade from a years-old model. A Creator Edition bundle that includes a battery grip, video light and Media Mod frame is also on sale for $499, another all-time low.

$349 at Amazon

eufy

The Eufy RoboVac 11S Max is the most affordable robot vacuum we recommend in our budget robovac buying guide, and it’s now down to $140 at Amazon and Newegg via Eufy direct. This is another deal we’ve seen a few times in recent months: It’s not quite an all-time low, but the device usually goes for $250 otherwise. The 11S Max is an older and largely basic model with no Wi-Fi, but it’s slim, durable and relatively quiet, and it cleans well enough across surfaces. Eufy says its battery can last up to 100 minutes on hard floors, and the fact that it lacks Wi-Fi might actually be a plus to those conscious of their privacy. You can still do better, but this is a solid deal if you just want a decent robovac on a tight budget.

$140 at Amazon

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.



[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Entertainment

Two years with the little yellow inspiration machine

[ad_1]

Playdate came out two years ago, and it’s still miniscule and yellow with a black-and-white screen and a delightful crank on its side. Today, the device has a built-in library of more than 100 titles, none of which are Call of Duty, Dark Souls, The Last of Us or any other big-budget, mainstream game — and this is precisely what makes it so damn charming. The community that’s sprung up around this palmheld is lively and creative, and scrolling through the Playdate tags on itch.io or github feels like hanging out in a friendly underground clubhouse populated by crank-obsessed video game freaks.

It’s less disturbing than it sounds, I promise.

For real though, Playdate has only gotten cuter and more relevant with age. Firewatch publisher Panic and hardware studio Teenage Engineering unveiled the device in February 2019, pitching it as a sub-$200 handheld with a monochromatic screen, a crank and seasonal drops of free games. Pre-orders for Playdate opened in July 2021 and the plan was for shipments to start by the end of that year. However, in November, Panic discovered in its production line and the company was forced to swap suppliers and delay the release. Playdate officially landed in players’ hands in April 2022, and overall, reviewers found that it was .

PlaydatePlaydate

Panic

Playdate shipped with 4GB of flash storage and 24 free games, including Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure from Keita Takahashi’s studio uvula and Zipper by Bennett Foddy. Playdate has always supported sideloading, too, meaning it’s easy to get titles from and other distribution sites on the device. In March 2023, Playdate’s Catalog went live, offering a curated selection of 16 games for purchase. Panic also upped the price of Playdate from $179 to $199 at this time, citing rising manufacturing costs.

Today, Panic has sold roughly 70,000 Playdates and its Catalog features over 100 games, with more added regularly. Panic held a software showcase in February and the headliner was , a Playdate-exclusive project from Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn creator Lucas Pope. Mars After Midnight came out on March 12, and Playdate had a that week, just like a grown-up storefront would.

Two years post-launch, it’s clear that there’s no single formula for a Playdate game. , for instance, turns the Playdate on its side and uses the crank as a helicopter-style rotor, spinning the propeller cap on a demon trapped in a gothic tower. Cranking controls this horned dude as he slices through flying enemies, leaving bits of meat and bone to fall out of the narrow frame. And then there are titles like , a simple yet addictive letter-shifting game that I would recommend to all Wordle fans. Playdate supports first-person shooters, detective mysteries, bullet hells, shoot-em-ups, puzzle games, RPGs, pocket pets, rhythm situations, action-adventures, racing sims and all manner of subgenres, including some that have been invented just for the platform.

Root BearRoot Bear

Root Bear by TEAM ROOT

Across Playdate’s UI and games, the crank transforms into hundreds of different tools. There are the standard iterations like crank to scroll and crank to buy, but there’s also crank to pour a drink, crank to fly, crank to fish, crank to spin a record, crank to build a city, crank to control time, crank to crank, crank to survive. Literally every game on Playdate reveals a new use case for the crank or helps demonstrate the absurd level of detail possible on a 400 x 240 1-bit display. Many games do both of these things — and Mars After Midnight is one of them.

As the creature in charge of a community room on a Martian colony, Mars After Midnight players crank open an observation window and identify the correct aliens for each session, while also providing snacks, cleaning up with two long tentacles and planning future support groups. Players use the crank to slam the room’s peephole open and shut, but the game also fully incorporates Playdate’s A and B buttons, D-pad and speaker, rolling out fresh mechanics at a steady pace. The game is populated by adorable, bumbling aliens and cartoonishly cute set pieces, and it even introduces an entire language.

Like the vast majority of Playdate games, Mars After Midnight doesn’t feel like a pared-down version of a bigger idea; it was simply meant to be a colorless, crank-powered experience.

Mars After MidnightMars After Midnight

Mars After Midnight by Lucas Pope

I’ve encountered one consistent issue with Playdate, and it’s something that I didn’t think would be a huge problem when I first reviewed it in 2022. The lack of backlight in its display is noticeable and occasionally annoying, particularly in low-light spaces. I often find myself tilting the screen toward a nearby window or lamp, and the device is pretty much unplayable on a dark plane or bus, or without a light source after sunset. If you remember trying to play an original Game Boy at night in the backseat of your parents’ car, waiting for the street lights to flicker past the window at regular intervals, it’s a lot like that. There’s a tinge of nostalgia here, but it’s mostly just kinda frustrating.

Playdate’s biggest issue, however, might be the Stereo Dock. Panic unveiled the Stereo Dock in mid-2021 — it’s a truly adorable charging stand, Bluetooth speaker and pen holder that matches Playdate’s pleasant yellow hue. I’ve wanted to plop one on my desk since it was announced, but the Stereo Dock has been “coming soon” for two years now.

It really is still coming, Playdate Project Lead Greg Maletic told Engadget.

“We apologize to everyone with a Playdate who has been waiting patiently for the Stereo Dock; it’s been a trickier project than we anticipated and we had a few false starts,” Maletic said. “We thought we’d save some time on that project by having our factory do the software for the Stereo Dock, but we’ve learned that you don’t always necessarily want that in some cases. The Stereo Dock is very much alive, we have the physical prototypes to prove it! We expect to have a formal update on when you can buy one later this year.”

Playdate Stereo DockPlaydate Stereo Dock

Panic

If the worst thing about Playdate is the fact that people can’t get enough of it, then it sounds like things are going well. The device hasn’t faced any widespread recalls or hardware issues, its storefront is growing, its development pipeline is , and people are still interested in buying it (and the Stereo Dock, one day).

With Playdate, Panic has created a new pocket of curious game enthusiasts, and it’s provided a platform for innovation that will ripple across all sectors of development. Playdate is a simple, small gaming machine with a single twist — a crank — and in its first two years on the market, it’s unearthed wells of creativity in the indie scene. By paring down the graphics and adding a new input method, Playdate changes the way we think about how games are played and made. As many of the industry’s most influential studios are trapped in a cycle of mass layoffs and regularly scheduled crunch, it’s a fantastic time to rethink what we’re all actually doing here. Playdate makes this process natural, accessible and entertaining.

PlaydatePlaydate

Panic

A device like Playdate doesn’t just happen. I wouldn’t be worried about revisiting this thing two years post-launch if it were too underpowered, overcomplicated or unserious, but this isn’t a funny gimmick from a company on a press tour. The sense of elegance, care and proper prioritization built into Playdate is what makes it a blank canvas for so many different styles of game development. Playdate is a little yellow inspiration machine; it’s a physical reset button for the entire industry. Actually, I guess it’s a reset crank.

Go on, turn it. It’s so much fun.

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Entertainment

The Apple Watch Series 9 is on sale for as low as $295 right now

[ad_1]

Those looking to pick up a smartwatch for the first time, or upgrade from an older model, should check out the sale running on Amazon right now on the Apple Watch Series 9. Certain sizes and colors have deep discounts, including the 41mm Product Red version that’s down to a record low of $295 — more than $100 off its regular price. The 45mm model with cellular connectivity is also on sale by way of a clippable $80 coupon, which brings the final price down to an all-time low of $350.

Apple

Apple Watch Series 9 models are down to record-low prices at Amazon.

$295 at Amazon

The Apple Watch has been at the top of our list of the best smartwatches for quite some time, and the Series 9 (introduced in September 2023) is a big update from its predecessor. It runs on a new S9 SiP, which is the most meaningful upgrade to the wearable’s processor in years. While we didn’t notice a huge jump in general performance — the Watch has been speedy and responsive for a long time — the SiP update does allow for faster Siri responses and enables offline Siri interactions.

The latest model also supports the new Double Tap gesture based on Assistive Touch. This allows you to navigate the Watch’s interface without actually touching the screen, doing things like dismissing timers or starting workout tracking using finger gestures. You can only use Double Tap in specific instances in watchOS 10, but those actions are made easier and more accessible with this feature.

In addition, the Series 9 has a second-gen ultra wideband (UWB) chip that works with a new Find My iPhone interface, plus its screen is brighter than previous versions. All of those things combine make the Series 9 feel like the biggest update to the Watch in a few years. Nevertheless, the caveats remain the same as they have been for some time: you can only use the Apple Watch if you’re an iPhone user, and it lags behind the competition when it comes to sleep tracking. Battery life contributes to the latter, but you’ll still get a full day’s worth of use before you need to charge it up overnight.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.



[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Entertainment

Our verdict on the Humane AI Pin

[ad_1]

A wave of AI assistant devices is finally launching, and the first is Humane’s slickly designed AI Pin. Humane calls it the “first wearable device and software platform,” a magnetic clippable wearable, with a projector, camera, mic, speakers and its own internet connection.

TMATMA

Engadget

Is this what replaces the smartphone? A tiny device that projects its own screen, with ostensibly no touch controls, just a voice assistant to get things done. No, not really at all.

After a while trying to make a voice-centric assistant work for her, Cherlynn Low said the AI Pin is “slow, finicky and barely even smart.” Check out her detailed review.

The Rabbit R1 will be completely different, right? Right?!

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Sony ULT Wear headphones review: Brain-shaking bass

Engadget Podcast: Does Humane’s AI Pin live up to the hype?

The best laptops

Smart rings are meant to be invisible, and that’s the problem

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

The deal doesn’t extend to other Universal artists.

Taylor Swift’s music has returned to TikTok after a ten-week hiatus. The music left the platform after negotiations broke down between the social media app and Swift’s label, Universal Music Group. Intriguingly, the deal did not include provisions for fellow UMG artists, so Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and Drake.

Continue reading.

X began verifying ‘influential’ users who hadn’t signed up for premium.

TMATMA

Anadolu via Getty Images

X will no longer allow users to hide their blue checks, regardless of whether or not they paid for premium. On Thursday, the app began notifying users that “the hide your checkmark feature of X Premium is going away soon.” X unexpectedly began adding blue checks to accounts of “influential” users with at least 2,500 followers who pay for a premium subscription. While Elon Musk suggested the change was meant to be a perk, some — including formerly verified users — were less than pleased with the presence of a blue badge, lest others suspect they actually paid for a subscription. (I would read a thesis on how Elon Musk ruined verified ticks on social media.)

Continue reading.

Apple’s parts pairing continues to hamper the self-repair movement.

Consumers and repair shops will soon be able to employ genuine used Apple parts to fix devices rather than having to order new components. The company claims that used parts “will now benefit from the full functionality and security afforded by the original factory calibration.” The initiative will start with the iPhone 15 this fall. As things stand, if you swap in a used screen from another iPhone for your crunchy screen, certain features, such as True Tone and automatic brightness adjustment, may not work. The upgraded self-repair program should resolve that.

Continue reading.

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Entertainment

The best tablets for 2024

[ad_1]

A tablet can make a great addition to your tech toolkit. It can replace an e-reader, serve as a more portable laptop replacement or simply be a shared device for watching movies or checking social media at home. However, with four different families of iPad, a plethora of Android options and Windows-based alternatives like the Surface Pro, it can be difficult to figure out which will serve you best. We at Engadget have tested and reviewed dozens of tablets over the years, and we continue to try out the latest models asa they hit the market. Below, we’ve solidified our current top picks, plus all of the information you should know before picking up the best tablet for you.

Editor’s Note (April 2024): For anyone thinking about buying a new tablet, you may want to hold off for another few months. Interesting Android options like the TCL NXTPAPER 14 Pro which we saw back at CES have yet to go on sale. Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for Apple to release a new generation of iPads after not updating or refreshing any of its tablets in 2023. This is really unusual as this is the first time Apple hasn’t released a new iPad in a calendar year since the original came out back in 2010. There isn’t an exact timetable for when new models may appear, but rumors suggest we should learn more between now and WWDC in June. Finally, while Microsoft did recently update the Surface family with a new Surface Pro 10 model, that device is specially targeted at enterprise buyers and it won’t be available from traditional retailers. So if you’re hoping to avoid buyer’s remorse after purchasing a new tablet that might get replaced real soon, you’ll want to exercise patience until new products get announced later this spring and summer.

Which OS is right for me?

Before you even start looking at specific devices, consider how your new tablet will fit in with the gadgets you already own, and how you plan to use it. For example, if everyone in your house uses Macs and iPhones, it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to buy an Android tablet, even if you’ve been tempted by the massive 14.6-inch screen on the new Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. This goes double for anyone with an extensive library of purchased videos and music that might be harder to access after switching platforms.

Another consideration is the kind of work you’ll be doing. That’s because while most modern tablets are adept at browsing websites or playing games, some operating systems like iPadOS and Windows 11 are better designed to support multitasking and productivity than Android or even Chrome OS. It’s a similar situation for software, because while most popular apps and games are available on both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, more specialized software may only have proper support on desktop platforms like Windows or macOS.

What size screen should I get?

Figuring out the best screen size for you will also be related to the kind of work (or play) you intend to do. Larger displays make it much easier to view two apps side by side, and big screens also deliver a more immersive movie viewing experience. But at the same time, the larger the tablet, the less likely you’re going to want to move it around. That means you’re not only going to want to take stock of your workspace (i.e., if you have a desk or instead plan to work from a couch or even your bed), you’re also going to want to think about how the device will fit into your everyday routine or commute (if you have one).

Potential accessories

Finally, you’ll want to consider any add-ons or accessories you’re planning to use, which can range from detachable keyboards to things like external mics or a stylus. The good news is that many of the best tablets nowadays offer some kind of keyboard accessory, which allows the device to function more like a 2-in-1 instead of simply being a content consumption device. Some tablets also feature things like microSD card slots that support expandable storage, or optional 4G or 5G connectivity, which can be a real boon to frequent travelers. And if you’re planning to use the tablet mainly for work, you might want to grab a USB hub for connecting all your favorite peripherals.

How we test

When evaluating different tablets, there are a few important things we look for above all else: solid performance, a good screen and long battery life. For performance, we run a handful of synthetic tests like Geekbench 6, while also performing a number of real-world use cases such as editing photos and playing games. And with tablets often serving as hybrid devices, we also consider how easy it is to multitask and switch quickly between various apps. The more responsive a device feels, the better.

Because a tablet’s display is such a critical component, we also view a wide range of content to gauge things like brightness, color gamut and dynamic range. It’s important to take into account the difference between various panel types like OLED, which typically produce richer colors and excellent contrast but may not be as bright as a mini LED display. Recently, refresh rate has become an increasingly important spec as 90Hz and 120Hz screens can make scrolling smoother and graphics appear sharper in games.

We also consider a tablet’s design (including things like size, weight and water resistance), its connectivity (WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, 5G, et cetera) and special features like stylus support or the ability to serve as a secondary display. That’s because, while tablets were often viewed as content consumption devices in the past, higher-end devices like the Surface Pro and iPad Pro are more than capable of replacing a laptop for a lot of people.

Finally, we test battery life by running our standard local video rundown test, which involves playing a single video on a loop from 100 percent until it runs out of juice. Ideally, a tablet should be able to last an entire working day, but longer runtimes are always welcome.

Engadget

Display: 11-inch or 12.9-inch mini-LED Liquid Retina panel with ProMotion (120Hz) | Processor: Apple M2 | Storage: 128GB to 2TB | Battery life: Up to 10 hours | Camera: 12MP ultra wide front camera, 12MP Wide and 10MP ultra wide rear cameras

Read our full review of the Apple iPad Pro

Powered by the same Apple M2 chips you get in MacBooks, the iPad Pro is the best iPad and one of the most well-built tablets you can buy today. It’s available in two sizes (11 and 12.9 inches) and works with a range of accessories including the Apple Pencil and the extremely useful (but pricey) Magic Keyboard. And thanks to their 120Hz ProMotion mini-LED displays, the iPad Pro’s screen boasts strong brightness and fluid visuals, regardless of whether you’re watching a movie or creating a slideshow presentation. Recent versions of iPadOS have also made Apple’s most premium tablet a much more capable work device, with the addition of new sidebars for quickly switching between apps, a more powerful desktop-like UI for Safari, and various new toolbars throughout.

The main downside is that starting at $800 for a base 11-inch model with 128GB of storage, Apple’s iPad Pros aren’t cheap, and that’s before you tack on any extras like cellular connectivity or a keyboard. But considering there’s a good chance the latest iPad Pro is more powerful than your current laptop, there isn’t really anything you can throw at Apple’s top-of-the-line tablet it can’t handle.

One final note is that if you like the iPad Pro but want something a bit more affordable, there’s also the fifth-gen iPad Air. This one is powered by the M1 chipset, but it has Apple Pencil support and optional 5G connectivity. And with a 10.9-inch screen, it’s basically the same size as the smaller iPad Pro too. The main difference is that the iPad Air’s display isn’t quite as bright and doesn’t support a 120Hz refresh rate. But if you’re ok with that, the 5th-gen iPad Air is essentially an iPad Pro with a less fancy screen that starts at $599 instead of $799.

$795 at Amazon

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Display: 11-inch LCD, 12.4-inch or 14.6-inch Super AMOLED | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Storage: Up to 1TB (depending on model) | Battery life: Up to 9 hours | Camera: S9: 13MP rear, 12MP ultrawide front / S9+: 13MP + 8MP ultrawide rear, 12MP ultrawide front / S9 Ultra: 13MP + 8MP ultrawide rear, 12MP + 12MP ultrawide front

Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

Samsung offers its Galaxy Tab S9 with three screen sizes: 11, 12.4 and 14.6 inches. We only reviewed the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, but all three tablets have identical specs other than screen size and a few slight differences in the camera array. While the S9 Ultra is a bit too big to be comfortable using in your hands for very long, the 11- and 12.4-inch models are your best choice for an Android tablet out there, with outstanding screens and an included S Pen stylus that’s extremely responsive.

Samsung bumped up both the RAM and processor this year on the Galaxy Tab S9 series. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip is more than powerful enough for everything I wanted to do, and the 12GB of RAM is a big bump over the 8GB on last year’s tablets. These tablets are even rated IP68 for water and dust resistance – so if you want to take your S9 in the bath and watch a movie, you don’t have to worry about destroying it if it slips into the tub. Add in a solid accessory ecosystem with multiple different keyboard covers plus the Dex multitasking mode and the S9 can be a powerful productivity tool, too.

Truly great Android tablets are few and far between, and Google stepped back into the ring with its own Pixel Tablet. While it’s not compelling enough as a tablet to knock the Galaxy Tab S9 out of our top spot, it could be an intriguing option for those that want a device that can be used as both a tablet and a smart display. Admittedly, it shines as the latter, which makes it a good thing that Google includes the base in the $500 price. There’s also an $80 case you can get for the Pixel Tablet, which adds a very useful kickstand that you can use whenever you don’t want to dock the device but still want to prop it up.

$766 at Amazon

Engadget

Display: 13-inch or 15-inch PixelSense touchscreen | Processor: Microsoft SQ3 or Intel Evo i5/i7 | Storage: 128GB to 1TB | Battery life: Up to 15.5 hours | Camera: 1080p Windows Hello front camera, 10MP rear camera

Read our full review of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9

While most people think of Microsoft’s Surface Pro devices as a line of 2-in-1s, because they don’t come with a keyboard (you need to purchase it separately), that technically makes them tablets. But don’t be fooled, because thanks to Windows 11 and support for a range of 12h-gen Intel processors, Microsoft’s Surface Pros are designed for productivity.

The latest Surface Pro 9 has a beautiful display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and improved stereo speakers, while the inclusion of an IR facial recognition camera allows you to log in to the system in a snap. Another nice bonus is that unlike a lot of tablets, the Surface Pro 9’s SSD is user accessible, allowing you to upgrade its storage yourself whenever you want. And thanks to improvements in Windows 11, the Surface Pro 9 is better suited to life as a tablet without ever needing to attach a smart keyboard thanks to larger app icons and more touch-friendly controls.

$800 at Amazon

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Display: 10.2-inch Retina display | Processor: A13 Bionic | Storage: 64GB, 256GB | Battery life: 10-14 hours | Camera: 12MP ultra wide front camera, 8MP wide rear camera

Read our full review of the Apple 10.2-inch iPad

If you just want a simple tablet for a reasonable price, it’s hard to go wrong with the standard Apple iPad. Starting at $329, the basic iPad has a 10.2-inch display with good brightness (500 nits) and a relatively speedy A13 Bionic chip. It’s also the last iPad that still features an old-school Touch ID home button.

After being refreshed last year, the ninth-gen iPad got updated features including Apple Pencil support, improved cameras (in front and back) and double the base storage (64GB, up from 32GB). And just like its more expensive siblings, this budget tablet is available in a WiFi-only model or with optional 4G LTE cellular connectivity. The entry-level iPad is also the cheapest device Apple sells that gives you access to the App Store, which makes it a good multimedia device and a handy way of managing your media library across your other Apple devices at an affordable price.

$249 at Amazon

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Display: 10.1-inch 1080p display | Processor: 2.0 GHz octa-core processor | Storage: 32GB, 64Gb (expandable up to 1TB) | Battery life: Up to 12 hours | Camera: 2MP front camera, 5MP rear camera

If you’re in the market for a new tablet for your child, the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is the easy pick, especially for first time users. Starting at $200, it’s the cheapest tablet on this list, and unlike more adult-oriented fare, it comes with an included “kid-proof” case and a two-year warranty. Amazon says if your kid breaks the tablet, the company will replace it for free.

Other useful add-ins include a free one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which unlocks more than 20,000 games, books and apps designed for children. There’s also a handy dashboard for parents that allows you to set time limits, content filters and educational goals. And even though its 3GB of RAM and 32GB of base storage aren’t much, its 1080p display is plenty sharp and it has a microSD card slot for expandable storage. And if you want a slightly smaller and more affordable option, there’s the $140 Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro too.

$200 at Amazon

Other tablets we tested

Apple iPad Air

While the iPad Air is the best iPad for most people, the iPad Pro is the model that showcases the best of what Apple has to offer in the tablet space. The Air has a similar design to the Pro, but it runs on an M1 chip and the base model comes with only 64GB of storage. Those with tight budgets can consider the Air a good alternative to the Pro, and it’ll be particularly tempting if you see it on sale.

Google Pixel Tablet

The Google Pixel Tablet excels as a smart display rather than a simple tablet. As the latter, it’s unexciting, but when paired with its speaker/charging dock, it becomes much more useful. It could be a good option for those that already live within the Google ecosystem and use the Google Assistant often, or those who like the idea of a tablet that can be docked and used as a smart display as well.

OnePlus Pad

The solid OnePlus Pad is let down by Android because there aren’t many Android apps designed to be used on a large display like this model’s 11.6-inch panel. Otherwise, the hardware is well-designed, its companion stylus is comfortable to use and it has an excellent battery life.

FAQs

What is the best brand for tablets?

The best brand for tablets is really the brand you feel most comfortable with. We recommend taking stock of the gadgets you already have — do you live in the Apple ecosystem already? An iPad might be best for you then. Do you have a Samsung phone? If so, a Galaxy Tab will likely be the most convenient choice. There is no one “best brand” for tablets; you’ll find good options made by companies including Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft and Amazon.

Can a tablet replace a laptop?

It’s possible for a tablet to replace a laptop, but you’ll need a few accessories to truly make the experience as close as possible to that of a traditional notebook. A keyboard is a must, be it a keyboard case or a Bluetooth accessory that you keep with you. Some keyboard cases, like apple’s Magic Keyboard for the iPad, have a built-in trackpad, which will be more ergonomic than tapping on your tablet’s screen for input. Additionally, you could go one step further and use a wireless mouse that connects via Bluetooth to your tablet. If you’re primarily looking for a tablet to replace your laptop, consider buying a 2-in-1 laptop since those systems typically consist of high-powered tablets that are designed to work well with (and without) keyboards.

[ad_2]

Source Article Link