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Apple and Metallica have teamed up to bring a free, immersive experience from one of the band's concerts to Apple Vision Pro. Starting on March 14, owners of the headset will be able to watch live performances of "Whiplash," "One" and, of course, "Enter Sandman" filmed at a stop on Metallica's M72 World Tour last year. An EP recorded at the show, titled M72 World Tour: Mexico City, will hit Apple Music this Friday and be available with spatial audio.

To capture the set in 180-degree video and spatial audio, Apple constructed a custom stage setup with 14 Apple Immersive Video cameras. Some cameras were suspended on cables and on remote-controlled dolly systems.

The immersive set will likely be a fun experience for those in the Venn diagram overlap of Metallica enjoyers and those who have splashed out $3,500 on an Apple Vision Pro (you'll be able to check it out by booking a free demo at an Apple Store too). But will it be as cool as the time lightning lit up the skies while Metallica played "Master of Puppets" at an outdoor show last year? Probably not.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/apple-vision-pro-users-can-check-out-a-short-immersive-metallica-concert-film-this-week-162611039.html?src=rss

Niantic Labs just announced that it has found a buyer for its game division after putting out feelers back in February. The Saudi Arabia-owned company Scopely has agreed to purchase the division for $3.5 billion. Scopely was founded in Los Angeles but was purchased using money from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, otherwise called the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The agreement includes most of Niantic’s portfolio of AR games, including Pokémon Go, Monster Hunter Now and Pikmin Bloom, among several others. It also includes the company’s social companion apps for Pokémon Go, Campfire and Wayfarer. The deal is still subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions.

Scopely says it will receive “Niantic’s entire team of exceptional gamemakers and category-leading games.” There are a couple of titles, however, missing from this purchase. Niantic Labs will retain the AR gaming titles Peridot and Ingress.

Scopely is a major player in the mobile games industry. It’s the company behind games like Star Trek Fleet Command, Marvel Strike Force and Monopoly Go!, to name a few.

As for Niantic’s games division, it’s a shadow of its former self. Pokémon Go engaged more than 500 million players in its first year, but the game’s staying power has waned in recent times. At its peak, the mobile monster battler attracted over 230 million players each month. Nowadays, that number has shrunk to around 80 million.

The company has also struggled to replicate the Pikachu-shaped lightning in a bottle with other titles. It tried to reskin the Pokémon Go formula onto other franchises like Harry Potter and NBA basketball, but nothing stuck. The Monster Hunter and Pikmin projects, however, are still active.

This led Niantic to cancel multiple games and lay off hundreds of employees. Niantic’s valuation has taken several hits and the company’s long-promised “real-world metaverse” has yet to materialize. If the sale goes through, the company will focus on building out its standalone entity Niantic Spatial. This group builds real-world 3D maps and is led by company CEO John Hanke.

The Saudi PIF has become a major player in the games industry in recent years. It not only owns Scopely and its parent company Savvy Games Group, but has financial stakes in organizations like Nintendo, EA and Activision Blizzard.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/pokemon-go-maker-niantic-sells-its-game-division-to-saudi-owned-scopely-160905447.html?src=rss

Springtime is a period of renewal – and that often includes new iterations of all your favorite gadgets. Laptops and phones and even game consoles are all getting a new look on the outside and new specs on the inside this year, and you might be tempted to upgrade. But if you do, that leaves the question of what to do with your old model. If it’s still in good working condition, there’s a pretty good chance someone will give you a few bucks for it — here are the best places to make that happen.

Trade-in sites

Lots of people can make good money selling old stuff online, but it’s usually a full-time job for them. You, on the other hand, probably would like it to be as easy and quick as possible. To get some money in your hand without too much fuss, we recommend an automated trade-in site. You'll select your device from a list, get a quote within minutes and send the device to the company in return for cash in a matter of days.

Decluttr

Decluttr definitely lives up to its name. Not only can you sell phones from a number of manufacturers, including Apple, Samsung and Google, but the site also takes lots of physical media, including CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, video games and books – and yes, there are plenty of people who still collect these. For devices, you'll be asked to provide a general assessment of its condition before you’re given a quote immediately. Once you complete your order, the site will send you a free shipping label. Decluttr also will accept handsets as old as the iPhone 7, though it'll offer you only $2 for a 32GB model in excellent condition.

Back Market

Back Market has been rising in popularity the past few years, and it’s easy to see why. It offers excellent prices since it sources multiple refurbishers for quotes. You’ll just answer a few questions about your phone, then take your packaged device to a UPS Store and show the clerk a QR code in order to get your prepaid shipping label. Payment is dropped straight into your bank account, so you don’t have to wait for a check (or worry about cashing it). Back Market takes a pretty wide variety of products too, including headphones and speakers.

uSell

uSell operates as a broker, searching other sites for their best offers on a given device and taking care of the rest. Like most buyback sites, it's big on iPhones, but you can still sell off other manufacturers' devices; it really depends on who's buying them at that point. The selection is a bit of a grab bag — newer phones like the Galaxy S22 aren't listed, though you can get a quote for the iPhone 15 ($401 for an unlocked, “flawless” 128GB model). Once you complete your order the site will send you a free shipping kit to send in your device, and you can get paid for the item via PayPal, Venmo or an old-fashioned check.

ecoATM

If you don't want to have to worry about packaging up your old device and mailing it off, or would like to receive your payout right away, there's always ecoATM. It's literally all in the name: the company operates automated machines that you place your device into to get it examined, and it pays you out on the spot. It accepts the biggest brands (i.e., Apple, Google and Samsung), along with devices from a wide variety of manufacturers, including LG, Motorola and ZTE. If the machine determines that your device isn't worth anything at all, you can still use ecoATM to responsibly recycle your old gadget. You'll find ecoATM kiosks in Walmart, Dollar General and Kroger locations, as well as malls and check-cashing stores across the country.

Amazon

While browsing Amazon listings, it’s likely you’ve come across products marked as “refurbished.” Well, if you’ve ever wondered where those come from, a lot of them likely hail from Amazon’s trade-in program. The company will put its own products, like Kindle ereaders and Fire tablets front and center, but you can also send in phones and gaming products in for an Amazon gift card as well. It’s not great if you want cash, but if you’re looking to upgrade an Amazon device, this option is your best bet, as trading in an older one also nets you a 20 percent discount in addition to the store credit. You’ll need to print out a shipping label, or you can drop off your electronics at select Amazon Locker, Whole Foods or uBreakiFix locations.

Apple

This is a good option if you’re looking to upgrade to a newer Apple device. You can trade in iPhones, iPads, Macs and even Apple Watches. That’s notable as wearables are a category you don’t often see on trade-in sites. Apple will even take your old Android phone if you were thinking of making the switch. The trade-in values are on par with other sites (though occasionally Apple will offer extra credit on certain categories), but you can get a smaller payout in the form of a gift card instead if you’d rather wait before making a new purchase, want to put it toward media purchases or even just use it in an Apple Store. The latter, by the way, also accepts trade-ins in case you’re not comfortable shipping your old but still expensive device.

Target

Target used to do in-store trade-ins only, but now it’s entirely a mail-in operation. You select your product from a pretty extensive list of eligible products, including smart speakers and media players (like Zune!). As usual, you’ll answer a few questions about its condition to get a quote. Then you’ll get a prepaid shipping label to attach to any box that you’ll drop off at your nearest USPS location. Payment is only offered via an electronic gift card, which is still pretty good given that you can buy all sorts of things at Target besides electronics like groceries, clothing and furniture.

It'sWorthMore

The nice thing about It’sWorthMore is that its on-site forms handle a larger variety of gadgets than other sites, including cameras, drones and even graphics cards. It also handles products from a larger variety of companies such as LG, AMD and even GoPro in addition to standards like Apple, Samsung and Google. You’ll answer a few standard questions about your device’s condition and whether you still have the original box — obviously, the more you’ve kept from the original packaging, the better. You’ll then get a ballpark estimate of its worth and a prepaid shipping label to print out. Once your device has been received, you’ll generally get the assessment and payment via direct deposit, check, PayPal, Zelle or a gift card in under 10 days.

BuyBackWorld

The appeal of BuyBackWorld is that device assessment is a streamlined process: Instead of having to answer a barrage of detailed questions about the condition of your device you simply give it a general assessment and let the site handle the rest. Just like with It’sWorthMore, BuyBackWorld will provide a printable shipping label in your confirmation email but, if you don’t have a printer or boxes to pack your device up, you can always have the site send you a free shipping kit, which can handle everything the site takes except desktop computers. Don’t worry if you do have a larger item, though – BuyBackWorld will still cover free shipping via FedEx, you just need to provide your own packaging.

GadgetGone

If you’ve read through the other site descriptions, GadgetGone’s modus operandi should be familiar: To sell a product, you’ll have to answer a few questions about what type of device you have and what condition it’s in, after which the site will generate a prepaid shipping label. At least here you can find brands like OnePlus included among the options, and you can also sell MacBooks and Mac minis here. You can get paid a number of ways, too, including PayPal, virtual VISA card, Amazon and Target gift cards or just good, old-fashioned bank transfer.

Store trade-ins

Whether it’s because you don’t want to wait for your money, or because you’re not entirely comfortable dropping expensive electronics into a mailbox and hoping they make it to their destination, you might prefer taking your items to a retail location. Fortunately there are still plenty of brick-and-mortar locations to do just that. Even wireless carriers like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile have gotten in on the trade-in game.

Best Buy

Best Buy also offers trade-ins both by mail and in-store — with more than 1,000 locations, this might be extremely convenient for you. You fill out the form online and bring that to customer service. It's easy, but there's one big downside: You can get your payout only via a Best Buy gift card. This is great if you spend a lot of money with them anyway, but not ideal if you need cash.

GameStop

GameStop is infamous for buying games back at ridiculously low prices and flipping them at near retail, but don't let that stop you from making some easy cash when you need to quickly clear your closet of old electronics and games. And yes, I said cash: GameStop offers store credit, a prepaid Mastercard or actual money if you want to take your bounty elsewhere. For example, you can trade in Super Mario Bros. Wonder for the Switch and get $25 in store credit or $17.50 cash, which isn't bad when new copies are going for $50 on Amazon. GameStop also accepts phones, tablets and Apple Watches, though the prices aren't going to match what you'd get from an online trade-in site. You can even sell your Amiibo collection if you just want it gone and don’t care about recouping its full value.

Consumer to consumer

Sometimes you prefer to cut out the middleman and get a bit more personal — a transaction where you're selling your device directly to another person instead of letting a faceless site flip it for you as a "refurbished" unit. In those cases, you want a site that's more user-to-user, though a few will still automate certain bits to make your sale as smooth and secure as possible.

Swappa

Swappa is a marketplace site, which means sellers can set their own price. So if you're getting rid of a newer phone, this is probably the best way to go — the iPhone 16 fetches around $400, for example. That's a huge improvement over what you'd get selling through a site like Decluttr, which is offering only $162 for a 128GB unit.

Amazon

When shopping on Amazon, you've probably been tempted by some of those marketplace deals in the past and, chances are, if you list an item on there, someone will give your old device a look. Since almost everyone on earth seems to have an Amazon account, your potential customer base is huge, and it costs only $0.99, plus a percentage based on category, to sell an item through the site. The downsides are that Amazon isn't really optimized for individual sales; you'll be competing with wholesale companies and even bots that will tweak the price of a product automatically in response to the competition.

eBay

eBay is sort of the Wild West of sales sites, but the biggest advantage is that you can sell anything there and hopefully find a buyer, regardless of how old a product is. Even so, the site has come a long way in the past decade or so, with a dedicated tech section in the top menu and a hub page highlighting current deals.

In the end, it still works as it always did: You list a product and set an end date for the listing with a minimum price, or just set a "Buy It Now" price if you don't want to wait to see how an auction turns out. Chances are you already have an eBay account with a feedback score, so there's no extra setup required on your part. Your first 250 listings are free every month, and you'll pay up to 15 percent of the purchase price (plus a small flat fee of $0.30 or $0.40) if an item sells. The biggest downside is that you're competing with a lot more sellers, and chances are there's always someone willing to undercut you on price.

Cash-back comparison

Ultimately, the site you go with should be whatever's most useful and convenient, but if you just care about how much money you'll get, we've priced out the iPhone 15 and Samsung Galaxy S22 just to give you an idea of what each site will pay out.

iPhone 15 (unlocked, 128GB, good condition)

• Amazon: N/A

• Apple: $400 (trade-in credit), $390 (gift card)

• AT&T: $190 (bill credit or promotional card)

• BackMarket: $396 (cash)

• Best Buy: $325 (gift card)

• BuyBackWorld: $340 (cash)

• Decluttr: $162 (cash)

• eBay: $315 (cash)

• ecoATM: $251 (cash)

• GadgetGone: $417 (cash)

• GameStop: $230 (cash), $256 (store credit)

• It’sWorthMore: $421 (cash)

• Swappa: $463 (cash)

• Target: $290 (gift card)

• T-Mobile $290 (bill credit)

• uSell: $371 (cash)

• Verizon: N/A

Samsung Galaxy S23 (unlocked, 128GB, good condition)

• Amazon: N/A

• Apple: $195 (trade-in credit or gift card)

• AT&T: $290 (bill credit or promotional card)

• Back Market: $203 (cash)

• Best Buy: $150 (gift card)

• BuyBackWorld: $180 (cash)

• Decluttr: $135 (cash)

• eBay: $225 (cash)

• ecoATM: $133 (cash)

• GadgetGone: $232 (cash)

• GameStop: $131 (cash), $146 (store credit)

• It’sWorthMore: $236 (cash)

• Swappa: $308 (cash)

• Target: $190

• T-Mobile: $155 (bill credit)

• uSell: N/A

• Verizon: N/A

Once you've picked a site and listed your item, there are a few important things to remember before you ship off your device. At the top of the list is to do a full factory reset before disposing of a phone or laptop (or any other device) containing personal data. That also means turning off "Find My iPhone" and the activation lock on iOS devices. See if you can unlock the phone, too; you'll actually get more money selling it carrier-free. And finally, make sure you've backed up any important data you may have, like contact info, game saves and, of course, photos. Cash is great, but it won't save your memories.

Images: Mike Blake / Reuters (ecoATM); Alamy (Gamestop); Getty Images for eBay (eBay)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/where-to-sell-used-electronics.html?src=rss

There's a sale on some of our favorite Sonos devices happening on Amazon right now. One of the best deals comes thanks to a 36 percent discount on the Sonos Ray compact soundbar. It's currently available for just $179, down from $279 in either black or white. It's our runner up for best midrange soundbar. 

The Sonos Ray debuted in 2022 and garnered an 82 in our review thanks to compact, sleek design and easy setup. We also liked its bass performance and overall sound quality for either TV or music. However, it didn't create as immersive a sound as larger options, so people with a big space might want to opt for something else. 

Then there's our favorite midrange speaker, the Sonos Era 100. The speaker is currently down to $199 from $249 — a 20 percent discount. It offers great sound quality and has two tweeters. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/sonos-soundbars-and-speakers-are-up-to-36-percent-off-right-now-153107885.html?src=rss

Since its debut at the end of last year, Gemini 2.0 has gone on to power a handful of Google products, including a new AI Mode chatbot. Now Google DeepMind is using that same technology for something altogether more interesting. On Wednesday, the AI lab announced two new Gemini-based models it says will "lay the foundation for a new generation of helpful robots."

The first, Gemini Robotics, was designed by Deepmind to facilitate direct control of robots. According to the company, AI systems for robots need to excel at three qualities: generality, interactivity and dexterity.

The first involves a robot's flexibility to adapt to novel situations, including ones not covered by its training. Interactivity, meanwhile, encapsulates a robot's ability to respond to people and the environment. Finally, there's dexterity, which is mostly self-explanatory: a lot of tasks humans can complete without a second thought involve fine motor skills that are difficult for robots to master.

"While our previous work demonstrated progress in these areas, Gemini Robotics represents a substantial step in performance on all three axes, getting us closer to truly general purpose robots," says DeepMind.

For instance, with Gemini Robotics powering it, DeepMind's ALOHA 2 robot is able to fold origami and close a Ziploc bag. The two-armed robot also understands all the instructions given to it in natural, everyday language. As you can see from the video Google shared, it can even complete tasks despite encountering roadblocks, such as when the researcher moves around the Tupperware he just asked the robot to place the fruit inside of.

Google is partnering with Apptronik, the company behind the Apollo bipedal robot, to build the next generation of humanoid robots. At the same time, DeepMind is releasing Gemini Robotics-ER (or embodied reasoning). Of the second model, the company says it will enable roboticists to run their own programs using Gemini's advanced reasoning abilities. DeepMind is giving "trusted testers," including one-time Google subsidiary Boston Dynamics, access to the system.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/deepminds-latest-ai-model-can-help-robots-fold-origami-and-close-ziploc-bags-151455249.html?src=rss

The recent wave of good deals on Apple gear doesn't stop at iPad, MacBook Air or Apple Watch models. A four-pack of Apple AirTags has dropped back down to a record low price of $64.49. That's 35 percent off the regular price of $99.

The AirTag is our pick for the best Bluetooth tracker for iPhone users. AirTags are deeply integrated into Apple's ecosystem, making them a cinch to set up using an iPhone. They're easy to use as well as they work with Apple's Find My app.

In large part thanks to the many, many iPhones that are out in the wild, AirTags can help you find misplaced items. Whenever someone with an iPhone is close enough to such an item with an AirTag attached, it will appear in your Find My app. 

In addition, if you happen to accidentally leave something with an AirTag somewhere, you'll likely receive a left-behind alert once you're a certain distance away from it (1,200 feet or so, based on our testing). It's possible to disable these alerts for certain trackers and set up exceptions for such notifications when your AirTags are at, say, your home or place of work.

If you have an iPhone 11 or later (not including an iPhone SE or iPhone 16e), your phone's ultra-wide band chip can point you in the direction of an AirTag using arrows and a distance meter once you're within 25 feet of it. One major reason that this is useful is because the AirTag has the quietest ring of any tracker we’ve tested. It also comes in handy when the AirTag is out of sight.

The AirTag has a replaceable battery and it has an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance. However, the device's audible ring only lasts for seven seconds, so you might end up having to trigger it a few times to find your AirTag. There's no attachment point built in either, so if you'd like to affix an AirTag to a set of keys, for instance, you’ll probably need to buy an AirTag accessory.

Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/a-four-pack-of-airtags-is-back-on-sale-for-a-record-low-price-144735100.html?src=rss

Solar power is winning the electricity generation race. A new report from the trade group Solar Energy Industries Association says that in 2024, two-thirds of new energy made in the U.S. came from the sun. That’s double the percentage solar claimed five years ago.

Solar is among the cheapest power sources to develop. Michael O’Boyle, senior director of electricity at the think tank Energy Innovation, said that’s partly thanks to government incentives.

But it’s also benefiting from a virtuous cycle: “Goods get cheaper, utilities and consumers buy more of it, then manufacturers can scale up manufacturing and make it even cheaper,” he said.

President Donald Trump has threatened to end solar incentives, but “there’s no scenario where solar isn’t growing pretty significantly,” said Rob Gramlich, president of the power consulting firm Grid Strategies.

Trump can set up road blocks that will slow solar’s growth, but utilities and homeowners decide whether to install a new power plant or rooftop solar, and “the costs are just too compelling,” Gramlich said. “It’s too cheap, too prevalent and too available for utilities to not want it and consumers to not choose it.”

This week, 21 house Republicans signed a letter asking to keep clean energy tax credits because they’re needed to help the U.S. become energy dominant.

There are many reasons Devil May Cry fans will enjoy the upcoming show adaptation's new trailer. But, I must warn you, after watching it Papa Roach's "Last Resort" will be stuck in your head for days. The early 2000s song plays alongside a two-minute trailer that showcases Dante and, notably, his twin brother Vergil. 

There are many great takeaways from this peek at the show, but one of the most amusing might be when Lady rips of Dante's shirt and he responds, "Ripped and irresistible dream boat, I know. You still can't just tear a guy's clothes off." It's that kind of lighthearted banter mixed with the action sequences that make us so excited for the Devil May Cry series. 

A television series version of Capcom's Devil May Cry game has been in the works for years now. We first got a teaser back in 2023, but we only learned in January that it will premiere on Netflix on April 3. The animated series from Korean company Studio Mir is actually Devil May Cry's second go as a show — in 2007, a 12-episode anime based on the game ran in Japan. 

Not familiar with the video game? Here's Netflix's synopsis for the Devil May Cry TV show: "Sinister forces are at play at the portal between the human and demon realms. In the middle of it all is Dante, an orphaned demon hunter for hire, unaware that the fate of both worlds hangs around his neck."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-devil-may-cry-netflix-series-has-a-real-trailer-and-now-papa-roach-is-stuck-in-my-head-131853378.html?src=rss

It’s been five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week, we’re looking at how various industries have recovered from that economic shock and how they’ve been changed by it. 

February 2020 was a pretty good time for airlines, said industry consultant Robert Mann. “The irony was early February was record traffic, record revenue,” he said.

Of course, that wouldn’t last. By April, there were days when the Transportation Security Administration screened fewer than 90,000 travelers, said Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research. 

“We hadn’t seen a number that low in the United States since the 1950s,” said Harteveldt. 

With few passengers, airlines cut staff and parked their unused planes out in the desert. It took more than $50 billion in government support to keep airlines from going bankrupt. 

But then, in the middle of 2021, “As more people were vaccinated, as restrictions started to ease, we saw domestic and international travel explode,” said Harteveldt. “So-called revenge travel.”  

People wanted to get back out there and see family and friends, said Nicholas Rupp, an economics professor at East Carolina University.

“They’ve gotten stimulus checks, so they’ve got money to spend. They’re ready to travel, so it was leisure travelers that first brought back the airlines,” said Rupp. 

Business travel didn’t see the same rebound. Managers learned Zoom could do the trick just fine. Consultant Robert Mann said that hurt routes to and from smaller cities, where previously just a handful of business travelers could make it profitable to fly a 50-seat airplane.

“They were subsidized by the five or six very-high-fare business travelers who were flying in those markets,” said Mann. “And if that type of demand doesn’t exist anymore, then the cross-subsidy doesn’t exist. And the service will be eliminated.”

Mann said some of those routes may never return, even with business travel picking up lately.

The pandemic has also had a lasting impact on aircraft supply chains, said Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research. Manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus are still behind on deliveries of new planes. 

“So a key lesson here is, when you’re faced with a crisis, stay away from knee-jerk reactions,” said Harteveldt. “There are airlines that wish they hadn’t gotten rid of airplanes because when demand hit, they could have used those planes.”

Airlines may soon get a chance to apply some of the lessons they learned back then. With consumer sentiment running into turbulence, Delta, American, United and Southwest all slashed their revenue forecasts this week.

Mike Verdu has left Netflix, according to Game File with Stephen Totilo. Netflix brought the former Oculus and EA exec onboard to launch and lead its gaming efforts in 2021. Under Verdu's leadership, the company released a bunch of new and ported titles, as well as establishing an internal game development operation. In mid-2024, however, Netflix changed its gaming strategy and hired Alain Tascan, the executive vice president for game development at Epic Games, to lead its gaming efforts. Verdu still served as the VP for games until November 2024, after which he was named as the Vice President of generative AI for games. 

On LinkedIn, Verdu wrote that his role was about "driving a 'once in a generation' inflection point for game development and player experiences using generative AI." He added that he was "focused on a creator-first vision for AI, one that puts creative talent at the center, with AI being a catalyst and an accelerant." Verdu has yet to update his LinkedIn profile with a new role. As Totilo said in his newsletter, Netflix's gaming efforts have undergone some big changes since Tascan took over. 

In 2022, Netflix hired former Overwatch boss Chacko Sonny to lead an internal AAA studio known as Team Blue. It then brought on Halo exec Joseph Staten, as well as God of War art director Rafael Grassett to work on a multi-platform AAA game for an all-new IP. But in October 2024, Netflix shut down Team Blue. The company had also lost Leanne Loombe, who headed up its second and third-party gaming development and publishing efforts. Loombe recently became the head of games at Annapurna Interactive following a mass exodus, wherein all 25 members of the studio's team collectively resigned. And in early February, Netflix canceled its release plans for six games that were previously heading to iOS and Android, including Thirsty Suitors and Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/netflixs-first-gaming-boss-has-left-the-company-124555235.html?src=rss

It's no secret that Spotify isn't a big money maker for most artists. But, in its annual Loud & Clear report, the music streamer is trying to change the narrative, reiterating an earlier claim that it paid artists $10 billion in 2024 ($60 million since launching) and adding that these payments increased tenfold over the last 10 years. 

Spotify throws in quite a few other big numbers into the 2024 report. It claims that the 100,000th most streamed artist also saw a tenfold increase over a decade, receiving $6,000, up from $600. Meanwhile, the 10,000th most streamed artist reportedly received $131,000, up from $34,000. Plus, it reports that almost 1,500 artists generated over $1 million.

Despite these numbers, Spotify still doesn't hold much goodwill from artists. For starters, a report from music catalog buyer Duetti found that Spotify paid out $3 per 1,000 streams in 2024, while the same figure gave artists $4.80 at YouTube, $6.20 at Apple Music and $8.80 at Amazon Music. In a statement after the report's release, Spotify told TechCrunch, "These claims are ridiculous and unfounded," and argued that music platforms don't pay by stream. 

In January, Billboard reported that four of the five artists nominated at the Grammys for songwriter of the year chose to skip Spotify's Grammy party for songwriters — all of Spotify's Grammy parties were eventually canceled because of the Los Angeles wildfires. Songwriters, including Jesse Jo Dillon and Amy Allen, both cited Spotify's decision last year to bundle audiobooks and songs in subscription tiers. The publication had previously reported that the new premium, duo and family tiers meant songwriters got paid a discounted bundle rate, losing an estimated $150 million in US mechanical royalties over the first 12 months. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotify-tries-to-defend-its-artist-payout-rates-120021659.html?src=rss

We've come a long way from the days of discarding smartphones as soon as a new model comes out. Many shoppers are now demanding devices that will last for years, and they are being more conscientious about what happens to those gadgets when the need for an upgrade does arrive.

You may want to trade in your smartphone or sell it when the time comes; either option can keep your device out of a landfill in addition to scoring you some extra cash. There are also options to recycle part or all of your phone if it's too old to make a trade-in worthwhile. Whatever path you choose, there are important steps to take to prepare a phone you're about to get rid of. These instructions apply to any model you might have, including both iPhones and Android phones. Here's what you need to know.

Back up your data

Let's start with a very important reminder to do regular backups for all of your gear, not just your phone. It's a task you should keep up with routinely even when you aren't about to recycle or trade-in a device.

Most hardware manufacturers have an automatic cloud backup system, but you'll like your new phone a lot less if it doesn't have your full, up-to-date library of contacts, photos and other information. This is the time to manually back everything up with all of your latest data.

Also, before you get any further into the process, make sure that you know the critical details for your phone and the main accounts associated with it. Halfway through is the worst time to lose access to your device because you can't remember your username or password.

Unpair wireless accessories

Most people connect their phone to many other gadgets via Bluetooth. There are obvious ones, like smartwatches and wireless headphones, but you might also have your phone paired with something like a car stereo or a portable speaker. All of them should be unpaired from the phone you're about to trade in.

If you use your phone in two-factor authentication for sensitive accounts, you'll want to make sure that you disconnect the device from those services, too.

Log out of apps and services

Next, you'll sign out of the device's cloud-based service. For iPhone owners, that's iCloud, and on Android, it's the Google suite. This will avoid any confusion with your new device. You'll also want to turn off Find My on iPhones or Find My Device on Android phones. iPhone users should also deregister iMessage on their old iPhone, particularly if they’re moving to a non-Apple smartphone. These steps might seem unnecessary when you'll end up wiping your device entirely, but you don't want to risk having your personal information accidentally made available to whoever might get your phone next.

Also, if you are under a plan that protects your phone, such as Apple Care or Preferred Care, you can usually cancel that coverage early. You'll get a refund on any unexpired coverage, and given how expensive gadgets can be now, it's worth getting that money back if you can.

Swap to the new device

At this point, your to-do list will vary. If you're planning to trade up to a newer model from the same manufacturer and you already have your new phone, then you'll want to transfer your data before moving on to wiping your old phone. Either in the store or on your own, in most cases you can wirelessly migrate your data from the old device to the new one.

If you're changing lanes between the Apple and Google universes, you can also do most data swapping yourself. There's a Google Play app called Move to iOS and one in the App Store called Android Switch that can walk you through the process. Just be sure that your device meets the requirements to use those programs.

However, if you aren't immediately setting up a new device, then you can skip this and move on to the next phase.

Factory reset your old device

Once you double-check that you have everything backed up (seriously, don't take chances on this), then it's time to perform a factory reset. This will remove all of your data and apps, and bring the phone back to its original state. It’s ideal to do this reset as the final step of trading in, selling or recycling a device.

Whatever phone model you have, the reset option will be in the Settings app. It will commonly be nested under a tab like General or About, or you can search “reset” within Settings to find exactly where it is on your device.

Remove any accessories

This might seem obvious, but right before handing off your phone, make sure that you remove any accessories. Cases, grips and screen protectors should stay with you, not with the phone when it goes to its new home.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-prepare-your-phone-for-trade-in-120000724.html?src=rss

Finding good laptops can feel overwhelming, especially with so many options to choose from. Whether you need a lightweight machine for work, a business laptop for productivity, or something with plenty of storage for all of your projects, there are plenty of options. Modern laptops are more powerful and efficient than ever, offering a mix of portability, performance, and features tailored to different needs. From sleek ultrabooks to gaming beasts and budget-friendly options, there's no shortage of great choices.

Out of all of the notebooks we've tested and reviewed recently, we consider Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air M4 to be the best laptop for most people, and this is still the case for our top picks to start off the new year. It's powerful enough to handle most tasks (even light video editing); it has a great screen and built-in speakers; and its battery could last over 18hours (depending on what you're doing, of course). The MacBook Air M4 is also one of the lightest and thinnest systems we've reviewed, and it's dead silent, thanks to a fanless design.

Of course, not everyone wants a MacBook, and there are excellent Windows laptops and Chromebooks out there, too. Windows systems offer a range of configurations, from budget to high-end UHD screens with stunning IPS panels that boast high nits for vivid brightness. Chromebooks, on the other hand, tend to be more affordable and are great for users who mostly work online. Whether you need a powerhouse for creative work, a compact system for note-taking, or a laptop that can handle family movie night, there’s something for everyone in today’s laptop market.

Table of contents

• Best laptops of 2025

• How we test and pick laptops

• Factors to consider when choosing a laptop

• Best laptops specs comparison chart

• Other laptops we’ve tested

• Laptop FAQs

• Recent updates

Best laptops of 2025

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How we test laptops

Engadget has been reviewing laptops for two decades, and while the definition of what a portable PC is has changed considerably since, our obsession with testing their limits and serving up informative buying advice remains the same. Be it a hybrid tablet like Microsoft's Surface machines, a rotating 2-in-1 convertible like HP's Spectre x360s or a plain old clamshell notebook, our review process follows similar beats. How does it look and feel? How fast is it? Whether it’s a Windows device powered by an Intel Core i5 or higher, a MacBook or a Chromebook, we aim to answer the most important question: Is it actually worth your hard-earned cash? We also pay close attention to portability, webcam quality and display features, including IPS panels and nits of brightness, as they can make a big difference in daily use.

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Factors to consider when choosing a laptop Price

You can expect to spend between $1,000 and $1,800 for a new laptop these days, depending on the configuration. If you're looking for more of a workhorse, that could cost you well over $2,000 for additional RAM, storage, as well as a beefier graphics card and CPU. But you can also find some good laptops under $1,000 if you're willing to overlook build quality (or buy a refurbished or previous generation machine, which we highly recommend). Systems with AMD chips tend to come in cheaper than their Intel counterparts, but the bulk of their cost will come down to other components like RAM and storage.

I’ve included our favorite affordable model in this best laptop buying guide, but we have a list of the best budget laptops that you can check out as well.

Operating system: Apple, Windows or Chrome OS

There's a good chance you've already committed to an operating system, but my advice is to be as flexible as possible. These days, most major software is compatible with both Macs and PCs. (Of course, it's another story if you've become dependent on an Apple-only app like Final Cut Pro.) Web-based apps, naturally, will work on any platform with an internet browser.

If you're an Apple-loyalist, there aren't many reasons to consider Windows laptops (unless you want a secondary gaming machine). But for Windows users, macOS is becoming more tempting every year. Apple's MacBooks, powered by its M-series Silicon chips, are among the fastest and most efficient laptops we've ever seen. They're incredibly well-built and have outstanding battery life to boot. MacOS itself is also an easy platform to learn, especially if you're used to iOS and iPadOS.

That brings up another point: iPhone users may want to consider Macs because of the seamless integration with Apple's other platforms. You can't respond to iMessage conversations easily or hop into FaceTime chats on Windows PCs, but doing so is simple on Macs. (Microsoft's Phone Link app lets you send iOS users individual texts, but not media or group chats.) Android users, meanwhile, may be better off with Windows, as Phone Link can make calls, synchronize all your texts and also access your phone's photos.

If cloud gaming is your priority, Windows laptops with NVIDIA’s GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming compatibility may offer more flexibility and decent performance, especially when paired with fast internet speeds. Chromebooks also make a compelling case here as an affordable, lightweight solution for casual cloud gaming sessions.

As for whether you’ll want a PC with a dedicated Copilot AI button on the keyboard, that depends on how often you see yourself using Microsoft’s generative tools. Given we’re only just seeing the first slate of AI PCs, it would be wiser to wait out the hype and see what improvements might come over time.

And what about ChromeOS? Chromebooks are a smart and (typically) inexpensive way to do things like web browsing and hopping on a few video chats, but for most, they're not the best choice as a primary computer. There aren't many apps or games that work offline, and they also don't work with powerful software suites like Adobe's (you can use the stripped-down Adobe Express and Photoshop online tools, though).

Chromebooks are great secondary machines to use alongside a more powerful Mac or PC, and they're popular in schools because they're cheap and easy for IT workers to manage. And if all you need is web browsing access, or a notebook for a kid, a Chromebook might be enough.

If, for some reason, you’re looking for a powerful ChromeOS system, there are also Chromebook Plus models to consider. These machines sport faster processors and more RAM than typical Google notebooks, and they can also tap into a few of the company’s online AI features, like AI image generation and photo processing.

Ports and connectivity

These days, most laptops ship with a few USB-C ports, which can handle both charging and speedy data transfers. Apple's MacBooks also include a separate connection for MagSafe power, and you'll find custom power connections on some PCs like Microsoft's Surface. Older USB Type-A connections are less common now, but they still pop up in systems like HP's Spectre x360 14, as well as many models from ASUS.

For gamers or creators who rely on discrete graphics, ensuring your laptop has the right ports for external monitors or GPUs is crucial. DisplayPort or HDMI connections can also ensure you’re ready for dual- or multi-screen setups for more immersive experiences. Similarly, if you want to save high-resolution files or install multiple games, you might need to consider additional hard drive space; external hard drives are pretty affordable, as long as you have a proper port to connect them.

If you're a fan of wired headphones, it's worth keeping a close eye on headphone jack availability. Many lightweight laptops, like Dell's XPS 13, don’t have the 3.5mm socket entirely. They usually include a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, but that's a clunky solution, and it also takes up a USB port. Sure, most people use wireless earbuds and cans today, but it's still helpful to have a wired one around for when those devices run out of juice.

Most laptops today offer Wi-Fi 6 or 6E and Bluetooth 5.0 or later, which should mean faster and more stable connections if you have compatible routers and devices. While Wi-Fi 7 routers have started appearing, that spec hasn't made its way into laptops yet. As for cellular coverage, there are notebooks like the Surface Pro 9 and Samsung Galaxy Book models that offer integrated 5G. But from our testing, that feature may not be worth the cost of a separate data plan. Instead, you could tether to your smartphone or invest in a wireless hotspot that can keep multiple devices online.

Laptop size and weight

So how portable do you want your laptop to be? That's the ultimate question you need to ask when choosing between various screen sizes. 13-inch machines have become a solid starting point for most shoppers — it's enough real estate for the majority of tasks like emailing and writing, and it also helps keep machines relatively light (typically between two to three pounds). Thanks to manufacturing advancements, these dainty machines sometimes even come with larger screens (the smaller MacBook Air actually has a 13.6-inch display).

If you have trouble seeing fine text, we’d recommend going for a display larger than 13 inches. ASUS’s Zephyrus G14 is a solid 14-inch option for gamers, and we’re also seeing more productivity-focused machines aim for that size, like the XPS 14 and MacBook Pro. While 14-inch notebooks are a bit heavier than 13-inch models, coming in between three to four pounds, their screens are noticeably roomier.

For artists, or anyone else who needs a large canvas, a 15-inch laptop may make the most sense. They typically weigh between 3.5 and 4.5 pounds, but that extra heft may be worth it to fit wider video editing timelines or Photoshop windows. And, as you'd expect, you'll also pay a bit more for a 15-inch notebook compared to smaller ones (the 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,199, while the smaller model goes for $999). PC makers are also replacing 15-inch systems with 16-inch versions, which will give you even more space to work.

If you're in the market for a business laptop, size and portability might be key considerations. A lightweight yet powerful system with a long battery life can make a world of difference if you travel frequently for work.

You can still find laptops with 17-inch or 18-inch screens, but those are typically gaming systems or souped-up workstations. They're not meant for mere computing mortals.

Battery life

A laptop's battery life depends on several factors: The power draw from the screen and other hardware, the optimizations used to avoid unnecessary power drain, and, of course, the size of the actual battery. One of our favorite systems, the Dell XPS 13, lasted 13 hours and 15 minutes in the PCMark 10 battery benchmark. In real-world testing, I was able to use it for a day and a half without needing a recharge. The MacBook Air 13-inch, meanwhile, more than 18 hours in our benchmark and kept running for more than two work days of my typical workflow. In general, you should expect a modern laptop to last at least eight hours.

If battery life is your absolute priority, I'd strongly suggest looking at Macs over Windows PCs. Apple's M-series chips are essentially mobile hardware, with all of the power efficiency you'd expect from something originally designed for phones. Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon chips could help Windows PCs compete with Apple’s astonishing battery life, but we’ve yet to see those in action. Chromebooks also typically get decent battery life (as long as you don’t overstuff them with power-draining tabs).

Refresh rate

A laptop's refresh rate refers to the amount of times its screen is cycled every second. Modern displays like IPS LCDs and OLEDs support 60Hz refresh rates at a minimum, but we're seeing more devices offering 120Hz, 240Hz and beyond. The higher the number, the faster the screen is refreshed, which ultimately leads to a smoother experience while mousing around or scrolling through web pages. (If you want to get a sense of what a slow refresh rate looks like, just grab an e-reader like the Kindle and try to flip between book pages.)

While high refresh rates used to be reserved for gaming laptops, nowadays we're seeing more mainstream machines like the XPS 13 offer 120Hz (or variable rates that move between 60Hz and 120Hz). If there's one knock against the MacBook Air, it's that it's still stuck at 60Hz.

CPU

If you’re buying a new laptop, you’ll want to make sure it’s powered by the latest CPUs. For Windows PCs, that includes Intel’s Core Ultra chips for thin-and-light machines or the 14th-gen HX chips for beefier systems. The Core Ultra series have NPUs for handling AI tasks, while the HX hardware does not – they’re based on Intel’s previous chip architecture, and they’re more focused on delivering raw horsepower. Intel's older 13th-gen and 12th-gen laptop chips also don't have NPUs, so keep that in mind if you're looking at used systems.

You'll also see AMD's Ryzen 8000 and 9000 chips in plenty of new systems like the ASUS Zephyrus G14 and Razer Blade 14. Those CPUs mainly target gaming laptops and high performance systems, while you'll still find AMD’s older Ryzen 7000 chips in ultraportables. AMD's main advantage is that its chips also include Radeon graphics, which are far more capable than Intel's Arc hardware (though those are getting better).

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus are also an option in Copilot+ PCs (more on those below). Since they’re based on mobile chip designs, they’re likely also more power efficient than AMD and Intel’s hardware. In the past, we’ve avoided recommending Snapdragon chips because they led to a slow and frustrating Windows experience. But Microsoft claims it’s rebuilt Windows 11 around Snapdragon’s Arm-based architecture, which should lead to far faster performance and better app compatibility.

As for Apple's laptops, you'll be choosing between the M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max, each of which is progressively more powerful.

GPU

A GPU, or graphics processing unit, is the component that communicates directly with a laptop's display. Laptop CPUs all have some form of integrated GPU: Intel has either its standard graphics or beefier Arc hardware, while AMD's chips include fast Radeon mobile graphics. If you want to play demanding games at high speeds (measured in frames per second, or fps), or if you need some extra power for rendering video or 3D models, you can configure a laptop with a dedicated GPU like NVIDIA's RTX 40-series hardware or AMD's Radeon RX 7000. Just be sure to leave room in your budget if you want a powerful GPU, as they typically add $300 or more to the cost of a laptop.

Apple's M-series chips, meanwhile, have GPU cores that can perform as well as NVIDIA’s and AMD's lower-end dedicated GPUs. That's quite the accomplishment for systems like this (especially the MacBook Air and 14-inch MacBook Pro), and it's another reason we highly recommend Apple's notebooks.

AI PCs, NPUs and Copilot+

Simply put, an AI PC is a computer equipped with a neural processing unit (NPU), which is designed to handle AI-related tasks. Much like how GPUs tackle heavy-duty gaming and rendering workloads, NPUs are designed to handle the complex math necessary for AI workloads. They’re also far more power efficient than CPUs or GPUs, which could lead to better battery performance in laptops. While many factors go into NPU performance, for the most part we measure their potential speed by TOPS (tera operations per second).

We were primed for AI PCs based on the chips Intel and AMD announced in 2023. Intel unveiled its "Core Ultra" CPUs in December, its first to include an NPU for AI work. AMD also announced its Ryzen 8040 AI mobile chips that month (and it couldn't help but say they were faster than Intel's new hardware). But in May, Microsoft announced its Copilot+ initiative, which is pushing major PC makers to deliver premium AI PCs with specifications including 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSDs and NPUs with at least 40 TOPS of AI performance.

Copilot+ is more than just a marketing term: Microsoft is also launching AI-powered features in Windows 11 that take advantage of powerful NPUs. That includes Recall, which can help you locate anything you’ve done on your PC (whenever it finally launches), as well as Cocreator in Paint, which can generate AI images based on text prompts and doodles.

If you buy an AI PC that isn’t Copilot+ certified, you’ll still be able to use some features like Windows Studio Effects, which can blur your background in video calls or keep you in frame. Developers like Adobe and Audacity are also building features into their apps that can take advantage of NPUs.

At the time of this post, Chromebook Plus notebooks can also access a few of Google’s online AI features, like image generation and photo processing.

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Other laptops we tested that didn't make the cut ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED

Aside from its lovely OLED screen, the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED doesn't stand out from the crowded laptop field in any way. It just looks dull and boring, especially compared to the strikingly beautiful ASUS Zephyrus G14, which also came out this year. While you can probably find the Zenbook 14 for a decent price, I'd recommend holding out for something with a bit more personality (and with a less wobbly screen hinge).

Razer Blade 14

The Razer Blade has almost everything you'd want in a 14-inch gaming notebook, but it's far pricier than the Zephyrus G14 on this list, and it doesn’t even have an SD card reader. It would be a solid competitor once its price falls a bit, and it's certainly a great option if you just have to have a jet-black laptop.

Framework Laptop 16

Framework gave its modularity magic to the Laptop 16, delivering a gaming notebook where almost every single component is user replaceable. But you'll have to pay a pretty penny to snag it with upgraded hardware, and its optional Radeon 7700S GPU was surprisingly slow.

Alienware m16 R2

The Alienware m16 r2 has been revamped with a slimmer case, but it’s otherwise a fairly typical gaming laptop. It’s a solid option for Alienware fans, but you’ll find better hardware and deals elsewhere.

ASUS Zenbook Duo (2024)

The Zenbook Duo is a fascinating dual-screened notebook, and according to my colleague Sam Rutherford it’s the first of its kind that’s worth buying. But its unique hardware isn’t really meant for mainstream consumers, and Windows 11 still doesn’t support multi-screen setups well enough to make full use of the Zenbook Duo’s ample canvas.

Dell XPS 16

Dell’s XPS 16 is big and beautiful, but it’s far too expensive compared to the competition. Plus, it uses a capacitive row of function keys that you basically can’t see under bright light and has too few ports for a machine of this size.

See Also:

• Best Gaming Laptops for 2025

• Best Cheap Windows Laptops

• Best 2-in-1 Laptops for 2025

• Best Chromebooks

• Best Laptops for College Students

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Laptop FAQs What is the average battery life of a laptop per charge?

It’s hard to come up with an average battery life for laptops, since that will ultimately depend on what you’re doing with them. An ultraportable like the MacBook Air that sips power can last around 20 hours in our battery benchmark, and around two full work days of real-world usage. But a gaming laptop may last only a few hours if you’re actively playing something while on battery. At this point, Macs are delivering far better battery life than PCs, thanks to Apple’s Silicon chips, but Microsoft claims Copilot+ systems with Qualcomm chips will also get over 20 hours of batter life.

How much RAM do I really need?

The more RAM you have, the more things your computer can do simultaneously. For that reason, we recommend buying PCs and Macs with at least 16GB of RAM. That gives you enough memory to have several applications open at once, as well as web browsers filled with RAM-hogging tabs. Many PC games also require at least 16GB of RAM. While you could use a system with 8GB of RAM for basic tasks, you’ll quickly run into slowdowns and error messages as your apps stack up. Many laptops, especially ultraportables, don’t let you upgrade RAM, too – so you’ll have to buy an entirely new computer if you didn’t equip enough memory at the start.

If you’re a hardcore gamer, programmer or planning to render videos or 3D models, then you may want to go for 32GB of RAM or more. And if you just need a secondary laptop for lighter work – perhaps a no-frills system for writing – then you can probably get by with 8GB. Just be sure to keep those browser tabs in check.

What is the best storage capacity for a laptop?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to laptop storage. You’ll typically find configurations between 256GB and 1TB SSDs (solid state drives) on most laptops, and I’d recommend most people get at least 512GB. That’ll be enough space for large apps, music and video files without stressing your system too much. If you’re a media hoarder, or want to play a ton of games, then it’s definitely worth getting a 1TB SSD.

If you’ll mainly be streaming your shows and music, and would rather invest in RAM or other hardware, then 256GB of storage would be serviceable. I’d recommend staying away from any machine with 128GB of storage though. Most of that will be taken up by the operating system, and you’ll likely run into issues cramming in large apps after a few months.

We recommend springing for extra built-in storage or investing in a portable SSD for backing up your most important files. It's also worth noting that Chromebooks tend to come with less built-in storage — 32GB, 64GB or 128GB — since ChromeOS encourages users to save their files in the cloud rather than on the device. In that case, 128GB is plenty.

What's a good price range for a decent laptop in 2025?

You can expect to spend between $1,000 and $1,800 for a typical 13-inch laptop today. As I explained above, you'll pay more if you want to stuff in more RAM or better GPU hardware. But you can also find deals below $1,000 if you look for refurbished or older-generation models.

What’s the difference between macOS and Windows? Which is better?

Simply put, macOS is the operating system in all of Apple's notebooks and desktops, while Windows powers the vast majority of PCs. You'll also find Chromebooks running Google's ChromeOS, but those are basically just web browsers running on top of Linux.

Debating the differences between Windows and Macs is something PC nerds have been doing since the '80s, so we won't be declaring a winner here. There are some small, negligible distinctions, like using a Command versus a Control key, how file explorers work and concerns about viruses and security. For the most part, those are minor issues or have become moot thanks to better built-in security.

But if you care more about playing the newest games, you'll want to have a Windows system. If you're more focused on creative apps, like Photoshop, Premiere and Final Cut Pro, then macOS may be a better fit (especially if you're running an iPhone).

What are the best laptop brands?

There is no single "best" laptop brand, but judging from this guide alone, we're generally impressed by notebooks from Apple, Dell and ASUS. They all offer fast, reliable and sturdy machines. HP also makes some eye-catching devices if you want an option that’s the most aesthetic. Those four brands, along with Lenovo and Acer, dominate laptop sales worldwide. We'd avoid systems from any retail store brands, or companies that don't have a major presence in the US.

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Best laptops specs comparison chart

Product

Tested configuration

Tested battery life

Rated battery life

Apple MacBook Air M4 (13-inch)

Apple M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

18.25 hours

Up to 18 hours

Dell XPS 13

Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

13 hours

Up to 18 hours

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070

7.5 hours

10 hours

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5

13th-gen Intel Core i3, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage

6 hours

10 hours

HP Pavilion Aero

AMD Ryzen 5800U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

Up to 9.75 hours

Up to 10.5 hours

Apple MacBook Pro M4 (14-inch)

Apple M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

34 hours

24 hours

HP Spectre x360 14

Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD

5 hours

Up to 13 hours

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 1

Intel Core Ultra 7 165U, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD

Up to 13 hours

"All day battery life"

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Recent updates

March 2025: Updated to include the M4-powered MacBook Air.

November 2024: Updated to include the M4-powered MacBook Pros.

August 2024: Updated to include the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-laptops-120008636.html?src=rss

NASA's SPHEREx observatory is now in space for a two year year mission to create a 3D map of the entire celestial sky. The telescope left the ground on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from a launch pad in California, four years after NASA announced that a SpaceX flight will launch the mission, along with NASA's PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) microsatellites. SPHEREx separated from SpaceX's vehicle at 12AM Eastern time on March 12 and will remain in low Earth orbit, where it will maintain a position relative to the sun that will remain the same throughout the year.

View of @NASA's SPHEREx and Earth shortly after deployment pic.twitter.com/TT2pyVX43Q

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 12, 2025

Every 98-minute orbit the observatory makes will allow it to view a 360-degree strip of the sky in both optical as well as near-infrared light. The telescope can capture more 360-degree strips as the Earth moves around the sun, enabling it to map the entire celestial sky within six months. SPHEREx was designed to image the entire sky every six months in two years, with its goal being to create a 3D map of over 450 million galaxies. The telescope will also image and gather information on over 100 million stars in the Milky Way.

SPHEREx's map is bound to be colorful: It will separate infrared light emitted by the stars and galaxies into 102 individual colors using a technique called spectroscopy. NASA likens it to the "way a prism splits sunlight into a rainbow." The agency says observing the objects in different colors will reveal various properties about them, such as their composition. For galaxies, their colors could help scientists determine their distance from our planet. The data SPHEREx provides will give scientists information about what happened right after the Big Bang and could provide evidence of cosmic inflation, or the rapid expansion of the early universe. SPHEREx will shed its telescope lens' protective cover in four days and will start its science operations in a little over a month once its temperature has cooled down. 

Meanwhile, the four PUNCH satellites, which will also take on a Sun-synchronous orbit, will map the sun's corona by taking polarized white-light images of the celestial object. It will gather data to help us better understand how the corona turns into solar wind, which could lead to accurate predictions of space weather events affecting spacecraft orbiting the Earth. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-spherex-space-telescope-launched-into-orbit-by-a-spacex-falcon-9-rocket-055518752.html?src=rss

The whiplash from the Donald Trump administration’s on-again, off-again tariff policy is leading to a lot of uncertainty on Wall Street and stirring worries that an old economic menace, stagflation, could be lurking around the corner. Stagflation is essentially a macroeconomic cocktail of rising prices, high unemployment and recession.

To be clear, the U.S. economy is not currently grappling with that dismal condition. Unemployment in February remained historically low at 4.1%. Inflation, while elevated, is down significantly from its pandemic highs. But at the same time, sweeping tariffs could create an environment in which stagflation might take root.

“We all know that tariffs, because it’s a tax, it’s going to lead to higher prices, but we didn’t know there’s going to be so much uncertainty about it,” said Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan, a professor of economics at Brown University and director of the Global Linkages Lab. “That creates a lot of uncertainty about economic outlook in the future, which means now consumers are going to cut down their demand, investors are going to cut down their investment. And that’s the recession part of the stagflation.”

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Kalemli-Özcan about the risk of stagflation and the challenge it poses for central bankers. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.

Kai Ryssdal: For those who might not have experienced it back in the 1970s, what does stagflation feel like in an economy?

Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan: It is basically higher prices and higher unemployment, recession. So you have a double whammy. The economy is slow, people are unemployed. At the same time, prices are high.

Ryssdal: We are not in stagflation right now, that is an important point. But my question is, what has happened to get us to the point where we’re having this conversation again?

Kalemli-Özcan: Why we are having this conversation is what I call extreme uncertainty created by a series of policies of the new administration. We all know that tariffs, because it’s a tax, it’s going to lead to higher prices, but we didn’t know there’s going to be so much uncertainty about it. You know, back and forth, back and forth. That creates a lot of uncertainty about economic outlook in the future, which means now consumers are going to cut down their demand, investors are going to cut down their investment. And that’s the recession part of the stagflation.

Ryssdal: What do we do about it? I mean, if, if you’re Jay Powell listening to this interview — I don’t know if he’s going to listen — but what do you tell the head of the [Federal Reserve] to do?

Kalemli-Özcan: The Fed’s role here is look at what happens to expectations, to inflation expectations, because the future plans of businesses and consumers is going to be reflected in that inflation expectations. And if Jay Powell sees those expectations are elevated, but at the same time the data — which is, of course, always about the past — that inflation is not going down, we are having a sticky inflation, then obviously they are going to increase the interest rates.

Ryssdal: Seems to me, though, based on what you’ve said about uncertainty in the policies of the Trump administration, that a lot of the solution would be not having so much uncertainty.

Kalemli-Özcan: That’s right, that would be the solution. So that solution is better than the Fed’s solution because if the uncertainty really keeps feeding into these lower demand and lower investment plans and consumption plans — and that’s also what we are seeing in the stock market meltdown yesterday and today — then it is going to be a very difficult job for the Fed. They don’t want a recession. So if the recession now wins over inflation, that means they need to cut the rates. If you have both, or the stagflation scenario, stagflation is a very, very hard scenario for a central banker. And the solution here is really not the Fed, but it is not having these type of uncertain policies coming from the administration.

Ryssdal: With the understanding that things in an economy, to paraphrase here, happen very slowly and then all at once, we’re talking about stagflation now, and again, we are not there, but it could be here. How long do you suppose it’ll take?

Kalemli-Özcan: In terms of when are we going to see the recession and the higher prices, that is going to take time. Because remember, for actual higher inflation to be observed, the tariffs have to be in effect. It is just like all this talk creating this uncertainty. So if tariffs never really happen, but then, because now this uncertainty fed into the future plans of consumers and businesses, we might really end up with a recession.

When Austin Ramirez learned there was a way to potentially get out of being taxed on imports during the Trump administration’s first trade war with China, he knew he had to apply.

“There are a subset of our products that we just don’t have North American alternatives for,” he said.

Ramirez’s company, Husco, is headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin. It makes hydraulic and electromechanical components for cars, and construction and agricultural equipment. About half the parts he needs to manufacture these goods, like iron castings, are imported from abroad.

“So these are molten metal that’s poured into a mold. You know, it solidifies and ultimately it’s machined into a final product,” said Ramirez. “It’s a fairly labor intensive, you know, not hugely environmentally friendly process, so a lot of those foundries have moved overseas.”

This was the main argument Ramirez’s lawyers used in tariff exclusion applications back in 2018 — that there was no way to source these castings in the United States. They had to outline reasoning in pages of applications for dozens of items, a process that took months.

The back-and-forth confusion of the Trump administration’s trade policy has yet to settle. But as business owners wait, they’re exploring their options. During Trump’s last term, and last trade war, one option was to apply for an exclusion. They granted businesses temporary relief from tariffs on specific imports so that, for instance, a business wouldn’t have to pay the tariffs while they transitioned supply chains. It’s unclear if there will be a formal process this time around, but if there is, and if it looks anything like it did last time, it might be a bit messy.

“I’d say probably a third to half of our exclusions were approved,” said Ramirez.

That’s higher than the average 13% approval rate through early 2020 for tariff exclusions on Chinese imports, according to the Congressional Research Service. But Ramirez said the whole process was frustrating because it was opaque.

“We couldn’t find any kind of rhyme or reason to why certain component categories were approved and why others were rejected,” he said.

Dinesh Hasija at Augusta University researched exclusions data from the 2018 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

“There was a lot of randomness,” he said.

It was hard to find consistent reasons why applications were denied or approved, but there were some patterns. For instance, if your supplier was in a country that had a favorable relationship with the U.S., you were more likely to be granted an exclusion.

“So the country of affiliation mattered,” he said.

So did, perhaps, a company’s political affiliations. A study in the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis found businesses that made campaign contributions to the Republican Party were more likely to be granted exclusions. 

Robert Friedman, who co-leads the international trade practice at law firm Holland & Knight, has been getting calls from clients for months to explore all their options when it comes to tariffs.

“This time around we were seeing companies preparing far in advance of Trump’s election,” he said.

He’s a bit skeptical there will be an exclusion process because of how wide reaching these tariffs are, and the kind of government staffing that reviewing applications would require. But however messy the tariff exclusion process was or may be, it would at least give smaller business owners a way to be heard. Friedman said no exclusion process would give more voice to bigger firms.

“The companies with greater political power have an easier time conveying their messages,” he said. “But that is unfortunately not available to many businesses.”

Ramirez of Husco, the hydraulics manufacturer, isn’t so worried about Chinese tariffs this time around. The company has reduced its imports from China by about 80%, though none of those supply chains shifted to the U.S.

“We now source in Thailand and Malaysia, and some to India, and some to Europe,” he said.

That won’t save Ramirez if Trump puts global tariffs into place, something he’s floated before.

“It is so volatile that I don’t know that anybody knows what to do,” said Ramirez.

He said he can’t create a plan until the administration solidifies its own.

A couple of new data points about the labor market came in Tuesday morning — the January Job Openings and Labor Turnover report from the Labor Department and the February Small Business Optimism Index from the National Federation of Independent Business.

The latter found that many businesses are still having trouble filling open positions. But the former found that job openings have fallen almost 9% since the same time last year — a sign that the tight labor market is loosening up.

That said, there is still plenty of uncertainty in this economy, which is weighing on businesses’ hiring decisions. Take Rothmans, a men’s clothing store in New York.

Throughout last year, sales were strong. Co-President Ken Giddon said he went into 2025 feeling optimistic and was planning to hire for two new positions.

“And then the last week or so has definitely made us … think about it a little bit,” he said.

Giddon said Rothmans imports a lot of the clothing it sells. So he’s concerned that the Donald Trump administration’s new tariffs will make that clothing more expensive.

Then there’s the stock market gyrations of recent days, which he said can put his customers on edge.

“We sell clothing, which is not something that is necessary, and if you’re not feeling good about your portfolio, or worried about what’s going on in the big picture, that can sometimes make you slow down,” he said.

As a result, Giddon said he’s putting those two hires on hold. “Sometimes you gotta raise that caution flag just to take a little breath and see what’s going on,” he said.

Meanwhile in Ohio, Heather Whaling, who runs a marketing company called Geben Communication, is seeing similar caution among some of her clients.

“In the nonprofit space, there’s caution in the education space, certainly in construction and real estate development,” she said.

Whaling said that’s affecting her hiring decisions. She’s already brought on three people this year and is planning on hiring more. But that depends on how her clients are feeling.

“We even are in a situation right now where we have a person that I am 98% ready to make a job offer to, but I need to see how a couple more contracts shake out on my end before making that commitment,” she said.

On the plus side, Whaling said she’s having an easier time finding new hires. Same with Randy George, co-owner of Red Hen Baking Co. in Vermont.

“It’s been years, really, since we’ve put out ads and fairly quickly heard from really great applicants,” he said.

George said the bakery is in the middle of moving to a new building that’s almost twice as big as its current location.

Still, his business will be affected by tariffs on Canadian flour. So whatever happens to the larger economy, “it wouldn’t surprise me if we see a downturn in our business in the next four years,” he said. “But we also look beyond that.”

When the business expands, George hopes to staff up.

Artificial intelligence can now help you with your next home improvement project — though you will still need to provide your own elbow grease. Home Depot and Lowe’s both launched generative AI assistants on their websites this week: Magic Apron, as Home Depot calls its tool, and Mylow, the Lowe’s version, can give product recommendations, summarize reviews and even offer some how-to advice. They’re just the latest retailers looking to soup up their customer experience with an AI bot.

Personally, I do need a lot of help with weeds after our winter rains. Home Depot’s “president of online,” Jordan Broggi, said it sounds like I’m in the market for some weed killer.

“You might have a set of basic questions, ‘How much do I need? Is this going to, you know, kill the weeds that I have in my lawn, and is it going to harm my grass? You know, how do I apply it?'” he said.

Broggi said Magic Apron, Home Depot’s AI tool, is meant to simulate the in-store experience. “Whatever it may be, this is intended to help answer those questions in real time,” he said.

The Lowe’s Mylow AI suggested mulch to suppress new weeds once I’ve sprayed. And, after some coaxing, it calculated how many bags I’d need to buy.

“I think they’re really promising because they have the step-by-step,” said Greg Zakowicz, a strategist at ecommerce marketing platform Omnisend.

He said AI assistants are on almost every website now, though many don’t seem to have a clear function. “We’re just at an early stage where the companies put them on, figure out what works, what doesn’t, and then refine them,” he said.

For retailers, these tools provide a valuable new stream of consumer data to analyze, said Anastasiya Ghosh, a marketing professor at the University of Arizona.

“Like, what is the first question a person asks when they’re buying a washing machine?” she said.

But the more personalized and “creative” these chatbots get, the bigger the risks. Generative AI is still prone to hallucination and other errors.

“So if I buy something, let’s say a piece of furniture, and assemble it myself, but if I followed your instructions … and I don’t like it now, that’s your fault,” Ghosh said.

Home Depot’s Jordan Broggi said the advice is clearly labeled as AI-generated.

“I think customers are in the process of getting more familiar with using tools like this and knowing that they can be extremely helpful, even if they’re not 100% accurate,” he said.

Sort of like weed killer.

The Remote Desktop app for Windows is (almost) dead; long live the Windows app. Microsoft said on Monday that its legacy Remote Desktop client, which has already been replaced on other platforms, will no longer be supported on Windows after May 27, 2025. But you aren't losing any functionality here. You can still do tech support for your parents using built-in Windows functionality or the modern Windows app, which is somehow both the simplest and most confusing naming convention Microsoft's marketing team could have mustered.

"Starting May 27, 2025, the Remote Desktop app for Windows from the Microsoft Store will no longer be supported or available for download and installation," Microsoft's Hilary Braun wrote on its Windows IT Pro Blog. "Users must transition to Windows App to ensure continued access to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop and Microsoft Dev Box."

The company says connections to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop and Microsoft Dev Box via the Remote Desktop app from the Microsoft Store will be blocked in the Remote Desktop app on the app's expiration date of May 27. For all other users, it will continue working but will no longer be supported.

Increasing the confusion, Windows has a built-in Remote Desktop Connection app that will remain the only way to use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections after May 27. But Microsoft will eventually incorporate that into the Windows app.

As Thurrot.com notes, Microsoft warned that it would eventually replace the Remote Desktop with the Windows app when the operating system's namesake app launched last fall. The new app even arrived as an update to the Remote Desktop client on Apple's App Store.

As for the, uh, interestingly named Windows app, the company likely chose that branding because it wants to move Windows increasingly to the cloud. Its Windows 365 service, introduced in 2021, even lets you stream a virtual version of the OS from any device. So, calling the unified app used to access cloud and remote PCs "Windows app" seems maybe slightly less bizarre from that angle.

Still, a Reddit thread from the Windows app's September launch held some entertaining reactions from the company's fans. "Microsoft needs to collect all the staff responsible for naming or renaming their products in the past 15 years and shoot them into the sun," u/AlignedHurdle posted. Meanwhile, u/Shoddy_Eye7866 seized an opportunity to use the Xzibit meme: "Yo dawg, I heard you like Windows, so I took Windows App and put in your Windows so you can Windows while you Windows."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsoft-is-phasing-out-its-remote-desktop-app-in-may-211320714.html?src=rss

The department store chain Kohl’s reported earnings numbers this morning, including its outlook for the year ahead. That outlook, bluntly? Not so great. Kohl’s predicts that revenue will decline between 5% and 7%, compared to last year — way worse than what Wall Street was expecting.

The retailer has joined a growing list of companies that have been making less than rosy predictions about what the future holds: In just the past two days, Delta Air Lines and Dick’s Sporting Goods have also issued gloomy forecasts.

That kind of corporate guidance, to use the technical term? It’s all about setting expectations.

Zachary Warring, vice president of equity research at CFRA, takes these corporate guidances with a grain of salt. Actually, a little more than a grain.

“I’d say it’s probably more like a tablespoon or maybe even a cup. Projections are the hardest thing to get right in finance,” he said.

As a broad rule of thumb, if a company’s earnings come in lower than what either the company or Wall Street analysts expected, the stock price goes down. If they beat expectations, the price goes up.

So why set high expectations, when you can underpromise and overdeliver? 

“You definitely see companies underestimate. They give a range typically, and you’ll almost never see them miss the bottom of that range,” Warring said.

Legally, corporations don’t have to publish these types of forecasts.

“What we’ve seen is a lot of firms moving away from issuing these, these estimates,” said David Volant, a professor at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.

But that doesn’t mean they don’t have any value, especially since firms have more up-to-date data than, say, what the government puts out.

“The way that the macro environment is impacting the internal projections? That’s already happening, so they can observe internally, you know, contracts, canceled sales, increases in growth,” Volant said.

So what then to make of so many different companies being such Debbie Downers about the future? 

Sean Dunlop, a director at Morningstar, said it’s partly a hedge against all the uncertainty involving tariffs, the Department of Government Efficiency and, well, the world.

But it also could be a sign of a broader downturn that’s already begun.

“While consumer spending held up really well in 2024, it’s starting to look like there are cracks in the armor, and a lot of companies are revising their guidance accordingly.”

Here’s hoping those corporate guidances are wrong again.