There’s been just as much drama offscreen with Kevin Costner and ‘Yellowstone’ as John Dutton faces onscreen. Is the Oscar winner really leaving ‘Yellowstone’? Here’s a full breakdown of the situation.
There’s been just as much drama offscreen with Kevin Costner and ‘Yellowstone’ as John Dutton faces onscreen. Is the Oscar winner really leaving ‘Yellowstone’? Here’s a full breakdown of the situation.
Sporty Spice and Baby Spice held a surprise mini-reunion performance at the charity event for UNICEF, where they performed ‘2 Become 1.’
Sporty Spice and Baby Spice held a surprise mini-reunion performance at the charity event for UNICEF, where they performed ‘2 Become 1.’
Keke Palmer may share a baby with BF Darius Jackson, but they have very different ideas on what it means to dress like a ‘mom’!
Keke Palmer may share a baby with BF Darius Jackson, but they have very different ideas on what it means to dress like a ‘mom’!
Willow Smith looked fabulous when she wore a plunging gray crop top with cargo pants as she headed to Taylor Swift’s favorite music studio in NYC.
Willow Smith looked fabulous when she wore a plunging gray crop top with cargo pants as she headed to Taylor Swift’s favorite music studio in NYC.
One of the best things about the Windows PC landscape is the sheer amount of diversity. Laptops range from tiny 8-inch handhelds to huge 18-inch (or larger) gaming behemoths and beyond. And if there’s a specific feature (like a touchscreen or stylus input) that you really need, there’s a great chance you’ll be able to find it on a notebook that works for you. However, that abundance of choice can also make it difficult to know where to start when shopping. And before you even begin to search, it’s critical that you consider what you’re planning to do with your new laptop. If your main focus is on general productivity, a sleek ultraportable is all you need. But if you’re looking to edit photos and videos or play AAA games, you may want a bigger system with discrete graphics. That said, there’s a handful of general criteria we look for when selecting our top picks.
The challenge when thinking about performance is figuring out your sweet spot. That’s because while a laptop with blazing speed is nice, you may be paying for more oomph than you need. But if you skimp and get a weak processor, even simple tasks can become a chore and you might end up in a situation where you need to upgrade again sooner than you’d like. Performance is more than just clockspeeds too, so we also consider things like fast wake times, storage speeds and more advanced features like support for ray tracing.
Regardless of whether a notebook has a touchscreen or a more traditional panel, we look for bright displays (300+ nits or more) that are easy use outdoors or in sunny rooms, accurate colors and wide viewing angles. Screens with high refresh rates are great for competitive gamers, while those with wider color gamuts are important for content creation. And even if you don’t plan on spending a ton of time on video calls, every laptop needs a decent webcam (1080p or higher).
Even with advancements in cellular modems and WiFi, dedicated ports for transferring data or connecting peripherals can make or break a laptop. Ideally, all but the thinnest and lightest systems come with three USB ports, while things like built-in SD card readers can be extremely handy when trying to import media from a camera. And if a notebook is saddled with a slow or outdated WiFi modem (we’re looking for Wi-Fi 6 or later), that’s basically an immediate disqualification.
It doesn’t matter how powerful a laptop is if it conks out when you need it the most. Typically we look for runtimes of at least eight hours on a charge, but longer is always better. That said, on gaming machines with thirsty GPUs, you may have to settle for a bit less. And on bigger machines, it’s also important to consider if the system can charge via USB-C or if it needs a larger, proprietary power brick.
It’s no surprise that we love the Dell XPS 13. It’s thin, light and it has one of the best screens you can find on a 13-inch ultraportable. And while the XPS 13 doesn’t have the fastest CPU around, a 12th-gen Intel chip is more than enough for basic productivity work. The latest XPS 13 model is the slimmest yet, though it loses the headphone jack in the process. If you need a 3.5mm port, or you’re just looking to save some money, it’s also worth considering the slightly older XPS 13 models. And if you want to future-proof your next laptop a bit more, consider the XPS 13 Plus, which comes with 13th-gen Intel processors and is currently the best Windows laptop for college students in our book.
There’s a reason we selected the Acer Aspire 5 as our top choice in our best cheap Windows laptop guide: It’s sturdy, fast enough and offers decent battery life. We typically don’t expect much with laptops under $500, but the Aspire 5 has consistently been a solid performer. It’s an ideal laptop for students or kids, or for anyone who isn’t particularly demanding. We’re also surprised by the wide variety of ports it offers, including HDMI and Ethernet. While we normally don’t recommend laptops with just 8GB of RAM and tiny 128GB SSDs, those specs are more excusable in the Aspire 5 since it’s so darn cheap. Just think of it as a slightly more capable Chromebook.
One of our favorite gaming PCs for years, the ROG Zephyrus G14 remains our choice as the best gaming laptop for most users. It weighs just 3.5 pounds, it sports AMD’s powerful new Ryzen chips and it also has the company’s fastest Radeon RX 6000-series mobile graphics. The ROG Zephyrus G14 has a sleek retro-future aesthetic, a comfortable keyboard and a smooth 144Hz, 14-inch screen. While you’d be more immersed in a 15-inch notebook, those typically cost more and are far heavier than the Zephyrus G14. If you’re looking for a balance between power, style and value, the G14 is tough to beat.
Read our full review of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
Adaptability is the biggest strength of a 2-in-1, with devices like the Yoga 9i capable of transforming into a number of different modes at a moment’s notice. And even though it’s got a relatively portable 14-inch OLED display, Lenovo still found room on the Yoga 9i for three USB-C ports, a fingerprint scanner and a clever rotating soundbar to ensure audio sounds good in any position. Lenovo also includes a free stylus in the box though, sadly, unlike previous models there isn’t a dedicated storage slot for it on the machine anymore. And while its general design hasn’t changed much for 2023, Lenovo has improved the Yoga 9i’s performance with updated 13th-gen Intel processors.
Read our full review of the Lenovo Yoga 9i
For people who want to travel super light, it’s hard to do better than a tablet-style 2-in-1. And, having basically invented the category, Microsoft’s line of Surface Pro devices are hard to beat. With the Surface Pro 9, you get a bright touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate, along with a stylus support. Though, you’ll need to remember to buy one of Microsoft’s folding keyboards (which includes the pen) separately. You also get solid battery life and surprisingly powerful speakers. That said unless you’re deeply familiar with using Windows on ARM-based systems, we’d recommend sticking with the Intel-powered version instead of the model based on Microsoft’s SQ3 chip.
Read our full review of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9
Regardless of if you’re editing videos or playing games, MSI’s Stealth 14 Studio packs a lot of power in a very portable package. The base model comes with a 1080p screen, but if you have the money, you’ll want to consider the optional 2,560 x 1,600 display, which boasts a faster 240Hz refresh rate and wider color gamut (100% of DCI-P3). At just 3.75 pounds, the Stealth 14 Studio weighs half a pound less than similarly sized rivals while still supporting up to an NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU. And the redesigned 2023 model has a stunning magnesium and aluminum chassis that’s also available in a larger 16-inch model.
Read our full review of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
Razer’s revamped Blade 18 is a monster. It packs full-fat versions of the most powerful components you can put in a laptop including up to an Intel Core i9 13-980HX CPU and an NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU that runs at up to 175 watts. You also get a massive 18-inch QHD+ display with a 240Hz refresh, tons of ports (including an SD card reader) and gorgeous per key RGB lighting. Holding everything together is Razer’s unibody aluminum chassis, which offers some of the best build quality on any Windows laptop. The one big downside is price: Starting at $2,900 (or closer to $5,000 for a fully loaded model), the Blade 18 is not for people with limited budgets.
Read our full review of the Razer Blade 18
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-windows-laptop-130018256.html?src=rss
To give you an idea how old Angry Birds is, it arrived on iOS, webOS and something called Maemo 5 (?) before it even came to Android, according to our 2010 review. Not only is it still around over 13 years later, but developer Rovio is being purchased by Sega for around $776 million. And on top of all that, Rovio is opening the first Angry Birds-themed restaurant on Friday (July 8th). Called “iSwii by Angry birds,” it’ll be located within the Food Court at Tangram’s new mall in Flushing, Queens, NY — ready to fling cakes, pastries and other treats into your mouth.
Partnering with construction outfit SCG America, Rovio promises “endless culinary treats, bright visuals, newest Angry Birds Games and interactive technology.” Its decorated with “Instagrammable” NYC-themed statue installations outside the entrance, a ceiling mural, terrazzo counter and flooring that looks like dessert sprinkles. You’ll also see “nest-like wicker and hanging chairs, bird paradise graphic wall coverings, and tropical plants on the shelving units where hatchlings, the baby birds wander around.”
No menu was shown, but the press release mentions “yummy seasonal holiday cakes and pastries,” and the provided photo shows mostly deserts, candies and other sweets. It’s also hosting private parties in “nests” or “rooms that will offer Angry Birds VR games & treats, including customizable Angry Birds-themed gift bags for party goers.
We’re not sure if people will embrace a restaurant based on a game that peaked around 2015 with the Angry Birds Movie. In any case, Sega’s purchase for three-quarters of a billion dollars shows the IP still has value, and the app has over 5 billion downloads to date — plus, the restaurant has a 2013 vibe that could make it a big nostalgia draw.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/new-york-is-getting-the-first-ever-angry-birds-cafe-130421618.html?src=rss
Now’s the time to get a smart speaker with a little flourish. Amazon is running an early Prime Day sale on Echo devices that includes steep discounts on fifth-generation Echo Dot bundles with Star Wars stands. The best deal is for a bundle featuring The Mandalorian‘s ever-so-adorable Baby Grogu for $46, or 41 percent off — that’s less than the normal price of the speaker by itself. You can also buy a Darth Vader bundle for $63 (30 percent off), and a Stormtrooper kit for the same price. Just remember that you’ll need to be a Prime subscriber to take advantage of these discounts.
You’ll also find bargains for the latest Echo Show displays, the higher-end Echo Studio and the entry-level Echo Pop. Fourth-gen Echo Dot bundles are also on sale.
The fifth-gen Echo Dot is ultimately a refinement of the previous model, but that’s not a bad thing. You’re getting surprisingly powerful sound for a budget speaker, an eye-catching design and the robust Alexa smart home ecosystem. This newest model ups the audio quality and adds a temperature sensor that can help check indoor conditions. This may be helpful if you want to keep a child’s room cool during the summer, for instance.
The current Echo Dot doesn’t have a 3.5mm jack like its predecessor, so it’s not your pick if you’re just looking to enhance a conventional speaker system. Likewise, there are still more capable speakers if audio quality is a priority. For the money, though, it’s difficult to find better.
Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/echo-dot-star-wars-bundles-are-up-to-41-percent-off-132748818.html?src=rss
The popstar and ‘The Lord of The Rings’ actor also cheered on a few matches, as they enjoyed the tennis tournament.
The popstar and ‘The Lord of The Rings’ actor also cheered on a few matches, as they enjoyed the tennis tournament.
After nearly six years of marriage, Ricky Martin and his husband Jwan Yosef are calling it quits.
After nearly six years of marriage, Ricky Martin and his husband Jwan Yosef are calling it quits.
Celebrating in style! While lounging in the pool, Salma Hayek rocked a gorgeous printed bikini in honor of National Bikini Day.
Celebrating in style! While lounging in the pool, Salma Hayek rocked a gorgeous printed bikini in honor of National Bikini Day.
