The 2020s have been the work from home decade. Many corporate jobs are either fully remote or hybrid at this point, and the long-term switch is leaving many workers in need of a dedicated office space at home to maintain work-life balance. Others just use it as a justification to finally make the fully decked-out home office of their dreams.
The more accessible price couldn't be more relevant now -- in the face of market uncertainty and the threat of increased prices on consumer goods. I recently went hands-on with it by setting it up in my home office and using it for both work and entertainment over the course of a few weeks, and it's grown on me as a capable budget option -- with a few important notes. Let's dive in.
When I was 18, I bought a heavily reduced MiniDisc player. This wasn't even what you could charitably call fashionably late, given the format was already on its last legs, but I loved it, and because nobody else was interested, blank discs were dirt cheap. I have a vague recollection of grabbing packs at Poundland, allowing me to create a glorious self-curated library of cheap music, five years before the birth of Spotify.
If you've been running out of storage on your PC or PS5, or you just want an SSD that's faster than what you have, here's a great deal: the PCIe Gen 5-compatible 990 Evo Plus M.2 SSD from Samsung is selling at a bargain today, with its 2TB and 4TB versions selling for $99.99 and $199.99, respectively, at B&H Photo. If you want to hop on this deal before the prices go back up, you have until the end of the day.
DIY laptop mods that blend modern hardware with retro aesthetics are having a moment, and it's easy to understand why. Modern ultrabooks prioritize thinness and portability over tactile satisfaction, leaving many users longing for the chunky, satisfying keyboards and analog controls that made 1990s laptops feel substantial and purposeful. One ambitious modder has answered that call with something truly special.
As a food writer (and, you know, loving mother), I probably shouldn't admit this, but until I started using PackIt's modular lunch containers, I really hated packing my kids' lunches. Each box comes with two dividers that can be popped into any of the eleven grooves, so you can make your lunchbox work for your lunch, versus trying to cram food into fixed-size containers. They're super durable, completely dishwasher safe, and the lid is leakproof.
It has been just over a month since 8Bitdo released its Pro 3 controller. While the new model is a great option, its predecessor shouldn't be kicked to the wayside especially when it's on sale. Right now, Prime members can get the 8Bitdo Pro 2 wireless Bluetooth controller and a travel case for $40, down from $60. The 34 percent discount solves our biggest gripe about the device: that it's too big to carry around sans case.
Rocky Mountain does things its own way. Instead of contracting with an e-bike drive unit manufacturer like Bosch or Fazua, the brand developed its own. In 2017, Rocky introduced the Dyname 3.0, and in 2022, the improved Dyname 4.0. Two years later, the Dyname drive system slimmed up, with the introduction of the Dyname-S4 Lite for the SL version of the Instinct Powerplay. Now, owners of the Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL can add more boost with a firmware update to the SL motor.
The library is impressively stacked. Over 200 video games from yester-year, spanning the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, and Atari 7800 along with Atari Arcade as well as Jaleco and PIKO platforms. Play titles like Breakout, PAC-MAN, Balls of Steel, Missile Command, Centipede, and Asteroids. They all come pre-loaded, no download necessary. It does state is has built-in Wi-Fi for easy updates, but it's unclear if that could mean more games added at some point in the future.
vivo just launched its latest Y-series phones in India with the Y31 5G and Y31 Pro 5G. The vanilla model comes in as the successor to last year's vivo Y29 and features the same 6.68-inch IPS LCD (HD+ 120Hz) with 1000 nits brightness and an 8MP selfie cam. The chipset is now a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, which replaces the Dimensity 6300 on the Y29.
HP's OmniBook Flip series has impressed us here at ZDNET this past year, stepping up as affordable, versatile laptops for a variety of everyday use cases for students or professionals. We recently reviewed the OmniBook X Flip 16, the larger model of the series, noting its brilliant display and solid performance for the price. Now, I've been using the 14-inch variety (with an AMD processor) and found it equally practical.
Gone is the circular camera island that had been a key component of the high-end OnePlus models. Now there's a square with rounded off corners and painted in black - it holds three cameras, a pair and one on its own. We don't see the flip side, but it will allegedly have a flat 6.78" 1.5K" display with a higher 165Hz refresh rate. By the way, we heard that the phone will come in three colors: Dune, Absolute Black and Mist Purple.
You don't know true fear until you've accidentally shifted items on a hotel minibar shelf and heard your travel buddy panic that you're about to be charged $18 for a tiny bottle of Tito's vodka, even if it is one of the most popular vodka brands to stock in your home bar. The dreaded minibar has been both a blessing and a curse to the tired traveler, providing a quick fix when needed but often charging an astronomical amount for otherwise inexpensive items.
You can make streaming all your favorite movies and shows a seamless experience with the help of a Fire TV. Specifically, the Fire TV Cube which is the most feature-packed streaming device in Amazon's lineup. Right now, Amazon, has it marked down by a solid 29%. Normally, you'd find the Fire TV Cube going for $140, but after the discount, it comes down to just $100. That'll save you a whole $40 for a limited time.
We've often heard from our community that Snapchatters want to save their chats forever. Infinite Retention can now be enabled for each individual conversation, and everyone receives a clear notification when the setting changes.
To mark the 40th anniversary of the release of the Super Mario Bros video game, SF's Union Square Nintendo Store is bringing in Mario this weekend, or rather, someone in a Mario mascot suit that you can take pictures with. The Chronicle reported Monday morning that Nintendo video game star character Mario will be visiting SF's Union Square Nintendo Store this weekend, on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Lightweight or full power? That is the big question for many when shopping for eMTBs. Rocky Mountain Bikes presents a compelling argument for mid-weight mid-power with their Instinct Powerplay SL. Its Dyname S4 Lite motor provides ample boost power to ride any trail, and its 480Wh battery offers enough range to last longer than a lot of riders' legs and lungs!
Many laptops offer a simple utility to its user; with nondescript design, understated performance, and generic features. Y'know, 90% of what you see in any given café or hotdesking office. Then you have 'power laptops', bigger, bulkier studio or gaming machines, with a thicker chassis to house a dedicated graphics card and maybe a touch of flair to their external design, to allow their now-impoverished/indebted owner to show off a bit.
Just last week, the Poco F7 Ultra was €580 for a 12/256GB unit and €650 for the 16/512GB upgrade. This week you can grab the upgraded model for €600. The Ultra boasts Snapdragon 8 Elite power and a sharp 6.67" 1440p+ display, plus a 5,300mAh battery with 120W wired and 50W wireless charging. It has a 50MP (1/1.55", OIS) main, 50MP 2.5x/60mm telephoto and 32MP ultra-wide cameras.
hands on Folding smartphones have been with us for six years without winning much market share, but after two weeks using Samsung's latest model, and recent reports of surging sales in the category, it feels to me like dual-screened devices are something developers now need to consider. For those who came in late, Samsung set one standard for foldables with 2019's Galaxy Fold, a device that looks like a conventional smartphone but which opens like a book to reveal the double-width display inside.
Asus had a big partnership with Harman Kardon, stamping their name on notebooks that delivered surprisingly rich audio. Dell's XPS series had a long running deal with JBL, and their laptops often had a fuller sound than you'd expect. Then there was HP, which made a massive splash by integrating Beats Audio into its Pavilion and Envy lineup when the brand was at its absolute peak. It was a clear signal to buyers; these machines were not just for work, they were for entertainment.
I love to cook, so naturally my kitchen cabinets are filled to the brim with spices, condiments, and sauces I've picked up during various farmers market runs, international trips, and grocery store visits. Organizing these spice rubs and infused oils is easier said than done when I'm ready to try a new recipe, and I usually end up pulling out half of my cabinet's contents to find that one jar that was hidden in the very back.
The Infinix GT 30 is built around a 6.78" LTPS AMOLED display having 2,720x1,224-pixel resolution and 4,500 nits of peak brightness. The panel has a 144Hz refresh rate, up to 240Hz touch sampling rate, and 10-bit color depth. Moreover, the display is protected by Gorilla Glass 7i and supports the Always On Display function, which, in reality, isn't always on since the screen only shows information when you tap it. We find this misleading and would like Infinix to fix it with a software update.
Euphree's Solar Sparrow is one of the brand's most affordable models, but it still carries the hallmarks of a Euphree experience: comfort, style, and adaptability. It's not just their lower-priced option, it's also the brand's lightest e-bike in the lineup, simplified with a clean Gates Carbon Belt Drive that keeps maintenance to a minimum. Euphree has never aimed for bargain-basement pricing or luxury exclusivity; instead, it carves out a middle ground with well-chosen features at reasonable costs.
Google has accidentally leaked its new Nest security cameras and video doorbell line. Setup options appeared in the Google Home app for wired versions of the Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen), and Nest Doorbell (3rd gen), as reported by Android Authority. The options now appear to have been removed, but an eagle-eyed Redditor also found the new products locked up at Home Depot, ready to go on sale.
I currently have two SodaStreams in my kitchen. The Terra and the Art. From a fizzing perspective, there's really no difference between the two - they both carbonate my water as energetically as I need them to (five pumps, if you're asking). But I have to say the design is another thing altogether - only one brings one of the most influential interior design trends to your kitchen.
Projectors have long been a staple for home theaters, but the TCL PlayCube introduces a fresh perspective-literally. Inspired by the iconic Rubik's Cube, this compact device brings a playful yet powerful approach to projection. With its 90° free rotation design, the PlayCube allows users to tilt, twist, and adjust angles seamlessly, making it as versatile as it is innovative. From movie nights indoors to backyard screenings, this projector was engineered to meet modern entertainment demands without compromise.
The Chinese brand said it's introducing the 4GB RAM model "in response to the strong consumer demand for an even more affordable performance-driven smartphone." Poco has neither revealed the 4GB RAM model's price nor the amount of storage it will have; however, it confirmed that the 4GB RAM version will go on sale in India exclusively through Flipkart starting September 23, with early access for Flipkart Black and Plus users beginning a day before.
Oppo's Find X9 Pro will feature a dedicated (but sold separately) imaging kit from Hasselblad, the company's own Zhou Yibao has revealed today on Weibo. The Find Series Product Lead references the speculative image below, which got outed previously, and clarifies that the actual imaging kit looks different from what you can see here. In addition to this kit, specially designed for the Pro by Oppo together with Hasselblad, Zhou says the vanilla Find X9 won't be forgotten either, with some video accessories made specifically
The Dell 27 Plus 4K is the best example of this trend I've seen so far. It might not have all the bells and whistles of a Dell UltraSharp monitor, nor the mind-blowing image quality of the Dell 32 Plus OLED. But for my money, this is the best monitor the average person working from home should buy-especially when it's on discount. I've seen it dip as low as $254, and that's a steal for what you get.
