Apple’s latest AI project may be a web search tool

Apple continues to seek a foothold in the artificial intelligence race, and its next effort could bring the company into web search. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reports that Apple is building a search platform that it may incorporate into its AI-driven overhaul of Siri. Sources said the tool, internally called World Knowledge Answers, could also be added to the Safari web browser and the Spotlight smartphone search interface. Apple’s efforts in AI have been under the microscope since the lackluster introduction of Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024. Since then, the company appears to still be foundering, with its revitalized and AI-empowered Siri now not due to arrive until 2026. This proposed search tool would be part of that planned Siri re-launch next spring. Some core aspects of Siri are still up in the air. The company has reportedly trialed using Google’s Gemini to power a version of the AI assistant, although it hasn’t committed to using that approach. Considering an outside partnership for this critical feature is one path Apple could take to bolstering its AI offerings. CEO Tim Cook has also said the company is open to acquisitions to pursue its current roadmap. There were even rumors that the company had its eyes on snapping up Perplexity. Apple has historically avoided getting involved in search, but this development could reflect how more of its potential customers are turning to AI chatbots to access information online. And particularly if the company brings an AI option to Safari, Apple might be able to compete more directly to other tech majors that offer their own-branded chatbots, such as Google with Gemini or Microsoft with Copilot. It could also draw closer to parity with AI companies that are entering the browser game, such as Perplexity and OpenAI. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apples-latest-ai-project-may-be-a-web-search-tool-230618495.html?src=rss

OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT Projects to free users

OpenAI has announced that it’s making its Projects feature available to free users of ChatGPT. Projects let you organize chats with the company’s AI assistant around a specific subject, and were previously one of several privileges only enjoyed by paid subscribers. While on some level Projects are glorified folders for ChatGPT conversations, the ability to set custom instructions for how the AI responds or limit what information and files it can reference, makes the feature a useful option for power users. As part of this rollout, OpenAI is also increasing the number of files that can be added to a project for ChatGPT to reference. Free users can upload five, Plus subscribers can upload 25 and Pro subscribers can upload 40. Whether you pay for ChatGPT or not, you’ll also be able to customize the color and icon for your project, too. OpenAI has made a habit of slowly trickling down paid features to its free users over the last few years. Things like Deep Research and ChatGPT Voice started off as exclusives for the company’s subscribers before becoming available to everyone. Offering a formerly premium feature with limits is itself a way to get free customers to become paid ones. OpenAI’s decision to make the recently released GPT-5 model available to everyone at launch, but with harsher limits on how many times free users can use it follows a similar logic. Projects are available for free users on the web and in the ChatGPT app for Android. OpenAI says the iOS ChatGPT app will receive the feature “over the coming days.” This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-rolls-out-chatgpt-projects-to-free-users-215027802.html?src=rss

Paramount+ annual subscriptions are on sale for half-off

Sometimes, rising prices for streaming services feels as inevitable as death and taxes. So when a serious discount is available, we tend to sit up and take notice. For a few weeks, you can get a whopping half off an annual subscription to Paramount+. A year of the Paramount+ Essential plan, which is ad-supported, will cost $30 compared to the usual $60. Paramount+ Premium, which is ad-free except for live tv programming, will cost $60 for a year instead of $120. This is a substantial deal that both new and returning subscribers can take advantage of; it’s not uncommon for this type of serious discount to only be offered to a first-timer. Anyone who signs up for a year-long subscription to Paramount+ from now through September 18 will be able to get this pricing. The only real caveat with this deal is that you have to pay for the full year in advance; month-to-month subscriptions will still cost the usual rate. Paramount+ has some great programming options, particularly if you’re a fan of anything involving RuPaul. It’s also the home of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks, which are arguably the best modern additions to the sci-fi show’s canon, as well as the other past and present Star Trek series. The platform offers a solid lineup of sports as well. And if you opt to go for the Premium plan, you’ll also be granted access to Showtime titles such as Yellowjackets and the rebooted Dexter: Resurrection. Check out our coverage of the best streaming 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/paramount-annual-subscriptions-are-on-sale-for-half-off-212655020.html?src=rss

Roblox will require age verification for all users to access communication features

Roblox announced that it aims to roll out age estimation technology to all of its users by the end of 2025. Users on the gaming and social network will have to confirm their age in order to access communication features within the platform under the new policy. Roblox initially rolled out an age verification option to teen accounts in July as part of an effort to keep users younger than 13 from accessing select chat features. In addition to confirming ages for individual accounts, Roblox also said it plans to adopt new systems that will limit communication between adults and minors unless they already know each other offline. Age verification can be completed by providing a selfie that Roblox and its partner will analyze or by submitting an accepted form of identification. Roblox has drawn criticism for what many claim are failures to adequately protect younger users from bad actors, including facing lawsuits. The platform started rolling out more stringent policies aimed at child safety last year. These rules kept some interactive features away from the under 13 age group, while other additions were aimed at giving parents tools to curate their children’s experience. Age verification is becoming a go-to method to try and protect minors from accessing inappropriate content online. Utah was the first state to adopt a requirement to prove users’ ages in order to access app stores, and other states like Mississippi are placing similar requirements on social media networks. There have been legal challenges, however. The tech sector has been arguing that their platforms should not be responsible for confirming ages, while digital privacy advocates have questioned whether sufficient protections have been enacted to keep users’ personal information safe with these new laws. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/roblox-will-require-age-verification-for-all-users-to-access-communication-features-203653330.html?src=rss

Acer’s new gaming lineup includes an 18-inch AI laptop and a 720Hz monitor

Acer maintains two different gaming product lines and it’s updating both of them at IFA 2025. Among the new gear is a gigantic new 18-inch Predator laptop, an ultra high-refresh rate monitor and multiple entry-level Nitro laptops and monitors. The updated Predator Helios 18P AI is an even more powerful version of the Predator Helio 18 the company showed off at CES 2024, offering “desktop-level AI” in what’s still technically a portable body. Inside, you can get up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU and 6TB of SSD storage. For the display of the panel, you’ll get a Mini LED 4K panel, which should work well for creative workflows and gaming. Acer also says the new Helios uses its “proprietary thermal solution” to keep cool, which is a combination of thin metal fans, “liquid metal thermal grease” and vector heat pipes. Acer has new gaming desktop PCs, the Predator Orion 7000 and Orion 5000, which can use GeForce RTX 5090 or 5080 GPUs, respectively. The more exciting announcement, though, is the new Predator monitor. The Predator X27U F8 Monitor is a 26.5-inch OLED, with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and a ridiculous 720Hz refresh rate if you’re willing to run the monitor at 720p rather than 1440p. The X27U F8 monitor also supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro to eliminate screen tearing and stuttering. Acer On the Nitro side of the house, Acer has two new gaming laptops on offer. The Acer Nitro V 16 can be built with up to an Intel Core 9 processor and a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU. With NVIDIA inside, the laptop supports NVIDIA DLSS 4 for improved graphics performance. The laptop also comes with a 2,560 x 1,600 display that has up to an 180Hz refresh rate for fluid motion during fast-paced games. The Acer Nitro V 16S, while similar, is more focused on portability. The laptop has up to an Intel Core 9 processor, but only a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU, the same 180Hz display, in a metal body that’s 19.9mm thin. That’s not quite MacBook Air dimensions, but it’s better than nothing. Acer is pairing those new laptops with a collection of new Nitro monitors. The largest option is the 39.7-inch curved Nitro XZ403CKR monitor, which uses a 5K panel, has built-in 5W speakers and supports AMD FreeSync Premium for fluid gameplay. If you like 5K but don’t want a curved screen, there’s the 27-inch Nitro XV270X, which includes two built-in 2W speakers. You can get similar speakers on the 27-inch Nitro XV273U W1 monitor, which has a 27-inch 1440p display that reaches 500 nits of peak brightness. Finally, there’s also the Nitro XV275K V6, which features a 27-inch 4K display, AMD FreeSync Premium and dual HDMI 2.1 ports. Acer hasn’t announced a final price or release for the Predator Helios 18P AI laptop, but did confirm it will be available in North America at launch. The Predator X27U F8 monitor, meanwhile, will go on sale in Q1 2026 for $1,300. For the Nitro laptops, Acer says the Nitro V 16 will be available in the US in October starting at $1,000, with the Acer Nitro V 16S arriving a month later in November for $1,100. For the Nitro monitors, all three will be available in Q1 2026. The Acer Nitro XV25K V6 starts at $700, the Acer Nitro XV273U W1 starts at $300, the Acer Nitro XV270X starts at $900 and the Acer Nitro XZ403CKR starts at $1,000. Update, September 3 2025, 3:34PM ET: Updated the article to clarify that the Predator X27U F8 Monitor only hits its 720Hz refresh rate when it’s displaying content in 720p. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/acers-new-gaming-lineup-includes-an-18-inch-ai-laptop-and-a-720hz-monitor-090009032.html?src=rss

007 First Light is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC on March 27

A PlayStation State of Play showcase all about 007 First Light shed some light on how Hitman developer IO Interactive’s James Bond game works. The stream also disclosed what was, until now, a top-secret nugget of intel: the release date. 007 First Light is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, Steam and Epic Games Store on March 27. The State of Play included a partial playthrough of the first mission, which sees Bond stealthily tailing a suspicious bellhop through a fancy hotel. Some time later, Bond breaks into a car to chase down a target, which leads into an explosive shootout. In a neat touch, Bond is granted a license to kill when enemies are about to shoot at him. One of my favorite bits from the gameplay deep dive showed Bond pushing an enemy off a ledge and using the baddie to break his own fall.  Bond uses all the tricks of the trade, including distractions, gadgets and sweet talking NPCs. As with the Hitman series, you’ll have plenty of options as to how to complete your objectives. Being a Bond project, of course there’s plenty of product placement too. You can read more details about what to expect from the game in our preview.  In addition, IO Interactive revealed the game’s main cast during the State of Play. Patrick Gibson (The Tudors, Dexter: Original Sin) is playing 007. The cast also includes Priyanga Burford as M, Alastair Mackenzie as Q, Kiera Lester as Miss Moneypenny, Lennie James as John Greenway and Noemie Nakai as Miss Roth. What are the odds that at least one of those will turn out to be a double agent?  Pre-orders are open now. If you do lock in a pre-order for the $70 base edition, you’ll get a free upgrade to 007 First Light – Deluxe Edition, which includes 24 hours of early access, as well as exclusive outfits and skins for weapons and gadgets. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/007-first-light-is-coming-to-ps5-xbox-series-xs-nintendo-switch-2-and-pc-on-march-27-191011686.html?src=rss

The best E Ink tablets for 2025

I’m a longtime lover of pen and paper, so E Ink tablets have been intriguing to me ever since they started becoming more widely available. After having hundreds of half-filled notebooks over the years, I, at some point, turned to digital tools instead because it was just easier to store everything on my phone or laptop so I always had my most important information at my fingertips. E-Ink tablets seem to provide the best of both worlds: the tactile satisfaction of regular notebooks with many of the conveniences found in digital tools, plus easy-on-the-eyes E-Ink screens. These devices have come a long way in recent years — now you can find them in multiple sizes, some have color E Ink screens and others double as full-blow ereaders with access to ebook stores and your local library’s offerings. I’ve tested out close to a dozen E Ink tablets over the past few years to see how well they work, how convenient they really are and which are the best tablets using E Ink screens available today. Table of contents Best E Ink tablets for 2025 Are E Ink tablets worth it? What to look for in an E Ink tablet Other E Ink tablets we’ve tested Best E Ink tablets for 2025 Are E Ink tablets worth it? An E Ink tablet will be a worthwhile purchase to a very select group of people. If you prefer the look and feel of an e paper display to LCD panels found on traditional tablets, it makes a lot of sense. They’re also good options for those who want a more paper-like writing experience (although you can get that kind of functionality on a regular tablet with the right screen protector) or a more distraction-free device overall. The final note is key here. Many E Ink tablets don’t run on the same operating systems as regular tablets, so you’re automatically going to be limited in what you can do. And even with those that do allow you to download traditional apps like Chrome, Instagram and Facebook, E Ink tablets are not designed to give you the best casual-browsing experience. This is mostly due to the nature of E Ink displays, which have noticeable refreshes, a lack of vibrant colors and lower picture quality than the panels you’ll find on even the cheapest iPad. Arguably the biggest reason why you wouldn’t want to go with an iPad (all models of which support stylus input, a plethora of reading apps, etc) is because it’s much easier to get distracted by email, social media and other Internet-related temptations. What to look for in an E Ink tablet Writing and latency Arguably the most important thing to consider when looking for an E Ink tablet is the writing experience. How good it is will depend a lot on the display’s refresh rate (does it refresh after every time you put pen to “paper,” or at a different regular interval) and the stylus’ latency. Most of the tablets I’ve tested have little to no latency, but some are certainly better than others. Finally, you should double check before buying that your preferred E Ink tablet comes with a stylus, or if you need to purchase one separately. Reading How much will you be reading books, documents and other things on this tablet? E Ink tablets come in many sizes, but most of them tend to be larger than your standard e-reader because it makes writing much easier. Having a larger display isn’t a bad thing, but it might make holding it for long periods slightly more uncomfortable. (Most e-readers are roughly the size of a paperback book, giving you a similar feeling to analog reading). The supported file types for e-books can also make a big difference. It’s hard to make a blanket statement here because this varies so much among E Ink tablets. The TL;DR is that you’ll have a much better reading experience if you go with one made by a company that already has a history in e-book sales (i.e. Amazon or Kobo). All of the titles you bought via the Kindle or Kobo store should automatically be available to you on your Kindle or Kobo E Ink tablet. Also with Kindle titles, specifically, since they are protected by DRM, it’s not necessarily the best idea to try to bring those titles over to a third-party device. Unless the tablet runs an operating system like Android that supports downloads for apps like Kindle and Kobo, you’ll be limited to supported file types, like ePUB, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, PNG and others. Search functionality Most E Ink tablets have some on-device search features, but they can vary widely between models. You’ll want to consider how important it is to you to be able to search through all your handwritten notes and markups. I noticed in my testing that Amazon’s and Kobo’s E Ink tablets made it easy to refer back to notes made in books and files because they automatically save to the specific pages on which you took notes, made highlights and more. Searching is less standardized on E Ink tablets that have different supported file types, but their features can be quite powerful in their own right. For example, a few devices I tested supported text search in handwritten notes along with handwriting recognition, the latter of which allows you to translate your scribbles into typed text. Sharing and connectivity While we established that E Ink tablets can be great distraction-free devices, most manufacturers understand that your notes and doodles aren’t created in a vacuum. You may want to access them elsewhere, and that requires some form of connectivity. All of the E Ink tablets I tried have Wi-Fi support, and some support cloud syncing, companion mobile apps and the ability to export notes via email so you can access them elsewhere. None of them, however, integrate directly with a digital note taking system like Evernote or OneNote, so these devices will always be

reMarkable’s Paper Pro Move is a pocketable version of its e-paper tablet

reMarkable knows you’d like to use its e-paper tablet on the go, but the size of its current products don’t make that easy. To address this, it’s launching a smaller, pocket-sized version of its flagship slate for folks who can’t luxuriate at a desk or armchair to do their thinking. The reMarkable Paper Pro Move is a slate with a 7.3-inch display that’s the same size as a reporter’s notepad. It’s a device that Chief Product Officer Mats Herding Solberg says is perfect for getting “real work done while standing up and holding it in one hand.” Now, I’m on record saying that I love reMarkable’s products, and its ethos, but the bit about being able to do good work while standing up? That’s a harder sell. reMarkable makes devices for serious, intentional work shorn of the myriad distractions inherent in modern computing. You can read, annotate and edit documents on its e-paper display, as well as write with either a stylus or a compatible keyboard. Its first device launched in 2016 and its second in 2020 with the third, the Paper Pro, arriving last year. The Paper Pro heralded a number of changes, including a bigger display (11.8-inch, up from 10.3-inch), a backlight, faster internals and, for the first time, the ability to reproduce color. Nico Cormier, the company’s CTO, said the previous three models were really designed “for people who have a desk, people in a controlled environment.” The focus here was to build a reMarkable slate that could easily fit in a pocket or purse for work on the go. After a lot of prototyping, product manager Jon Dalvang said the team used the reporter’s notepad as the template for how the hardware should feel. At first blush, the Paper Pro Move just looks like a slimmed down version of the Paper Pro from last year. If the company said it just threw some of its bigger tablets into a boil wash and they came out looking like this, you’d be tempted to believe them (I’m joking). But while they look and feel very similar, reMarkable made it clear that a lot of work had to go into reengineering the hardware and software to reach this smaller size. The reMarkable Paper Pro Move measures 7.6 inches tall and 4.3 inches wide, with a 7.3-inch version of the same Canvas Color display found in its larger sibling. Inside, you’ll find a 1.7GHz dual-core Cortex A55 processor (compared to the Paper Pro’s 1.8GHz, quad-core Cortex A53 one). It has the same 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage as found on the bigger model, and while the battery has shrunk from 5,030mAh to 2,344mAh, the promise of two weeks of battery life remains the same. Similarly, you’ll find the same ridged edge banding (to evoke the feeling of a sheaf of paper) as on the Paper Pro. And the power button and USB-C ports are in the same place (bottom edge and top left corner, respectively), too. Dalvang explained that the changes are far more subtle, and designed to improve the user experience. For instance, the back cover has the same “high-friction surface” as found on the company’s styluses to improve friction. reMarkable believes users should always use their device with a folio for protection. After all, no matter how hardy a device like this is, it might not do too well if it’s dropped onto a curb from chest height. Such are the perils of using any device on the go. Daniel Cooper for Engadget The smaller chassis and smaller display pushed the company to make a lot of changes to the software. The Paper Pro’s 11.8-inch screen is positively luxurious compared to what’s here and, in usual reMarkable fashion, the details have been sweated. For instance, you can now drag and drop the toolbar, letting you pick a position in both portrait and landscape modes. The company also focused on ensuring gesture navigation is more efficient since you’ll need to use it a lot more frequently here. I’ve maintained that reMarkable’s products work fine with a stylus, but only really become truly useful when paired with a keyboard. After all, it’s at that point that you have a pure, distraction free writing machine that enables you to get focused work done. But with the Move, the only way to write and edit text is with the on-screen keyboard, and the company has already ruled out making a smaller version of the Type Folio. On one hand, it’s logical since a keyboard for a 7.3-inch tablet would be fairly small, and using the equivalent of a Nokia 9210 to get work done would be a pain. But I’d have preferred the ability to pair up any old Bluetooth keyboard if I needed to write something out and this was my device of choice. For the bigger models, I grudgingly accept the company omitting Bluetooth to help encourage sales of the type folio, but here, its absence is churlish. Now, I often use old-school reporters notebooks, especially when I’m on the go at a big tech trade show. I like their small size, the big volume of paper at hand and the fact that they fit in the back pocket of my pants. The spiral binding makes it easy to flip pages and is a neat place to hold my pen, making it practical and effective, if not particularly good-looking. Since the Paper Pro has the same footprint as one, I could easily see this as a useful tool when I’m on the go. The notebooks I use measure five by eight inches, giving me plenty of space to write. It’s here, however, that I started to see the issue with the Move, given its usable writing area is closer to 3.6 by 6.4 inches. That puts your writing area in the same territory as the not-quite-A6 you’d find if you used Field Notes or one of its many imitators. reMarkable knows this, and believes users will more

The best mesh Wi-Fi systems of 2025

A Wi-Fi mesh system is one of the best upgrades you can make to improve your home’s internet coverage, especially if you’ve ever struggled with dead zones, buffering or dropped video calls. Unlike a single router that broadcasts from one central point, a mesh system uses multiple access points spread throughout your space to blanket your entire home with a strong, seamless Wi-Fi signal. Whether you’re working on multiple laptops, streaming 4K video in the living room or gaming online in the basement, a mesh setup helps ensure you get reliable Wi-Fi wherever you are. These systems are designed to handle the demands of modern households, offering features like dual-band or even tri-band connectivity to balance your bandwidth across devices, and automatic updates to keep your firmware current. Many also support high-speed internet plans and include options for a wired connection if you need extra stability for gaming or work. With easy setup, smart app controls and long-term future-proofing, the best mesh Wi-Fi router systems can eliminate the need for clunky Wi-Fi extenders and give you fast, dependable Wi-Fi connections across your whole home. Table of contents Best mesh Wi-Fi systems for 2025 What to look for in a mesh Wi-Fi system Other mesh Wi-Fi router systems we tested How we test Wi-Fi routers Mesh Wi-Fi system FAQs Best mesh Wi-Fi systems for 2025 What to look for in a mesh Wi-Fi system Linksys’ CEO Jonathan Bettino told Engadget why mesh systems are an “advancement in Wi-Fi technology” over buying a single point router. With one transmitter, the signal can degrade the further away from the router you go, or the local environment isn’t ideal. “You can have a small [home], but there’s thick walls […] or things in the way that just interfere with your wireless signal,” he said. Historically, the solution to a home’s Wi-Fi dead zone was to buy a Wi-Fi extender but Bettino said the hardware has both a “terrible user experience” and one of the highest return rates of any consumer electronics product. Mesh Wi-Fi, by comparison, offers “multiple nodes that can be placed anywhere in your home,” says Bettino, resulting in “ubiquitous Wi-Fi” that feels as if you have a “router in every room.” Rather than having one main router in your home, having a “router in every room” is the biggest selling point for mesh Wi-Fi given how reliant we all are on the internet. Each node is in constant contact with each other, broadcasting a single, seamless network to all of your connected devices. There’s no separate network for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, just a single name that you connect to. It’s a good time to buy a mesh Wi-Fi system since the latest standard, Wi-Fi 6E, represents a big leap in the technology. Matt MacPherson, Cisco’s Chief Technology Officer for Wireless, said Wi-Fi 6E is a big “inflection point,” using much more of the wireless spectrum than its predecessors. “If you’re using that spectrum with a Wi-Fi 6 [device],” he said, “you’re going to get significant gains [in speed.]” MacPherson added Wi-Fi 6E will likely “carry you for a long time” thanks to the fact its “top throughputs now typically exceed what people can actually connect their home to.” In short, with a top theoretical per-stream speed of 1.2 Gbps, Wi-Fi 6E is fast enough to outrun all but the fastest internet service. What do all these Wi-Fi numbers and letters mean? I’m sorry folks, we need to get boringly technical for one paragraph, but I promise you it’s worth it. Wi-Fi is governed by International Standard IEEE 802.11, and every few years a letter gets added onto that name when the technology evolves and improves. Until 2019, routers were sold under their IEEE name, leaving users to pick through the word soup of a product labeled 802.11 b/g/a/n/ac and so on. Mercifully, wiser heads opted to rebrand the letters as numbers, so rather than 802.11 b/g/a/n/ac, we have Wi-Fi 1, 2, 3 4 and 5. Right now, we’re in the middle of one of those Wi-Fi generations, with most of the gear on sale right now supporting either Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E. What’s the difference between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E? Wi-Fi uses chunks of the radio frequency spectrum, with Wi-Fi 6 using the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands to pump data around. In fact, back in the old days, it was likely your home router would offer you the choice of the 2.4GHz or the 5GHz network, as separate bands to access. These days, all of the spectrums are tied together as one thing, and Wi-Fi 6E has the added ability to use the 6GHz band as well. That’s a big chunk of extra wireless real estate that isn’t as cluttered up as the 2.4 and 5GHz bands. You’re going to talk about wireless frequencies now, aren’t you. Each Wi-Fi band had tradeoffs, because the slower radio frequencies have greater range but less speed. 2.4GHz signals will travel a long way in your home but aren’t quick, while 6GHz is blisteringly fast but can be defeated by a sturdy brick wall. A lot of Wi-Fi-enabled gear you own, like smart home products, only use the 2.4GHz band because the range is better and it’s a lot cheaper. But it means that the band is also overcrowded and slow, making it great for your doorbell and robovac, but lackluster for Twitch streaming. So, what am I looking for? Right now, the market is full of mature Wi-Fi 6 and 6E devices, and most new systems available to buy are capable of taking advantage of the faster speeds they offer. This guide focuses on Wi-Fi 6E gear since it’s what we think it’s more than enough to satisfy almost everyone’s at-home Wi-Fi needs. What about Wi-Fi 7? We’re now seeing the first generation of Wi-Fi 7 devices available to buy, but we don’t recommend you do so immediately. The Wi-Fi 7 standard is still so new that there’s little

Acer’s Swift 16 Air laptop weighs less than 2.2 pounds

Acer just unveiled the new Swift 16 Air laptop at IFA 2025. The biggest selling point here is likely the weight. The 16-inch laptop clocks in at just over two pounds, which is lighter than a 13-inch MacBook Air. The Swift 16 Air is available with two display options. There’s a standard IPS panel and an AMOLED. The AMOLED does tick the weight up a bit to 2.4 pounds, which is worth considering. Acer The overall specs here are solid. These computers are powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors, with options up to the AI 7 350. They also come with AMD Radeon GPUs. The battery life is pretty decent, allowing for up to 13 hours of use per charge. There’s a webcam with a privacy shutter and plenty of connectivity options. These include a pair of USB-C ports, two USB-A ports and an HDMI port. Finally, each laptop ships with two speakers and two microphones. The Acer Swift 16 Air will be available this November in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. We don’t have pricing or availability information for the US yet, but the starting cost in Europe translates to around $1,160. Acer The company also used IFA to introduce the TravelMate X4 AI. This is a lightweight Copilot+ PC with Intel Core Ultra Processors. It weighs less than three pounds and meets MIL-STD810H durability standards. It ships later this month, with a starting price of $1,400. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/acers-swift-16-air-laptop-weighs-less-than-22-pounds-090029625.html?src=rss