mark hachman foundry
Kensington Triple 4K TB5 dock review: Killer speeds, but a few glitches
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Kensington's Triple 4K docking station excels on performance, but its stability is more in question. Kensington's Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station (SD5010T5) is an attractively priced 13-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 dock, with excellent performance but questionable stability. Kensington's Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station (SD5010T5, sometimes referred to as the SD5010T5 EQ) feels like a 13-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 dock for the PC, rather than the Mac, with multiple HDMI ports rather than a host of Thunderbolt upstream connections. Performance is stellar; stability, less so.
I turned off most Windows notifications, and I'm not going back
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. I turned off most Windows notifications, and I'm not going back Your PC does not need your attention this badly! Windows notifications are a productivity tax. Here's how to control -- or better yet, eliminate -- them. Well, maybe not notifications themselves, but what they implicitly represent: pieces of information or action that you need to act on or react to .
eMeet SmartCam C960 Ultra webcam review: Almost perfect
Only the surprisingly bad mics hold back the eMeet SmartCam C960 Ultra 4K webcam from what could have been a perfect score. The eMeet C960 Ultra 4K webcam is a well-constructed, affordable, 4K autofocus camera with terrific image quality. However, the input mics are truly bad. It's hard to find anything to dislike about the eMeet C960 Ultra 4K autofocus webcam, which continues the industry's trend to provide 4K resolution at ever-lower prices. The key here is the webcam's 1/1.5-inch sensor, unusually large for the price range, which helps the camera excel in low-light situations.
AltTabby puts a fresh spin on Windows' Alt Tab shortcut
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. AltTabby puts a fresh spin on Windows' Alt+Tab shortcut AltTabby joins Start11, Fences, Groupy, and other Stardock utilities to enhance Windows 11. Now, Stardock Software is giving it its own flavor with AltTabby, adding smarter grouping, custom layouts, and an improved search experience. Stardock has already "fixed" other features within Windows: Start11 V2 reworks the Start menu, while Fences keeps your desktop tidy . Groupy 2 manages app windows like browser tabs .
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i review: An underwhelming 899 laptop
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Like, why should laptop buyers invest in a new PC right now? Especially given the astronomical component prices. Should buyers invest in a new budget processor like Intel's Wildcat Lake? I don't dislike Lenovo's 15-inch IdeaPad Slim 3i, which boasts a brand-new Intel Core Series 3 chip. This "Wildcat Lake" chip is a stripped-down version of Intel's superb Panther Lake processor, and it sort of feels like it is right out of the box. But the performance is blah, and a recent Snapdragon version of this IdeaPad laptop seems to offer more for the money.
I tried Google's AI glasses. They're what Google Glass always wanted to be
PCWorld reports Google's new Gemini-powered smart glasses prototype represents a refined approach to smart eyewear, manufactured by Samsung with discreet camera and touch controls. The lightweight glasses integrate Google's AI assistant for real-world navigation, search functions, and phone replacement capabilities while maintaining a normal sunglasses appearance. Despite improved public acceptance and seamless design, limitations include basic heads-up display, battery concerns, and sometimes forced AI features. A decade after Google launched Google Glass to spectacular failure, it's trying again. And I think that the world (and I) will be more receptive to what Google's online AI interpreter, Gemini, can do when plugged into your ear.
Your laptop has a hidden control panel Windows won't show you
PCWorld reveals that laptop manufacturers include hidden utility apps offering advanced controls for battery charging, display color gamuts, fan speeds, and audio settings not available in Windows. These manufacturer-specific applications like Lenovo Vantage and MyAsus provide essential features including battery conservation modes, OLED burn-in protection, and performance adjustments without requiring reboots. Users should explore their laptop's pre-installed utility software to unlock customization options, monitor system health, and access firmware updates for improved security and performance. You probably know how to tweak your mouse, control your background, and adjust your laptop's sleep times, all from the Windows Settings pages. But there's a whole host of new capabilities hidden away within your laptop's utility application, and it may be the only place to find them.
Meet Qira AI, Lenovo's big bet on an ever-present AI helper
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Qira sounds like it will be a staple app on Lenovo PCs, similar to its Vantage software. If you've been waiting -- like we have -- for truly useful artificial-intelligence applications to land on your laptop, Lenovo has an answer: Qira, a Lenovo-authored AI app that will live on new, select Lenovo PCs and Qira smartphones in the first quarter of 2026. Lenovo describes Qira as an "ambient" intelligence, which might be both good or bad; Windows' Clippy was famously an assistant which tried to understand what you were doing and offer assistance. Qira sounds like something similar, though with the intent that it "follows" you from Lenovo device to Lenovo device, or on to a Motorola smartphone as well, using a combination of agents and other tasks.
Framework Desktop review: A powerful AI PC, made with love
The Framework Desktop DIY Edition is a thoughtfully engineered small-form-factor desktop PC that is both an entry point into enthusiast computing as well as a powerful AI desktop in its own right. The Framework Desktop DIY Edition is unique: a do-it-yourself desktop without the complexity of building from scratch, forming a compact, personalized "AI workstation." If you're nervous about a less-familiar brand, don't be. Multiple photos show how to tighten a thumbscrewโthat's how comfortable they want you to be. I can point to a few things that I thought needed improvement: soldered memory, a beta driver bundle that should be finalized by the time you buy it, and a top panel which didn't clip in as easily as I would have liked. Inserting the SSD stressed me out a bit, too. But Framework's eye for customization (colored tiles you can design and install yourself, plus your choice of I/O) lends itself to fun and productivity. The AMD Ryzen AI Max (Strix Halo) chip inside is slightly out of the ordinary, with its do-everything design. I have high praise for the Framework Desktop, and think you will too.
AMD's powerful AI chips can finally be unleashed on Windows PCs
AMD's hardware teams have tried to redefine AI inferencing with powerful chips like the Ryzen AI Max and Threadripper. But in software, the company has been largely absent where PCs are concerned. That's changing, AMD executives say. AMD's Advancing AI event Thursday focused on enterprise-class GPUs like its Instinct lineup. But it's a software platform you may not have heard of, called ROCm, that AMD depends upon just as much.