Specialized webcams that support Windows Hello are still, surprisingly, rare. Microsoft's secure-login system using fingerprint, biometric, and facial recognition technology is, after all, a unique feature of Windows 10 and Windows 11. It makes sense users would want to pair a desktop PC or older laptop with a Windows Hello-compatible camera in order to get its convenient security benefits. You might think that Microsoft's just-announced Modern Webcam would be an option, but, alas, it offers no Windows Hello support! That omission is even weirder given that Microsoft's Windows 10 21H1 release prioritizes external, Windows Hello-enabled webcams over the integrated laptop camera.

We've become used to thinking of Chromebooks as simple productivity machines: a web interface for classwork, online productivity apps, and not much else. But there are many ways to game on a Chromebook, too. You have three options to play games on most modern Chromebooks: as a web app, an Android app, or remotely via one of the prior two ways. Gaming on a Chromebook can mean playing the same games you'd play on a PC, but given all the options you could argue that the diversity of games on a Chromebook is richer than that of a PC. As we'll explain, though, many of the gaming opportunities a Chromebook offers depends on accessing a game on a remote server. The quality of such gaming experiences will depend on the quality of your Internet connection and, to some extent, on what processor the Chromebook contains.

If you're looking for an attractive, easy-to-use smart filament bulb that won't break the bank, this inexpensive model from Bulbrite's Solana line makes for a solid choice. Available for $20, The Smart LED Filaments Tunable White A19 is a Wi-Fi-enabled bulb that doesn't require a hub, and unlike other smart filament bulbs in its price range, you can tune it from a warm white to a cool daylight temperature. Easy wireless setup and a sleek, intuitive app should please newcomers to the smart home market. Some key features are missing, however, such as proper sleep/wake modes as well as a vacation mode. And while the Bulbrite Solana bulb does support Alexa and Google Assistant, it lacks support for Apple's HomeKit and IFTTT.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano is just the kind of powerful, light, and long-lasting laptop you'll want to take with you on post-pandemic business trips--and it's handy even now just because it's so easy to take all over the house. It also performs right there in the ballpark with other 11th-gen Tiger Lake competitors, and at a hair under two pounds, it weighs less than almost all of them. Equipped with an IR camera for facial recognition, a presence-detecting radar, a 2K display with Dolby Vision HDR, and a premium keyboard, the X1 Nano covers the most bases for corporate users, and we haven't mentioned the superlative battery life yet. But with only two available ports (Thunderbolt 4, at least), you'll need to invest in a USB-C hub to connect legacy accessories. Lenovo offers nine versions of the ThinkPad X1 NanoRemove non-product link on its retail website.

If you've just been dumping dust, dirt, and debris from your Roomba's bin into the trash and then slapping it back into your trusty robovac, you're doing it wrong. It's easy to ignore, but there's a filter inside the bin compartment, and if you're not cleaning it regularly--and replacing it once in a while--your Roomba will get less and less efficient as it sweeps your floors. If you haven't been taking care of your Roomba's bin filter, it's never too late to start. The procedure for cleaning your Roomba's filter differs depending on which model you have. For the popular 600 series (I have a Roomba 675, for example), there's a curved filter that sits in the bin itself, while 800- and 900-series Roombas have a rectangular filter cartridge that fits into the top of the bin.

I thought I'd been doing a good job keeping my iRobot Roomba 675Remove non-product link clean, carefully pulling clumps of hair off its brushes and wheels and emptying its bin after every cleaning. Little did I know that dust and gunk were building up in places where I wasn't even looking. First, consider the metal charging contacts on the Roomba's base station. When was the last time you gave them a close look--or looked at them at all, for that matter? I sure hadn't, but when I did, I saw that instead of being completely silver, one of the two contacts had a rust-colored ring around it, while the other was almost completely discolored.

The two-year-old Yamaha BAR 400 is one of the least expensive soundbars around to offer high-resolution multi-room audio support, but you'll need to sacrifice other features--such as Dolby Atmos and a center channel--in the bargain. This 2.1-channel model boasts support for Yamaha's robust MultiCast multi-room audio platform and Apple's AirPlay 2, and it serves up solid 2D movie audio and top-notch music performance. But the $500 MusicCast BAR 400 lacks native support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, the two leading 3D audio formats that are fast becoming de rigueur in this price range, and its DTS Virtual:X mode sounds too harsh to be a viable substitute. With its $500 price tag and support for Yamaha's high-resolution MusicCast multi-room audio system, the two-year-old Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 is something of a throwback in Yamaha's soundbar lineup. In the past couple of years, Yamaha has focused more on budget-priced DTS Virtual:X soundbars (think $350 or less), none of which support MusicCast.

If you've just bought a new 4K TV, you might be wondering if you need to buy a new HDMI cable to go with it. The very fast answer is: Probably not. Here's how to tell if the final call is a yes or a no. An HDMI cable is just a conduit between your TV and media device, be it DVD, Blu-ray, or 4K UHD Blu-ray player; a media streamer; a video game console; or a PC. Different types of HDMI cables do exist, but their designations indicate how much data they can carry.

Amazon-owned Ring has unleashed a few upgraded versions of the six-year-old Ring Video Doorbell over the years, including the $230 Video Doorbell 3 Plus that went on sale in April, yet the original $100 Ring Video Doorbell has remained on sale as a budget option. Now comes word that the $100 model is finally getting its own update. Available for pre-order now and slated to ship on June 3, the second-generation Ring Video DoorbellRemove non-product link will keep the original's $100 price tag while adding new features such as improved video resolution, privacy zones, an additional "near" motion zone, and more. Starting with the basics, the revamped Ring Video Doorbell boosts its video resolution to 1080p, versus 720p for the first-generation model, along with "crisper" night vision and "improved" two-way audio quality. The new Video Doorbell features "privacy zones" that let you specify areas in the camera's 155-degree field of view that you don't want recorded or displayed in the Ring App's live view, while an additional "near zone" allows for motion detection in areas that are between five and 15 feet in front of your home.

Garage door openers are certainly convenient, but compared to the connected devices around our homes, they're nor very smart. But it doesn't have to be that way. Today, you can choose from two smart garage door remotes at all-time low Amazon prices to beef up your existing system: the Chamberlain MyQ for $50Remove non-product link, down from a list price of $80, or the Nexx Garage for $70Remove non-product link, down from a list price of $100. The MyQ smart garage door hub connects to any compatible garage door opener and Wi-Fi to bring smarts to your existing garage setup. Once connected, you'll be able to use the app to open and close your door, get alerts when the door opens, closes, or is left open too long, and schedule automatic close times.