PC Magazine
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14: Excellent Value
The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 punches far above its weight.
9 min |
August 2020
PC Magazine
WHAT IS A SMART HOME HUB? AND DO YOU NEED ONE?
The Internet of Things (IoT) initiative that connects smart home devices such as doorbells, lights, locks, security cameras, and thermostats has made it easy for everyone to install and use these gadgets in their homes.
7 min |
August 2020
PC Magazine
Goldtouch Semi-Vertical Wireless Mouse: Ergonomics First
Vertical mice are an acquired taste. One of the more common types of ergonomic mice, the tall, vaguely L-shaped design allows you to grip the mouse comfortably and access all of its buttons without twisting your wrist parallel to the desk as you would with a standard mouse.
5 min |
August 2020
PC Magazine
How to Use Vintage Lenses with Mirrorless Cameras
When you buy a camera that can change lenses, you’re actually limiting your choices when it comes to choosing lenses. For the most part, Canon cameras work with Canon lenses, Nikon lenses with Nikon cameras, Sony lenses work with Sony; you get the idea.
6 min |
August 2020
PC Magazine
Canon Selphy Square QX10: Prints Vivid Smartphone Pics
The Canon Selphy Square QX10 is a departure from the company’s CP1300 Wireless Compact Photo Printer and earlier Selphy models. This photo printer is smaller and lighter than those other Canons, and it’s closer in functionality to the Editors’ Choice HP Sprocket Select or Canon’s own IVY Mini Photo Printer, though it’s still too big to be pocketable.
5 min |
August 2020
Prehistoric Times
THE FACE OF DIPLODOCUS: Nostril Placement in Sauropod Dinosaurs
In writing and illustrating our 2016 Johns Hopkins University Press book, The Sauropod Dinosaurs: Life in the Age of Giants, my coauthor Matthew J. Wedel and I sought to explain the most current ideas about the paleobiology and ecology of this enigmatic dinosaur group.
8 min |
Summer 2020 #134
Prehistoric Times
How to Draw Dinosaurs
Putting it all together, the skeleton of Corythosaurus
4 min |
Summer 2020 #134
Prehistoric Times
Neanderthals of the Swiss Alps
For a long time anthropologists believed that the Neanderthal man was more of a brute force simpleton who lived in a few concentrated places such as the valley of the Neander near Düsseldorf (from where he got his name). These views have been modified in more recent years as more becomes known about this ancestor of mankind.
9 min |
Summer 2020 #134
Prehistoric Times
When Giant Arthropods Ruled the Earth
The bones which belonged once upon a time to living beasts, which have been unearthed by curious minds, take on new life in our imaginations. Human beings have frequently dreamt up wild stories around prehistoric lifeforms; some of these were even being told and believed among early paleontology groups. For a while, a mythological aura hung around the study of these titans of a former age.
5 min |
Summer 2020 #134
Prehistoric Times
Dinosauriana Imagined 11
Dinosauriana Austriana (A Tiere-ful Endeavor)
5 min |
Summer 2020 #134
Prehistoric Times
Dinosaur Collector News
In the Cambrian, the arthropods and their allies look like the big winners. The moulesca are important but have not dominated their brachiopod rivals and vertebrates are sparse. Arthropods are invertebrates with an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. They include insects, arachnids, myriapods, crustaceans, and several extinct groups.
6 min |
Summer 2020 #134
Prehistoric Times
Big Time Dinosaur
In general, sauropods rarely appear in dinosaur model collections due to their size and scale but not due to a lack of interest. In 1/20 or 1/15 scale, the average sauropod measures between 45 and 60 inches and is priced like a mid-range laptop.
2 min |
Summer 2020 #134
PC Magazine
Sonos Arc: Soundbar Excellence
Sonos continues to expand its home-theater speaker selection with the Arc soundbar. The Arc combines the voice assistant support of the Sonos Beam ($399) with the power of the Sonos Playbar ($599) in a single package for $799, adding Dolby Atmos compatibility with directional tweeters. It’s an impressive soundbar on its own, and you can easily integrate it into an existing Sonos multi-room system or pair it with other Sonos speakers for a truly impressive surround-sound setup. Its terrific audio performance and flexibility earn it our Editors’ Choice for high-end soundbars.
5 min |
July 2020
PC Magazine
Sennheiser HD 450BT: Best Budget Noise-Cancelling Headphones
It’s no secret that noise-cancelling headphones cost a good deal more than their traditional counterparts. Priced at $199.95, Sennheiser’s HD 450BT headphones are far from inexpensive, but they cost considerably less than leading ANC (active noise cancellation) models such as the $400 Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. For half that price, Sennheiser’s pair offers above-average ANC performance and excellent Bluetooth audio. Add in adjustable EQ, a comfortable fit, and easy-to-operate controls, and you get the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy for $200, as well as our Editors’ Choice.
5 min |
July 2020
PC Magazine
Motorola Moto e: Best Budget Phone
Though it’s been mere months since Motorola released its budget-friendly handsets, the Moto G Power ($249.99) and Moto G Stylus ($299.99), the company is back with an even more affordable model. The Moto e is the company’s least expensive smartphone, with an attractive, durable design, a big display, and admirable performance for the price. Of course, Motorola makes some compromises to get the price this low, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Moto e is the best affordable phone we’ve tested so far this year, and it’s now our Editors’ Choice in that category.
6 min |
July 2020
PC Magazine
THE BEST FREE PC GAMES
Free-to-play games have become increasingly popular over the years, and it’s easy to understand why. They’re now so robust that you never feel handcuffed for not plunking down real cash. In case you’re wondering why developers wouldn’t charge anything for the game itself, they generally make money with in-game ads and selling virtual objects.
7 min |
July 2020
PC Magazine
WILL WE EVER BE ABLE TO UPLOAD OUR BRAINS?
We’re in an era of remarkable high-concept situation comedies, with shows such as “The Good Place” using the 22-minute joke-packed framework to explore some of humanity’s deepest issues. Premiering on Amazon Prime in May was “Upload,” a show created by Greg Daniels of “The Office,” and it looks to be a contender.
5 min |
July 2020
PC Magazine
Microsoft Surface Book 3 (15-Inch): More Work of Art Than Workhorse
If Microsoft-designed mobile PCs are the essence of the Windows computing experience, and the Surface Book is Microsoft’s flagship model, then the Surface Book 3 has a reasonable claim to be the ultimate Windows-powered mobile device. This detachable 2-in-1 laptop certainly offers the best blend of unique features, operating-mode flexibility, computing power, and portability of any Microsoft PC. With an advanced mechanical locking system for the keyboard base, powerful graphics processing, multiple cameras and batteries, and a choice of two screen sizes, the Surface Book 3 is a category-defying device for the few laptop buyers who can afford it and realize its full potential.
10+ min |
July 2020
PC Magazine
Most Americans Reject COVID-19 Contact-Tracing Apps
COVID-19 is invisible, but the people who are diagnosed with it are not. And so for epidemiologists to do their disease detective work to prevent more cases, people are their most valuable clues. One way to follow these clues is through contact tracing. Yet a study from Avira finds that the majority of Americans are against apps that would allow this.
1 min |
July 2020
PC Magazine
YES: YOU CAN PLAY GAMES ON AN OLD, LOW-END PC
While many PC enthusiasts look to high-end units or trick out their own custom rigs with the latest hardware, some of us are cursed with integrated graphics and two gigs of RAM. Though you can actually build a gaming PC for less than $1,000, not everyone is going to take the time to piece one together.
4 min |
July 2020
PC Magazine
How to Report Abuse on Social Media
We live in divisive times, which is why you should know how to protect yourself on social media. People use these platforms to freely express their ideas and opinions, and some can be deemed controversial, offensive, misleading, or just plain inaccurate. For those reasons, the major social networks all offer options for reporting posts and users for a variety of infractions.
4 min |
July 2020
PC Magazine
Dell G5 15 SE (2020): A Solid Budget Offering
The market for budget gaming laptops is ultra-competitive these days, with the latest components from AMD, Intel, and Nvidia allowing for better performance than ever at lower prices.
10+ min |
July 2020
Mother Jones
Bitter Pill
We need covid-19 treatments asap—but a perverse incentive could slow pharma breakthroughs.
5 min |
July/August 2020
PC Magazine
10 CHEAP AND EASY WAYS TO LEVEL UP YOUR HOME OFFICE
Are you working from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic? Not knowing how long your remote-work situation will last might leave you wondering how much effort you should put into creating a nice home office.
4 min |
June 2020
PC Magazine
COWORKING COMMUNITIES CHART A NEW PATH DURING COVID-19
We checked in with Pauline Roussel, CEO of Berlin-based Coworkers to find out what’s next in collaborative (but socially distanced) workspaces.
9 min |
June 2020
PC Magazine
15 AFFORDABLE SMALL TOWNS IN THE US WITH FAST INTERNET
Millions of Americans have been working from home during the COVID-19 crisis.
6 min |
June 2020
PC Magazine
Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch (2020): Gets the Basics Right
A controversial keyboard once present on every Apple laptop is now a thing of the past.
10+ min |
June 2020
PC Magazine
Garmin Vivoactive 4: Best High-End Fitness Tracker
If you’re looking for a fitness tracker that really balances form and function, the Garmin Vivoactive 4 should be at the top of your list.
10+ min |
June 2020
PC Magazine
Dell Inspiron 14 7000 (7490): Ultraportable Excellence
Dell’s Inspiron laptops are positioned below its higher-quality, more powerful XPS series, but you’d never know it judging by the Inspiron 14 7000.
9 min |
June 2020
PC Magazine
COVID-19 Creates Soaring Demand for PCs
The coronavirus and the ensuing need to work from home is creating skyrocketing demand for PCs, according to research firms. Canalys attributes the surge to businesses upgrading their workforces with new laptops and IT equipment.
1 min |