Eliana Willis

I’m old enough to remember when PCs were huge, looming units. They had to be big to hold all the components that made up a PC. As gaming PCs became a thing, these were even bigger because the high-end components generated a lot of heat. In turn, the heat had to be dissipated with copious amounts of airflow. Thanks to Moore’s law, components have become smaller and more efficient, to the point where even a gaming PC can fit into a compact case.Also: The best portable power stations you can buy: Expert testedSmaller components have led the way for smaller PC cases. Mini-ITX PC cases have gained popularity in the computing world due to their compact size. This allows a PC to be powerful yet not occupy much space or compromise on features.What is the best Mini ITX PC case right now?There are a lot of PC cases out there, from cheap, poor-quality sludge to high-quality units packed with features and stylish exteriors. I’ve tested a lot of PC cases over the close to three decades that I’ve been building PCs, and one manufacturer has always delivered the goods, which is why I give the top spot to the Thermaltake Tower 200 Mini-ITX case More

The Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) pictured with the Spigen Crystal Liquid Pro Apple Watch band.  Kayla Solino/ZDNETApple’s popular watch wearables are available in several models, and the Watch SE (2nd Gen) is still the latest base model watch to hit the market. Despite Apple unveiling the new Watch Series 10 in September 2024, the SE did not get an upgrade as originally rumored. While it’s not packed with all the Series 9 or 10 features, it offers great value for those looking to track basic health and fitness metrics, keep in contact with ease, and benefit from connection to the Apple ecosystem. Also: You can score 10% off a new Apple product if you recycle an old device (for a limited time)The Watch SE (2nd Gen) is the model I own, and it’s been the perfect smartwatch companion to my mostly low-key tech lifestyle. It’s proven great for tracking my workouts, steps, and more health metrics, and it has been a great introduction to sleep tracking. And right now you can grab my favorite watch model (and Apple’s most up-to-date base model) the Watch SE (2nd Gen) More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Eufy Clean E20 3-in-1 robot vacuum and handheld vacuum combination costs $600 but is $450 with an Amazon deal. The Eufy E20 performed very well in suction testing; it offers up to 8,000Pa of suction power and thorough edge cleaning; the robot vacuum’s dustbin doubles as a handheld vacuum that […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Garmin eTrex Solar is available now for $250, while the eTrex SE without solar sells for $150. Potential for unlimited battery life, extensive GNSS support, rugged build, and affordable. Small monochrome display, no turn-by-turn directions of TopoActive maps. –> Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I gained a deep affection […] More

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETOn Oct. 14, 2025, Windows 10 will officially reach its end of life. Some of your older PCs will be unable to upgrade to Windows 11.Also: Windows 10 PC can’t be upgraded? You have 5 options and 6 months to take action What should you do? Of course, you can buy a new PC with Windows 11 already installed, but thanks to tariffs, we can expect computer prices to rise. Some people are still buying Windows 11 PCs, but that still leaves you with a perfectly good, albeit soon no longer secure to run, Windows 10 machine. Or perhaps you simply don’t have the money to buy a new PC.In either case, you should consider upgrading your old computer to Google’s ChromeOS Flex. What is ChromeOS Flex, you ask? It’s a free, cloud-first operating system from Google designed to modernize and extend the life of existing Windows PCs and Macs by replacing their original operating systems with a fast, secure, and easy-to-manage alternative.It is based on Chromium OS — the open-source foundation for ChromeOS — and brings many of the same features and benefits found on Chromebooks to a broader range of hardware. If you can use a web browser, you can use ChromeOS Flex. It’s that simple. Also: 7 reasons why a Chromebook is the best laptop for most peopleWhat ChromeOS Flex can’t do is run your standalone Windows applications. However, it can run Microsoft 365 and other Microsoft Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications. You simply log in to the relevant Microsoft web portals and use the applications as you would on any other operating system. You can also use any files you’ve stored on Microsoft OneDrive just as you normally would. For that matter, if you want to use ChromeOS Flex in a Windows business environment, you can do that too. It supports Single Sign-On (SSO) and integrates with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD). This enables users to log in once and access Microsoft 365 web apps seamlessly. IT admins can also preconfigure and pin Microsoft 365 web apps for users, manage file associations, and enforce cloud storage policies from the Google Admin console. In short, ChromeOS Flex works well for both businesses and individuals. Why you should consider ChromeOS FlexSecurity is its top priority. It includes automatic updates, data encryption, and sandboxing to protect against malware and online threats. There has never been a ChromeOS Flex ransomware attack. Additionally, you don’t need traditional antivirus software. ChromeOS Flex is also fast. Even on PCs that are slowing down due to age and Windows software clutter, it can run quickly. The operating system is lightweight and optimized for speed, with boot times as fast as six seconds and no slowdowns over time. It can breathe new life into older hardware that struggles with Windows 10 and can’t run Windows 11 at all. For example, one of my favorite old PCs is a Dell Inspiron One 2320. This all-in-one (AIO) computer, with a 2.4GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core i5 processor, 6GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GT525M, and a 320GB hard drive, was a great machine… in 2012. Thirteen years later? Not so much. Also: Microsoft still has a massive Windows 10 problem – and there’s no easy way outHowever, this once Windows 7 PC still features a 23-inch HD display. What it can’t do is run Windows 10 well, and let’s not even talk about Windows 11. I could run Linux on it, but I already have several Linux PCs, so I tried something different: I decided to install ChromeOS Flex on it. I had left Windows 7 on this machine, which was a dedicated accounting system. I had disconnected it from the Internet, though, since running Windows 7 on an Internet-connected PC is essentially asking to be hacked. That will also soon be true for most Windows 10 PCs. Like most old Windows PCs, it had slowed to the point where it was essentially useless. Just booting it up would take — no exaggeration — three minutes. ChromeOS Flex system requirementsChromeOS Flex is fundamentally a Linux system and can run on low-powered computers. Don’t let the word “Linux” scare you. You’ll only see it if you dig deep into the system, and there’s no reason for most users to ever do that. Oh, and how little processing power do you need for ChromeOS Flex? Barely anything. According to Google, ChromeOS Flex’s minimum requirements are: Intel or AMD x86-64-bit compatible device (it won’t work with 32-bit processors) RAM: 4 GBInternal storage: 16 GBBootable from a USB driveBIOS: Full administrator access (you’ll need to boot from the ChromeOS Flex USB installer and make some adjustments in the BIOS if you run into issues)It boils down to the fact that if you have a PC built in 2010 or later, it should work. It might work with even older components if you’re feeling adventurous. However, if you’re running a box with Intel GMA 500, 600, 3600, or 3650 graphics hardware, you’re asking for trouble. Also: 5 things ChromeOS needs to rival MacOSIf you want to be reasonably sure it will work on your old computer, you can check if it’s listed on Google’s ChromeOS Flex Certified models list. My Inspiron One 2320? No, I was taking the life of my computer in my hands. I was OK with that. More

SEAN GLADWELL/Getty Images The message from experts is clear: artificial intelligence (AI) can help professionals spend less time on repetitive, time-consuming tasks and more on value-adding activities. Also: 5 ways to manage your team more effectively in the AI-enabled enterprise However, there’s just one issue: what are these value-adding activities? Senior executives may like the […] More

PM Images/Getty Images Key takeaways: 77% of surveyed homeowners recently installed a major system or are planning the next one. More than half of heating and cooling systems are replaced only after failing. 88% of households considering energy upgrades are looking at technology other than solar. Soon after becoming a homeowner for the first time, […] More