Eliana Willis

Graphic design pushes laptops to their limits. It demands fast performance, accurate color reproduction, and the ability to handle large files without slowing down. Designers need a machine that delivers consistent, reliable power without thermal throttling or killing the battery. Thankfully, a few such laptops exist. Also: Best laptops for video editingWe’ve gone hands-on with many great laptops built to handle demanding graphic design tasks. This means powerful processors, video cards, and usability features like style, brush, and toolkit hotkeys. Of course, we can’t forget to mention high-quality, color-accurate displays. Let’s help you choose which laptop for graphic design is best for you.What is the best laptop for graphic design right now? We tested many excellent laptops to create this list, but our pick for the best laptop for graphic design is Apple’s M4 MacBook Pro More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Lenovo’s first-edition ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition 14-inch is available now, starting at $1,239 for the lowest-tier configuration. It’s an experimental evolution of the ThinkPad line, exchanging some of the most defining features for a new sleek form factor and bold design. The entry configuration only comes with 256GB of storage, which […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Moft’s Sit-stand Laptop Desk is a 5-in-1 foldable laptop stand that retails for $70. The standing option is a game-changer for those traveling for work, hot-desking, or with compact home office spaces. However, for $70, the stand would be more complete if it had a companion keyboard stand. –> We all […] More

Adam Breeden/ZDNETThese days, internet and Wi-Fi connectivity seem to be virtually ubiquitous. In the US, at least, there is a societal expectation that you can connect your devices to the web wherever you go. After all, connectivity is essential for many devices to function. But sometimes that connectivity fails — and what can you do if you want to watch TV without the internet?Here’s what you can do: use a USB flash drive.Also: Change these 5 settings on your TV for a quick and easy way to improve its picture qualityMost modern smart TVs have built-in media players that read content from USB devices. The range of benefits for using a USB drive is abundant. You can play your selected media files without streaming or connecting with multiple devices. Using a drive is cost-effective; you can store a large library of content on a USB stick and avoid monthly streaming subscriptionsn. And you have increased flexibility because you can use the USB stick to play content on pretty much any TV manufactured since 2001. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways As part of its Zeno Series, Lockly released a new Visage smart lock, available for $349. The Lockly Visage comes with facial ID support, automatic unlocking when you’re near, and Apple Home Kit compatibility. The Lockly app can be more user-friendly, as it’s difficult to find certain settings, and it’s pricier […] More

Writing NFC tags with a smartphone. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNETOne of my favorite technologies is NFC. I’m blown away that I can write data to a little chip and then access that using a smartphone or tablet. I’ve embedded NFC tags into all sorts of things, from documents to business cards to 3D-printed objects. Also: I gave my Android phone thermal vision superpowers with this accessoryAnd it’s easy! What you needYou need two things: NFC tags: These come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from stickers More

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETGoogle is about to make it a lot easier to do research on the go. On May 20, it will officially launch native NotebookLM apps on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and you can register now to have them automatically downloaded to your device.What’s NotebookLM?NotebookLM is Google’s AI “research assistant” that debuted as a web browser-based service last year. It’s often described as a smart notebook — one where you can dump PDFs, articles, YouTube links, plain text, Google Docs or Slides, and so on, and then ask the AI to summarize key points, answer questions, or even turn your source material into a mini podcast. Also: Google’s viral AI podcast tool can chat in over 50 languages now and it aced my Spanish testNotebookLM is powered by the latest Gemini models. Everything you ask comes with clear citations, so you can see exactly which sentences the AI pulled from your sources. That makes it great for students, professionals, and anyone who needs to do research. More

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images It’s getting a little easier to use Reddit as a search engine. Last year, Reddit rolled out a new feature called Reddit Answers. Since so many people use Reddit as a Google replacement to tap into the community’s immense knowledge, the site introduced AI-curated answers related to the topic you […] More