Reviews

iFi GO Link Max: Two-minute review

iFi has taken the proven GO Link formula and, by adding a balanced 4.4mm headphone output and deleting MQA compatibility (which is, let’s not pretend otherwise, no loss), produced the GO Link Max.

It’s a little larger than its more affordable sibling – but that’s not the same as being large. And its relative bulk is mitigated no end by classy metal casework. Only the exposed braided cable that connects the main body of the DAC to the block which plugs into your source device, gives us any cause for concern. And even then, its vulnerability is theoretical rather than actual.

Like virtually every iFi product TechRadar has tested, the GO Link Max performs well and offers significant value for money. No matter if it’s connected to a smartphone or a laptop, with a half-decent pair of headphones at the other end this DAC is capable of putting a rocket up the sound quality you’d otherwise be treated to. In every meaningful respect, it improves on the unassisted sound of your computer or phone – and not in a subtle way. Is it one of the best portable DACs available for this money? You probably know the answer to that…

iFi GO Link Max review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Released November 20, 2024
• Priced $79 / £79 / AU$139

The November 2024-release iFi GO Link Max USB DAC is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it costs no more than £79. In the United States it will set you back $79, while in Australia it sells for $139.

The world’s far from short of affordable USB DACs, of course (not least from iFi itself – see the admittedly pricier $499 / £449 / AU$769 iFi GO Bar Kensei or the five-star iFi hip-dac 3 at $199 / £199 / AU$349 for starters). But nevertheless, the combination of price and specification looks alluring here…

iFi GO Link Max review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• DSD256 and 32bit/384kHz PCM support
• Twin ESS Sabre ES9219 DACs
• Unbalanced 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs

Of course, the iFi GO Link Max is something of a one-trick pony – and so consequently it has very few features. Those features it has, though, are designed to get that one job done in some style.

So at one end of the braided cable there’s a little block with a USB-C connector on the end. iFi provides both lightning and USB-A adapters to fit it, so the GO Link Max should be compatible with any smartphone or laptop you care to mention. At the other end of the cable there’s a larger block with unbalanced 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs at its end, and on the inside is everything required to turn digital audio information into analogue as effectively as possible.

iFi has deployed twin ESS Sabre ES9219 DAC chipsets to get the job done – which means the GO Link Max can deal with audio files up to DSD256 and PCM 32bit/384kHz resolution. And fittingly for a company that’s never been afraid of a good acronym or two, iFi has fitted this little device with ‘THDC’ (total harmonic distortion compensation) technology to keep harmonic distortion to a minimum, and ‘DRE’ (dynamic range enhancement, sadly, and nothing to do with the celebrated hip-hop producer) which – hey! – wants to increase the dynamic contrast between the quietest and the loudest moments in your music.

This arrangement, says iFi, results in a USB DAC that can twist out 100mW of power from the unbalanced output and over 240mW from the balanced alternative. Which is a lot by any USB DAC standards, and should allow the GO Link Max to drive pretty much any appropriate headphones without problems.

Features score: 5 / 5

iFi GO Link Max review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• Greater dynamism and improved levels of detail
• More positive, punchier sound
• Across-the-board improvements

Let’s face it: only the most optimistic customers buy a new laptop or smartphone expecting sonic excellence. These devices are too noisy (in electrical terms) and too feature-heavy for audio quality to be anything other than an afterthought. If you want great sound while you’re out and about or at your desk, a dedicated music player might seem to be the way forward. iFi, though, disagrees – and the way this GO Link Max can make your laptop or smartphone sound demonstrates that as long as the critical stuff is done properly, these can be just as viable a source of music as the most expensive stand-along digital audio player.

The difference in quality between plugging a pair of headphones directly into the headphone socket of an Apple MacBook Pro, say, and plugging the same headphones into the GO Link Max having connected it via its USB-C is really remarkable. The gains are far from mild, and they are wide-ranging. In all honesty, the reproduction is of an entirely different standard.

Take mid-range resolution, for instance. A 16bit/44.1kHz file of Lisa O’Neill’s Old Note is more detailed, more direct, carries greater harmonic variation and is, in the final analysis, simply more communicative and eloquent when heard via the iFi USB DAC. Daft Punk’s Get Lucky as a 24bit/48kHz FLAC file demonstrates greater low-frequency depth and texture, increased dynamic headroom, and an altogether more assured way with rhythm and tempo management. And Lobbo by Vieux Farka Touré et Khruangbin as a 24bit/96kHz file has greater bite and presence at the top of the frequency range, as well as increased substance.

The frequency range hangs together more smoothly and confidently, and the tonal balance is improved too. Soundstaging is more open, better defined and far more effectively controlled than it is when you leave the computer to deal with things. There’s just no aspect of music reproduction that the iFi GO Link Pro doesn’t deal with far more effectively than an expensive, high-end laptop computer.

Sound quality: 5 / 5

iFi GO Link Max review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Braided connecting cable
• 150 x 15 x 10mm (HxWxD)
• 14.5g

Just as with the ‘features’ section, the GO Link DAC is a functional, no-frills device where ‘design’ is concerned. This is a product that needs to be as small, light and portable as is realistically possible, and that’s exactly what iFi has delivered.

The metal casework of the two sections of the DAC feel and look good, and give a hint of the premium to what’s a necessarily discreet device. There’s a single LED on the main body of the GO Link Max, which lights up in one of a selection of colours to indicate the size of the digital audio file it’s dealing with – though I can’t help thinking it’s a bit of a shame that the same colour (green) indicates PCM all the way up to 96kHz. A little visual confirmation that 96kHz is a significantly higher resolution than 44.1kHz might be nice…

The only aspect of the design that’s in any way problematic is the braided cable that joins the two sections of the DAC, and even then, this is a theoretical issue rather than anything tangible. iFi reckons the braiding helps shield the cable from outside interference, and I’ve no reason to think that’s not the case – it just feels a bit vulnerable for a product that’s likely to spend a lot of its life in a pocket or a bag.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

iFi GO Link Max Review: Usability and setup

• Plug into your smartphone or laptop
• Plug in your headphones
• Away you go!

“It’s not rocket science” is, I think, too weak a description for how straightforward the iFi GO Link Max is to use. Plugging the USB-C end into your laptop or smartphone at one end, and your headphones in at the other, doesn’t require in-depth instructions - and if you can’t get this device up and running in mere seconds, I don’t think any amount of instructions are likely to help.

Usability and setup score: 5 / 5

iFi GO Link Max review: Value

• You simply can't argue with the value for money here
• Does what it does in fine style

The iFi GO Link Max represents unarguable value for money. The latent fragility of the cable aside, it’s robustly made, properly finished, light and portable – and it does what it does in fine style. If you want to maximise your portable and/or desktop audio experience without spending an arm and a leg, you really can’t go wrong here.

Value score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the iFi GO Link Max? Buy it if...

You take portable or desktop listening seriously
Getting the best audio quality possible out of your laptop or smartphone really couldn’t be any easier

You own some half-decent wired headphones
A balanced output is particularly welcome, and it makes plain just how serious a device the GO Link Max is

You have access to genuinely hi-res digital audio content
The ability to deal with 32bit/384kHz and DSD256 files is most certainly not to be sniffed at

Don't buy it if...

You’re ham-fisted
It’s not as if the cable connecting the two pieces of my GO Link DAC has failed - it just feels like it might

iFi GO Link Max review: Also consider

If you can live without the 4.4mmm balanced output, the even smaller, even lighter iFi GO Link USB DAC makes a whole lot of sense – especially as it’s usefully cheaper than the already-quite-affordable GO Link Max. If you want to free yourself for the ubiquity of iFi, though, it’s worth considering FiiO’s KA13 – by iFi standards its relatively bulky, but it get the job done in fine style.

How I tested the iFi GO Link Max

• Qobuz and Tidal; Android smartphone and Apple MacBook with Colibri software
• Sennheiser IEMs; Austrian Audio over-ears

I plugged the iFi GO Link Max into a Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone using the USB-C connection, and into an Apple MacBook Pro using the same socket. I also connected it to an Apple iPhone 14 Pro via the Lightning adapter. Each device is loaded with Qobuz and TIDAL music streaming service apps, and the laptop also features Colibri software to get around Apple’s inexplicable disdain for truly hi-res digital files. Headphones included Sennheiser IE900 (connected using the 4.4mm socket) and Austrian Audio Hi-X20 (using the 3.5mm equivalent), and music came from every era and every genre. I listened to the GO Link Max for well over a working week this way – and it was no kind of hardship.

• First reviewed: December 2024
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum: two-minute review

The Levoit LVAC-200 is a lightweight cordless vacuum that won't break the bank. I tested one out to see how it compares to the rest of the best vacuum cleaners, as well as the best cordless vacuums specifically.

This brand is better known for its air purifiers, but as an affordable alternative to high-end cordless vacuums, the LVAC-200 impresses. At only 6lbs, it's easy to maneuver no matter the configuration. There are three suction levels to choose from, and in my testing, I found these were enough to tackle most messes, including fine dust. The fact you'll need to unleash the battery-sapping max mode for carpets means it's perhaps better suited to homes with mostly hard floors and perhaps the occasional rug.

Admittedly, the LVAC-200 can have some trouble picking up larger debris, especially if you go over the debris too quickly, and it struggles to vacuum in reverse. However, it still offers solid performance for the price.

The battery lasts over 40 minutes on the lowest suction setting, and while that's not the longest runtime around, it's in line with what I'd expect from today's best cheap vacuums and will be plenty sufficient for most people's needs. That's the short version; read on for my full Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum review.

(Image credit: Future) Levoit LVAC-200 review: price & availability

• List price: $199.99 / £159.99 / AU$399
• Launch date: November 2023
• Availability: UK / US / AU

The Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum is sold in a range of territories, including the US, UK, and Australia. It was first announced in November 2023 and sits in TechRadar's budget price bracket for manual vacuums.

It's priced at $199.99 in the US, and is sold direct at Levoit as well as a range of third party retailers. In the UK and Australia, it's only available at third-party retailers like Amazon, and costs around £160 or AU$400.

At time of writing, this is the only vacuum in Levoit's range. Based on the number of accessories that you get, the length of the battery life, and the quality of the build, I think this vacuum is well priced.

• Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

Levoit LVAC-200 specs Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum review: design

• Super lightweight, and comes with two accessories
• Can be used as a stick vacuum or a handheld
• Three suction speeds

The Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum is one of the lightest vacuums I've ever tested. At 6.17 lbs or 2.85kg, it is easy to maneuver this vacuum no matter if you're using it as a stick vacuum, a handheld vacuum, or by taking the vacuum head off and using the wand to clean in high places.

The stick vacuum itself is mostly white with black accents, and has a removable battery. In terms of size, it's 9.8 inches long, 7.7 inches wide, and 43.3 inches tall or 110 x 19.5 x 25 centimeters. Three LED lights are located on the front of the vacuum head. Inside that vacuum head is an anti-tangle brush. The wand is not bendable (as is the case with the best Shark vacuums on the market), but it can lie 180-degrees flat so you can vacuum underneath furniture with relative ease.

(Image credit: Future)

Setting up the vacuum took no time at all. I connected the wand to the handheld part and then attached the vacuum head to the wand. The dustbin is 0.75L, and it's attached to the front of the vacuum. This was a smart design choice by Levoit as it allows the vacuum to stand upright on its own, and not fall over when the vacuum head is locked into place. A wall mount is provided if you'd prefer.

(Image credit: Future)

On top of the dustbin is a power button. In front of the power button is the suction speed button that lets you move between suction speeds – I, II, or III. If I needed to increase the power, I'd just push the button, and the vacuum would increase the suction. According to Levoit, the suction power is 70AW – that's likely the maximum power, although this isn't specified. (Here's more on how to tell how much suction a vacuum has).

(Image credit: Future)

Thanks to a 5-stage filtration system, this vacuum is able to capture 99.9 percent of particles as small as 0.3 microns. The filter is washable.

The charger plugs into the side of the battery. Two accessories are provided: a crevice tool that also doubles as a brush tool, and a 2-in-1 pet tool. You'll have to store these accessories when not in use since this vacuum doesn't come with a base or has a built-in holder.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Levoit LVAC-200 vacuum review: performance

• Cleans up fine materials perfectly on medium and max mode
• Vacuums poorly in reverse no matter the floor type
• Better on hard floor than on carpet

The Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum is lightweight with a vacuum head that swivels with ease. It can be broken down into three configurations – as a cordless stick vacuum with the vacuum head, a vacuum with just the wand, and as a handheld vacuum. There are three different suction modes that are labeled in roman numerals – I, III, and III – with sound ratings of 78, 82, and 83 dB respectively.

I tested this vacuum in my house, which has three types of flooring (hardwood, laminate, and rugs). I also utilized the different accessories to clean my furniture and blinds.

My testing process began by vacuuming my entire house as I normally would. Originally, I felt like it did a good job vacuuming the hard floors in my house as well as the large rugs. There was some dirt and dried mud in my mud room that it picked up well, and hair in my bathroom that it cleaned away without the hair getting stuck in the brush. However, if the caked mud was larger in size, I had to vacuum over the pieces more slowly for the vacuum to suction it all up.

I am a big fan of bendable vacuum wands, and unfortunately, this Levoit LVAC-200 is not equipped with one. I was able to lean the vacuum completely down to 180 degrees so I could reach under my bed and couch for more thorough cleaning, but this required me to crouch down. The floorhead is equipped with LED lights to help illuminate dingy areas.

(Image credit: Future)

I should also note that this vacuum doesn't have any smart capabilities, which means it can't sense or notify you if the floor is dirty or clean. That's not surprising at this price point – mid-range models like the Shark Detect Pro can sense if they're on carpet or hard floor, and boost or lower suction in response, while very high-end models like the Dyson V15 Detect or Gen5detect can adjust suction specifically based on what needs sucking up on any particular patch of floor. Here, you'll have to change the suction mode manually.

(Image credit: Future)

I also tested out the two supplied detail tools. I used the crevice tool to clean tight spaces around furniture and the corners of the wall. The crevice tool doubles as a brush tool, and I used that and the middle suction setting to clean my blinds, which were very dusty. The results were great.

(Image credit: Future)

I should also note that I was surprised by how well the 2-in-1 pet tool managed to pull up hair from my couch. Granted, I had to put the handheld vacuum on the highest suction setting and brush the couch as the vacuum suctioned, but it did better than most vacuums I have tested – and impressively well for a budget model.

(Image credit: Future)

Although it appeared like the vacuum did a good job cleaning my floors, I wanted to do more thorough tests with the Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum. To do that, I poured cereal, dried tea, and flour on my hard floors and on one of my rugs and then vacuumed over these items on the lowest suction setting.

No matter the flooring, it was clear that this vacuum is not equipped to vacuum in reverse, especially when it came to larger debris like cereal. Occasionally the cereal particles got stuck behind the wheels of the vacuum, and generally I noticed that the vacuum didn't pick up the dried tea or the flour as well when vacuuming in reverse as it did when vacuuming forward.

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(Image credit: Future)

When I tested the vacuum on my historic hardwood and laminate floorings, I found it did a good job suctioning dried tea while set on the lowest suction setting and performed fairly well in cleaning up the flour, leaving only a slight sheen of flour on the floor. In my opinion, it's best to use the middle or high suction level when vacuuming fine materials on hard floors just to pick everything up in one go.

What surprised me the most was how much difficulty the vacuum had with picking up cereal on hard floors. When I pushed the vacuum head forward, larger pieces of the cereal would get pushed ahead of the vacuum head. Just like what occurred with large pieces of caked mud, I had to slowly vacuum over the cereal for the vacuum to suction the cereal up.

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(Image credit: Future)

When I ran these same tests on my rugs, the results were slightly different. The Levoit vacuum picked up cereal way better on carpet than it did on hard floors. Unfortunately, when I vacuumed over the flour and the dried tea, I had to do a few passes to clean these fine materials.

Again, using higher suction settings, such as the medium or high setting, requires only one or two passes on rugs. If you want to use this vacuum on carpet, you'll need to use the higher suction settings (which will sap battery fairly quickly). On balance, I don't think this is the best vacuum choice if your home has a lot of carpet.

(Image credit: Future)

All the dust and debris are contained in a dustbin on the front of this cordless vacuum. It is very easy to dump the bin. I just had to remove the handheld portion of the vacuum from the wand, take it to a trash can, press a latch, and the dust and debris went straight into the trash can.

Beyond that, I didn't have to do much maintenance. The brushroll does a good job of preventing the tangling of hair, string, or debris. However, it's simple to remove it from the vacuum head and wash it separately if required. The filters are also washable and should be washed once a month, then replaced every three months.

• Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum review: battery life

• 16 mins on max mode, 25 mins on medium and 42 on min mode
• Less than the quoted 50 minutes, but enough for most people
• It takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes to fully recharge

According to Levoit, the LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum has a battery life of 30-50 minutes. However, when I ran the vacuum on the lowest suction setting, it only lasted about 42 minutes. On the medium suction setting I managed 25 minutes of cleaning. In maximum mode, I only got about 16 minutes of battery life (probably long enough to clean less than 900 square feet in a single go).

In my opinion, the vacuum has a decent battery life considering how much it costs. It was more than enough time for me to clean my home – in fact, I could clean my house almost three times over in 42 minutes. If you have a much larger home, pricier models will give you longer – up to a full hour on a single charge. The fact that the battery is removable means you could also buy a backup battery and hot-swap them to eke out a longer cleaning time.

What is most impressive is that the LVAC-200 took about 2 hours and 40 minutes for the battery to fully recharge. This is much faster than the 4-5-hour estimate that Levoit provides on its website.

• Battery life score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum? Buy it if...

You're on a budget
The main selling point here is really how affordable this vacuum is. You're getting solid performance, battery life and build quality for the price.

You have mostly hard floors
In my tests I found the LVAC-200 did a good job of clearing debris on hard floor, and can also handle rugs with no issues.

You need a vacuum that can handle a variety of jobs around the house
The Levoit LVAC-200 has three configurations and comes with two accessories. Essentially, you can vacuum hard floors and rugs with ease, as well as clean furniture, blinds, baseboards, and in tight spaces. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

Your home is full of carpets
This vacuum is better suited to homes with hard floors and rugs. For a proper clean on carpet, you'll need to use the maximum suction mode, which will run down the battery quickly. If you have a number of rooms with carpets, you'll be better with a more powerful model.

You want or need to vacuum efficiently, in a hurry
There are no automation features here, you'll have to vacuum slowly to pick up large debris, and this model doesn't vacuum very well in reverse. All that can extend your cleaning times.

You have lots of furniture to clean around
Although the floorhead pivots well, this vacuum doesn't have the outright maneuverability of a Dyson model, nor does the wand bend forwards to easy under-furniture cleaning as is possible with many Shark vacs.

How I tested the Levoit LVAC-200

I used the Levoit LVAC-200 as my main vacuum for a couple of weeks, using it to clean my apartment – which has a mixture of hardwood, laminate, and rugs. During this time, I got a feel for how well designed it is, how easy to maneuver, and whether there are any usability issues.

To get a more objective idea of this vacuum's suction powers, I ran TechRadar's standard tests, on both hard floor and soft rugs. These tests included vacuuming cereal, flour, and dried tea forwards and in reverse to determine the vacuum's suction capability. I also tested the sound rating and battery life to see if it matched up with the specs provided by the brand.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners.

• First reviewed November 2024

Specs

Type: color inkjet photo printer

Functions: Print only

Connectivity: Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi

Data storage slots: none

Print speed: A2 color 3min 40sec

Max paper size: A2, 17” x 22"

Print quality: 2,400 x 1,200 dpi

Memory: 1GB

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: 12 x 80ml cartridges

Dimensions/Weight: 723 x 435 x 285 mm (WxDxH)/71.4lb/32.4kg

The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 is a 17-inch inkjet that will interest both professional studios and amateur photographers wanting high quality wide-format prints from an accessible desktop design. Costing $1,300 in the US and £1,500 in the UK, it’s Canon’s new flagship photo printer and it improves on the already impressive Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 with reformulated pigment inks promising superior prints that’ll last 200 years.

I've reviewed almost all the best small business printers, but this one is a little different. As well as using twelve separate ink cartridges to create colorful prints up to 17 x 22 inches, its unique Air Feed system is able to hold large sheets of paper in place while precision spraying ink through 18,432 nozzles. Impressive. But can it justify the high running cost of a cartridge-based printer?

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100: Design and build

(Image credit: Canon)

This lozenge-shaped 17-inch desktop printer looks pretty compact with its flaps folded, but it’s a little larger than its closest 17-inch competitor, the Epson SureColor P900 in all dimensions and it weighs a whopping 71 pounds. If you want to go larger than A2, you’ll need a freestanding roll printer like the 24-inch HP DesignJet Studio 24. The twelve individual inks take up some room, while the replaceable printhead is also quite a handful. With the front and rear flaps extended, the depth increases from 43cm to 115cm so it’ll require some room while in use. There are two paper paths, with the top tray taking anything from A5 to A2 sheets and the fatter rear tray able to take thicker paper from A4 to A2 size.

The textured black plastic of the bodywork gives the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 a rugged look, while the various plastic flaps also feel less flimsy than your average printer. And unlike most inkjets, the printhead is readily replaceable which suggests a machine that is built to last. The large power and cancel buttons are easy to find and the controls are responsive, but it’s a pity there’s no touchscreen interface. The old school three-inch LCD looks under spec on a machine costing over a grand. There’s no memory card slot or USB Host port either. Just the usual USB type B and Ethernet ports at the rear. The wireless connectivity, however, has been improved from the single-band wi-fi of the old model to auto-switching dual-band (2.4GHz/5GHz).

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100: Features & specifications

(Image credit: Canon)

As Canon’s top-of-the-line photo printer, the imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 has an impressive specification and features not one, but two paper input trays capable of handling 17” x 25” (A2) paper. The top tray can take small formats like 6” x 6” papers or up to 150 sheets of plain paper. The manual tray at the rear with its flatter paper path can handle heavier paper and card up to 400g/m2, but only one sheet at a time. It can also print banners up to 129 inches (3.27 meters) long. There are twelve separate LUCIA PRO II inks so you can expect a very wide color gamut, while the Air Feed feature ensures your paper doesn’t slip while the ink is applied.

The maximum print resolution is given as 2,400 x 1,200 dpi (dots per inch), which is actually lower than that of the entry-level Canon PIXMA G650. The imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 achieves its superior image quality because it has more nozzles firing finer ink droplets so those dots are more accurate. While the cheap Canon squirts six inks through 2,304 nozzles, our PRO-1100 has twelve inks and 18,432 nozzles. And if any of those nozzles become blocked, it’s picked up by sensors and substitute nozzles step in. It's the mark of one of the best photo printers around.

It has 1GB of inbuilt memory, which is more than the average photo printer, and it supports Windows, Mac OS and Chrome OS. What the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 cannot do is accommodate a roll of paper and only one of its two input trays can only hold multiple sheets of paper. That’s a maximum of 150 sheets of thin plain paper. The given speed of six minutes to print a sheet of A2 is also rather slow, but in all other respects, its a strong spec sheet.

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100: Setup and operation

(Image credit: Canon)

The quick start guide for the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 is just a single page, because its really just a case of plugging in, turning on and following the on-screen prompts to complete the setup. The twelve ink cartridges slot in smoothly, but with this inkjet, you also have to install the printhead. It’s a similarly smooth operation with instructions shown on the display. Once in place, you have the opportunity to print a test sheet to ensure the inkjets are aligned and firing. If you download the accompanying iOS/Android app called Canon PRINT, you can use your phone to get the printer onto your wi-fi network. The only thing that would have made the setup process easier is a touchscreen.

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100: Performance

(Image credit: Canon)

The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 prints slowly, but reliably and exceedingly well, which is the main thing. While this successor to the old Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 sees no improvement in print speed, the reformulated inks bring a real improvement in print quality, especially with difficult dark images and back and white photos.

I printed a wide range of test cards and photos on an equally wide range of paper types and was impressed every time. The detail resolution is consistently sharp, notably with A2, and perhaps that’s due to the Air Feed system holding the ungainly sheets of paper in its steady suction grip. The very wide color gamut and particularly realistic shading of images is certainly down to the twelve individual ink cartridges. With eleven pigments and one chroma optimizer to call on, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 has an advantage over its 17-inch rival, the Epson SureColor P900 with its paltry ten inks.

On high gloss photo paper, the colours pop in exactly the way you want your holiday snaps to do when you have them professionally produced. And these prints are probably more durable thanks to the industry-leading light and abrasion resistance of Canon’s pigment inks. Switching to matt photo paper or Canon’s tactile rough art paper and you can better appreciate the remarkable deepness of the black inks. And with both a photo black and a matte black the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 is particularly good at printing monochrome photographs.

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100: Consumables

(Image credit: Canon)

As this is not one of Canon’s MegaTank printers, there are no refillable ink reservoirs and you’re locked into buying Canon’s LUCIA PRO II cartridges, which each cost around $60 for 80ml. And by the way, you’re going to need twelve of them. At least you can replace the cartridges individually as they run out and they are no more expensive than the old LUCIA PRO cartridges. There are actually eleven pigment inks and one chroma optimizer, which costs very slightly less for the same 80ml. The improved pigment inks claim to have deeper blacks, richer blues and the ability to withstand light damage for 200 years. I’ll have to get back to you on the light damage, but I agree that the black and blue performance is especially strong. Its prints also passed our smudge and scratch tests easily, which makes the longevity claims seem plausible.

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100: Maintenance

(Image credit: Canon)

Being an inkjet, there’s a possibility of the printhead clogging, or drying out when left unused for long periods. It has inbuilt sensors to detect blockages, but you may need to run one or more cleaning cycles if necessary. This could be as easy as ordering a maintenance routine via the Canon app on your smartphone. The chroma optimizer cartridge is likely to need replacing before the pigment inks, so watch out for that. You can also replace the whole PF-10 printhead very easily, but with the cost for a new one being US$414 or £550, you’d probably rather not. You may have noticed that the dollar/pound figures I have quoted in this review are not currency conversions, they’re the current prices on the Canon US and Canon UK websites, which means Brits are expected to pay thirty percent more for the exact same printer. Ouch.

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100: Final verdict

(Image credit: Canon)

If you need studio quality prints on large paper formats, the uncompromising Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 will not disappoint. It’s a solid and evolved design that puts image quality first. The absence of a touchscreen interface or an input drawer capable of holding a stack of blank paper are minor inconveniences compared to the advantage of having twelve separate ink cartridges or an air feed system for holding the paper steady while printing. The print speed is rather slow, but the results are worth waiting for. Photos look realistic thanks to a very wide color gamut and superb detail resolution, while black and white photos really benefit from the inclusion of two types of black ink. It handles large sheets of paper effortlessly, including banners up to 129 inches long. Of course the consumables cost has to be a consideration, especially when there are twelve cartridges to replace, but the excellent LUCIA PRO II inks are no more expensive than other inks in this category.

For more devices, we reviewed the best home printers around.

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Our series on identity theft protection apps will evaluate the features, pricing options, competition, and also the overall value of using each app. However, these are not full hands-on reviews since evaluating identity theft protection apps is almost impossible. It would require several months of testing, purposefully hacking accounts to see if the protection app works, handing over personally identifiable information, performing multiple credit checks, and risking exposure of the reviewer’s personally identifiable information.

McAfee, a leading cybersecurity company, has a rich history dating back to the early days of personal computing being founded in 1987 by a Santa Clara computer programmer that the company is named after. Throughout its history, including being the first to have an antivirus software, McAfee has been at the forefront of the cybersecurity industry, adapting to evolving threats and technologies. Its focus on protecting individuals and organizations from cyberattacks has made it a trusted name in the field.

McAfee Plus is designed to provide comprehensive protection for your digital life, helping you stay safe online and avoid the risks associated with cyber threats. It offers a range of features to safeguard your digital life, including antivirus and malware protection, real-time threat prevention, and firewall protection. Overall, McAfee Plus is a robust security solution that can help you stay safe online and protect your valuable data.

(Image credit: McAfee)

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McAfee Plus: Plans and pricing

McAfee Plus pricing, like most of the services in this space, will vary depending on the specific plan you choose, and any ongoing promotions or discounts which can help make this more affordable. Here's a general breakdown of the different plans on offer, which can be broken down by Individual plans and Family plans.

McAfee Plus Individual Core Protection Plan is a comprehensive security software package tailored to safeguard your personal computer against diverse online threats. It encompasses an array of features, including antivirus protection to combat viruses, malware, and malicious software, a firewall to thwart unauthorized access, and web protection to block websites hosting malicious content. To further enhance security, McAfee Plus offers a VPN that encrypts internet traffic, making it harder for hackers to intercept, a password manager to create and organize strong passwords, and identity theft protection that monitors personal information for signs of compromise and promptly alerts you of suspicious activity. Notably, the annual subscription is currently available at a discounted price of $49.99 annually, significantly lower than the listed price of $149.99 annually.

The upgraded McAfee Plus Advanced plan offers heightened security features for an individual for an annual fee of $89.99, discounted from the original price of $199.99 per year. This plan builds upon the features of the prior plan by incorporating comprehensive identity theft coverage up to $1 million. Additionally, it provides identity restoration support, lost wallet protection, bank and credit card transaction monitoring, 1-bureau credit monitoring with monthly score updates, and a security freeze option to prevent unauthorized account openings.

At the pinnacle of McAfee's offerings stands the McAfee Plus Ultimate plan, currently available at a discounted annual rate of $199.99 annually (originally priced at $279.99 annually). This comprehensive plan encompasses the features of both lower-tier plans, adding bank account takeover monitoring, payday loan monitoring, up to $25K ransomware coverage, investment monitoring, and loan transaction monitoring. For enhanced ease of use, the top-tier plan includes a McAfee Assist protection setup session.

McAfee Plus Family Plans offers coverage for two adults and their children with varying feature sets and pricing. Starting at $69.99 annually, the Premium Plan provides basic protection. The mid-tier plan costs $119.99 annually and offers more features. For the most comprehensive coverage, the top plan is available at $249.99 annually.

For those looking for a more affordable solution, there is still the McAfee Basic that starts at a more than affordable $29.99 for a year of antivirus on a single device, VPN, identity monitoring, and a McAfee Protection Score, which is a personalized online safety assessment.

As pricing, and promotional offers change over time, be sure to check the McAfee Plus website for the latest pricing prior to purchase.

(Image credit: McAfee) McAfee Plus: Features

Experience peace of mind knowing that your entire family is protected online with McAfee+ Family plans. Every member of your family will have access to their own identity monitoring, secure VPN, and unlimited device security. Adult family members are eligible for up to $2 million in identity theft coverage, with a maximum of $4 million per family. Additionally, there is assistance in removing personal information from potentially risky websites.

For every member of your family, there is 24/7 monitoring of your personal information. If something requires your attention, you'll receive alerts promptly. This monitoring helps safeguard your privacy and sensitive data, providing peace of mind knowing that you're protected.

In addition, there is access to a VPN (Virtual Private Network) that enables you to bank, shop, and browse online securely from anywhere. The VPN creates an encrypted connection between your device and the internet, ensuring that your online activities remain private and shielded from potential threats.

Drawing from McAfee’s strength, there’s also the award-winning antivirus security for all your devices, ensuring comprehensive protection against viruses, malware, and other cyber threats. This advanced security solution employs real-time scanning, threat detection, and automatic updates to keep your devices safe from harm.

Furthermore, there is access to the McAfee Protection Score, a unique feature that provides personalized guidance on steps you can take to make staying safer online even easier. The Protection Score assesses your online behavior, security settings, and device status, and provides tailored recommendations to help improve your overall security posture.

With these comprehensive features, users rest assured that their family's personal information, online activities, and devices are guarded against potential risks, allowing them to enjoy a secure and protected digital experience.

Each adult in a family can receive up to $2 million in identity theft coverage, resulting in a maximum of $4 million per family. This comprehensive protection includes the assistance of licensed restoration experts who are readily available to guide you through any unexpected identity theft situations. Additionally, vigilant monitoring of credit reports and financial transactions is provided to detect any unusual activities. Should anything suspicious arise, there is prompt notification.

For families with children, robust parental controls are provided, empowering parents to supervise their kids' online activities, ensuring their safety and well-being in the digital world. The goal is to provide parents with peace of mind, knowing that their personal and financial information is safeguarded with the family protected from the devastating consequences of identity theft.

McAfee Plus: The competition

McAfee Plus competes with several other reputable security suites on the market. Here's a comparison of McAfee Plus to some of its main competitors.

A main competitor is Norton 360, a comprehensive security suite that offers a wide range of features. It includes robust antivirus and anti-malware protection, a reliable firewall, a secure VPN for online privacy, a convenient password manager, parental controls to safeguard your family, and PC tune-up tools to optimize your system's performance.

While Norton 360 is highly regarded for its exceptional virus protection and comprehensive feature set, it can sometimes be resource-intensive, potentially impacting system performance. Additionally, some advanced features may require additional subscriptions.

Another option is Bitdefender Total Security, a comprehensive security suite that offers a range of essential features. It provides robust antivirus and anti-malware protection, a reliable firewall, a secure VPN for online privacy, a convenient password manager, parental controls to safeguard your family, and webcam protection to prevent unauthorized access.

One of the standout features of Bitdefender Total Security is its lightweight and fast performance, ensuring minimal impact on system resources. It also offers strong malware protection and is generally considered good value for the price. However, some users may find the interface less intuitive compared to other security suites, and it may have fewer additional features compared to some competitors.

Trend Micro Maximum Security is a comprehensive security suite that offers a range of essential features. It provides robust antivirus and anti-malware protection, a reliable firewall, a secure VPN for online privacy, a convenient password manager, parental controls to safeguard your family, and PC optimization tools to improve system performance.

One of the standout features of Trend Micro Maximum Security is its strong malware protection and comprehensive feature set, offering a wide range of security tools. It is also generally considered good value for the price. However, some users may find the interface less intuitive compared to other security suites, and it can be resource-intensive, potentially impacting system performance.

When choosing a security suite, it's important to consider multiple features. We suggest to focus on the following factors:

Malware Protection: While all of the mentioned suites offer excellent malware protection, it's recommended to research independent lab tests to compare their performance in detail.

Features: Identify the specific features that are important to you, such as a VPN for online privacy, a password manager for secure credential management, or parental controls to protect your family.

Performance: Some security suites may have a heavier impact on your system's performance than others. Consider how the suite will affect your computer's speed and responsiveness.

Price: Compare the pricing of different plans to find the best value for your needs. Consider the cost of the initial purchase as well as any recurring subscription fees.

Ease of Use: Evaluate how user-friendly the interface is and how easy it is to manage the suite's features. A simple and intuitive interface can make it easier to use and troubleshoot any issues.

While all of the mentioned suites offer excellent malware protection, it's recommended to fully assess your needs, and to read reviews before making a final decision.

McAfee Plus: Support

Need help with McAfee? McAfee offers various support options for its Plus customers. Explore the Support Center to find answers, troubleshooting tips, and articles on common issues. Join the Community to connect with other McAfee users and experts for advice and support. Search the Knowledge Base to access a wealth of information about McAfee products and features.

In addition to the self-help options available online, McAfee also offers direct support for customers who prefer to speak with a representative. This support option is available by calling the McAfee customer support number, which can be found on the McAfee website or in the documentation that came with your McAfee product. When you call, you will be connected with a customer support representative who can assist you with your issue. The representative will be able to troubleshoot common problems, provide technical support, and answer any questions you may have about your McAfee product.

Experience real-time support by initiating a chat with a knowledgeable McAfee agent. Simply click on the chat icon, located conveniently on the website, and you can connect to an agent in no time. There is access to instant answers, guidance, and support through the live chat feature, available 24/7 for your convenience.

For more in-depth assistance, another option is to reach out via email by submitting a support ticket. To help the McAfee Plus team address your issue efficiently, be sure to provide as much detailed information as you can. It is a good idea to include any error messages you've encountered, relevant screenshots, and a step-by-step description of any troubleshooting actions that have been already tried. The more context and specifics that are shared, the better the support team can understand the problem to supply a solution.

Rich media content is offered by exploring the tutorial videos for comprehensive step-by-step guidance on everything from basic setup to leveraging advanced features. These guides teach users how to optimize protection, resolve common issues, and stay ahead of emerging threats.

Finally, users can join the McAfee community through the social media channels. This allows folks to connect with fellow users, receive expert advice, share useful tips, and keep up-to-date on the latest security news and best practices.

McAfee Plus: Final verdict

McAfee Plus is a comprehensive security solution designed to safeguard your digital life from a wide range of online threats. At its core, it features robust antivirus protection that shields your system from viruses, worms, and other malicious programs. The advanced antimalware engine effectively detects and eliminates malware, including spyware, adware, and ransomware, ensuring your devices remain free of unwanted intruders.

Real-time threat prevention is another crucial component of McAfee Plus. It continuously monitors your system for suspicious activities and automatically blocks potential threats before they can cause harm. This proactive approach helps prevent infections and minimizes the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access to your personal information.

McAfee Plus also provides a robust firewall that acts as a barrier between your device and the internet. It analyzes incoming and outgoing network traffic, blocking unauthorized connections and preventing malicious software from infiltrating your system. This layer of defense helps protect against cyberattacks, such as phishing attempts and unauthorized remote access.

In addition to these core security features, McAfee Plus includes a host of other tools to enhance your online safety. It offers secure browsing, which warns you about potentially dangerous websites and blocks malicious downloads. The identity protection feature monitors your personal information online and alerts you to any suspicious activity, such as attempts to steal your passwords or credit card numbers.

Parental controls allow you to manage your children's online activities, ensuring their safety when browsing the internet. You can set limits on screen time, block inappropriate content, and monitor their online interactions.

With McAfee Plus, you can rest assured that your devices and personal data are protected against a wide range of online threats. Its combination of advanced security features and user-friendly interface makes it an excellent choice for anyone looking for a comprehensive and reliable security solution.

We've also featured the best identity theft protection, best antivirus and best VPN

Features

Astrill has great leak protection options with the kill switch being the standard offering among the safer business VPN offerings. However, they go a step further by offering a feature called App Guard that lets you choose applications to block if the VPN gets disconnected. This app functions across all protocols Astrill offers, except OpenWeb. You can also use the leak test tool on the company’s website to test out leaks. Furthermore, you get protection against IPv6, DNS, and WebRT leaks. 

Regarding traffic routing, Astrill offers a “Smart Mode” that tunnels all international traffic through the VPN, while allowing local traffic to go through the regular network, which is great if you’re in restrictive jurisdictions. You also have the option to filter websites, i.e. decide manually which sites go through VPN and which will circumvent it, with the feature being available only on desktops and routers. You can also extend the filtering to apps, as mentioned earlier. To round off traffic routing, you also get a VPN-sharing option, which enables you to share your VPN connection with other devices in the network, without the need to install the VPN to each device. 

Multi-hop is another great feature Astrill offers, which is not common among competitors. In essence, it combines up to three servers to tunnel your traffic through. This enhances security, but with Astrill it flows only through VIP servers (you have to pay for more than 100GB of traffic). If you want to scan your ports, perform port forwarding, or adjust additional proxy settings, you can do all of this to further enhance your security. 

If you opt to use the OpenWeb protocol, you will also have the ad-blocking capabilities offered by Astrill.   

The Astrill VPN app is functional and includes a wide array of features, but its user interface isn't the most intuitive. The design is quite small and lacks visual appeal, indicating that the app could benefit from a modern update to enhance usability and aesthetics.

In terms of platform compatibility, Astrill VPN supports a variety of operating systems and devices. These include Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, as well as ASUS, Tomato, and DD-WRT-capable routers. This ensures broad accessibility, making it a versatile solution for businesses and individuals using different devices or network setups.

Pricing & Plans

(Image credit: Astrill)

If you’re a smaller business operating on a tighter budget, then you will not be too happy about the pricing plans. Namely, if you want to pay on a monthly basis and not commit to the services for longer than a month, then you will be paying $9 per account per month, with a minimum number of 10 accounts. Although more expensive than some competitors, Astrill justifies its cost with premium features like multi-device support, unlimited bandwidth, and customizable connection protocols.

You also get access to the Astrill app across all devices. Companies that need to scale their VPN access or require advanced security options may find the pricing worthwhile for the added value and flexibility. Astrill also offers dedicated support for its business customers, providing expert help for VPN setup, management, and troubleshooting, ensuring that companies can get the most out of their subscription. You can count on discounts if you need more than 20 accounts, with a maximum discount for 200 accounts, where you would pay $7.92 per account, per month. 

All plans come with 100GB of free data on their VIP servers, but each additional 100GB will cost you an extra $10.

Performance

Astrill is consistently rated for its excellent speed, which is crucial for businesses that rely on data-heavy tasks like video conferencing, large file transfers, or accessing cloud-based applications. Even with strong encryption protocols, Astrill VPN manages to deliver fast connections across its global server network.

Speed tests on a Windows PC using the WireGuard protocol across a few Astrill VPN server locations revealed impressive results. The fastest speeds were achieved when connected to a local server, but performance remained solid even on distant servers. Websites loaded almost instantly, and streaming HD videos ran smoothly with no buffering issues, demonstrating Astrill's ability to maintain high-speed connections across its global network. You can also check out the company’s site for the speed results across each server; you can find the results here.

Privacy & Security

When it comes to security and privacy, Astrill VPN, like many other providers, promises a strict no-logging policy. Astrill is based in Seychelles, a location outside the 5, 9, and 14 Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances, which adds credibility to its privacy stance. While Astrill claims to collect minimal data, it gathers more than competitors. The information collected includes connection times, original IP address, device type, and app version, although Astrill states this data is erased once the user disconnects from the VPN.

However, the collection of real IP addresses alongside timestamps is concerning, as it could potentially be used to link online activity back to a user. Additionally, Astrill tracks bandwidth usage and logs details of the last 20 connection records, including connection times, duration, origin country, device type, and app version. While some of this information is standard for troubleshooting, it exceeds what many would consider strictly necessary for user privacy.

In terms of encryption, the industry standard AES-256 encryption is present and provides more than enough protection in that regard.

Alternatives

If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly and complex ZTNA-oriented offer, then NordLayer is a great alternative. It offers much more in terms of complex protection (ad blocking, phishing protection, no-logging, etc.). The application itself is more user-friendly and speeds are competitive, with pricing being better in the Light plan, but more expensive if you move up the ladder. 

ProtonVPN is another great alternative to Astrill, as the offering also includes double-hop and Secure Core, a solution that can add an additional layer of protection. Moreover, you get P2P file sharing, up to 10 simultaneous device connections, and vital security features such as a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and built-in Tor support for enhanced privacy. In terms of pricing, it is comparable to Astrill but offers a wider network of servers and additional premium features.

Final Verdict

Astrill Business VPN is a powerful and flexible solution for companies that need a high level of security and speed in their VPN connections. While it comes with a higher price tag, the features and performance it offers make it a strong contender for businesses with advanced security needs or those operating in high-risk environments. Its customizable protocols, excellent speed, and strong encryption make it a particularly good fit for businesses in industries that handle sensitive data or require high-performance networking.

It is well worth considering Astrill as a potential solution if the primary characteristic you need is speed, and don’t mind paying a bit extra and not getting the premium features that some competitors offer. Overall, Astrill is a solid choice, but there are better offers in the market.

• We've listed the best business VPNs and the best VPNs with antivirus

Features

For businesses looking for a cloud-delivered service that will help them connect private networks, devices, and servers, there is the CloudConnexa offer on OpenVPN. CloudConnexa offers a cloud-based VPN service tailored to make secure networking simpler for businesses. It enables secure access to applications, private networks, remote workforces, and IoT devices without the need for complicated hardware or the management of server software, circumventing the issue of complex configuration.

Standout features include ZTNA for enhanced security, a full-mesh network that allows seamless connectivity between all users and resources, and Cyber Shield, which protects against malicious content by blocking potential threats before they reach your network. 

The other feature of OpenVPN is its Access Server, a self-hosted secure access solution. This will of course provide more control over the network and the underlying resources, but will require more technical knowledge. Access Server can be installed:

• As a software package on Linux servers Ubuntu LTS, Redhat, Debian, Amazon Linux
• As cloud image on AWS, Digital Ocean, Azure, GCP, Oracle
• As a virtual appliance on VMware ESX or Microsoft HyperV

Once set up, you can offer the connection through various VPN clients to devices from all operating systems, desktop, or mobile. The user authentication process is highly versatile, offering a built-in system with web-based management or integration with external authentication methods such as PAM, LDAP, RADIUS, or SAML. For advanced authentication needs, you can even implement custom programming with Python.

You can create access control rules to specify user or group access to specific IP addresses and subnets, and even determine which devices can make direct VPN client connections. For routing options, Access Server provides full-tunnel and split-tunnel redirection, giving you the flexibility to route all internet traffic through the VPN or only specific traffic, based on your security and bandwidth requirements. 

All of the above only scratches the surface of the complex and granular configurations you can make using OpenVPN.

Pricing & Plans

(Image credit: OpenVPN)

If you’re unsure what OpenVPN is all about, or if you simply want to take it for a test run, there is a Free plan that you can use to set up three connections. However, if you’re looking to make a self-hosted solution, then the number of connections is two for the free plan. The next plan is called Growth, costing $14 a month per connection; you can get a discount if you opt for annual billing and then the price per connection is $11. The last plan Enterprise, for over 500 connections will require you to reach out to get a quote.   

It is important to note that there are different features if you opt for the self-hosted solution vs CloudConnexa. With the self-hosted option, you’ll have comprehensive support for both IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity, advanced security settings like FIPS compliance, and multiple authentication options including SAML, LDAP, and RADIUS. This option provides you with detailed access logs, robust routing features like application-based domain routing, and the ability to handle overlapping IPs, making it highly suitable for businesses needing maximum customization and control.

CloudConnexa, on the other hand, still gets core features like IPv4 support, basic routing capabilities, and standard authentication methods. However, some advanced features, such as full IPv6 support, DNS logs, and certain location control policies, are still in development. CloudConnexa is ideal if you want a simpler, managed solution that still covers essential networking and security needs but doesn’t require the infrastructure management responsibilities of a self-hosted setup.

Performance

OpenVPN prides itself on its strong security features, however, it falters when it comes to speed. Some of it lies in the complex server-side configuration options available, and other reasons are due to the protocol itself being a bit slower compared to the competition. WireGuard for example is on average over 20% faster, while still utilizing complex cryptography for security purposes.   

In conclusion, if speed is the most important factor, then OpenVPN may not be the best choice, however, we would recommend trying out the free version to test out the features and speed before deciding whether it is for you. We’re not trying to say that it’s the slowest protocol or that it’s unusable, just that it’s slower compared to other solutions on the market.

Privacy & Security

Security is one of OpenVPN’s greatest strengths. Kicking things off with powerful AES-256 and Blowfish encryption. Additionally, it offers fully automated VPN certificate provisioning and management. For businesses that want to have full control over their public key infrastructure (PKI), they can do so using external PKI systems. VPN tunnels are secured with TSL authentication, credentials, certificates, and an optional MAC address lock.

Multi-factor authentication is supported in various forms, with TOTP MFA built-in, along with the other external authentication methods mentioned earlier. However, if you have services like Duo Security or LastPass, you can add them using post-authentication plugins. Furthermore, there is support for Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS), which means that even if an encryption key is compromised, it won't decrypt past communications.

Alternatives

A potential alternative for more tech-savvy users is Radmin VPN, which similar to OpenVPN is not a typical VPN service. Namely, Radmin is first of all completely free and is a great option for creating a virtual LAN, through which resources can be shared. It has no advanced features to speak of but can complement nicely other services that incorporate a firewall-as-a-service model, antivirus, anti-phishing, and malware solutions. It uses the same encryption protocol as OpenVPN but in terms of security is not as complex nor advanced. Whether Radmin VPN is a good alternative will depend on whether you need a virtual LAN component or a full-scale ZTNA solution. 

For a full ZTNA solution that doesn’t require too much technical knowledge and represents a one-stop shop for your needs, you can turn to NordLayer. NordLayer offers a firewall, internet shield, and much more while not compromising on speed. In terms of pricing, it competes well with OpenVPN, and depending on the size of your company, might represent a better buy overall.

Final Verdict

For newcomers to the topic, it may be difficult to fully understand what OpenVPN is all about. While it is a communication protocol, it’s also a VPN in its full sense. With the option to host it yourself, a lot of technical know-how will be needed, which is true for most complex ZTNA implementations. On the other hand, it offers a cloud-hosted variant which is easier to implement and offers most of the options that you have in a self-hosted environment. Sure, some advanced features are still in development, but thanks to the open-source concept, we’re sure updates will come fast. 

Overall, whether OpenVPN is the right choice for you, will depend mostly on your unique needs, and the availability of technical employees who can take on the task of implementing it properly. Of course, there is the pricing element, and performance that need to be taken into consideration. All in all, OpenVPN is a solid choice for companies looking to implement a ZTNA approach and protect their remote workforce and company assets.

• We've listed the best business VPNs and the best VPNs with antivirus

H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport: Two-minute review

There might not be a better set of headphones for triathletes than the H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport. Their lightweight frame, flexible build, and host of features, particularly the Playlist+ feature that lets you record a playlist from a source directly to the headset, make it better than the best open earbuds or the best wireless earbuds for use in the water. There’s also a case to be made for considering these over the best running headphones if you’re looking for something specifically for races, marathons, or even a lengthy jog.

Being bone conduction headphones, the H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport aren’t going to be the best sounding option out there,but they sound better than most bone conduction headphones I’ve used. And having completely uncovered ears is crucial if you need to hear your surroundings when on the trail or running alongside traffic.

That said, there’s still some room for growth, as I’ll go into in a bit, and the price is on the higher side for this form factor. But, triathletes, swimmers, and anyone that hates plugging up their ears during a workout (they work well in the gym as well) will get a lot out of the H2O Audio Tri 2 Multi-Sport.

headset, charging case, regular case, and accessories (Image credit: Future / James Holland)

The Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport, at 3.2 grams, is very lightweight. It wraps around the back the head with a frame that can be twisted this way and that, not to mention has plenty of clearance in the back to fit all sorts of head shapes and sizes (and also handle plenty of abuse). It’s extremely stable and doesn’t move at all even with rapid head movements.

Its matte black rubberized covering offers an essentially waterproof IPX8 rating, which is one of the things that makes it so good for use in the water. Its charging port is a unique proprietary one, most likely to keep the headset fully waterproof.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

The downside of the thick covering comes when trying to manipulate the controls, of which there are three: volume down, power, and volume up. The headphones are somewhat slow to respond, especially when trying to use secondary functions, which are triggered by either a double press or a long press. On top of that, if the double press isn’t quick enough, it just registers as two successive single presses.

This is particularly frustrating when trying to switch from Bluetooth to on-board memory in the middle of a run, or when trying to use the Playlist+ feature. I ended up having a few moments of silence that I didn’t mean to record along with the beginning of another song when testing this feature because my presses weren’t always registering.

On the bright side, the H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport comes with 8GB of storage and a built-in MP3 player that allows about 2,000 songs to be loaded for use when you can’t or don’t want to bring your phone, such as in the water where Bluetooth connectivity doesn’t work well. This is all bolstered by the Playlist+ feature, which essentially live records whatever you play through the Bluetooth connection once engaged and turns it into an MP3 loaded onto the headphones.

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Of course, if you run a whole playlist while doing this, it basically registers it as one song, so if you want to skip from song to song, you’ll have to start and stop for each song. Still, it’s a welcome way to add music to the onboard storage without buying MP3s.

Since using the buttons can be problematic, engaging the Playlist+ feature and getting exactly what I wanted was a bit of a chore as I ended with the beginning parts of the last song cut off while I was trying to stop the feature without initial success.

Doing that through the app where I could control by pressing on the app was much easier. In general, the app was easy to navigate. My only gripe with the app is that I have to switch from Bluetooth mode to memory mode to see what’s stored on the headphones and then back again to use the Playlist+ feature.

Before I dig into the overall sound quality of the H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport, I want to talk about the vibrations of it and bone-conduction headphones in general. These types of headphones transmit sound by essentially vibrating the frequencies through the high cheek bones. The benefit of this is that it leaves your ear completely untouched so you can hear everything around you – even transparency mode on wireless earbuds aren’t as good. Check out our guide to how bone conduction headphones work for more details. The drawback is that at higher volumes, the vibrations can cause discomfort, sometimes even to the point of nausea. It’s the main reason that I typically don’t use bone-conduction headphones as my daily driver (I’m also only doing around three-mile runs, typically).

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

However, H2O Audio has somehow managed to greatly minimize this effect to the point where I only get a very slight discomfort at the highest settings, and even then it’s more annoying than anything else. Regarding the sound quality itself, it’s good but don’t expect hi-res audio. When using them during a run or even just around the house, they’re not going to have the detail and clarity of high quality earbuds. But, they do reproduce everything well enough.

There’s a decent amount of bass, though not a huge amount (it probably would create the discomfort issues I mentioned above). The midrange is nice and full, while the high-end is a little rolled off but doesn’t sound veiled. As is often the case with bone-conduction headphones, it’s good for the form factor and that’s good enough.

Interestingly enough, they sound better underwater when used with the provided earplugs. When I put the earplugs in before submerging, the audio gets boomy and somewhat indistinct, but as soon as I go under, everything sounds clear as day with tight bass and balanced mids and high end. It’s really quite something to experience.

While you can take calls with the H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport, they’re not ideal for it as you’ll sound quiet and a bit far away. It’s not a huge deal breaker to me just because of the niche purpose of these headphones (and the fact that most earbuds are still just okay in this department).

Lastly, I want to mention the battery life as it offers nine hours of use (18 total if you spring for the charging case). Though something like the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 offers 12 hours on a single charge, that’s quite good compared to what many wireless earbuds offer and is enough for a marathon, not to mention you won’t have to deal with discomfort of sweaty earbuds.

H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport: Specifications H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? $199.99 / £155.68 (about AU$310)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

The H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport’s price point of $199.99 / £155.68 is a bit pricey for a pair of bone-conduction headphones, but its price makes sense when you think about the fact that the original version of this tri-athlete-focused headset started at $149.99 (£128.00, AU$225.00) and the introduction of the Playlist+ feature added about $20/£20 to the price tag.

Bumping the price up thanks to some design upgrades makes sense as well, though I would have liked to see the Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport keep the same price point as the Playlist+ enabled version 1 it replaced. If you have a little extra money to spend, there’s also a charging case available for an extra $49.99 (about £40 / AU$80).

Spending around $200 on bone conduction headphones is not unheard of. For example, the Suunto Wing has a similar price point at $199 / £169 / AUS $319. Of course, it doesn’t have the Playlist+ feature and its sound quality is underwhelming. However, it does offer up to 30 hours of battery life with its charging case. You get up to 18 with the H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport only if you pay extra for the charging case.

• Price: 4 / 5

H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport: Scorecard Should I buy the H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport? Buy it if...

You want headphones for use on land and in water

You can run with these, you can swim or dive with these, or you can do both. There aren’t a lot of headphones out there that fit this niche and do it well. This is one of them.View Deal

You want to be able to record your playlists onto your headphones

The unique Playlist+ feature H2O Audio included here lets you put your whole streaming playlist on the headphone’s storage so you can listen without your phone or a Bluetooth connection.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget

The price is appropriate for what’s on offer, but the H2O Audio Tri 2 Multi-Sport is not a budget offering. If you’re limited on funds, there are cheaper alternatives out there.View Deal

You want Hi-Res audio

These sound good for what they are, but if you’re a stickler for audio resolution and quality, you can find other options (as long as you don’t need to use them in the water).View Deal

Also consider

Suunto Wing

The Suunto Wing goes for a similar price as the H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport. And while the audio quality is not on par, the extended battery life (with its case) makes it a better option for longer races, such as Ultra marathons.

Read our full Suunto Wing review View Deal

OpenRock Pro

Despite the less-than-stellar audio performance, the OpenRock Pro are affordable with a comfortable fit, not to mention have a very long battery life, making them a good option for those that want that open-ear design for long runs and don’t plan on swimming.

Read our full OpenRock Pro reviewView Deal

How I tested

• Tested over a month
• Listened to different kinds of media
• Tested all the different features

I spent a month using the H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport as my workout headphones. While using them, I listened to all sorts of genres from electronic and hip-hop to rock and acoustic music to get an idea of how they sound. I used them in various settings such as on a run and even under water. Check out our guide to how bone conduction headphones work for more details.

After testing, it’s clear that they serve their purpose well as they are, per the name, for triathletes, swimmers, and athletes in general who want to hear their surroundings while listening to music.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing audio equipment and have spent even longer using my critical ear as a listener and musician to understand what does and doesn’t sound good.

• First reviewed November 2024

Features

A key advantage of ZPA over traditional VPNs is the seamless, always-on connectivity it offers. In a typical VPN setup, users must log in, establish a connection, and then access corporate resources. This process can be cumbersome, especially for employees who frequently switch networks, such as moving from a wired connection to Wi-Fi or from Wi-Fi to a mobile data network.

With ZPA, there is no concept of "logging in" to a VPN. Once enrolled, users have continuous access to their applications without the need to connect or reconnect manually. This instant access means ZPA provides a smoother, more efficient experience, ensuring that employees can stay productive without constant interruptions.

The user experience is further enhanced when switching networks. While VPN users often need to reconnect every time they switch to a different network, ZPA adjusts automatically, maintaining uninterrupted access to corporate resources. This eliminates the hassle of reconnection prompts and ensures seamless access, making ZPA more convenient for employees who frequently move between networks or work on the go.

ZPA also excels in offering detailed visibility and control over user activity, which traditional VPNs lack. You get real-time insights into user activity, showing which applications are being accessed, how often they are used, and which users consume the most bandwidth. This level of visibility allows administrators to monitor and manage application access more effectively, identify potential security threats, and optimize network performance. 

The admin dashboard focuses on user and application management rather than traditional networking elements like ports and protocols. This approach aligns with modern security practices, allowing administrators to manage access based on user roles and application requirements rather than IP addresses or network segments.

Pricing & Plans

(Image credit: Zscaler)

Zscaler doesn’t advertise prices on their website, which means you will have to reach out to them directly and get a quote that will revolve around the needs of your business. There are three tiers to choose from, the Essentials which provides the basics of protection offered by the company, which includes the VPN substitute paradigm on which Zscaler’s offering is based. The Business tier relies more on a full ZTNA approach with network segmentation and advanced threat prevention. And finally, the Transformation tier focuses on the full offering of Zscaler, aimed at larger enterprises that have dozens of on and off-site workers, accessing company assets.

While pricing is not directly available, you can get a sense of the costs by looking at the Azure marketplace that advertises the Business plan for $192 for a single user for one whole year. We’re sure you can get a custom quote with better pricing if you reach out directly, though keep in mind that Zscaler is one of the biggest names in the space and that you’re getting a premium package that includes all of the modern bells and whistles tied to a ZTNA approach.

Performance

Zscaler delivers consistently high performance, thanks to its extensive global network of data centers. This widespread network ensures that users experience low latency, even during peak times, as connections are always routed through the nearest and most efficient data center. Since Zscaler operates entirely in the cloud, it offers 99.999% availability, ensuring that your team can securely access resources from anywhere without interruption.

Additionally, Zscaler optimizes traffic through split tunneling, which means only traffic intended for the corporate network is routed through the VPN, while other traffic accesses the internet directly. This approach reduces bandwidth usage and improves overall speed and efficiency. However, if the service goes down, you will be left without internet access for your entire company. Such instances are rare but can happen and should be considered when deciding whether to go with Zscaler or another solution.

Privacy & Security

ZPA employs a ZTNA model, which means that users are only granted access to specific applications they need, rather than the entire network. During the demonstration, the ZPA user couldn't see any other devices or resources on the network, while the VPN user could scan and see various ports and devices connected to the corporate environment. This stark difference illustrates ZPA’s superior security model, as it minimizes the attack surface and reduces the risk of unauthorized access.

By not assigning an IP address to the user’s device on the corporate network, ZPA prevents lateral movement, ensuring that even if one application is compromised, it won’t lead to a wider network breach. This makes ZPA significantly more secure than traditional VPNs, which inherently trust any device connected to the network.

Alternatives

For businesses looking for alternatives, Check Point Quantum is a viable solution that offers both software and hardware solutions for security and safety online. Similar to Zscaler their offering is based on a ZTNA approach and pricing is also premium, especially if you go for the hardware + software combination. Nevertheless, you will be getting the best protection on the market. 

ProtonVPN is another viable business VPN alternative to Zscaler. While it may look lightweight in comparison, it certainly is not thanks to its combination of double hop and Secure Core offering you will be able to protect all of your assets easily. It’s much simpler when it comes to setup and deployment and is cheaper in comparison. This doesn’t mean that you won’t have scalability options or top-notch security; so if you’re a smaller or mid-sized business Proton could be a better option.

Final Verdict

If you’re looking for a modern, scalable, and highly secure VPN solution then Zscaler’s ZPA might be the right tool for your organization. Businesses that prioritize security, remote access, and data protection can lean on its zero trust architecture, cloud-based delivery, and real-time threat protection to stay ahead of the threats.

This is one of the things that sets ZPA appart from traditional VPNs. Sure, there is a learning curve if you’re transitioning from standard VPN solutions, but the benefits of enhanced security, performance, and ease of management make Zscaler a worthwhile investment for businesses that rely heavily on remote work or remote access to company resources. As the shift towards cloud-based applications and remote work continues, adopting a zero trust model like ZPA can help businesses stay ahead of potential threats while maintaining efficient and secure access to critical resources.

• We've listed the best business VPNs and the best VPNs with antivirus

Features

Radmin VPN is a free solution designed specifically for Windows, that creates a virtual local area network (LAN) that connects multiple computers over the internet as if they were on the same physical network. In simple terms, it allows devices located anywhere in the world to interact as if they were on the same local network, eliminating the need for proximity.

To explain further, a traditional LAN consists of devices like computers, printers, and servers that are connected to the same internet source, such as a Wi-Fi router, allowing them to communicate with one another. For example, you can send documents from your computer to a printer connected to the same Wi-Fi without needing a physical cable. However, a true LAN requires all connected devices to be in close range of the same network source.

With Radmin VPN, this physical limitation is removed. It creates a virtual connection over the internet, allowing two or more devices to connect and interact as if they were on the same LAN, regardless of their geographical location.

After establishing this virtual LAN, you gain the usual benefits of a traditional LAN, including:

• Sharing resources such as printers, servers, and applications
• Direct file sharing between connected devices
• Enhanced security, as network security tools can be applied to protect all connected devices

With that being said, if you want to mask your IP, introduce a firewall, or deploy an anti-phishing or ad-blocking service, you will need to turn to other providers or solutions as Radmin doesn’t provide any.

For gamers, a great feature is that it offers access to over 1,000 gaming networks that have been set up by other Radmin VPN users, giving you the ability to join existing networks or create your own. All traffic exchanged between devices within these networks is encrypted, ensuring secure communication while gaming or collaborating with others. A word of caution though, some servers are used with cracked software and you should be weary of freely connecting to such servers on gaming networks.

Pricing & Plans

There are no pricing plans with Radmin. By downloading the app from the website, without providing any personal or credit card information, you’re good to go. The app is completely free, but keep in mind, only available for users on Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7.

Performance

Radmin VPN doesn't encrypt your general internet traffic, so it won't have any impact on your regular browsing, torrenting, or streaming speeds. The VPN only comes into play when you're using its private virtual network for activities like file sharing or connecting with other devices. 

A useful feature of Radmin VPN is that it provides tools to help you monitor your connection speeds. Each user on your network has a network indicator displayed next to their name, represented by a series of green bars showing their connection strength. Additionally, you can right-click on a user's name and ping them to check how long it takes for data to travel to their device and back, allowing you to gauge the responsiveness and latency of your virtual network. This feature makes it easier to assess the quality of your connection with other users and helps you troubleshoot any potential speed issues within the network.

Privacy & Security

Radmin VPN incorporates encryption as a key element of its virtual network but does not encrypt all internet traffic. Instead, it focuses on securing the data shared within the virtual LAN, ensuring that any information exchanged between devices on this network remains protected from unauthorized access. This means while your internet browsing activity isn't encrypted, the data you share with other devices connected through Radmin VPN is safeguarded from interception.

Radmin VPN uses 256-bit AES encryption, which is considered the gold standard for VPN security. This advanced encryption method is the same one used by financial institutions and even the US military for protecting classified data. While Radmin VPN doesn’t offer encryption for all types of internet traffic, it provides robust protection for the data transferred within your virtual LAN, ensuring a high level of security for your shared resources and information.

However, unlike some premium VPNs, Radmin VPN doesn't come with extra security features like DNS leak protection or kill switch functionality, which might be important for businesses with highly sensitive data.

Alternatives

Since Radmin is not a typical VPN or a business-focused VPN, any other VPN that offers advanced features could be a viable alternative. Windscribe could be the first alternative, as it also offers a free version of its services. However, if you want overall protection and scalability you will have to opt for paid plans. It is a quirky service that can help both individuals and businesses stay protected online. 

A second alternative aimed more at business users in NordLayer. Nord offers complex protection through its NetShield feature that can protect business and private users from ads and phishing attempts. The firewall as a service option is also quite powerful and offers granular adjustments to be made on the fly. Speed is among the best in the market along with competitive pricing, making NordLayer one of the better choices in the market.

Final Verdict

It is difficult to make a case for Radmin if you do not belong to a niche group of people looking to utilize what it offers. Gamers are flocking to the service in order to create virtual LANs and play their favorite games with their friends or family. Moreover, businesses are also using Radmin, often in combination with Radmin’s paid software for remote access called Radmin 3. According to the company, it has been chosen by over 100,000 companies worldwide for remote tech support to employees.

If you’re a more advanced administrator who utilizes a proprietary firewall, phishing, and ad blockers, obfuscation techniques, and complex encryption but lacks a virtual LAN creation tool, then Radmin can be an ideal choice. On the other hand, if you’re a business looking for an off-the-shelf complete solution, feel free to skip Radmin, and look for another product.

• We've listed the best business VPNs and the best VPNs with antivirus

Grecell T-1000: 30-second review Specs

Battery Capacity: 999Wh
Output Power: 1000W continuous, 2000W surge capacity
Battery Type: Lithium-ion with upgraded BMS (Battery Management System)
Weight: Approximately 6 kg
Dimensions: 293 x 200 x 205 mm
Ports and Outputs: 2 AC outlets (1000W max output), 1 USB-C PD (Power Delivery) port (60W), 3 USB-A ports with Quick Charge 3.0 (18W each), 2 DC outputs (12V), 1 carport (12V), 15W wireless charging pad
Charging Inputs: AC Adapter, PV input for solar panel charging (12-26V), Car Charger Input: 12V
Display: Monochrome LED screen

When the Grecell T-1000 was originally launched, it was seen as a cheap, versatile, and feature-packed portable power station. Sure enough, with 2 AC ports, 4 USB ports, and 3 DC outputs, alongside three possible charging options, there's plenty on offer. Not only that, but it also includes 15W wireless charging on top, a foldaway handle, and an emergency lamp, which all make this relatively small and comparatively lightweight 1000Wh portable power station seem like a great option.

The design, primarily because of its size and weight, along with the large carry handle with a rubberised grip, made it easy to transport in comparison with some of the larger, more refined models. The simple-to-use LCD, rubberised corners all give it a robust appearance and practically enable it to withstand a knock or two

However, times have moved on, and the market leaders have now produced extremely refined 1000Wh models priced at roughly the same level, if not cheaper. The T-1000 still provides a decent option for anyone looking for a compact power station of this capacity and feature set. But it faces stiff competition from so many of the best portable power stations at this stage in the game.

The design of the T-1000 is less refined than some others at least aesthetically, but it's simple and straightforward, with direct AC charging from a wall socket if needed, and options for a 12-26V input or PV input for solar panels. All charging ports, including AC, DC, and USB, are neatly laid out on the front. While the DC and USB ports are well-positioned, the AC ports are slightly too low for some plug designs, such as those for many Apple laptops and some projectors, particularly with UK-style plugs. If the plug transformer is flush with the socket, it can be impossible to push the plug fully in, requiring an extension cable for even basic appliances.

That said, in most territories that don't utilise UK-style plugs, access to the AC sockets and the surrounding space should be sufficient. Otherwise, the rest of the design and features are simple, easy to understand, and well laid out.

When it comes to delivering power, the 1000Wh capacity performs well, charging a variety of devices, including a DJI Air 3S, a Sony A7 IV battery, several power banks, and a 13-inch MacBook Air several times with plenty of capacity left over.

While the Grecell T-1000 is perfectly good as a portable power station, there are, unfortunately, there are better options available. At its current price, it's just a little too expensive to be a viable choice. Realistically, it would need to be reduced by at least a third to make it competitive.

Grecell T-1000: Price & availability

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Grecell T-1000 is widely available from the official Grecell site here with a retail price of $580 / £550, and at online retailers like Amazon for around the same price. That doesn't offer huge value for money in our book.

• Score: 3/5

Grecell T-1000: Design & build

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The first thing we noticed about the Grecell T-1000 is its slightly dated and industrial design. The main case is made entirely of toughened black plastic, giving it that durable jobsite look and feel, or a hardy trooper for the back of the truck or campervan. The design is tough, and during testing, it sustained a few knocks which had little effect on the outer, with the plastic case proving to be extremely robust.

An interesting feature that helps to reinforce the robust nature, are the large rubberised corners, which help protect it as it's moved around. The foldaway handle features a large rubberised grip, making it easy and comfortable to carry in all conditions, although it's worth highlighting it isn't weather proof.

Looking over the casing of the T-1000, everything seems pretty solid; it's just that the design of the casing isn't as refined as much of the competition. All the main sockets are laid out across the front and are clearly labelled, with the DC input for mains charging and the PV input for solar charging port also positioned on the front, making everything easily accessible.

One of the great things about the T-1000's design is its accessibility—nothing is hidden away around the sides, except for the small emergency lamp, which can also be switched on from the front of the unit. Otherwise, everything, from the power switch to the DC, USB, and AC sockets, is laid out in a row, and there's very little here that is difficult or tricky to understand. Simply plug in, push the button to switch, and you have instant power.

A small LED screen is used to monitor power draw. This display is monochrome and shows basic information, such as the remaining battery capacity (marked as a percentage), alongside USB power out, DC power out, AC power out, and the input amounts if you are giving it a quick power charge.

A major design feature is the fact that the top of the portable power station is nice and flat. So, if you're on a building site or using this in the field as a photographer or videographer, it provides a handy flat platform to place your gear. This platform also includes a 15W wireless charging plate, which is useful if you have a mobile phone or other wireless charging device that needs a quick power boost.

• Design: 3.5/5

Grecell T-1000: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

One of the big features of the T-1000 is its relatively compact size and lightweight. It measures 293 x 200 x 205mm centimetres and weighs just 6kg. Inside, the battery capacity is 999Wh, and it can output up to 1000W with a 2000W surge capacity, which, considering the size, is really quite impressive.

The power is supplied by lithium batteries, which are standard for this type of portable power station, and there's a BMS that provides built-in overload, overcharge, and short-circuit protection.

Taking a look at the port options, there are 4 USB ports, including a USB-C PD 60W and 3 USB Type-A QC 18W. If you really want to put the T-1000 to the test, you can simultaneously power up to 10 devices: 2 AC outputs, the USB-C port mentioned earlier, 3 USB Type-A ports, one wireless charger on top, one carport, and 2 DC outputs. As long as the total combined output of all plugged-in devices does not exceed 1000W, you can use them all at the same time.

Obviously, with that many devices plugged in, the Grecell T-1000 will discharge relatively quickly, so there are options to charge it in three different ways. The first is through the AC adapter supplied with the power station. Then there's the PV input, which allows you to connect solar panels, and finally, there's the car input, enabling you to charge via a 12V source.

• Features: 3.5/5

Grecell T-1000: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

When it comes to looking at the T-1000, we've broken down the performance into three different areas: firstly, the design and how it fares when you're carrying the unit around; secondly, the flexibility of use—how easy it is to use all of the ports and sockets available; and finally, the charging capacity and output—does it actually deliver what it claims on the box, and is there anything you should look out for?

Starting with the design, it looks less refined than much of the competition, and it is a little boxy, but it essentially looks like a piece of kit you'd find on a building site. It really matches the drill cases and hard cases you often see with power tools, and as such the T-1000 looks at home in a trade environment. Not only that but with the rubberised corners and tough plastic casing, it feels a little more robust than some others. At the very least, any knocks or scuffs just add to the aesthetic rather than detract from it.

So, while this might not be the first choice for van life enthusiasts or photographers and videographers who prefer their portable power stations to have a little more style, for those working in the trades who aren't as concerned about aesthetics, the T-1000 could be a great option. Then there's the actual size and weight, which is interesting because the size is relatively compact. Compared with some other power stations, it is also relatively lightweight, especially considering its capacity. So again, if you need to carry this power station over short distances, it's far easier than some of the competition, particularly with its large carry handle.

The next part of the test was to see how easy it was to connect various devices. When it comes to the standard DC ports, they're nicely laid out, making it very easy to plug in devices for charging or topping up the battery. Next to the DC port, there are 4 USB ports, which are also well-positioned. While the USB-C port only offers a PD output of 60W, that's more than sufficient to keep a MacBook topped up or to power other devices. The three USB-A ports, each offering 18W, enable you to charge mobile phones and smaller devices without issue. Of course, the AC ports attract the most interest, and with two of them side by side, you can quickly plug in devices and take advantage of mains-style power output, up to 1000W.

That output is more than enough for most devices and appliances you'd use outdoors. While you won't be able to power a household kettle or iron, for most other items—such as blenders, TVs, or projectors—this small power station is more than capable. The only real issue here arises with UK plugs, especially for devices like Apple Mac laptops where the transformer is positioned below the plug. With many other devices using this style of plug, there's simply not enough space between the socket and the surface the power station is resting on to allow the transformer to sit properly. Additionally, the slightly recessed design of the AC ports prevents some plugs from sitting flush against the power station, which means they just can't be plugged in.

The only practical workaround is to use a power adapter: plug the adapter into the power station, and then plug your devices into the adapter to gain more flexibility. This actually works well, and small power adapters can be purchased cheaply, allowing you to connect two or three devices to the adapter and then directly into the T-1000. It handles the power draw remarkably well, as long as the combined output doesn't exceed the 1000W limit.

When used to power multiple devices, the T-1000 is able to charge mobile phones, drones, cameras, and 18V drill batteries without issue and it will run any device that draws less than 1000W. In terms of performance, the T-1000 delivers as advertised, with no notable problems. The only real drawback is its lack of design flair or some of the advanced features found in competing models. However, as a straightforward, solid, and functional power station, it performs very well.

Test Scores:

DJI Air 3S = 49-charges
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro = 125-charges
MacBook Air 13" M2 - 16-charges
Sony NP-FZ100 Battery - 52-charges

• Performance: 3.5/5

Should you buy the Grecell T-1000?

What the Grecell T-1000 doesn't have in design flair compared to the competition, it makes up for in solid functionality. While it is priced roughly the same, if not a little more than many of its rivals, it offers a reliable solution. The design isn't as aesthetic as many others on the market, but it is robust. If you're working in a trade and are okay with the aesthetics of a device but are concerned about how robust it is, the T-1000 is a great option. The rubberised corners protect it from knocks, and its rugged, utilitarian look means that if it gets dirty, scuffed, or scratched, it's not going to be a major concern.

The design also keeps everything nice and simple. The ports on the front are easily accessible, so if you store it in a van, you won't need to search around the back to access an AC port when you need to charge it. This ease of use is a huge benefit. While the AC ports, especially for UK plugs, are positioned a little low, using an adapter solves this issue, and the ability to plug in multiple devices via an adapter is a practical feature that will appeal to many.

The flat top with wireless charging for mobile phones is also a great addition. Ultimately, the T-1000 is a simple but effective power station. If you're looking for a power station to use on-site, this is a great option. Its robust design might actually give it a slight edge over some of the more refined offerings on the market. However, at its current price, you have market leaders like the Jackery Explorer 1000 on sale for slightly less. With its feature set and similarly robust design, it isn't easy to justify the cost of the T-1000 over those other models.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings) Buy it if...

You need a robust power station

The rubberised corners and simple plastic design make the Grecell T-1000 a solid option for use on building sites or anywhere it might be subjected to knocks and bashes.

You need something small and easily portable

Considering the internal capacity of 999Wh, the actual size and weight of this portable power station make it extremely versatile and easy to move and carry.

Don't buy it if...

You like advanced features

The T-1000 keeps the feature set simple. While it does include wireless charging, the rest of the features are focused on providing straightforward and effective power without any frills.

Design aesthetics are important to you.

The design of the T-1000 is highly functional rather than aesthetic. While it's great for use in the field and everything is easily accessible and practical, it's not the best-looking portable power station on the market.

For more outdoor essentials, we tested the best rugged phones and the best rugged tablets.

Features

GoodAccess enhances security by implementing a Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP) that utilizes ZTNA principles. This approach ensures that no user or device is trusted by default, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the network. Every user accessing the network must be authenticated and verified, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access or cyber threats. Furthermore, the platform employs AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption to ensure that data is encrypted and safe while traveling between remote workers and the company network. Admins have the choice of setting up VPN protocols such as OpenVPN and IKEv2 with both supporting the industry standard AES as their common denominator.

In terms of the servers available, the offering is on the slimmer side, spanning 35 locations spread across the US, Europe, and Asia. If you have specific location requirements it may be worth checking the list before deciding to commit to the service.  

The platform offers split tunneling, which enables you to select which traffic should pass through the VPN and which can access the internet directly. This feature helps optimize bandwidth and ensures that critical business traffic remains protected. Additionally, GoodAccess integrates with Single Sign-On (SSO) providers like Google Workspace and Azure Active Directory (and numerous others), simplifying access management for businesses using these tools.

GoodAccess also includes a DNS filter called Threat Blocker, which protects your network from malicious websites, malware, phishing attempts, ransomware, spam, and other online threats. This feature acts as an extra layer of defense, preventing users from accidentally accessing harmful content.

Additionally, the service comes with split tunneling, which optimizes your VPN gateway connection by allowing you to choose which traffic routes through the VPN and which accesses the internet directly. This helps improve overall speed and reduces latency, ensuring a smoother browsing experience. Additionally, GoodAccess provides a static IP address, giving your company a unique identifier for its network. Curiously enough, there is no kill switch option on offer.

(Image credit: GoodAccess)

An API is available only on higher-paid plans, but the connection agent can be used across Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and ChromeOS. Finally, the central dashboard houses all of the functionality, and features a logically laid out array of functionality on the left side. It is easy to use and offers powerful logging features that collate system and gateway access logs, threat blocker logs, device posture, and admin logs.

Pricing & Plans

(Image credit: GoodAccess)

The positive in terms of the pricing plans is that you have a 14-day free trial across all plans, and you can also schedule a live demo to get the feel of the offering. Plans are split between the Essential, Premium, and Enterprise plans, with Enterprise being tailored to your specific needs and pricing determined following that. All plans have a $39 per month cost for a dedicated gateway and a minimum of five users for the first two plans and $50 for the Enterprise plan. 

Essential costs $9 per month, per user, but if you opt for annual billing the costs come down to $7 a month. Premium costs $14 per month, per user, and with the annual billing comes down to $11 per month. The major difference between the two initial plans is the security that you get with the offer, while Essential focuses more on VPN and whitelisting features, Premium offers a full blown ZTNA approach, and is more suited for companies looking to stay protected and scale the protection easily.

Performance

While its server network isn’t as extensive as some competitors, the service maintains consistent speeds and uptime. This makes it suitable for everyday business tasks such as video conferencing, file sharing, and accessing cloud-based applications.

However, companies with heavy data usage or those needing extremely high speeds might find the performance a bit limiting compared to more premium business VPN solutions. This limit is pretty evident if you choose a server which is not close to your location i.e. Asian servers from Europe. Nevertheless, you can squeeze out some more performance if you opt to use IKEv2 as opposed to OpenVPN, which worked at least in our case.

Privacy & Security

The SDP model creates an invisible barrier around company resources, meaning these resources are only accessible to authenticated users with explicit permissions. This drastically limits the attack surface, as potential attackers cannot even see what resources exist within the network. By combining ZTNA with encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and single sign-on (SSO) integrations, GoodAccess ensures that sensitive business data is protected at multiple layers.

Additionally, GoodAccess’s ZTNA framework allows businesses to implement role-based access controls, ensuring that employees have access only to the resources they need. This granular control helps maintain strict security policies and prevents lateral movement within the network, further safeguarding company assets from potential breaches. This makes GoodAccess an effective solution for companies aiming to secure remote workforces and comply with stringent data protection regulations.

The platform also offers two-factor authentication (2FA), providing an additional security layer for user accounts. This makes it more difficult for unauthorized users to gain access, even if they manage to obtain login credentials. GoodAccess places a strong emphasis on privacy protection, demonstrated by its GDPR compliance and ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications. These certifications indicate that GoodAccess meets specific business standards for data security, privacy, and compliance, ensuring that customer information is handled with care. While the company does maintain logs to assist its users, it ensures full security and privacy through data encryption. The information stored is mainly related to account usage or for purposes such as providing customer support, development, and analytics.

Alternatives

If speed is not the determining factor, an alternative to GoodAcccess Business VPN could be Windscribe, a quirky, stable and all around great VPN for a price that seriously undercuts the premium competitors. Overall, it provides strong encryption, fast service, malware and ad blocking and flexible number of device connections. Moreover, if you like to have the ability to tweak your DNS and firewall settings, the Windscribe is a great choice, since the granularity it offers can give you an extra edge if you’re an experienced admin. To top it all off, the entry price is lower so if GoodAccess is not your cup of tea, give Windscribe a chance by trying out their free offer. 

ProtonVPN is another alternative, though one aimed at more established and larger businesses looking to follow a ZTNA approach to its fullest. Double hop and Secure Core options this provider offers ensure the highest level of safety for your assets while remote workforces connect to them. Moreover, the offering is rounded out with safety and security features that rival other premium competitors in the market. However, be ready to pay for it, since price-wise it is more expensive than GoodAccess.

Final Verdict

GoodAccess is a solid business VPN choice for small and medium-sized enterprises that need a reliable, secure, and easy-to-manage solution. It is simple to deploy once signup is complete, and even easier to manage the remote workforce thanks to a logically laid out, yet powerful dashboard.

While it may not have all the advanced features that larger corporations require, its strong encryption, user-friendly interface, and flexible pricing plans make it a practical option for teams looking to protect their remote access without the hassle of complex configurations. A ZTNA approach is still possible using GoodAccess, though you can get much more with premium providers, but you will also have to pay for it.

• We've listed the best business VPNs and the best VPNs with antivirus

Features

On a more serious note, Windscribe offers AES-256 encryption and supports multiple protocols such as OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard, ensuring secure connections for your team. You have the choice of downloading their app for Windows, Linux, and MacOS, while browser extensions are available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers. There are also apps for Android, iOS, FireTV and AndroidTV.

It is important to note that some advanced features work only when you have both the PC version and the browser extension installed together. Namely, Double Hop, WebRTC Blocker, and network and per-app split routing work best with both installed - though the last one can work without the browser extension we would argue that you should just go ahead and install it. Windscribe supports an unlimited number of devices, making it a great option for teams that need flexibility. 

(Image credit: Windscribe)

One of Windscribe’s standout features is its flexible firewall, which offers an additional layer of security by blocking all internet traffic outside the VPN tunnel. This ensures that no data leaks occur if the VPN connection unexpectedly drops. Furthermore, the split tunneling feature is highly useful for businesses, allowing users to choose which apps or websites should go through the VPN and which should access the internet directly. This helps optimize bandwidth and ensures critical business traffic remains secure.

The R.O.B.E.R.T. (Remote Omnidirectional Badware Eliminating Robotic Tool) feature is another unique offering, acting as a customizable domain and IP blocking tool to help prevent malware, phishing attacks, and unwanted ads.

Unlike many VPNs that offer little to no control over DNS settings, Windscribe gives you the ability to specify which DNS servers to use when the VPN is either connected or disconnected. They’ve also added support for DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), enhancing privacy and security even further. Since Windscribe also operates Control D, a highly customizable DNS service with a free plan, we'll likely see even more DNS-related features integrated into Windscribe's offerings in the future.

Pricing & Plans

(Image credit: Windscribe)

Windscribe is one of the most flexible VPN offerings in the market when it comes to pricing. The “Build-a-Plan” feature (called ScribeForce team) allows you to choose specific servers and data requirements that you may need, ensuring that you only pay for what you use. The monthly costs are only $3 per seat but include a bundle of services such as all Pro features, a Centralized Billing solution, a Team Management panel, and Static IPs (shareable). For the static IP addresses, you will pay $2 per month for Datacenter IPs or $8 per month for Residential IPs. It is important to note that the static IPs come from a handful of countries: the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, and France; encompassing only a few cities from these countries. If this is an important consideration for you, please check Windscribe’s website before making a decision.   

There are additional plans if you want to use the VPN in such a manner, simply called Monthly and Yearly plans. The first costs $9 a month and the second $5.75 a month. Both plans come with all of the Pro features such as access to the network of 69 countries and 134 cities, strong encryption, R.O.B.E.R.T., port forwarding, and split tunneling. Overall a very feature-rich plan for a decent price. If you're looking to save on costs, Windscribe offers two free service options: by signing up with an email, you'll receive 10GB of bandwidth per month, while opting out of email registration grants you 2GB of bandwidth each month. These options provide a chance to test the service before committing to a paid plan.  

Compared to the premium offerings the feature set is different but so is the pricing to match. It means business but doesn’t take itself too seriously and it’s a breath of fresh air in the VPN space.

Performance

Windscribe delivers reliable performance with servers in over 60 countries, ensuring a stable connection for remote teams regardless of their location. While speeds may vary depending on the server load, the overall experience is smooth for regular tasks such as browsing, video conferencing, and file sharing. However, Windscribe might not be the fastest option for data-heavy activities, such as streaming 4K videos or handling large file transfers, when compared to premium VPN services.

The Stealth protocol is particularly useful for businesses operating in countries with strict internet regulations, as it helps bypass VPN blocks and ensures continuous access to essential resources. However, if the highest possible speed over a VPN is your primary decision factor, then Windscribe might not be the best choice. To note one more time, it is by no means slow, but compared to premium players, it falls short in this department.

Privacy & Security

Windscribe excels in privacy, with a strict no-logs policy, meaning it doesn’t store any data about your team’s online activities. This is crucial for businesses that handle sensitive information or operate in industries with stringent data protection regulations. The VPN also includes DNS/IPv6 leak protection and a kill switch, ensuring your data remains secure even if the connection drops unexpectedly.

The R.O.B.E.R.T. feature further enhances security by allowing businesses to block malware, phishing sites, and unwanted content, offering a customizable approach to managing online threats. This level of control makes Windscribe a great option for businesses looking to tailor their security settings.

One stand-out feature in the privacy segment, which we haven’t seen with competitors, is the real-time report of data requests from copyright and law enforcement agencies. You can find this report on their site here. In essence, it shows how many requests the company received stressing the sentence: “Exactly zero requests were complied with due to lack of relevant data” showing that user’s security and privacy are their number one concern, which is rare in the VPN space.

Alternatives

The usual suspects crop up in the alternative section, with NordLayer being alternative number one if you’re looking for a more scalable solution that caters to Zero Trust Network standards. NordLayer also offers additional features like double hop, ad and phishing blockers, larger network servers, and amazing speeds to round out its offering. While more on the subjective side, the UI seems to be easier to use with NordLayer, but overall the pricing is higher compared to Windscribe. 

ProtonVPN is another business VPN alternative that focuses strongly on encryption, security, and privacy. Similar to NordLayer it also offers a plethora of features that protect business assets and remote workforces. In addition, ProtonVPN offers a combination of double hop and their Secure Core feature which puts the most paranoid at ease while surfing. While R.O.B.E.R.T. is great, Proton’s combination is simply unbeatable at the moment. Price-wise though you will be paying more, but you will be getting a premium offer.

Final Verdict

Windscribe Business VPN is a strong choice for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a user-friendly and privacy-focused VPN solution. It's flexible pricing, robust encryption, and additional security features like R.O.B.E.R.T. make it an attractive option for teams that need secure and reliable access to business resources.

The great apps it offers across various devices will ensure that you and your team are covered even in the case of BYOD practices. The transparency offered by the company, the ease of sign-up, and the purchasing process, coupled with the quirky spirit of the team and the service surely make it one of the great VPN services in the market. It is one of our favorite free VPNs to use, and , with the addition of more services, it could become our favorite business VPN solution.

Larger enterprises may want to explore other options that offer dedicated servers and more advanced features that are in line with ZTN practices that seem to be permeating the business world more and more.

• We've listed the best business VPNs and the best VPNs with antivirus

Features

TorGuard Business VPN offers a limited set of features tailored to business users. One of its standout features is AES-256 encryption, combined with support for multiple VPN protocols, such as OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec, and WireGuard. This ensures a high level of security for businesses that need to protect sensitive data across different devices and networks. Additionally, business users can get dedicated IP addresses (very limited by the pricing plan) and access to over 3,000 servers in over 50 countries, ensuring fast and reliable connections regardless of location.

TorGuard supports unlimited bandwidth and unlimited speeds, making it suitable for businesses with heavy data usage, such as those involved in media production or data analytics.

Another significant feature is Stealth VPN, which helps bypass VPN blocks and firewalls, making it ideal for businesses operating in countries with strict internet regulations or for accessing region-restricted content. The service also supports split tunneling, allowing businesses to route specific traffic through the VPN while letting other data access the internet directly. TorGuard offers two types of kill switches for enhanced security.

The primary kill switch shuts down all internet traffic on your device if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly, ensuring a complete lockdown so no data leaks occur. This feature effectively prevents your real IP address and online activities from being exposed. You can easily activate it in the Network settings, and from our testing, it responds quickly and reliably.

During one instance where TorGuard disconnected, the kill switch immediately kicked in, blocking all traffic to maintain privacy. The second option is the App Kill which targets specific apps or processes that you define if you don’t want to kill the entire connection.

The Tor in the name stands for Torrenting, which explains the heavy reliance and great features surrounding P2P. You have the flexibility to torrent directly through the TorGuard app or by using a SOCKS5 proxy. This provides an extra layer of security and flexibility, ensuring your data remains protected.

Pricing & Plans

(Image credit: TorGuard)

TorGuard pricing is the biggest hurdle in our opinion, despite offering four distinct plans. The Starter plan costs $32 a month and covers a “5-user package” which includes 5 e-mail accounts and only 1 dedicated IP address. The next plan, Small, covers 10 users adds 3 dedicated IP addresses, and costs $69 a month. The Medium plan at $110 a month covers 15 users and 5 dedicated IP addresses, and finally, the Large plan covers 20 users and 10 dedicated IPs and costs $169 a month.

While the pricing may look transparent and easy to follow, we prefer the pricing per user strategy that encompasses much more functionality. At the moment, it is difficult to justify the high pricing of TorGuard let alone justify its use for a serious business that aims to scale its services while relying on an extensive remote workforce.

Once you go to the purchase page of the Business VPN, TorGuard will offer upselling options such as a custom VPN router with varying hardware configuration and prices. You can add additional users to your plan for an extra fee, however, the “slide to add” function on their website is clunky and one of the worst experiences we had in trying to add additional costs to a plan.

Performance

In terms of performance, TorGuard delivers consistently high speeds across its global server network, making it suitable for bandwidth-heavy activities like video conferencing, large file transfers, and streaming. The VPN’s unlimited bandwidth ensures that your team’s activities are not hindered by data caps, and its low-latency servers provide smooth, reliable connections for remote workers.

However, during peak hours, speeds can vary, especially when connected to servers in heavily congested regions. Despite this, TorGuard's performance remains above average compared to other business VPNs. The fact that you can choose your protocol and tweak it to a very granular level lets you squeeze out even more performance if you know what you’re doing of course.

Privacy & Security

Security is solid, and its AES-256 encryption combined with multiple VPN protocols ensures data is protected at all times. The service offers DNS and IPv6 leak protection, preventing any data from accidentally leaking outside the VPN tunnel. For added safety, TorGuard provides a kill switch feature that automatically disconnects your internet connection if the VPN connection drops, preventing any unprotected data transfer.

For multi-factor authentication, TorGuard integrates seamlessly with Google Authenticator, adding an extra layer of security for account access. This is a great feature for the admin console through which you can tweak the security and privacy settings for your workforce. The privacy policy of TorGuard states that they do “not collect or log any data from its Virtual Private Network (VPN) or Proxy services.” However, they do collect data for analyzing and improving their website through their own platform, live chat and emails they receive from users.

Alternatives

NordLayer is miles ahead of TorGuard when it comes to the business environment. First of all pricing per user makes it a more affordable solution and gives you easy scaling options and unparalleled flexibility. Its stand-out features such as DNS filtering, network segmentation, dedicated IP, browser extension, smart remote access, a dedicated account manager, Cloud Firewall, Smart Remote Access, and Threat Block come together to offer a comprehensive business solution. If you’re shopping for a VPN or Zero Trust Network (ZTN) you can not go wrong with NordLayer.

ProtonVPN Business is another great alternative to TorGuard as it also has great P2P features. Pricing is a bit steeper than TorGuard but the sheer number of features it offers easily justifies the price difference. Its Secure Core and NetShield features offer protection for even the most paranoid among us, while protocols such as WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN (TCP or UDP), and Stealth offer enough flexibility for all the tweaks you will need. Over 5,000 companies trust their business to this Swiss-based VPN provider, and if you’re in the market for one, it is a much better alternative compared to TorGuard.

Final Verdict

While TorGuard Business VPN is declared to be a business VPN solution, it is hard to justify its usage in an enterprise setting that relies on remote work. It does provide great performance for its core offering, VPN connection, but there are a few additional “goodies” that businesses rely on when looking to set up a ZTN environment. The niche business market that relies heavily on P2P or just needs protection for a handful of its workers can extract benefits from using TorGuard, but a business looking to stay protected and scale easily will be best served to look elsewhere.

Overall, TorGuard seems easier to recommend to individual users who are looking for a reliable and fast VPN solution, and less so for business users.

• We've listed the best business VPNs and best VPNs with antivirus

Shutterfly photo book review

Shutterfly’s photo book service appears to be pretty standard out of the blocks. It offers a neat selection of templates as well as enticing cover and page type options. However, when you delve into the editing process, things take a turn. What at first seems to be a simple, customizable beast eventually rears its head, exposing its messy, clunky tendencies.

I’ll be upfront, reader, I had a rough time taming Shutterfly’s software in order to create our standardized TechRadar photo book. But allow me to be more specific. After selecting my photo book sized (12 x 12 inches) and page/cover type, I chose Manual mode and was immediately met by what can only be described as a pretty rudimentary, outdated-looking editing page.

There’s a toggle in the top-right for ‘Advanced Editing’, which you need to flick on to do… well basically anything. On the left side of the page, there’s also a ribbon with four options: Layouts (which includes templates for individual pages); Backgrounds (which lets you alter the background/background color); Embellishments (which enables you to insert Stickers, Ribbons or Frames); and Idea Pages (which includes some different individual page layouts).

Now, this isn’t inherently bad, but the actual options within these menus are poor. For instance, you can’t use a hex code to select a particular background color and you can’t even select from a list of colors. Instead, you have to type in the hue you want and scroll until you find a background color that looks as close to what you want as possible. This is pretty archaic and something that you won’t have to put up with when using some of the best photo book services.

(Image credit: Future)

In a similar vein, adding embellishments, like shapes and ribbons, was extremely clunky. I wanted to add a salmon-colored rectangle against one of my photos, but ran into two key issues. Firstly, I wasn’t able to change the color of shapes – I had to once again just accept the closest shade available from a manual search.

Secondly, I wasn’t able to alter the shape of the rectangle once I found one that was relatively close to the shade I needed. Sure, I could make it larger or smaller, but I wasn’t able to adjust its width or height independently. These rigid, overly simple design choices made the editing process frustrating to say the least.

But some may argue that all of this is only an issue if you’re making a more detailed photo book. So, what about the fundamental act of adding photos? I found this, too, to be a mixed experience. Firstly, the upload process is pretty easy. You can drag and drop images (in the JPG, JPEG, PNG and BMP file format) from your computer and they fill out a section at the bottom of the editor, which includes all of your photos. You can then move photos around the pages easily, adjust their size (with length and width displayed in inches) and position. Alternatively, you can add a Photo Area block and assign an image to that designated area.

(Image credit: Future)

However, it’s not all plain sailing. I was totally unable to reverse images, which you’d assume to be a given with a tool such as this. There was also an irritating glitch, where I would place an image and, after moving to a different part of the photo book, would later find that such image had moved or changed size without my input. This meant that I had to constantly check that the position of photos was in line with my intention, resulting in an overlong editing process.

I was also unable to add the TechRadar logo onto the photo book’s spine – even after resizing it and dragging it into the correct area. But perhaps most bizarrely, the editing screen would sometimes flash white, indicating that my pages were totally blank, even if I’d added text or photos. After refreshing the page, my design would often reappear, but I was still unhappy about the software creating unnecessary stress about lost progress.

(Image credit: Future)

Really, the pure volume of glitches like this was far too high. And I wouldn't expect this, especially given the photo book would typically cost just over $130 (around £100 / AU$200). However, it’s worth noting that thanks to savings, we grabbed our photo book for only $98.84, without shipping costs. Ultimately, this is quite a lot to spend on a 12x12 inch, 27-page book, so I anticipated a more seamless user experience.

It is important to note, however, this price isn’t especially steep against competitors. A rough estimate of the price using envelope figures suggested that the same would cost just over $145 using Printique and $133 via Mixbook.

So, if you’re keen to use Shutterfly your best bet is to use a template. There will still be some user issues, like the fact you can’t use a manual text size (there are just a list of options) and fonts are restrictive. But it will let you get past some of the annoying photo editing issues. If you don’t want to use an overarching template, however, there is something of a middle ground. Just use the aforementioned Layouts option on the left side of the screen and you can auto-add photos to specified areas – this works nicely and I didn’t experience items glitching around the screen or changing shape when using this.

(Image credit: Future)

Let’s finish, then, by taking a look at the actual product. Did it live up to my expectations? Actually, it looked OK overall. I compared it side-by-side with our Mixbook photo book and found that Shutterfly’s alternative offered brighter, more vibrant colors and solid overall clarity. On one page, a man’s face was almost impossible to make out in the Mixbook photo book, whereas the added brightness made his features visible in the Shutterfly alternative.

Colors like pinks and greens were a bit more saturated in the Shutterfly photo book, allowing for more definition and contrast. There were, unfortunately, some instances of patchiness in color. On one page, there was a line of pink missing in a rectangle and there were some inconsistencies in the football image. These weren’t awful errors, but for more than $100 / £100, you’d likely expect better.

At the end of it all, would I recommend Shutterfly for photo book creation? I don’t think so. There is certainly a route to a decent user experience if you’re happy using built-in templates and just want a quick, easy solution. But if you want a more personalized layout, this site is not the most user friendly. With its frequent glitches and constrained editing options, Shutterfly unfortunately falls short of similarly priced competitors, even with solid overall print quality. So, I’d recommend building a photo book using a service like Printique instead, which offers a far smoother user experience – more on this in the ‘Also Consider’ section below.

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Shutterfly photo book? Buy it if…

You’re happy using a pre-made template
If you have a solid selection of photos and you aren’t too fussy on layout, Shutterfly could work just fine for you. There’s a decent selection of pre-made templates to choose from here, so if you want a quick, easy process, it will be better to use one of these.

You don’t want to pay top dollar
I would argue that the cost of this photo book was too high, but this doesn’t change the fact that it’s pretty standard against competitors. The likes of Mixbook and Printique offer photo books at a very similar price point.

Don't buy it if…

You want a seamless editing experience
My biggest gripe with Shutterfly’s photo book service was the clunky editing experience. There were a number of glitches that ruined the user experience, such as photos randomly moving across the page. But more frustratingly, altering the shape of embellishments and finding the right colors for page elements was either impossible or messy.

You want to use a bespoke template
If a pre-made template isn’t going to cut it and you want to make a totally bespoke photo book, Shutterfly might not be your best option. It can be quite restrictive in terms of selecting background colors and page elements, making it far from ideal if you have a unique vision in mind.

Shutterfly photo book review: also consider

Mixbook
At the moment, Mixbook sits at number one on our list of the best photo book services around. Why? Well, it offers a wide range of templates, plenty of paper or cover options and a good overall user experience. It’s also well-priced, making this site a worthy candidate for your photo book needs. Read our full Mixbook photo book review.

Mimeo
It may not have all the flashy features you get with other photo book services, but still, Mimeo is an easy-to-use, reliable option. You likely won’t have to put up with frustrating glitches here, but watch out for the shipping cost, which can be a little steep. Read our full Mimeo photo book review.

How I tested the Shutterfly photo book

(Image credit: Future)

• Built a photo book using TechRadar template
• Compared against other websites' photo books

I used the Shutterfly website to build a photo book and test out its various templates. Here at TechRadar, we have selected a standardized set of photos to use across all photo book services, in order to make a fair comparison of the platforms. We also use the same layout for our photo book designs, ensuring that we can uncover which service is truly superior.

As well as comparing software features, I ordered the Shutterfly photo book in order to assess print quality, color fidelity and whether there were any scuffs or scratches to the finished product. For reference, the finished photo book I created was 12 x 12 inches, had a matte finish, a hard photo cover and used the standard page type. Any photo books I compared Shutterfly’s to were as similar in design to this as possible.

• First reviewed: December 2024
• Read more about how we test

Features

For businesses, Proton VPN offers dedicated IP addresses and dedicated servers, which ensures better performance and security for employees accessing corporate networks. This is especially valuable for organizations that need consistent access to resources or want to ensure secure remote work. The VPN also integrates seamlessly with a variety of third-party tools and applications, providing flexibility in how you manage your team's connectivity; which can assist in obtaining security certifications such as ISO 27001, SOC2, etc. There is no need for specialized hardware, so deployment is fast, and for business users there is dedicated 24/7 support.

Its Secure Core architecture adds an extra layer of protection by routing traffic through multiple servers in privacy-friendly countries, safeguarding your data even if a VPN endpoint is compromised. When you connect through Proton VPN's Secure Core servers, your VPN connection takes two hops for added security. It first routes from your device to the Secure Core servers and then proceeds to the VPN server you've selected. Proton VPN emphasizes that its Secure Core servers are located in countries with strong privacy laws and are directly owned by Proton. These servers are housed in secure, high-security facilities, such as old military bases, ensuring that your data is protected from potential threats and unauthorized access. This of course is not the fastest way to surf the web, but is potentially one of the safest options. The auto re-connection option comes as standard across all pricing plans, which is a nice to have feature in a modern VPN solution.

(Image credit: Proton VPN)

Another noteworthy feature is NetShield, an advanced ad blocker that protects against malware, trackers, and ads. In short, it checks DNS requests more thoroughly and relies on a list of blocked sites and domains to avoid phishing and malware. Similarly, it blocks trackers and most of the ads you see on websites. While watching YouTube though, you will get ads served inside of videos unless you have YouTube Premium. Finally, the number of blocked ads and trackers we could not verify, but since we did not see ads that were otherwise served to us, we have to say that it works.

Pricing & Plans

(Image credit: Proton VPN)

If you’re looking to test drive Proton as a single user, we recommend you do so using the free version. It is understandably very limited in its functionality and does not offer the real taste of features that you will need as a business user. For business users of Proton Business VPN, there are three pricing plans, VPN Essentials, VPN Professional, and VPN Enterprise. If you’re looking for monthly payments, then the plans cost €8.99 per user and €11.99 per user, respectively. For the Enterprise plan, you need to get in touch with the sales team.

Additionally, if you’re looking to save some money, opting for 1-year pricing, you get a 22% and 17% discount, respectively. And for 2-year pricing, the discounts rise to 33% and 25% for the initial two plans. A dedicated server and IP will cost you an additional €35.99/month.

Performance

All VPNs will inevitably slow down the speed of your internet since you’re routing traffic through a server. This is also true for Proton VPN, however, the speed loss is negligible (depending on which server you’re using). You’re given the choice of using WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN (TCP or UDP), and Stealth tunneling protocols to establish your connection. Thanks to its large network of international servers (over 4800 across 110 countries), you will have ample choices to protect your connection or avoid geo-restrictions.

If you’re using Chromium-based browsers or Firefox-based ones, you can use Proton’s browser extension which lets you browse or stream securely. The best part is that the extensions are available even for the free plan. We did not notice slowdowns in browsers (Chrome and Firefox) nor was there an additional slowdown in speeds when using the extensions. As with all Proton VPN products, the browser extension is open source, allowing anyone to inspect and verify its code for transparency and security. This extension makes it even easier for users to experience the benefits of Proton VPN’s no-logs policy, which is backed by Switzerland’s strong privacy laws.

Last but not least, if you plan on using Secure Core services for browsing, be ready to suffer a hefty speed penalty, since multi-hop connections do eat into speed; but for the most paranoid amongst us, speed is usually not priority number one.

Privacy & Security

Proton VPN’s privacy policy clearly states that it does not log any user activity or IP addresses, maintaining a strict no-logs policy. In the past, Proton VPN used to store timestamps of the last login, but this practice has since been discontinued. The fact that the VPN is based in Switzerland - a country with one of the strongest privacy laws in the world - will ensure that you are protected from government surveillance and third-party requests. In addition, a separate third-party audit confirmed that the provider has no significant flaws in their privacy policy.

Thanks to the DNS leak protection and kill switch features, your connection will remain secure even if the VPN drops for any reason. Furthermore, AES-265 encryption, coupled with multi-factor authentication, adds an extra layer of security. As a business user, you’re given the option to configure your gateways, segment your network, and isolate devices or resources easily.

Proton VPN apps include built-in defenses against man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, particularly when operating over unsecured or potentially hostile networks. If such an attack attempt is detected, the app alerts the user and blocks connections to any suspicious servers, providing an added layer of security against malicious threats.

Alternatives

NordLayer jumps out as a strong alternative to Proton VPN, of course, it also commands premium pricing but does stand out when it comes to speed. Similar to Proton, NordLayer offers a rich feature set, with complex security features that complement any business looking to stay on the safer side of the internet. Browser extensions and mobile apps are easy to use, offer granular configuration, and thanks to its Firewall as a service option, it ticks all of the checkboxes for a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution.

Twingate is another alternative that, like Proton, offers fast, scalable, and seamless deployment of services. Additionally, it offers flexible access policy configurations and comprehensive activity logging, focusing on businesses in regulated industries. Like NordLayer the focus was placed on the UX and UI part of the apps they offer, which are top-notch and very intuitive. In terms of pricing it beats out both Proton and NordLayer, but does come with different sets of features and options. Therefore, the best option is to initially figure out your needs, compare the offerings and then look at pricing to get the best feel for which VPN solution is right for your business.

Final Verdict

Proton Business VPN is a powerful business VPN solution that places a strong emphasis on being open source, highly regulated, and Swiss-based to ensure the highest level of privacy and security for its users. Over 5,000 business users trust Proton with their data, which is not a number to sneeze at.

Complex security features that extend from encryption, and log-in protection all the way to man-in-the-middle attack prevention speak to the level of detail Proton placed on security. Thanks to its Secure Core and NetShield features, businesses can ensure that phishing and malware are reduced to a minimum. Of course, there are some drawbacks in terms of speed if you simply decide to turn all of the advanced features on. However, if you focus on dedicated IP addresses and dedicated servers, and reserve the advanced features for remote workers coming from higher security risk areas, Proton can be an ideal companion. All in all, Proton makes a strong case for being one of the best solutions in the business VPN market.

• We've also listed the best VPNs and the best VPN with antivirus

Live Proxies was founded in 2020 to fulfill a growing need for proxy servers and IP addresses. These servers enable individuals and businesses to bypass geo-restrictions and scrape data from websites. They help users defy the increasing barriers on the internet.

This proxy provider offers over 10 million IPs across dozens of countries. Users can choose static or residential IP addresses to enjoy unrestricted access to the web. Our Live Proxies review will help you decide if it’s a good choice. It covers essential factors like pricing, customer support, ease of use, and features. Read on to learn about this proxy provider's features, pros, and cons.

Live Proxies: Plans and Pricing

(Image credit: Live Proxies)

Live Proxies offers three types of proxies; Rotating Residential, Static Residential, and Rotating Mobile. Each type has custom pricing, and there’s a separate B2B plan for businesses, which we’ll explore.

Users pay based on location, bandwidth, and number of IPs. For example, Live Proxies charges $70 for 200 U.S.A. IPs with a 4 GB bandwidth allocation for 30 days. However, the same allocation for random IPs (rather than the U.S. alone) costs $45. Extending the U.S.A. plan to 60 days costs $85, and doubling the bandwidth to 8 GB costs $100.

Static residential IPs have a similar pricing structure. Live Proxies charges $65 for 50 U.S.A. IPs with a 4 GB allocation for 30 days. Extending the plan to 8 GB for 45 days costs $110. The higher the bandwidth and subscription length, the more you’ll pay.

Rotating mobile proxies have similar pricing structures depending on location, bandwidth, and subscription length. However, the B2B plan has a simple pricing structure: Businesses pay at least $5,000 monthly to access the entire pool of 10 million+ IP addresses, unlike residential and mobile plans restricted by proxy location.

Live Proxies has a complicated pricing structure the average person might struggle to understand. Its plans are also costly compared to many competitors. We think Live Proxies will do users a favor by simplifying its pricing plans.

Live Proxies: Features

(Image credit: Live Proxies)

Proxy servers are physical internet-connected computers in different locations. You can route your online browsing through them to bypass geo-restrictions and scrape data. Live Proxies offers a broad network of 10 million+ IP addresses, although it’s not as extensive as some rivals. It offers three main types of proxies: rotating, static, and mobile.

Rotating

As the name suggests, rotating IPs “rotate” within specific schedules. You’ll switch to a new proxy IP at a set schedule, e.g., every hour or whenever you start a new browsing session. Live Proxies offers rotating proxies in many regions, although its IP pool is concentrated in the U.S.A., the U.K., and Canada.

Rotating proxies offer better anonymity, as the frequent change makes it difficult for websites to track your online behaviour. Suppose you want to scrape data from a real estate listing site with anti-scraping features. Rotating proxies makes it challenging for the website’s admins to track your usage pattern and detect the proxy. They’ll likely assume the rotating proxies come from different individuals visiting their website.

Better off, Live Proxies offers residential IP addresses from legitimate sources. Device owners around the globe agree to add their IP addresses to Live Proxies’ pool in exchange for benefits. Then, you can use these IP addresses to bypass website restrictions and scrape data.

The drawback is that rotating proxies are slower than static proxies. Frequent rotation increases the likelihood of encountering slow connections, and rotating IPs are more expensive than static IPs.

(Image credit: Live Proxies) Static

As the name implies, static proxy IPs don’t change. You can use a static IP for as long as your subscription lasts. Live Proxies offers plans ranging from 30 to 60 days. You can choose a static IP from a specific country to bypass geo-restrictions. Suppose you aim to scrape data from a U.S.A.-centric real estate listing website; your best bet is choosing a domestic IP address.

For unclear reasons, most of Live Proxies' static IPs were listed as "sold out" during our test. Only U.S.A.-based static IP addresses were available, which we tested and observed excellent speed and performance. We think Live Proxies will help users by growing its static IP network to guarantee more availability.

Mobile

Mobile proxies are IPs sourced from mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). They have various use cases, such as managing multiple social media accounts without risking restrictions or verifying whether ads are displayed correctly to mobile users. Live Proxies offers reliable mobile proxies, although they’re costly.

B2B

Live Proxies offers a simplified proxy IP plan for businesses. Companies can access the entire pool of 10 million+ proxy IPs across 55 countries for a monthly fee. This plan best suits companies with large proxy needs, such as a price comparison website scraping data from numerous sources.

Live Proxies: Ease of Use

We didn’t observe any hiccups when testing Live Proxies. Its interface is easy to understand, with features neatly arranged on the left side and the main dashboard on the right. The dashboard sports a white background plus a few shades of blue to highlight features. Everything is set up in a way that a layperson can quickly grasp.

(Image credit: Live Proxies ) Customer Support

Live Proxies offers decent customer support, starting with a detailed knowledge base with answers to common issues. If you need further help, you can submit a ticket and expect a response within 48 hours. However, there’s no direct live chat or telephone support.

(Image credit: Live proxies) Live Proxies: The Competition

Live Proxies performed on par with most rival proxy tools we’ve tested. Its proxy IPs provide excellent speed and performance. The drawback is its limited pool of 10 million IPs across 55 countries, compared to rivals like Oxylabs, which has 102 million IPs across 195 countries and Bright Data, which has 72 million IPs across 195 countries.

Live Proxies: Final Verdict

Live Proxies is one of the best proxy providers in terms of speed and performance. It’s ideal for large-scale data scraping tasks where speed is paramount. It’s also suitable for individual use cases where speed is crucial, e.g., for downloading files. The drawback is that Live Proxies charges higher prices than most rivals.

• Take a look at our guide to the best proxy services

The OdinLake brand is slowly becoming more popular in the world of professional ergonomic furniture. I've tried their chairs, and within the first few seconds of sitting in their flagship chair, the Ergo Plus 743, I was mind-blown at just how good it was. The OdinLake Electric Standing Desk is no different. Right after building, I was thrilled at how good this desk looked and felt. The desk is sturdy, raises and lowers smoothly, has a decent controller, and the wood desktop is durable and can handle heavy use.

OdinLake S450: Price and Availability

Depending on size and customization, the OdinLake Electric Standing Desk ranges from $449 to $699. OdinLake sells directly from its website. However, they offer frequent discounts and promotions, so make sure that if you pick one of these up, you watch out for that. I chose the wood top, which is unique from all the best standing desks I have reviewed, as it's not just a walnut, oak, maple, etc. This one looks like reclaimed wood, its boards torn apart and put together again, this time as a tabletop. For this variant, the desktop itself is made from MDF wood. However, it still feels quite sturdy and will last.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) OdinLake S450: Unboxing and First Impressions

OdinLake ships their desks in well-packaged boxes that include clear assembly instructions. Each package contains the desktop as a solid piece, the motorized legs, and a control panel. Assembling the desk was straightforward and took only about 30 minutes from start to finish. Initially, I was unsure about the quality since this was the first time I had worked with OdinLake, but once I saw the desk, I was convinced that it was a reputable company. After taking some time to adjust the height settings, trying out the height presets, and setting up a workstation for my team, I am confident in recommending the OdinLake Electric Standing Desk.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) OdinLake S450: Design and Build Quality Specs

Height Range: 24.2 - 49.8 in|
Multiple Sizes: 47x24in, 55x27in, 60x30in
Desktop thickness: 1 inch
Materials: include wood, maple, or laminate finishes

The OdinLake Electric Standing Desk features an overall minimalistic design. I chose a tabletop with a bolder finish, but the overall aesthetic remains simple and clean. There are no overly complex components or intricate connections, and the controller is straightforward. Currently, one of my team members uses this desk as his everyday workspace, and it has been working great for him, even though he could be more tech-savvy. He needed a simple desk, and this one fits the bill perfectly.

The desk boasts a minimalistic design while incorporating modern aesthetics and features that people expect from a standing desk. After all, no one wants to hand-crank a standing desk—at least, no one I've met. The ability to easily adjust the height and save presets is a great advantage.

The frame is sturdily constructed with a weight capacity of 275 lbs. While I wouldn't recommend jumping on it (given that I weigh around 210 lbs), I have complete confidence that a standard desk setup won't cause any issues. As shown in the photos, my team has a typical setup on this desk, and there have been no problems whatsoever.

Ultimately, that's what matters: reliability. Additionally, the desk includes an anti-collision safety feature that prevents accidents. This ensures that your beloved coffee won't spill onto your equally beloved laptop, whether a small child walks by while the desk is lowering or if the desk accidentally hits your chair.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) OdinLake S450: In use

For day-to-day operations, the OdinLake Electric Standing Desk has been excellent. It seamlessly transitions between sitting and standing, and thanks to the built-in height presets, it makes this easy. If I've learned anything about standing desks, I am much more likely to stand during the day if there is a frictionless way to move from height to height. And, since the OdinLake Electric Standing desk has presets, I find myself wanting to stand more often, and so does my team member who regularly uses this desk since it's as easy as just pressing a button, not holding something while standing and moving your chair out of the way and adjusting.

Another massive benefit to a quality desk is the noise levels when adjusting. This desk is pretty quiet, meaning that if you are in an office space, it won't distract your co-workers, spouse at home, roommates, cat, or creepy neighbor on the other side of your apartment wall.

A huge tip I can offer with standing desks is that grabbing a monitor arm is a game changer if you plan to use a monitor. We even grabbed a laptop arm for this desk to get my team member's laptop off the desk, leaving room for what he needed on the desk and getting the computer up to eye height. Monitor arms aren't super expensive, but they are super beneficial. I'd suggest looking into one or a monitor/desk shelf like one from Balolo, Grovemade, Hexcal, Oakywood, UGMONK, etc. Much like getting a suitable desk, getting the right accessories on that desk is worth it. Just throwing a monitor on the basic arm on a desk works, but getting it to the correct height, with a more minimalist look, is huge, or adding a desk shelf and monitor arm for some storage and desk space is also a considerable step up. Check whatever desk company you are buying from if they have desk shelves and monitor arms that work for you, and if not, make sure to check out some of those companies previously mentioned for some desk shelves.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) OdinLake S450: Final verdict

The OdinLake Standing Desk S450 is an excellent investment for those seeking a high-quality, reliable standing desk. While it carries a premium price tag, its sturdy build, ease of use, and customization options make it a worthwhile choice for professionals and home users alike. My team and I have spent a lot of time with this desk so far, and we have spotted zero issues, even with heavy daily use. So, we can confidently recommend this desk as a solid option.

For more workplace essentials, we reviewed the best office chairs and best office desks.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 is Lenovo's answer to the Microsoft Surface, perhaps even the Microsoft Surface Pro. Regardless, Lenovo has positioned this 12.3-inch detachable computer as a fantastic choice for business users who need a lightweight and durable device.

The ThinkPad line-up has been a favorite of many for years, and the X12 Detachable Gen 2 has potential to be great. But how does this sleek two-in-one compare to the best business laptops around? I put it to the test.

Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2: Price and Availability

The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable starts at $1,430 but can easily cross $2,000 once you start upgrading elements of the computer. The best place to grab this device would be through Lenovo or any other partner. However, you can frequently find them for sale at other computer retailers. One great benefit to the pricing on this model is that the keyboard and precision pen are included in the order.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2: Unboxing and First Impressions

Lenovo's ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 comes in fairly minimalist packaging, including the detachable keyboard and precision pen, packaged separately from the slab of glass that is the ThinkPad X12 Gen 2. Right off the bat, especially with the keyboard detached, the computer feels incredibly light and minimalist. At first glance, believing it's a fully-baked computer can be challenging. However, I noticed all of the iconic ThinkPad aesthetics and realized this was just a detachable ThinkPad computer.

The keyboard attaches easily, and the precision pen has a lovely home to store it when not in use. Everything feels like it intentionally goes together, though as a heavy iPad user, it feels silly not to magnetically attach the pen to the top of the device, much like I do on my iPads.

The kickstand on the back of the computer works well. It's the same as I have seen on other and similar devices.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2: Design and Build Quality Specs

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5/7
RAM: Up to 32GB
Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
Screen: 12.3-inch FHD+ IPS touchscreen with Gorilla Glass protection
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, optional LTE

The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 has a Magnesium-aluminum body with a sleek matte black finish across the entire device case. Lenovo has an excellent build quality with this device, and even though the keyboard may pop off easily if not magnetically holding to the screen while folded up in clamshell, the device boasts the MIL-STD 810H standard. It is an excellent piece of mind for a computer that is this easy to carry around and used to have this level of durability and rigidity.

As briefly mentioned, the ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 is a detachable computer, meaning it's a slab, much like a tablet, with a keyboard that can be magnetically attached to operate more like a computer. This keyboard features a Trackpoint and backlighting in addition to a standard trackpad.

One thing worth noting is that while this device can look and feel and even be described much like an iPad with a Magic Keyboard, an Android tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard case, or similar, this is very much a full-blown computer; it just has a different form factor than a standard laptop (or even the best ThinkPad laptops).

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2: In use

Laptops have become commonplace in our day-to-day lives. Laptops in 2024 have a near-perfect balance between impressive power and portability. However, modularity has yet to be perfected, where a device can be multiple. It's still commonplace to see people with tablets, computers, laptops, and desktops, especially in the professional world.

What the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 is attempting to do is to create the perfect all-in-one device. And while it's not ideal, it's heading in the right direction. I like having a laptop and a tablet separate. But this is an excellent option for those looking for that all-in-one design. I don't love the kickstand, though I understand why it's there.

Additionally, I don't love the flimsy feeling of a keyboard, but then again, I'm coming from a place where my everyday driver is a classic laptop where the screen is thin, and the bulk of the computer comes from under the keyboard; this design changes that and puts the bulk under the display.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)

Performance-wise, the X12 Detachable Gen 2 is good but could be better. It works well for basic productivity but then struggles with intensive tasks, plus the battery is not as good as I can get in a "comparable" laptop.

I stand with this device because if you are looking for a quality device that can act as both a tablet and a laptop, Lenovo's ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 is worth considering. However, if you are looking for a productivity laptop, something other than this might fit you. And, if you're looking for a tablet, this is not what you're looking for.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2: Final verdict

The ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 scores high in durability and design but falters in performance and battery life. While a compelling choice for ThinkPad enthusiasts, other options may provide better value for performance-focused users. Right now, these 2-in-1 machines feel like they are a decent computer and a decent tablet rather than a great version of either of those two things.

For more workplace hardware, we've reviewed the best business computers.

Blink Outdoor 4: one-minute review

The Blink Outdoor 4 is an outdoor-intended camera that offers weather resistance and a simple, easily fixed square design that's perfect for placing up in the corner of a roof or sitting on a windowsill. Its best feature is a phenomenal two-year battery life, powered by two easily replaceable AA batteries – though if you really want, the camera can be powered via a USB-C connection.

Available for $99 / £92.24 / AU$149, this outdoor, battery-powered camera may be attractive just for its low cost. Blink is Amazon’s budget home security brand, and unlike its premium brand Ring, Blink is focused on affordability. Still, the camera works quite well and has a worthwhile range of features. With the included Sync Module 2, offline video capture and storage can be facilitated, provided you have a USB-A device connected (below 256GB).

Aside from this offline solution, you may instead wish to subscribe to one of Blink’s paid memberships, which offer additional features like unlimited 60-day cloud storage and photo capture. However, for most of my time with the Blink Outdoor 4, I used the free subscription with the Sync Module 2, and found it to be a perfectly fine experience.

Setting up the Blink Outdoor 4 was extremely easy. Everything happens through the Blink app for Android and Apple handsets, where you’re prompted to set up an account (you can link to your Amazon account in the app). Pairing your Outdoor 4 with your Sync Module comes next – and as long as they’re both on the same Wi-Fi network, everything works seamlessly. You can place the Sync Module 2 anywhere in your home provided it has power.

After setup, I could check-in on the camera at any time through an always-online live feed. This offers decent (if a bit grainy and motion blurry) 1080p stream, along with two-way audio with sound quality that isn’t terrible, but isn’t the clearest either. Motion-triggered notifications are available with all three subscriptions, but motion event recording, live view recording and person detection are restricted to paid subscriptions.

Motion detection is reliable and you are given the option to turn up the sensitivity in the settings (you can even adjust retrigger time between events). Person detection is serviceable and I generally didn’t have any problems with it, testing it both inside and out.

On the hardware side, the Blink Outdoor 4 is easily mounted on the outside of a home with the included bracket, and its IP65 rating gives it a fair amount of resistance to the elements. A basic mounting kit and power adapter is included in the box, but I’ve happily had the Outdoor 4 sitting on my windowsill over the past couple of months with no mount attached.

Adjusting privacy zones in the app is easy, but selection is limited to an array of rectangular zones on the display (privacy zones will be completely greyed out). The same goes for setting activity zones, though you are given slightly more depth of customization with this setting.

In terms of quality, you may be left unimpressed with the Blink Outdoor 4 if you’re after a replacement for a premium outdoor camera from Ring or Eufy. The 1080p resolution is perfectly fine for a first time home camera, but it’s no premium device. Selecting the ‘best picture quality’ setting will resolve some issues with moving object blur, but you may still find it a bit too grainy. Improving the video quality does reduce battery life. It may be unattractive to you if you already have a robust security system, and it's more intended as a first-time device.

Overall, you’ll be impressed with the Blink Outdoor 4 if you’re after a cheap and reliable battery-powered camera for outdoor or indoor use. It’s not the best security camera on the market but it’s a good entry-level pick for a security-minded homebody. Check out our article on the best home security cameras if you’re shopping for an alternative.

Blink Outdoor 4: price and availability

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

• List price: $99 / £92.24 / AU$149
• Availability: US, UK, and Australia
• Release date: November 2023 (October 2024 in Australia)

The Blink Outdoor 4 is available at quite a low price when compared to other home security cameras, but it’s designed to be an affordable solution. It's been available in the US and UK since November 2023, but only made its way to Australia (along with the Blink brand) in October 2024.

Directly compared to its predecessor, the Outdoor 3, the Outdoor 4 sports a slightly wider field of view (143 degrees versus 110), upgraded night infrared vision, better motion detection, dual-zone motion alerts and person detection. Additional purchases for things such as mounts may be required depending on where you want to place the Outdoor 4 in your home.

Being able to store all footage locally is a huge plus, but note that you’ll need to use the included Sync Module 2 and your own USB-A storage device (up to 256GB). Stored footage can be viewed through the Blink app.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Blink Outdoor 4 subscription offers

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

Blink has two subscription tiers to choose from, both offering unlimited recording cloud storage for up to 60 days. Monthly or yearly billing is available.

• Blink Basic: $3p/m | £2.50p/m | AU$4.95p/m
• Blink Plus: $10p/m | £8p/m | AU$15p/m

Blink Basic includes support for one device, motion event recording, live view recording, automatic local storage backups, instant video access, video sharing, person detection and photo capture. Blink Plus includes all Basic features, along with unlimited device inclusion, moments capture, notification snoozing and 10% off Blink devices.

Blink Outdoor 4: specifications Blink Outdoor 4: design and features

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

• Easy setup
• No privacy cover
• No remote control capabilities

Setup for the Blink Outdoor 4 couldn’t be more simple. After slotting in the batteries, all I had to do was download the app, scan the barcode on the back of the device, and follow the prompted steps. Setup for the Sync Module 2 is similarly simple.

The Blink Outdoor 4 is only available in Black, and though a basic mounting kit is included in the box, you can get by with just sitting the Outdoor 4 on a flat surface. There’s no motorized movement, meaning you’ll need to make any position adjustments by hand.

The basic mounting kit can be screwed into the wall or ceiling, but note that you’ll likely want it to be within easy reach to replace the batteries. There’s no privacy cover and no ability to simply cut recording unless you physically remove the batteries.

Setting privacy zones is easy enough, but you may be left underwhelmed by the lack of customization. Zones can only be created as collections of rectangles, as can activity zones (though activity zones are given slightly smaller rectangles to modify, allowing for greater coverage control). If you so wish, you can disable video recording or disable the audio connection.

• Design and features score: 4/5

Blink Outdoor 4: performance

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

• Two years of battery life
• Some lag and pixelization
• Can be positioned almost anywhere

I reviewed the Blink Outdoor 4 in two different positions – sitting atop my lounge room shelves (keeping an eye on the room) and sitting on the windowsill (keeping an eye on my front door/lawn). In these spots, I tried out all the different recording qualities and, predictably, was most satisfied with the highest quality selection. Two years of battery life is quite a long time to begin with, so I’m not too worried about running the device flat too quickly.

Accessing these settings is easy. Go to the app, then tap the three dots displayed in the corner of the camera’s view, then click device settings. If you have multiple devices set up, you may want to tap the settings icon in the bottom right corner, then access Device and System Settings, then tap the ‘System’ you want to edit, followed by ‘All Devices’, then the camera you want to modify.

All of the video quality options are quite acceptable for the price. Graininess and blurred movements are fine at this end of the market, and ultimately the quality was never so insufficient that the camera was unusable. The camera is set to ‘Standard’ mode out of the box, with lower quality ‘Saver’ mode and ‘Best’ also available. Night vision was also sufficiently capable, but it’s not presented in colour, owing to the lack of an LED light on the device.

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / Future)

Audio quality was fine and is most comparable to a standard intercom buzzer for an apartment. Back and forth communication is easy with microphones and speakers on both ends (on the camera and on your smartphone), but Ring fans may find it lower quality than what they’re used to. Motion sensitivity was fine, and for the duration of my review, I had it set to the default setting of five. I could turn the sensitivity up if I wished, but I found no need.

It’d be nice if the Blink Outdoor 4 had the option to view footage on a browser or computer, or any device without the smartphone app. Being limited to your small phone screen for your home security is disappointing, so hopefully this is changed at some point.

Finally, obviously the two year battery life is an estimation provided by Amazon. Unfortunately I’m not a time traveller, so I can’t provide a good estimation of my own on this – though over my two months of use, it hasn’t had any battery issues (the battery is still reportedly ‘OK’ in the app with no percentage offered). Most of my use was inside however, so I could have easily gotten by with USB-C delivered power.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Blink Outdoor 4? Buy it if…

You want a security camera that saves locally

Though you have to bring your own storage device, the included Sync Module 2 allows you to store footage for ready access.View Deal

You want to save money

The Blink Outdoor 4 is built to save you money and you get decent value with what’s on offer.View Deal

You want a long battery life, wireless camera

Two years of battery life with two AA batteries is nothing to balk at!View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You already have a robust home security system

The Blink Outdoor 4 isn’t compatible with anything outside of the Blink ecosystem (apart from access through Alexa). It doesn’t mix with Ring, despite being owned by the same company.View Deal

You want the highest quality footage

Recording at a maximum of 1080p, the Blink Outdoor 4 doesn’t shoot the highest quality footage, and you may find videos grainy and blurry at times.View Deal

You dislike using apps only

Though the Blink camera app is quite well designed, you can’t currently access your camera system through a computer app or browser, meaning you’re limited to a smartphone or tablet display when previewing footage.View Deal

Blink Outdoor 4: also consider

Blink Mini 2

A sibling to the Outdoor 4, the Mini 2 is a wired-only alternative, capable of shooting in the same resolution and sold at a cheaper price point. It might be more attractive if you intend to place the device indoors, but setting it up outside will require extra handiwork. Read our Blink Mini 2 review.View Deal

Arlo Ultra 2

Shooting at up to 4K and offering HDR night vision, the Arlo Ultra 2 is a more premium wireless outdoor camera than the Outdoor 4. That being said, its six month battery life is nothing compared to the Outdoor 4’s two years of charge, and it’s considerably more expensive. Read our Arlo Ultra 2 review.View Deal

How I tested the Blink Outdoor 4

• Tested it over two months in my home
• Assessed the device on sound and video quality
• Set it up in several different spots in several different configurations

From the moment I received the Blink Outdoor 4, I got to work testing it. I put it through its paces as a casual device, not putting it into a hardcore testing environment and instead treating it as something I would use in my own home.

For most of my review period, the Outdoor 4 was positioned at the top of my shelves, looking over my lounge room. It was given a decently lit and sized room to allow for motion and person capture, and I was given the ability to test privacy and activity zoning with a lot of freedom.

I tested audio quality by giving the camera to a friend and going to the next room, allowing us to have a conversation over the two devices. I frequently checked the camera through the app and would use it to make sure I closed my front door.

I assessed the Blink Outdoor 4 as a first time device, as somebody who has never had a home security camera.

Read more about how we test.

First reviewed December 2024

Specs

Type: color ink tank printer

Functions: Print, scan, copy, mobile fax (send only)

Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi

Data storage slots: none

Print speed: 15ppm (mono)

Max paper size: Letter/A4

Max print quality: 4,800 x 1,200 dpi

Memory: 128MB

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: 5 x 80ml ink bottles (8,000 color or 6,000 black pages)

Dimensions/Weight: 723 x 435 x 285 mm (WxDxH)/71.4lb/32.4kg

The HP Smart Tank 7001 (or 7005 in the UK and Europe) is a refillable inkjet aimed at the home or the office. It’s a neat desktop design with enough room for 250 sheets of Letter paper in its protruding tray and a Letter-sized scanner bed on top. Self-healing dual-band wi-fi and Bluetooth are built in and it can auto-duplex, but there’s no multipurpose input tray and no touchscreen.

If that seems mean for a printer costing around US$260 (£230), remember that this is a supertank, so you’ll save money on ink in the long term and there’s a generous amount of ink in the box. But Smart Tank makes up a relatively small part of HP’s printer line-up so let’s see how it compares to the best ink tank printers, from MegaTanks to EcoTanks, currently crowding the market.

HP Smart Tank 7001: Design and build

(Image credit: HP)

The HP Smart Tank 7001 (let's stick with the US name now) looks pretty sharp with its crisp lines, light basalt livery and seamlessly integrated ink tanks. It’s only a pity the paper tray sticks out at the front like that, because it makes the footprint larger than that of its two nearest rivals, the Canon PIXMA G3270 and Epson EcoTank ET-2850. But being larger, does enable it to hold more paper. With room for 250 sheets of Letter, or A4 paper instead of the 100-sheet capacity of its peers, it could serve an office more efficiently. The four ink reservoirs are about the same size as those of the Canon and Epson, holding 70ml of each colored ink and 135ml of black. That’s enough to keep you printing for two years, according to HP in the US. In the UK, HP says three years because there’s one extra bottle in the box, so I’ll take both claims with a very large pinch of salt. Clear plastic windows into these tanks make it easy to check your levels at a glance, which is important because running out of ink can allow problematic air bubbles into the system. The tiny two-line display is not backlit, so it’s harder to see, as are the small black buttons of the up-facing control panel.

The plastic casing and the various plastic flaps all feel rather flimsy, especially the scanner cover. The glass scanner platen is also Letter-sized, offering a more satisfactory way to scan documents than a phone camera. There’s a connection at the back for a USB data cable, but no front USB Host port and no Ethernet port. Lift up the scanner and you’ll see the lids of the four ink tanks and the two moving printheads. Unlike Epson and Canon’s printers, these print heads are replaceable, which could be an advantage.

HP Smart Tank 7001: Features & specifications

(Image credit: HP)

Compared to the best all-in-one printers at this price point, the features list might look a little thin, but remember that this is a supertank so you’re benefiting from the low running cost and plentiful inbox ink. There’s no touchscreen, for example, no USB Host port, no ADF (automatic document feed), no NFC and no multipurpose input. It’s a similar story with Epson and Canon’s entry-level ink tanks. It does come with dual-band wi-fi with Apple AirPrint compatibility and a scanner. It does not possess an inbuilt fax modem, but it can receive and print a fax by using the HP Smart app to harness your smartphone. If you want to send a fax, you’ll need to step up to the $400 HP Smart Tank 7602, which also sports an ADF.

One thing the HP Smart Tank 7001 does offer over and above the competition is Bluetooth, which I found to be a real advantage during the initial setup procedure.

HP Smart Tank 7001: Setup and operation

(Image credit: HP)

The setup process for the HP Smart Tank 7001 is similar to any new inkjet, except for two extra steps. You have to pour your ink from bottles into the tanks and attach the two printheads. The easiest way to get started is to download HP’s companion app called HP Smart and use that to get your printer onto your local wi-fi network. Making a wi-fi connection with a new printer always feels like it’s in the hands of the gods, but Bluetooth connecting is more reliable. Letting your smartphone then share your wi-fi details saves you from having to type in the password, something that would take ages using the printer’s primitive non-touchscreen display.

Pouring ink into the tanks is not too fiddly, but neither is it completely fool-proof, as it is with Canon and Epson’s systems. I’ve read user reviews where new owners have spilled ink and even poured it into the wrong tank, so be careful! I found that pouring in three quarters of each bottle was not enough to satisfy the HP’s sensors. Unlike Canon and Epson, you need to fill to the brim to proceed with setup. The only disadvantage of a ink tank printer is that transporting them when the tanks are full is a potential hazard.

In operation, the HP Smart Tank 7001 is fine, although there’s no denying that it would be easier with a touchscreen interface. The two-line display is not easy to see. HP are probably assuming that we’ll all be using the app on our smartphones and laptops to control the printer and to be fair, that is the best way to do it. HP Smart works equally well on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Chrome. The only problems I encountered were paper jams, or to be precise, the printer’s failure to turn pages in order to print the other side when auto duplexing. This happened any time the paper in the tray was less than perfectly flat.

HP Smart Tank 7001: Performance

(Image credit: HP)

The HP Smart Tank 7001 performed some tasks well, and others poorly. Consecutive pages of text appear at a rapid and reliable rate of 15 per minute in simplex mode and the characters look black and bold with no overrun. At point size four, everything is still legible and whenever I try to smudge the print with my thumb as the pages emerge, the pigment ink is already set and smudge resistant. The same is true in draft mode. The print is just slightly paler and less sharp, but still acceptable. The problem comes when auto duplexing as any slight crease in the paper prevents the printer from turning the page successfully. After printing one side, the paper is thrust out and drawn back in ready to turn, except that it cannot seem to align the paper in order to pull it all the way in. You can play tug of war with the stricken page until it’s aligned correctly, but most of the time the printer gives up and flashes an error message instead. From trawling user reviews, I can see I’m not the only one to experience this problem.

In simplex mode, the HP printed successfully on a range of paper stock, from 4” x 6” glossy photo paper to card up to 200g/m2 in weight. That’s not actually very thick and the fact that its rivals can handle 300g/m2 card suggests that the HP just isn’t very good at handling paper. Printing in color shows how vibrant HP’s ink is. Color documents really catch the eye with their bright reds and blues. With photos on photo paper, the colors look a little too bright making them feel unrealistic. So, while photos are initially quite pleasing for their strong detail and bold colors, they don’t stack up against photos from a dedicated photo printer.

The scanner worked flawlessly despite the disconcerting way its light flashes the whole time the scanner lid is open. You can hit the copy button on the machine or scan using the HP Smart app where you have the option of choosing the number of copies and to reduce or enlarge them. The scan resolution is 1,200dpi and the duplicates look almost as sharp and only slightly paler than the original.

HP Smart Tank 7001: Consumables

(Image credit: HP)

HP’s bottled ink is around 80 percent cheaper than its cartridge ink, but it’s essentially the same stuff. In this case, the three colors, cyan, magenta and yellow are dye-based while black is a pigment. That’s quite common with office inkjets where a pigment black, which is more resistant to smudging and fading, works best for black and white text handouts, while dyes are better suited to color images.

There are five or six ink bottles in the box depending on where you purchased the printer. The 135-ml bottle of black ink (HP 32XL) yields 6,000 monochrome pages, while the three 70ml bottles of C/M/Y should yield 8,000 color pages. That’s an order of magnitude more than the ink in one of HP’s inkjet cartridges.

HP Smart Tank 7001: Maintenance

Just like any of the best inkjet printers, ink tank printers don’t like being left unused for long periods because the liquid ink dries on the printhead, clogging the nozzles. To clean it you can usually just run a printhead cleaning cycle or two, and because bottled ink is relatively cheap, that’s less of a problem for supertanks. This printer is somewhat unusual in having two replaceable printheads, one black and one tricolor. Assuming this doesn’t mean they are prone to failing, it suggests that the printer’s operational life can be extended by simply buying new print heads, which are reasonably priced.

HP Smart Tank 7001: Final verdict

(Image credit: HP)

Supertank printers often appear overpriced because we’re used to cartridge-based inkjets being subsidized by the inflated cost of their cartridges, but that razor-and-blades business model does not apply here. Comparing the HP Smart Tank 7001/7005 with other supertanks suggests that it’s pretty fair value. There’s no touchscreen display, no NFC, no ADF and only one input, but it does have other features. There’s a decent Letter-sized scanner and strong wireless connectivity with dual-band wi-fi and Bluetooth. The 250-sheet paper capacity beats its nearest supertank rivals and there’s a useful amount of bottled ink in the box.

It prints both monochrome and color documents well and fairly quickly too, but it’s not great with photographs, which look a bit garish. And it’s not great at handling paper stock. The 200g/m2 card limitation is very light and the trouble it had during the test in turning over imperfect sheets of paper while duplexing is a concern. There’s no doubt HP’s bottled ink printer offers better value than a comparable cartridge-bound HP, but it faces strong competition from other supertanks by Canon and Epson. Canon’s equivalent offers better photo quality, while Epson beats HP on overall performance. However, with its higher paper capacity and faster print speed, the HP Smart Tank 7001/7005 is better qualified for an office job.

Find a unit for the home and office in our round-up of the best home printers around.

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