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Google Pixel Watch can now alert you to scam calls in real time

TechRadar News - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 04:31
  • Google's Scam Detection feature uses AI to detect calls from scammers as they happen
  • The feature is now available on Pixel Watch
  • It means users will get Scam Detection alerts without the need to take their phone out of their pocket

Google recently rolled out its AI-powered Scam Detection feature to Pixel phones, and now the feature is coming to the Pixel Watch, bringing alerts directly to your wrist in real-time.

From today, Pixel Watch 2 and 3 users will be able to get Scam Detection alerts directly on their wrist, meaning they don't have to take their phone out of their pocket while on a call in order to receive the alerts.

Scam Detection uses AI to detect conversation patterns commonly used by scammers as they happen. While it's not 100% accurate, and scammers often switch up their approach, if the AI picks up anything fishy, it'll alert you with a notification, sound, and vibration.

Previously, that would work on the Pixel Phone, and now it works on the Watch too. It means you can take calls from unknown numbers directly from your wrist with more confidence, and it is a brilliant extension of this very helpful feature.

Pixel Watch scam detection

There are many ways to deal with scam calls, but Google's AI-powered solution is definitely one of the most novel solutions and much more effective than simply choosing to ignore calls or silencing calls from unknown numbers.

To get it to work on your wrist, you'll need either a Pixel Watch 2 or 3 connected to a Pixel 9 or later. The two devices will need to be paired via Bluetooth for the feature to work, and Scam Detection only works in the US for calls in English.

Scam Detection is turned on via your Pixel Phone's Settings under Scam Detection. Once turned on, you'll hear a beep at the start of the call and intermittently during calls so that you know it's working.

The latest Scam Detection addition is another reason the Pixel Watch 3 (and its predecessor) are some of the best Android smartwatches you can buy, especially when paired with a Google phone.

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Categories: Technology

World markets regain some ground after Trump tariffs shock investors

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 04:30

After major slides in equity trading across the world, any slight uptick in stock prices will only repair part of the destruction of trillions of dollars in investor wealth over the past few days.

(Image credit: Lee Jin-man)

Categories: News

Windows 11 users are getting fixes for some longstanding bugs in 24H2 today, including the cure for a seriously annoying File Explorer glitch

TechRadar News - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 04:24
  • Microsoft is deploying the monthly patch for Windows 11 24H2 today
  • It’ll arrive with useful fixes, including the cure for a weird File Explorer bug
  • A couple of problems with wake-from-sleep functionality have also been resolved, but Microsoft has taken some time to implement these fixes

Microsoft pushes out its monthly round of updates later today (likely imminently), and the patch for Windows 11 version 24H2 is set to come with some important fixes.

As Windows Latest reports, the cumulative update for April delivers the resolution of an annoying File Explorer bug, and more besides.

As a quick reminder, File Explorer is the app in Windows that powers the very folders and files you work with on the desktop likely on a daily basis. The bug means that when users click the three-dot icon in the top menu bar (to access extra options), the flyout menu extends upwards rather than down.

What this means is that if the File Explorer window in question is near the top of the screen, the menu actually goes off the top of the desktop, so you can’t click on some of those extra options, as they’re not visible.

Windows Latest further outlines some other fixes Microsoft is providing with the April update, and that includes the cure for a problem where a Windows 11 24H2 device would wake from sleep and immediately crash with a Blue Screen of Death. (Perhaps soon to become a Black Screen of Death).

Another issue with coming out of sleep mode, where a 2-in-1 laptop would change its screen orientation to portrait mode randomly, has also been remedied – likely a driver-related issue with the orientation sensors.

(Image credit: Future) Analysis: Fixing the holes

These are some useful fixes, then, and Microsoft will possibly deliver more with the April update for Windows 11 24H2, too. We shall have to see the full patch notes when the update actually lands.

The File Explorer issue may not have been a huge problem, as it was easy enough to work around. By this, I mean if a File Explorer window had a menu flying off the top of the screen, you could simply drag that window down lower on the desktop to see the full contents of the three-dot menu.

Still, that’s clunky, and not something you should have to do at all. What’s odd is the rather baffling nature of this bug – how did this go wrong in the first place? – and the time Microsoft took to fix it. This gremlin has been present in Windows 11 since November 2024, in fact.

On top of that, Windows Latest notes that Microsoft is currently deploying bug fixes (or at least some of them, including this one) as a controlled rollout. In other words, not every Windows 11 user will get this to begin with, and you may have to wait. Officially, this cure became available with the preview update of this imminent patch – released late in March – and the bug fix was only provided to a limited number of folks with that rollout.

Hopefully, from today, every Windows 11 user will see this problem - and the other aforementioned bugbears - ironed out in swift fashion.

Speaking of ironing, there’s still work to be done smoothing out further wrinkles with Windows 11 24H2 – some of which have been very weird affairs indeed – but hopefully Microsoft will start to get fully on top of all the issues for the latest incarnation of its desktop OS as we come towards the middle of 2025.

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Categories: Technology

It's sexual assault awareness month and HHS just gutted its rape prevention unit

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 04:15

The CDC teams that supported local sexual assault prevention groups were 'wiped out' in RFK Jr.'s overhaul of the Department of Health and Human Services.

(Image credit: Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle)

Categories: News

Bienvenidos! Some colleges are targeting a long-neglected group: Hispanic students

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 04:00

Colleges are recognizing the importance of this growing pool of potential students.

Categories: News

Trump's election order could jeopardize 'hundreds of thousands' of future mail ballots

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 04:00

Eighteen states count mail-in ballots that are received after Election Day, but a new order by President Trump challenges the practice.

(Image credit: Jason Redmond)

Categories: News

Why is Trump sending immigrant university scholars to Louisiana and Texas?

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 04:00

Lawyers say the government is trying to gain a legal advantage as it tries to expel noncitizens over their pro-Palestinian activism.

(Image credit: Via Georgetown; via Ozturk family/Reuters; Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Categories: News

The rise of the influencer as rap artist

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 04:00
LONDON, on March 20.'/>

The YouTube star PlaqueBoyMax built his following the usual way, livestreaming opinions on music and news. What's unusual is his latest move, which tests the modern meaning of the word "creator."

(Image credit: Sara Jaye)

Categories: News

International students spoke out against the war in Gaza. Now, some face deportation

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 04:00

The Trump administration has targeted students — both those with visas and those with permanent legal status — who protested the war in Gaza. Free speech advocates warn that these are test cases.

(Image credit: Yuki Iwamura)

Categories: News

Back to the future with block sizes

TechRadar News - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 03:45

The American National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) is rather busy on the cryptographic front these days. Not only has it been busy in the area of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), it is also in the process of standardizing the lightweight cipher Ascon, and it is also embarking soon on a major effort to examine threshold cryptography, but in late 2024 it announced that it would be looking at standardizing a larger block size variant of the AES algorithm.

To understand what this proposal is, and why it is important, we need to dig a bit deeper into what a block cipher is, and the history of the AES algorithm.

Block ciphers explained

A block cipher is a mechanism to encrypt single blocks of data using a secret key. The two important characteristics of a block cipher are the number of bits needed to determine the key (the so-called key size) and the size of the data which each application of the block cipher encrypts (the co-called block size).

Children often encounter block ciphers as a first introduction to cryptography by making a table of letters, and then placing a random permutation of the letters underneath them such as

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M

T - M- A - H - X - S - C - Q - N - R - P - D -E

So the word BAD would encrypt to the ciphertext MTH. In this example the key is the second row of the table (you need the second row to encrypt and decrypt). This gives a total number of keys of

26 · 25 · 24 ··· 3 · 2 · 1 ≈ 2 88.3

which corresponds to a key size of 88.3 bits. The block size is however only one letter, i.e. something which can be represented in bits. This key size is quite large, if I just gave you an encrypted message of three letters it would be hard to determine the key.

However, because the block size is small it is easy to break in practice, since a large encrypted text will reveal repeats of plaintext blocks. For example the words “HIDE ME” will encrypt to “QNHX EX”, and we can see the repetition of X encrypting E. As we know E is the most likely letter in English this means it is likely that the attacker can guess X encrypts E.

Even if we were encrypting random messages (and not English) this repetition of blocks is a way for an attacker to attack any system which uses the block cipher. Due to the birthday paradox, if we have a block size of b bits, then we expect such a collision to after a few blocks. For the case of our toy cipher this means, for a random message, we expect a collision to occur after about 5 blocks.

AES

AES is a block cipher, which is the workhorse of almost all cryptographic systems in the world today. It was standardized by NIST in 2001, and has a variable key size of 128, 192 and 256 bits, but a fixed block size of 128 bits. This fixing of the block size was not originally on the cards.

In the original preliminary call for AES, NIST proposed having 128, 192 and 256 bit key sizes, with a fixed block size of 128-bits, but with the option for other block sizes.

However, as the process to choose AES progressed, in the official first call in 1997 NIST decided to focus only on 128 bit block sizes. In 2001 this block size seemed alright. After all, it means that for a random message we only expect to output blocks to be identical after ciphertext blocks, or 256 Exabytes.

The problem is that this “seemed alright” was not quite true. AES was actually based on an algorithm called Rijndael (invented by two Belgian mathematicians called Joan Daemen and Vincent Rijmen). In its original design, submitted to NIST, Rijndael had three possible key sizes (128, 192 and 256 bits) and three possible block sizes (128, 192 and 256 bits).

As we just remarked, during the AES process, in order to simplify the competition, NIST decided that it would only focus on 128-bit block sizes. Thus the original Rijndael design was modified to only allow one block size.

Unfortunate consequences

The fact that collisions happen more likely with a smaller block size means that applications needed to limit the number of blocks they could encrypt. This means that we only use a single 128-bit key to encrypt a relatively small amount of data. In practice this limit on the amount one can encrypt with one key becomes blocks, or only 64 Gigabytes (which is less than most harddisks in a laptop these days) , when AES is used in its most popular scenario (called AES-GCM mode). Meaning we need to rekey our ciphers more often, or use another method of calling AES.

Due to AES being super fast in hardware it would be good if we could use AES to construct a hash function (which are very slow normally). One can use block ciphers to construct hash functions, but they are not very secure (or are more complex to construct) unless the block cipher has a big block size (such as 256 bits).

The mismatch between block size and key size for the AES algorithm led to a theoretical “attack” (in a very special situation) on the AES algorithm with 256 bit key size in 2009 due to Biryukov and Khovratovich. Thus AES-256, with its 128-bit block size, was not as good as one would expect. On the other hand using Rijndael with 256-bit key and 256- bit block size would have avoided this “attack”.

Summary

Thus what NIST has announced is to revisit, what in hindsight, was the mistake it made back in 2001. AES should really have been standardized with a 256 bit block size variant.

If cryptographers had a DeLorean time machine they would go back about twenty five years, and modify the AES competition so that the final decision would have allowed AES to be used with a 256-bit block size.

We've compiled a list of the best encryption software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Categories: Technology

Best Internet Providers in Michigan

CNET News - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 03:06
Michigan has plenty of internet providers, but a few stand out for speed and value. CNET’s experts highlight the top picks in the Great Lakes State.
Categories: Technology

Today's NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 9, #668

CNET News - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 03:00
Hints and answers for Connections for April 9, #668.
Categories: Technology

I ditched my smartphone for Panasonic’s new travel zoom compact – here’s what I learned

TechRadar Reviews - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 03:00
Panasonic Lumix ZS99: One Minute Review

The Lumix ZS99 (called the Lumix TZ99 in some markets) is a relatively rarity in modern times – a brand new compact camera.

Only stop right there, most of it isn’t new at all. It uses the same sensor and lens combination as its predecessor, the ZS80D / TZ95D, only really adding the mandatory USB-C charging functionality that affects all new devices sold in the EU.

(Image credit: Future)

Worse still, Panasonic has seen fit to remove the small (but useful) viewfinder found in the previous incarnation. The screen remains the same as before, only now you’ll be completely reliant on it for every shot – shame.

This is not a bad camera by any stretch, but its highly versatile zoom is pretty much its only winning technical ability over your smartphone in 2025. You can get some good shots if you need to zoom, but pictures taken at the wide angle end are pretty much the same as any half-decent smartphone is capable of these days.

If you really want a separate device, and want to be able to zoom in close on distant subjects, then it’s a good choice – but don’t be surprised if you go back to using your phone in conditions such as low light.

Is the Lumix ZS99 one of the best compact cameras? Technically no, but it's one of the only travel zooms available, for a competitive price.

Panasonic Lumix ZS99 / TZ99: release date and price
  • $499 / £469 / AU$999.95
  • Available to buy now
  • All black or black and silver colourways available

These days, paying $499 / £469 for something that your smartphone can (sort of) already do might seem like a lot of cash to part with.

However, cameras such as this have had a resurgence in recent times, largely thanks to the influence of, er, influencers. Last year, such was the popularity of the ZS80D / TZ95D that you could expect to pay double the list price of the ZS99 / TZ99, with even second-hand prices being off the charts.

So the ZS99 / TZ99 is far from cheap, but there’s really not much to compete with it in today’s market – if it’s something you want, it’s reasonably well priced. That said, if you’re happy to live with a smaller zoom (10x), you can get hold of the Panasonic TZ200 for about the same price as a TZ99. You’ll lose the zoom reach, but you’ll get a one-inch sensor which produces better quality images, so that’s worth thinking about.

  • Price score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future) Panasonic Lumix ZS99 / TZ99: specs Panasonic Lumix ZS99 / TZ99: design and handling
  • Small, smartphone-sized sensor with 30x zoom
  • Front-facing touchscreen
  • No viewfinder
  • Lots of physical buttons

At the heart of the Lumix ZS99 sits a 20MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. It’s about the same size as those you’ll find in modern smartphones – in fact some smartphones are packing even larger sensors these days.

Disappointed? Well, don’t be too much – it’s what gives the ability to zoom to 30x, something which your smartphone definitely can’t do, optically at least. The biggest downside of a small sensor tends to be a loss of detail in low light conditions – which for travel might not be too much of a bugbear.

That 30x lens gives you 24-720mm in full-frame terms (the common reference for lens focal length), and just as with the sensor, it’s the same as found on the ZS80 / TZ95D, so there isn’t any improvement in image quality (see the next section).

If you want a camera that fits neatly into your pocket and that isn’t your smartphone, then this should fit the bill. It’s fatter than the average camera phone, but it’s not quite as lengthy. There’s grips on the front and rear of the camera which makes it feel a bit more secure than a slippery phone, too.

Settings changes can all be made via actual, physical controls. A tactile rarity in today’s modern screen obsessed world.

There’s a mode dial giving you access to full manual control, for example, while the zoom is controlled via a rocker switch around the shutter release. Several of the buttons can be customized to suit the functions you use most, which is helpful – and there are some additional touchscreen settings you can use too.

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One function which is particularly useful is the Zoom Compose Assist button. Handy for when you lose track of your subject while shooting at a long focal length – such as a bird in flight – it'll quickly zoom out so you can relocate the subject, and then the lens zooms right back in to your last setting when you let go of the button. Nifty.

The screen is also the same as found on the predecessor. It flips forward for selfies and video and has 1.84m dots. It’s detailed and bright enough for most uses, and it’s touch-sensitive too. In the bright sun it’s harder to see, which is why it’s disappointing that Panasonic has removed the viewfinder, found in the previous model. That said, it’s probably true to say that anybody coming from a smartphone won’t be used to a viewfinder and is unlikely to miss the option.

  • Design score: 4/5
Panasonic Lumix ZS99 / TZ99: performance
  • Good for zoom shots
  • At wide-angle, image quality similar to a smartphone
  • Low light quality is less impressive

We already knew what to expect from the camera, considering it uses the same sensor and lens as its predecessor.

In short – it’s good, but not great. At least, not by modern standards anyway. There’s only so much that a small sensor can realistically deliver, and while there are some things that this camera can do that your phone can’t, sometimes even a budget smartphone will outperform it.

If you find yourself shooting in good overall light, which isn’t too harsh, and you’re shooting a still or fairly placid subject then you’ll get some nice images. There’s a good amount of detail, colors are realistic (if a little dull), and exposures are well balanced. At the wide-angle end of the lens, your smartphone probably achieves the same results.

(Image credit: Future)

However, it’s when you engage that zoom that the magic happens. So long as you can keep the camera fairly steady, even shooting at that far 30x zoom can leave you with nice close-ups of distant subjects.

There’s in-built 5-axis Hybrid optical image stabilization (OIS), which works fairly well, but once you’re shooting at 20-30x, any additional steadiness you can provide will go a long way too.

As for tracking of subjects – there’s no way you’re going to follow a leopard or a motorcar, but for more predictable and slower wildlife you stand a fighting chance of capturing the subject, sharply focused.

Now for some bad news – low light. Smartphones do pretty well at this subject by taking lots of pictures and merging them together. Here, you don’t get that, so even when it’s only as low light as indoors, you will notice a fair amount of smudginess. Avoid using this camera inside buildings or after dark, and you’ll be golden.

  • Performance score: 3/5
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(Image credit: Future) Panasonic Lumix ZS99 / TZ99: testing scorecard Should I buy the Panasonic Lumix ZS99 / TZ99? Buy it if...

You want a long zoom in a camera that fits into your pocket
In terms of zooming capability, there's not much else that can zoom this far, this well and will still fit in your pocket. 30x zoom with your phone will leave you with a blurry mess, whereas you'll get some reasonable detail here. It's a good idea for travel and everyday snaps for that reason, even if overall image quality isn't amazing.

You like the idea of USB-C charging for all your devices
Pretty much the only improvement from the ZS99's predecessor is the addition of USB-C charging. When you're traveling, only having one cable to charge everything is definitely a bonus.

You want a camera with a front-facing screen for selfies and vlogging
The screen can face all the way forwards, putting yourself in the frame in front of those travel highlights. Amateur vloggers may also like it for the same reason.

Don't buy it if...

You already have a ZS80 / TZ95D
It makes virtually no sense to buy this if you already have a ZS80 / TZ95D. That is unless you really, really want USB-C charging and never use the viewfinder anyway. The sensor, lens and screen are all exactly the same as before - don't assume a new camera means new tech.

You want a viewfinder
OK we've mentioned this a few times now, but the viewfinder has been removed! Why? Perhaps you don't need one. But if you do, don't get this camera.

You shoot in low light with any frequency
Low light performance is a weak area of this camera, so if it's something you do often, don't expect to take good shots with this camera. If you only shoot the odd thing after dark, it's less of a deal breaker.

How I tested the Panasonic Lumix ZS99 / TZ99
  • I used it in a variety of different shooting conditions
  • I took pictures at different focal lengths
  • I tried the different shooting modes

I tested the Panasonic Lumix ZS99 / TZ99 over two weeks, in a range of different locations and across different shooting conditions.

I used it to photograph landscapes and typical travel subjects, taking pictures at a variety of different focal lengths. I also took photos of animals to test the focus tracking.

I took the ZS99 indoors to evaluate what happens when light is low, as well as shooting in very bright sunlight and more overcast conditions.

First reviewed April 2025

Categories: Reviews

How to avoid harmful chemicals in skin care and beauty products

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 03:00

Some ingredients found in personal care products like lotion and shampoo may be harmful to your health. Here's how to avoid these chemicals and choose healthier alternatives.

(Image credit: Beck Harlan/NPR)

Categories: News

Iran says it will have 'indirect' talks with the U.S. in Oman on Saturday

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 02:08

Iran says it will have indirect talks with the U.S. Saturday in Oman, opening possible diplomacy over Iran's nuclear program but revealing a potential sticking point about the format for negotiating.

(Image credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader)

Categories: News

I tried out NetSupport Manager 14 - read what I thought of this support solution for business

TechRadar Reviews - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 01:41

This review first appeared in issue 349 of PC Pro.

SMBs that want the best on-premises remote support solution need look no further than NetSupport Manager (NSM). Now well into its third decade, NSM has been continuously updated, with version 14 on review providing a redesigned Control interface, support for Windows 11 and Server 2022 clients plus two-factor authentication (2FA) and SSL/TLS certificates to tighten up access security to remote systems.

Licensing couldn’t be any easier: pricing is based only on the number of supported systems. You don’t need to worry about subscriptions, either, with perpetual licensing for up to 500 systems costing a straight £10 each.

Installation is a breeze. We loaded the Control component on a Windows 10 host and used the separate Deploy tool to scan the local network and push the client to all our Windows desktops and servers. The client executable is now protected from malware actions; if its name is changed, it won’t be allowed to run.

The new Control interface focuses on ease of use and has a status bar at its base showing the number of clients plus those currently connected and an icon to disconnect them all with one click. Search facilities have been improved, the tree view can now be minimized, and if you double-click on a client in the main panel you can assign different actions such as starting remote control or remotely launching an application.

The NSM console delivers an impressive range of support tools (Image credit: Future)

The tree view uses dynamic grouping to neatly organize clients into categories such as Windows, macOS, Chrome OS and Android versions, hardware enclosure types and geographical locations. You can create custom groups using your preferred criteria and the tree also has options to browse for a client and see those that have sent help requests.

The free PIN Connect server accelerates support connections across large networks. The technician and user simply enter the same unique PIN and an instant connection is created for them.

Selecting a group in the tree shows all members in the main pane and a monitor mode displays scalable screen thumbnails so you can watch user activity in real-time. Users needn’t worry about privacy issues as when the Control app connects, their system tray app alerts them and they can disconnect at any time.

The iOS Manager mobile app offers easy access to all clients (Image credit: Future)

A remote control session opens a new window with a wealth of support tools presented in its upper menu. Along with choosing to control, share or passively view the screen, you can launch local apps, have text and audio chats, take screen captures, share clipboards and reboot the client.

NSM scores over cloud-hosted solutions as its distribution tool sends local files to multiple users, technicians can run training sessions by showing their screen to user groups and they can record Control host activities and replay them. And being an on-premises solution, performance between a host and client on the same LAN will be much faster.

Remote offices and home workers come under NSM’s support umbrella, too. The NSM Gateway and Connectivity Server are included in the price and allow technicians to reach out over the internet to systems with the client installed.

Security is tight: along with 256-bit AES session encryption, the Connectivity Server, Gateway and clients must all possess the same key. Remote clients can only connect to one gateway, the Connectivity Server connection log can be downloaded for further security analysis and larger sites can improve performance by using multiple Gateways in load-balanced configurations.

SMBs that prefer their support services in-house won’t find a better alternative to NetSupport Manager. It delivers a wealth of support tools, including secure access to home workers, while its perpetual licensing plans are highly affordable.

We also ranked the best work from home apps.

Categories: Reviews

I tested the MSI Pro MP161 - see what I thought of this solid portable monitor

TechRadar Reviews - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 01:37

This review first appeared in issue 349 of PC Pro.

You can buy exotically named 15.6in portable monitors from Amazon for £100, but there are good reasons to pay extra for well-known brands. Brands such as MSI, with its history of producing high-quality desktop displays.

However, when paying £129, you must set your expectations low. This is a 6-bit panel that’s only capable of producing 16.7 million colors through a technology called frame rate control (FRC). The result is subdued, covering 57% of the sRGB gamut at best. That equates to 41% of DCI-P3, so this isn’t the screen I’d reach for to watch Netflix.

Despite this, MSI provides a Movie mode to accompany the Anti-Blue, Eco, Black-White and Office modes. Office is the best choice for brightness, peaking at 296cd/m2, but greys are blown out to near-white so I kept it at the native profile. This only hit 215cd/m2 at peak, which I kept it at to make whites look relatively white.

Ports include two USB-C sockets and a mini-HDMI input (Image credit: Future)

MSI makes no sacrifices when it comes to the speedy OSD. There are settings to control sharpness, low blue light, the response time (normal, fast or 4ms fastest) and even the company’s “Eye-Q” features. These are designed to keep people working in optimized fashion. For instance, you can use it to remind you to adjust your posture, or check for eye-strain using a grid. One more ergonomic plus: a highly effective anti-glare coating.

There are two usable albeit low-fidelity 1.5W speakers, but I’m more impressed by the two USB-C ports and a mini-HDMI input, so you can connect the monitor to three devices (including tablets and phones) simultaneously. I appreciate the flexibility, which is echoed by a rotating stand that means you can use the Pro MP161 in portrait mode as well as landscape.

At 750g, and measuring 12mm thick if you ignore the stand, this is a highly portable monitor. MSI also offers protection via a lightweight travel pouch that guards it from scratches (if not direct bashes). Add a two-year warranty and there are many reasons to choose the MSI Pro MP161 over its rivals, despite their price advantage.

We also rated the best ergonomic office chairs.

Categories: Reviews

Flooding death toll in Congo's capital reaches 33 as officials race to help victims

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 00:40

Heavy rains began last week, causing the key Ndjili River to overflow on Friday and submerge hundreds of buildings. Many residents blamed the government for not responding quickly enough.

(Image credit: Samy Ntumba Shambuyi)

Categories: News

Garbage piles up in Birmingham as the U.K. city's sanitation strike enters 5th week

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 04/08/2025 - 00:32

As heaps of black bags littered sidewalks with their contents spilling out of holes chewed by critters, the city council declared a major incident to bring in additional cleanup crews and vehicles.

(Image credit: Jacob King)

Categories: News

Best Internet Providers in Florida

CNET News - Mon, 04/07/2025 - 23:41
The Sunshine State has plenty of top ISPs to choose from -- here’s what our experts think you should know before picking one.
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