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Threads users have been complaining about its recommendation algorithm pretty much since the beginning of the platform. At some point, this turned into a meme, with users writing posts jokingly addressed to the algorithm in which they requested to see more posts about the topics they're actually interested in.

Now, Meta is turning those "Dear algorithm" posts into an official feature that it says will allow Threads users to tune their recommendations in real time. With the change, users can write a post that begins with "dear algo" to adjust their preferences. For example, you could write "dear algo, show me more posts about cute cats." You can also ask to see fewer posts about topics you don't want to see, like "dear algo, stop showing me posts about sick pets."

You can track your requests to the algorithm in the app's settings in order to revisit them or remove them. You can also retweet other users' "dear algo" posts to have those topics reflected in your feed. Importantly, "dear algo" requests are temporary and only last for three days at a time, which Meta says is meant to keep the algorithm feel fresher and more flexible.  

The rollout of the feature follows a limited test late last year. Now, "dear algo" posts will work for Threads users in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand with more countries coming "soon."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-turned-threads-algorithm-complaints-into-an-official-feature-180000236.html?src=rss

TikTok US just launched a local feed for users to "get the inside scoop on must-try restaurants, shops, museums and events." This is done by leveraging the exact location of people that are using the app and comes after a change in the platform's terms of service that says the app can do just that. The platform's terms of service used to note that it could collect approximate locations, but the sale to US investors looks to have changed that to precise locations.

This is an opt-in feature, despite the app potentially collecting this data whether the feed is activated or not. The feed is set to "off" by default, but can be changed via a trip to settings.

The local feed doesn't show your neighbors or people you might vibe with to help solve that pesky loneliness epidemic. Instead, it prioritizes local businesses and will highlight nearby events, shopping suggestions and restaurants to try.

TikTok

This looks to be part of a broader push to attract small businesses to the app, both as content producers and as advertisers. As TechCrunch notes, this could also help insulate the company from future regulation and increased scrutiny, as it could point to the many small businesses that rely on its services. 

TikTok states that over 7.5 million businesses use the platform in the US to reach customers. However, this data is sourced from an Oxford Economics report from before a group of investors finalized a deal for the US version of the app.

Supporting local businesses is a noble goal, but users will have to consider whether or not the value of a dedicated feed is worth the privacy risk. Oracle is a prominent investor in the new American TikTok, and company founder Larry Ellison once said "citizens will be on their best behavior" when they are being constantly surveilled.

This local feed isn't exactly a new idea. TikTok has been trying something similar in Europe since the tail-end of last year. It has shown up in the UK, France, Italy and Germany.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/tiktok-us-launches-a-local-feed-that-leverages-a-users-exact-location-170651916.html?src=rss

Though the original series is very much done, Netflix is going to squeeze as much juice out of Stranger Things as it can. The company is said to be filming the Broadway production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow so it can offer up a recording on its streaming service.

Several public performances were canceled this week to accommodate filming, according to The Hollywood Reporter. They'll recommence on February 15. Filming is taking place before the original Broadway cast leaves the production next month. 

Stranger Things: The First Shadow opened in New York City last year after debuting in London in 2023. It’s been a critical and commercial success, and it has won multiple Tony Awards. The play is a canonical prequel to Stranger Things and it fills in more of the backstory of Henry Creel, who becomes Vecna. The show's final season digs into his past too.

Netflix hasn't indicated when it will start streaming a recording of the play. This was inevitably going to happen at some point, though. Netflix has been busy expanding the Stranger Things universe with spin-off shows, such as the animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 (which will start streaming on April 23). A documentary that shows how Stranger Things: The First Shadow came together hit the streaming service last year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/netflix-is-reportedly-filming-the-stranger-things-broadway-show-this-week-165243046.html?src=rss

As frustrating as it is that governments and businesses are running roughshod over our online freedoms, at least we have plenty of good VPNs to keep us protected online. There are so many fast, intelligently designed, full-featured and affordable services on the market that the biggest problem is picking one. For any use case, you can bet at least two providers will be neck-and-neck for first place.

On the other hand, the VPN world is still the Wild West in some ways. It's easy enough to slap a cheap VPN together that the market is flooded with low-quality apps that put more money into advertising than infrastructure. They may look good, but it's all styrofoam under the hood.

I built this list of the best VPNs after intensive testing to help you reorient your focus on the providers that actually deserve your time and money. Which one truly fits your needs is dependent on who you are and what you do online, but if you pick any of my seven recommendations, you can't go too far wrong. If you're interested in a service you can use without paying, head over to my list of the best free VPNs — and if you're willing to pay but want to save money, I keep a list of the best VPN deals updated weekly.

For each VPN on this list, I've shared which platforms it works on, how much it cuts into your download speed, where it offers servers, what other features are included and how much the best available deal costs. At the end, I'll list some honorable and dishonorable mentions, then answer some of the most common questions I hear about VPNs.

Editor's note: This list is up-to-date as of February 2026. We intend to revisit this list every three months at a minimum, at which time our picks may be adjusted based on changes in pricing, features, testing results and other factors.

Table of contents

• Best VPNs for 2026

• Other VPNs we tested

• What to look for in a VPN

• VPN FAQs

Best VPNs for 2026

Other VPNs we tested

The VPNs in this section didn't crack our top list above, but we're summarizing them here so you can see their positives and negatives as of the time of our evaluation. 

Windscribe

Windscribe is another well-known free VPN supported by paid subscriptions. In many ways, it takes the best from both Mullvad and Proton VPN, with the former's no-nonsense privacy and the latter's healthy free plan. Without paying, you can connect to 10 of Windscribe's server locations on an unlimited number of devices at once. We've just published a full Windscribe review that can tell you more.

Unfortunately, Windscribe didn't copy the most important part of Proton VPN's free plan — the unlimited data. You're only allowed to use 10GB per month, which isn't enough for regular streaming. It's also committed to a cramped and headache-inducing user interface that stands out from the crowd in all the worst ways.

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) has a deeply annoying name — I assume whoever invented it also likes to hop in their Toyota Forward Motion to grab a gallon of Sustaining Cow Extract from the grocery store — but it's a worthwhile VPN whose pricing provides incredible value. Its monthly and yearly plans are good enough, but its three-year plan is the clincher. Not only is it longer than average, but you can continue to renew at the three-year level, so you won't see an unpleasant price jump the first time you re-up.

PIA's apps have a dark UI reminiscent of Proton VPN, which is always a good thing. It also supports port forwarding, custom DNS and the use of a SOCKS5 or Shadowsocks proxy as a second step in the VPN connection. You can even set the maximum data packet size to help out a struggling connection, as I cover in my full PIA VPN review.

The downside is that your connection will struggle a lot. While well-designed, PIA's apps have a tendency to lag. In my most recent battery of tests, it dragged oddly on my internet in ways that weren't directly reflected in the speed tests. It's also not always capable of unblocking streaming services in other countries, and while its server network offers 152 IP address options in 84 countries, it's heavily bulked out by virtual locations.

TunnelBear

TunnelBear has a decent interface, which its target audience of VPN beginners will find very easy to use. Its speeds are perfectly good too, and I appreciate the depth and breadth of its transparency reports. But it's far too limited overall, with few extra features, less than 50 server locations and a free plan that caps data at 2GB per month.

VyprVPN

VyprVPN often flies under the radar, but it has some of the best apps in the business and a very good security record (there was a breach in 2023, but it didn't crack the VPN encryption itself). It's also got a verified privacy policy, a solid jurisdiction and runs every connection through an in-house DNS to prevent leaks.

Despite all that, it didn't make the top seven because its connection speeds aren't up to scratch — you'll likely notice a bigger slowdown than average. It also has a troubling history of wild, seemingly experimental swings in its pricing and simultaneous connection limits.

Norton VPN

Norton VPN is part of the Norton 360 package that includes the well-known antivirus software and other security apps. It's a nice bonus if you use Norton already, but as a standalone VPN, it falls short. My tests repeatedly showed it dropping encryption and revealing my IP address whenever I switched servers, and not all of its locations managed to unblock Netflix.

This isn't to say Norton VPN is terrible. It has a fairly large server network, user-friendly apps and some cool features like an IP rotator. It also recently revamped its OpenVPN infrastructure to improve speeds on Windows. But you probably won't find those things sufficient to balance out significant speed drops on other platforms or poorly written FAQs. I especially advise against Norton VPN for Apple users, as its Mac and iPhone apps are much more limited than their Windows and Android counterparts.

What to look for in a VPN

Choosing a VPN can quickly get you mired in analysis paralysis. We're here to help, but since only you know your particular needs, you should know the major red and green flags so you can make the final call yourself. Every reputable VPN provider offers a free trial or refund guarantee you can use to run the tests below. For more advice and dangers to look for, check out my article on how to tell if your VPN is working.

Compatibility: First, make sure your VPN works on all the platforms you plan to use it on. Most VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, but those apps aren't always created equal — check that the app for your chosen OS is user-friendly and has all the features you need.

Speed: Use a speed testing app to see how fast your internet is before and after connecting to the VPN (I use Ookla's speedtest.net). To check security, look up your IP address while connected to a VPN server and see if it's actually changed your virtual location. Be sure it's using expert-vetted protocols like OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2. Try connecting to streaming services and seeing whether the VPN changes the available content.

Background: Do some outside research into the VPN's origins, especially its parent company, privacy policy and any past incidents. It's a dealbreaker if you can't figure out where the VPN is headquartered (which indicates a lax approach to transparency) or if it seems to have never passed a real third-party audit.

Server network: Look at the server network to make sure the VPN has locations near you and in any countries where you'll want an IP address — e.g. if you need a VPN to unblock Canadian Netflix, look for multiple server locations in Canada.

Customer Service: I also advise testing the customer support options by looking for the answer to a straightforward question. If phone support (versus email and chat) is important to you, make sure to prioritize that — and make sure it's available at convenient times in your timezone.

Pricing: Finally, check prices. See if the VPN is affordable and decide whether you're comfortable taking a long-term subscription for better savings. If you do get a multi-year plan, check what price it will renew at, since many of the cheapest subscriptions are only introductory deals.

VPN FAQs

To wrap up, let's answer some of the most common questions we get about VPNs. Feel free to get in touch if you have a query I don't cover here.

What is a VPN?

VPN stands for virtual private network. There are a few different types of VPNs, including corporate VPNs like Cisco AnyConnect, Perimeter81 and NordLayer, which are used to access a single network securely. For this list, though, we're talking about commercial services that let individual users access the internet with an assumed identity.

Whenever you get online, you're assigned an IP address — a digital nametag that tells websites where to send the information you request. For an IP address to work, it needs to be unique, which means it's possible to create a record of what an individual does online.

When you use a VPN, all the data you send to the internet goes through one of the VPN's servers before heading to its final destination. The VPN encrypts the connection between your computer and its server so the data won't trace back to you. Any website, ISP or third party that cares to look will only see the VPN's IP address, not yours. If you're interested in more detail, I've written a whole article on how a VPN works.

What are some things VPNs are used for?

The three main use cases for a commercial VPN are security, privacy and entertainment. Using a VPN conceals your real IP address from anyone who might want to use it for nefarious purposes like cyberstalking, DDoS attacks or deducing your real location. It also keeps your ISP from profiling you for ads based on where you live or what you do online.

One side effect of borrowing a VPN's IP address is that you can make it appear as though your connection is coming from another country. You can use this to access streaming content and platforms that are only available in certain regions due to copyright. Changing your location can even get you better prices when shopping online.

Location spoofing can also be used to get online in countries that censor internet access, like China and Russia, as well as certain US states or countries — like the UK — that are adding barriers like age-gating to previously unfettered online access. All you have to do is connect to a neighboring country (or locality) where the internet isn't blocked. If you plan to do this while traveling, make sure you have the VPN downloaded before you go, as some nations prevent you from even loading a VPN's homepage. Make sure you check with local laws regarding the legality of VPN use as well — just because your VPN traffic is encrypted doesn't mean that authorities can't detect that it's being used in a given location.

Are VPNs worth it?

Whether a VPN is worth the price depends on how much you value those three use cases above. It's no secret that your personal information is profitable for a lot of people, from illicit hackers to corporations to law enforcement. A VPN will not make you completely anonymous, nor is it a license to commit crimes (see the next question) but it will give you a lot more control over what you transmit to the world.

With entertainment, the value is even clearer. You can use a VPN to fight back against streaming balkanization by getting more shows and movies out of a single platform — for example, a lot of shows that have been kicked off American Netflix are still on Netflix in other countries.

What information does a VPN hide?

A VPN does not make it impossible for you to be unmasked or taken advantage of online. It prevents you from passively leaking information, keeps your IP address undiscoverable on public wi-fi networks and gets you around online censorship.

However, if you share personal information of your own volition, there's nothing the VPN can do. If you reveal your password in a social media post or click a link in a phishing email, that information bypasses the VPN. Likewise, if you do anything sensitive while logged into an account, the account holder will have that information even if you're using a VPN.

A VPN is a critical part of your online security, but it can't do the whole job by itself. Healthy passwords, malware scanners, private search engines and common sense all have roles to play. Never forget, too, that using a VPN means trusting the VPN provider with access to information that's concealed from everyone else — make sure you trust the privacy policy before signing up.

Are VPNs safe?

As far as we can determine, all the VPNs recommended in this story are safe to use. As with anything you subscribe to online, due diligence is important, but there's very little inherent risk; generally, the worst thing a bad VPN will do is fail to work, leaving you no worse off than before.

All that said, there are some VPNs (usually offered for free) that transmit malware, and others that pretend to be independent services while all secretly working off the same backend. Always make sure to look up any complaints or warnings about a service before you download it.

Can you get a VPN on your phone?

Absolutely — almost every VPN has apps for both desktop and mobile devices. A good VPN will redesign its app to be mobile-friendly without dropping too many features. Both iOS and Android natively support VPN connections, so you're free to choose whichever provider you like.

What about Google's One VPN?

Google One VPN was, as you might expect, a VPN provided by Google. It was launched in 2020 for Google One subscribers and discontinued in 2024 due to lack of use. If you really want a Google VPN, you can still get one if you have certain Pixel models or if you're a Google Fi subscriber.

That said, I don't recommend using a VPN from Google even if you do still have access to one. Google is one of the worst big tech companies at protecting user privacy. While its VPN might not leak, I wouldn't trust it to guard your sensitive information.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/best-vpn-130004396.html?src=rss

If there’s any area of your life that you might be willing to introduce more AI into, it’s likely something as mundane as grocery shopping. That’s what Uber is betting on with its new AI-powered feature in the Uber Eats app.

Cart Assistant lets you "build grocery baskets faster and with less effort" by using AI to automatically fill your basket with items included on your shopping list. To use it, you search for a supported grocery store on the home screen of the app and tap the new Cart Assistant icon that appears at the top of the screen.

From there, you can either manually type out a shopping list or upload a photo of a handwritten one, and Cart Assistant will fetch your requested items and add them to your basket. A screenshot of ingredients needed for a recipe will also suffice.

Uber says its AI assistant will factor in availability before selecting an item and will also display prices and any available promotions. If you don’t want something it recommends, you can delete or swap it for something else. Anything you forgot to add in the original list can be added later, and if you’ve purchased something in the past, these familiar items will be prioritized so you’re less likely to need to make changes. Uber advises users that the new shopping feature is in beta right now, so might not perform perfectly. 

Cart Assistant is the latest development in the gradual AI-ification of Uber Eats. Last summer, Uber added a suite of new features to the app, including AI-enhanced food images, AI menu descriptions and AI summaries or restaurant reviews.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/uber-eats-new-cart-assistant-feature-is-an-ai-hack-for-your-grocery-shopping-145733478.html?src=rss

Pokémon Pokopia can be described as a pocket monster-themed take on Animal Crossing with a hint of Stardew Valley thrown in for good measure. And if you're like me, that alone is probably enough to sell you on the game. However, after getting a chance to play a preview of it for around half an hour, it became immediately clear that the game's coziness levels are off the charts, but it also offers some fun twists on the genre.

Co-developed by The Pokémon Company, GAME FREAK and KOEI TECMO, instead of playing as a generic trainer, you take control of a lonely Ditto who wakes up in a cave only to be greeted by Professor Tangrowth, the last surviving inhabitant of what used to be a bustling town. While the professor might look like an extra-large version of the original pokémon with glasses, its role is to guide you as you rebuild and hopefully repopulate the surrounding area.

One of the best things about Pokopia is actually being able to talk to the other 'mons.Nintendo

As a Ditto, you naturally have the ability to transform into other Pokémon, though the process is sort of incomplete, meaning you can only learn one skill from the monsters you befriend instead of their entire moveset like in the mainline games. This is where the first twist on the traditional life sim comes in. Instead of crafting them or earning money to buy tools, you can transform into other Pokémon (like Lapras or Dragonite) to use their abilities to traverse obstacles or shape the world around you. For example, turning into a Squirtle lets you shoot a water gun that will revitalize dry patches or thirsty plants, while transforming into a Scyther lets you slice through objects similar to the HM Cut. 

From there, you can use these skills to do things like create clusters of shrubs that will serve as homes for other Pokémon, allowing you to entice fellow creatures to return to the once desolate landscape. Another twist I really appreciate is that after appearing, new monsters will give you quests or just hang out. They will even talk and respond, and I don't mean like the 8-bit cries from other Pokémon games. They speak in full sentences, which is a wonderful departure from previous titles that really gives you the feeling that you're making friends and rebuilding a community instead of just being on a crusade to catch them all. 

The Stardew Valley part of the equation comes into play after you leave the first tutorial area and you come upon an abandoned Pokémon Center that's in dire need of a renovation. You can do things like collect materials and do more quests to clean up the area to eventually turn the building in the heart of the town. Unfortunately, that's where my preview ended, aside from quickly hopping into a multiplayer session where I was able to see a much more developed village, complete with multiple buildings, roads and benches. You know, all the sorts of things you used to furnish and decorate your island with in Animal Crossing. 

This gave me a nice glimpse at just how many things you can build in Pokopia and how easy it is to visit other people's towns. However, it didn't answer some of my bigger questions about the game, like what's the deal with Peakychu and Mosslax, whom we've seen before in previous trailers. Are they just one-off versions of existing ‘mons with unusual typings (i.e. ghost and grass) only for this game, or are they going to be a bigger part of the Pokémon world going forward? Perhaps more importantly, it was hard to tell if there will be any sort of PVE content like The Mines or Skull Cavern in Stardew Valley. I'm really hoping there is because it seems like Ditto's abilities could translate quite seamlessly to spelunking or battling your way through dungeons in search of rare items or building materials. 

I love how derpy Ditto looks when it transforms into other Pokémon. Nintendo

That said, just being able to build a community of friendly monsters while injecting life back into a forgotten town has good vibes radiating from every corner. So if you need a super cozy game to keep you busy this winter/spring, Pokémon Pokopia is shaping up to be the digital version of a fluffy blanket and a cup of hot chocolate filled to the brim with all of your favorite 'mons. 

Pokémon Pokopia is available for pre-order now, with official sales slated for March 5.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/pokemon-pokopia-is-so-damn-cozy-140000954.html?src=rss

Mullvad, a virtual private network (VPN) named after the Swedish word for "mole," is often recognized as one of the best VPNs for privacy. I put it on my best VPN list for exactly that reason. I've got huge respect for the extra lengths Mullvad goes to in order to ensure its user's privacy.

To give you a preview, Mullvad is one of the few VPNs — other than my normal privacy recommendation, Proton VPN — that lets users pay entirely in cash. But even Proton VPN asks for an email address to make an account and uses a few marketing cookies on its own website. Mullvad represents every account as a randomly generated 16-digit code and uses no marketing cookies whatsoever.

That's just one example of how Mullvad goes beyond the call of duty to keep users private. But while privacy is the most important aspect of a VPN alongside security, it's not the only thing that matters. For this review, I set out to investigate whether Mullvad pairs its rights-protecting bonafides with versatile, convenient and enjoyable VPN apps. Using our rigorous VPN testing procedure, I'll rate Mullvad in 11 areas. You can find a summary of my results in the table below, skip to the sections that matter most to you or just read my final advice in the conclusion.

Editor's note (2/11/26): We've overhauled our VPN coverage to provide more detailed, actionable buying advice. Going forward, we'll continue to update both our best VPN list and individual reviews (like this one) as circumstances change. Most recently, we added official scores to all of our VPN reviews. Check out how we test VPNs to learn more about the new standards we're using.

Findings at a glance

Category

Notes

Installation and UI

All apps share roughly the same user interface

Apps are responsive and easy to navigate, with no design choices that would threaten beginners

Lack of "fastest server" button is an issue

Browser extension is only available on Firefox and still in beta

Speed

Reasonably good average latency

Reduces download speeds by 26 percent and upload speeds by 17 percent

Speed declines are consistent and chartable

All speed metrics are quite good on nearby servers

Security

Only uses WireGuard protocol

No IP address leaks, even when switching servers

Packet test showed successful encryption

Pricing

Always costs 5 Euro per month, though prices outside Europe depend on exchange rates

No auto-renewal — membership lasts until money runs out

Can pay using cash or by purchasing scratch-off vouchers on Amazon

14 day money-back guarantee, except on cash payments

Bundles

Only app besides the VPN is the free Mullvad Browser, which removes the tracking habits of typical web browsers

Allows several smaller VPNs to use its servers in their networks

Privacy policy

No vague lines or loopholes in privacy policy

Only saves account numbers and expiration dates for each user

Uses an extremely limited range of cookies with no marketing trackers

Has undergone a total of 17 audits of different aspects of its service

Swedish police demanded customer information in 2023; Mullvad couldn't comply because the data wasn't logged

Virtual location change

Unblocked Netflix 13 out of 15 times

When it failed, virtual location was still changed

Server network

90 locations in 50 countries, majority in North America and Europe

No virtual servers whatsoever

Features

DAITA conceals traffic patterns that might let an AI identify what sites you visit

Uses quantum-resistant encryption on WireGuard

Can choose your own multihop entry and exit points

Several options for getting around nation-level firewalls

Can block ads, trackers, malware and other unwanted content using predetermined DNS block lists

Supports IPv6 traffic

Kill switch and stronger lockdown mode

Split tunneling by app

Customer support

Help center includes useful filters to find the topic

Well-written articles with good internal linking

No live chat support, but staff answers emails quickly

Can view app logs at any time

Background check

Founded in 2009 in Sweden; still owned and operated by initial founders

User account numbers were exposed in a 2023 incident, but Mullvad quickly closed the leak

Installing, configuring and using Mullvad

Let's start by examining how Mullvad feels as a piece of software. In this section, I'll be testing its desktop apps for Windows and Mac, its mobile apps for Android and iOS and its browser extension for Firefox. To start with the installation process, Mullvad downloads and installs in a snap on mobile. On desktop, installation requires a few more steps than is typical, but the app guides you quickly through everything.

Across the board, my only serious complaint is that there's no option for automatically choosing the fastest server. You can usually assume that the nearest one to you will be the fastest, but there's always the chance of an unusual server overload. It's a bizarre oversight for an app that otherwise goes out of its way to be usable.

Windows

Mullvad's Windows app has a slim UI that uses space efficiently without being too cramped. It doesn't give you a lot of information, such as live speed tests or data in transit, but I've mostly found that to be needless filler on VPN apps.

Mullvad on Windows. Sam Chapman for Engadget

Speaking of needless filler, the map may be a little bigger than it needs to be, but maps on VPN clients aren't just about teaching you geography — they do a lot to make the apps more welcoming to casual users who might not otherwise fire up security software. In fact, Mullvad's UI is admirably beginner-friendly, befitting its focus on privacy for everybody rather than just the tech-savvy.

All the settings are accessed by clicking the gear in the top-right. Here, you can turn on DAITA (Mullvad's defense against AI traffic scanning), activate multihop and control Mullvad's other features. There are also some quality-of-life features for the UI itself, such as whether it remains pinned to the taskbar or operates as a standalone window. Some options, especially under the VPN settings tab, are a bit technical, but don't need to be touched for a good experience.

Mac

Mullvad's macOS app is quite similar to its Windows app, both in terms of the interface and the features offered. The big difference used to be that macOS lacked split tunneling, but that's been added in a recent update. The only serious distinction now is that the Mac client can't be unpinned from the taskbar, which is just a little bothersome.

Mullvad on Mac. Sam Chapman for Engadget

Other than that, you'll find every setting you need under the gear, just like on Windows. Similarly, connections to VPN servers happen quickly, and selecting locations from the menu is very straightforward. While connected on either app, you can click the circular arrow by your location to swap to another server in the same location — highly convenient if you're trying to unblock Netflix.

Android

Mullvad's Android app has the same nearly-perfect design approach as all its other apps. The main page has nothing on it but the connect/disconnect button, the choice of server locations, a map and the buttons for your account information and preferences. Those preferences are a manageable set of options that are almost all managed with simple on-off switches. It's all highly responsive and annoyance-free.

Mullvad on Android. Sam Chapman for Engadget iOS

Mullvad's iOS app looks very similar to its apps on every other platform. The front page is kept simple, with large controls in the foreground and a map taking up most of the space. Everything else is located in the menu accessed through the gear icon at top right. Neither mobile app has the options for toggling the UI itself that the desktop apps have, but it's mostly free of quality-of-life problems to start with.

Mullvad on iPhone. Sam Chapman for Engadget Browser extensions

Mullvad's browser extension is only compatible with Firefox. You can't actually connect to the VPN through this extension. Its main functions are to tell you whether you're connected to a Mullvad server and to connect to a SOCKS5 proxy in a Mullvad location. If you do this while connected to Mullvad through the desktop app, you'll get a second layer of protection, similar to the multi-hop feature.

The Firefox extension is a rare misfire for Mullvad — perhaps fair, since it's still in beta. Its only real feature is something that the desktop app already does perfectly well, and it looks like a software malfunction to boot. However, given Mullvad's track record, I'm confident they'll figure out what to do with it in time.

Mullvad speed test

A VPN almost always slows browsing speeds and increases latencies. It's unavoidable, given the extra steps a VPN protocol adds to the process of getting online. The trick is to find VPNs that keep the slowdown to a minimum, using a combination of regular maintenance, good planning and smart load balancing.

For this test, I used speedtest.net to check how six of Mullvad's server locations influenced three key speed metrics. Ping measures latency, the time in milliseconds (ms) that one data packet needs to travel between a client device and an ISP. Download speed measures the amount of data in Megabits that a web browser can download in one second. Upload speed tracks how much data can be uploaded in a second. We're looking for low latencies and high download and upload speeds.

Server location

Ping (ms)

Increase factor

Download speed (Mbps)

Percentage drop

Upload speed (Mbps)

Percentage drop

Portland, USA (unprotected)

15

—

58.96

—

5.85

—

Seattle, USA (fastest location)

23

1.5x

55.07

6.6

5.51

5.8

Montreal, Canada

165

11.0x

44.28

24.9

4.62

21.0

Fortaleza, Brazil

307

20.5x

40.96

30.5

4.65

20.5

Prague, Czechia

368

24.5x

43.17

26.8

5.47

6.5

Lagos, Nigeria

528

35.2x

37.41

36.6

4.61

21.2

Bangkok, Thailand

473

31.5x

39.76

32.6

4.13

29.4

Average

311

20.7x

43.44

26.3

4.83

17.4

I'll start with the bad news: the tests didn't exactly make Mullvad look like a speed demon. Its speeds have gone up and down in the years I've been using it, and right now they appear to be on the downswing. If you use locations all around Mullvad's server network, you can expect your download speeds to decrease by about 26 percent and your upload speeds to decline by 17 percent.

However, it's important to put those numbers in perspective. First, Mullvad's numbers aren't markedly worse than the ones I got when testing CyberGhost. Its speeds are average, but by definition, most things are average. Its average worldwide latency is actually better than Surfshark, the current champion of download and upload speeds.

Speed-testing a Mullvad server in Los Angeles. Sam Chapman for Engadget

It's also nice that Mullvad's speed drops follow a predictable curve. Lots of VPNs have unexpectedly sharp declines in certain locations, frequently in Africa. By contrast, Mullvad's speed decreases pretty much as a direct function of how far from the server you are. This not only makes speed drops easier to plan around, but also means you can expect very good speeds on nearby servers.

This property of being fastest on servers near the user is another sign of Mullvad's focus on its core privacy mission. If anonymity is your main reason for using a VPN, it doesn't matter what your IP address is, so long as it's not your real one. Using a nearby Mullvad server should guarantee you an internet connection that's both fast and private.

Mullvad security test

To be secure, a VPN has to check two critical boxes. It must provide you with a secondary IP address without leaking your real one, and it must encrypt your communications with its servers so your activity can't be traced. In the sections below, I'll see whether Mullvad meets those requirements.

VPN protocols

VPNs use protocols to mediate between end devices, ISPs and their own servers. The first step is to ensure that the service you're considering uses protocols that have expert confidence. Mullvad has kindly made this step easy for me by using only WireGuard on all its apps, with no OpenVPN, IKEv2 or in-house unique protocols.

There's no question that WireGuard is a solid protocol. It uses the ChaCha20 stream cipher for symmetric encryption and Poly1305 for authentication, both uncrackable with current technology. Mullvad has even added its own fix for WireGuard's one flaw, its need to save static IP addresses — the Mullvad implementation is set up to delete the IP address if it goes 10 minutes without being used.

Even so, it's unfortunate to lose the ability to change protocols, which is one of the most common steps for troubleshooting a VPN connection. I understand Mullvad's reasoning for cutting out OpenVPN (it claims the cryptography isn't strong enough) but don't agree. It's one of this provider's few unforced errors.

Leak test

There's a straightforward test to determine if your VPN is leaking. Load up any website that shows your IP address — I personally use ipleak.net — and see what IP and location it reveals without your VPN active. Then activate the VPN and refresh the page. If you see your real IP address anywhere, your VPN is leaking.

Testing Mullvad for IP leaks. Sam Chapman for Engadget

I ran that test on five Mullvad servers. Each time, the website showed me the IP address of the VPN server, concealing my real one. To keep things simple, I ran the initial tests with IPv6 blocked via the Mullvad client. When I turned it on and tried again, the IPv6 traffic didn't leak any more than the IPv4 did. I also saw no signs of WebRTC leaks. Unless you set up a custom DNS server, Mullvad also uses its own DNS, which remains entirely within the VPN tunnel.

I had one more leak test to try. Frequently, VPNs are leak-proof when maintaining a connection to one server but drop encryption when switching between servers. That problem is why I ultimately couldn't recommend Norton VPN. Luckily for me, Mullvad has a button that lets you shuffle to another server in the same location, so I used that to see if it stayed leak-proof.

Mullvad doesn't leak your IP even while changing servers. Sam Chapman for Engadget

As you can see in the screenshot, Mullvad jumped seamlessly from one server to another without showing my real location in-between. On a practical level, that's enough for me to declare Mullvad leak-proof.

Encryption test

For one final experiment, I used the WireShark packet sniffer to see whether the data Mullvad sent from my computer to my ISP was encrypted. After capturing a few packets, I was gratified to see that they were totally unreadable to interlopers. Most established VPNs pass this test, but it's still important for due diligence.

How much does Mullvad cost?

Mullvad's pricing structure is one of the most unusual things about it. This is normally the section where I untangle 47 different Pro+ and Business- accounts that are all sold at three different durations. Mullvad couldn't be further from that. It costs 5 Euro a month — that’s it. Each 5-Euro subscription can be used on five devices at once.

It manages payments through a system inspired by parking meters. When you sign up for Mullvad, you'll buy as much time as you want. That time will count down until it expires, unless you top it up with more 5-Euro payments. If you run out of money, Mullvad won't charge you a new subscription fee because you didn't tell it not to. It'll just stop working until you pay again. Every payment also comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee, except for payments made in cash.

The Mullvad account dashboard. Sam Chapman for Engadget

The only real complexity in the process is that Mullvad always figures out its prices in Euro, so outside the EU, the cost per month is affected by exchange rates. If you happen to live in a country where the government's economic policy shuttles between capricious and arbitrary, you might want to grab a few months in advance.

The other most interesting thing about Mullvad's pricing is the options you can use to pay. For maximum privacy, you can pay with cash using the payment token you'll find on your account page. Note that this is not the same as your account number. To find it, log into your dashboard on Mullvad.net, click Add time to your account in the left-hand bar, then click the button labeled Cash and scroll down. Make your cash payment by writing the token on an envelope and mailing it to Sweden (full instructions here).

Unredacted, in case any hackers out there want to buy me some more time. Sam Chapman for Engadget

You can also get untraceable Mullvad vouchers by paying cash at participating retail locations. Most of them are in Europe, but you can order them from Amazon. While your payment to Amazon won't be private, the voucher can't be linked directly to your VPN account, since the actual number is hidden behind a scratch-off panel. It's actually pretty ingenious.

Of course, you can also pay using any of the normal methods, including credit cards, cryptocurrency and bank wires (though not PayPal). But the more private methods are always there for people who need them.

Mullvad side apps and bundles

Mullvad is that rare VPN that's still content to be a VPN and not an all-inclusive security suite. No shade to NordVPN or Surfshark, whose extra features are generally quite good, but it's nice to see at least one of the top providers staying focused.

Although Mullvad doesn't have any partners that sell their products alongside its VPN, it does have several partnerships with other VPNs who use its network as the basis for their own products. MalwareBytes Privacy VPN, Mozilla VPN, Tailscale and Obscura can all be considered Mullvad side apps if you squint.

Mullvad Browser

Mullvad's only product other than the VPN is Mullvad Browser, which is free to download and works on Windows, macOS and Linux. Mullvad Browser works in the background, blocking common methods of browser fingerprinting that can be used to deduce your identity even when you have a VPN running.

For example, it automatically reports your time zone as UTC, disguises personal preferences like font and window size, scrambles information sent by APIs and conceals your browser version and computer operating system. It's also in private mode by default, which doesn't hide what your ISP sees but is useful for concealing your activity from other people that might use your computer.

Close-reading Mullvad's privacy policy

Since privacy is Mullvad's main selling point, this section is even more important than usual. Loopholes in the privacy policy of the privacy VPN would be deeply ironic. Fortunately, Mullvad's privacy policy backs up its high-flying rhetoric. It's a short, pointed and readable document with no problems I could discern. Mullvad has no parent company or subsidiary it might use as a loophole, and no clauses in its policy are left open to interpretation. It's a masterpiece of the privacy-policy genre.

The document is actually three policies: a privacy policy, a no-logging policy and a cookie policy. The privacy policy lists all the times Mullvad might collect data about a user. That's exactly two situations — using financial information to process payments (which will be entirely anonymous if you use cash or a voucher) and using your email address to track support tickets you open. That's it.

The no-logging policy is a bit longer, but mostly because it's explaining exactly how Mullvad manages to run a VPN service with so little information on individual users. For each account, it stores a number and an expiration date, plus public keys and tunnel addresses if you're using WireGuard (deleted at most 10 minutes after your session ends). Everything else is completely anonymized. Mullvad even claims that its 500,000 or so user accounts could have been created by the same user 500,000 times, which I suppose is one way to spend 2.5 million Euro.

The cookie policy is the shortest because Mullvad uses exactly five cookies. One saves your login status in your browser, one saves your language preferences, one protects its site from being used in a specific kind of forgery hack and the other two are for handling Stripe payments.

Independent privacy audits

Mullvad corroborates its privacy policy with regular audits of various aspects of its service. Currently, there are 17 audits listed on its website, including four infrastructure audits by Cure53. All of its apps have been separately audited and found to be solid. It has been a couple of years since the last full infrastructure audit in 2024, but given how many other targeted reviews Mullvad has gone through since then, it's hard to be too upset about the pause.

In 2023, Mullvad achieved the holy grail of VPN privacy: being ordered by subpoena to turn over customer information and not being able to comply because that information didn't exist. Nothing compares to a VPN's privacy being tested in the wild like this.

Can Mullvad change your virtual location?

Sometimes, a VPN appears to be working, but still reveals your real location to websites. Netflix is a useful proxy for this. To unblock a streaming site like Netflix, a VPN needs to change your virtual location while not appearing to do so — if Netflix sees any hint of VPN traffic, you'll get blocked with the hated proxy error. I used five different locations to check whether Mullvad is up to the streaming task.

Server location

Unblocked Netflix?

Changed content?

Vancouver, Canada

3/3

3/3

Gothenberg, Sweden

2/3

2/3

Istanbul, Turkey

3/3

3/3

Johannesburg, South Africa

3/3

3/3

Singapore, Singapore

2/3

2/3

Mullvad did well for streaming, but it didn't manage a perfect score like its fellow anti-establishment VPN Windscribe did. Two of the 15 servers I tested failed to unblock Netflix, one in Singapore and one in Mullvad's hometown of Gothenburg. I also had trouble logging into Netflix while connected to a Vancouver server, though that server did unblock the site consistently once I got inside.

Mullvad's servers all tricked Netflix into believing my new location. Sam Chapman for Engadget

In Mullvad's defense, no location failed more than once. It's completely possible to get good streaming performance out of this VPN; you just have to be willing to click the server refresh button a few times. Privacy is still the main use case for Mullvad, but it's fine for streaming too.

Investigating Mullvad's server network

Mullvad has 90 server locations in 50 countries and territories. Unusually for a VPN, users can choose between all 590 of its total servers, including several in each location. There's even a list on its website that shows you the status of every server.

Mullvad does not use virtual server locations, so every server is physically located in the place where it claims to be. Here's how they're distributed.

Region

Countries with servers

Total server locations

North America

3

25

South America

5

6

Europe

29

41

Africa

2

2

Middle East

2

2

Asia

7

8

Oceania

2

6

Total

50

90

Over half the countries with servers are in Europe and over two-thirds of the cities with servers are in either Europe or North America. That lopsided network is a limitation of Mullvad's refusal to use virtual server locations, since its real servers have to be concentrated in nations developed enough to host data centers. With an all-real network, it's easier to tell which servers will give you the fastest performance, but you can't simulate as much of the world as you can with larger services like ExpressVPN.

The good news is that there's at least two real server locations on every continent. Mullvad has a surprisingly robust presence in South America and two bare-metal servers in Africa, which is more than some other VPNs have. In the end, though, the best application of Mullvad is to protect the online privacy of users in North America, Europe and eastern Asia.

Extra features of Mullvad

Most of Mullvad's features are augmentations to the VPN itself, rather than side options that do other things. Some of them are bread-and-butter, like the kill switch and split tunneling, but a few you won't find anywhere else. Note beforehand that Mullvad does not support port forwarding, so if you depend on that for your torrenting, try another VPN.

DAITA AI defenses

Mullvad's most novel feature is a recent one. DAITA, which stands for Defense against AI-guided Traffic Analysis, can be toggled on and off in the Mullvad app. According to Mullvad, certain patterns in how browsers communicate with websites can be analyzed by AI to reveal the truth behind encrypted internet history. DAITA hides those packets by filling communications with background noise so the AI won't know what's real.

Mullvad's anti-AI settings. Sam Chapman for Engadget

DAITA is a laudably forward-looking feature, but as Mullvad itself admits, it will make your browsing speeds slower and drain your battery. I recommend only using it for activities you really want to hide.

Quantum resistance

Mullvad's desktop apps establish quantum-proof WireGuard tunnels by default. Quantum computing isn't yet a threat to WireGuard, but it may become dangerous in the future, so Mullvad is getting ahead of the problem (along with a few other services like NordVPN). When quantum resistance is active, Mullvad encapsulates its keys using the current standard mechanism, ML-KEM.

Anti-censorship

If you find yourself in a country where government censorship makes it hard to access the internet, Mullvad has options that might help. These anti-censorship features can be used to get around firewalls that block visible VPN traffic. You have several options, including changing your WireGuard port, randomizing your port number, disguising your VPN traffic as an ordinary HTTPS connection or using an obfuscated Shadowsocks proxy.

Mullvad's anti-censorship involves more features than most VPNs have in this area. This makes it a bit less user-friendly, but a lot more likely to work. If you're new to getting around censorship, Mullvad's help center has a helpful page about using its anti-censor settings.

Multihop

Many VPNs offer a double-hop connection that routes your traffic through two servers instead of one, adding a redundant layer of encryption in case one server malfunctions. Mullvad pulls ahead of the competition (except Surfshark, which also does this) by allowing you to choose your entry and exit servers. When you activate the multihop option and open the server list, you'll be prompted to pick two locations instead of one.

Mullvad's server list with multihop enabled. Sam Chapman for Engadget

This means you can select an entry server that's close to you and an exit server in any country whose location you want to spoof, letting you fine-tune your own performance. It's way nicer than being railroaded into certain paths.

DNS content blockers

Mullvad includes six blocklists that can keep you or your family members from looking at unwanted content: ads, trackers, malware, gambling, adult content and social media. These lists can't be customized like Windscribe's R.O.B.E.R.T. blocks can, so you're limited to just turning them on and off.

IPv6 support

The internet is gradually transitioning from the old IPv4 standard over to IPv6, which will allow many more addresses to be shared out. Mullvad is one of a few VPNs looking ahead to the IPv6 era. You can leave it to block all IPv6 traffic, but if you do need IPv6 for any reason, you can enable it while still being connected to a Mullvad server.

Kill switch and lockdown mode

Mullvad comes with two features that protect against unexpectedly losing your VPN defenses. The first is a kill switch, a common VPN option that cuts off internet access if the VPN tunnel ever fails. This simple measure helps guard against accidental leaks.

Lockdown mode is the stronger option. While it's active, you will be unable to get on the internet unless you connect to a Mullvad server first. This will remain true if you turn the connection off yourself and even if you quit the app.

Split tunneling

Split tunneling is available on Mullvad's apps for every system except iOS. It lets you send some apps outside the VPN tunnel so they get online with your normal IP address. It's helpful if you have some apps that don't work with the VPN active — this is common with online banking, as an example. Another common application is to protect a torrenting client in the background while using your browser unprotected for better speeds.

Mullvad customer support options

Mullvad makes two forms of support available in the app. You can report a problem by going to Settings -> Support -> Report a problem, typing your question (requested to be in either English or Swedish, though they'd probably be able to read a question run through Google Translate) and optionally providing your email. You can also view the app's logs at any time, which can be useful to help a technician diagnose your problem.

If you'd rather search for a solution at your own pace, you can go to that same page and click FAQs and Guides instead. This opens the help center in a browser.

Mullvad's help center, including the dropdown filter menus. Sam Chapman for Engadget

I love Mullvad's approach to laying out its FAQs. Instead of crowding topics into five or six categories and making you guess whether your problem falls under setup, usage or troubleshooting, Mullvad gives you a set of dropdown filters to narrow down the articles which might relate to your problem.

By the time you've named which device, OS and protocol you're dealing with, you won’t have many articles left to sift through. There is an annoying tendency for certain sets of filters to reduce the number of surfaced links to zero, but for those cases, there's a search bar that also works well.

The articles themselves are good enough that I referred to them several times while writing this review. Some of them are a bit overlong, but they're diligent about including both internal and external links to get you where you're going fast.

Live support experience

This is normally where I cover how it feels to get live chat support from the VPN I'm reviewing. However, Mullvad doesn't have live chat support. That's unfortunate, although it's still better than Windscribe's approach of forcing you to banter with a sarcastic robot. Instead, I sent a question via email to Mullvad's support team, and got a response within 24 hours.

Mullvad background check

Mullvad was founded in 2009 in Sweden. It's still owned and operated by its original founders. According to a detailed timeline on its website, its 16-year history has been as uneventful as any user could ask for, with not much changing except updates to stay on the technological leading edge. The only controversy mentioned in Mullvad's own materials is the 2023 police raid of its headquarters, which (as I covered in the privacy section) only makes them look better.

So as not to take Mullvad at its word, I scoured the last 16 years of news items and user reports to search for any other blemishes on its record. Based on that research, I found no reason to doubt Mullvad's honesty about its location, owners or team.

I found just one leak that wasn't noted on Mullvad's own site. In 2023, a security research group called ZATAZ alleged that it found anonymized information on Mullvad users saved on an Internet Archive page, including account numbers (linked article is in French). According to ZATAZ, Mullvad contacted the Archive and got the page deleted.

To my mind, the only mistake Mullvad made in response to the ZATAZ allegations was not making a public statement about the incident. I can see why they didn't think it was a big deal, since even logging into someone else's Mullvad account wouldn't show you their browsing history, but it's always better to communicate about these things.

Final verdict

Mullvad is a VPN that knows what it wants to be and achieves that goal with flying colors. It's not trying to be an everything app — it does privacy and does it well. That's not to say it has nothing going on outside the VPN itself, as its DNS blockers, AI defenses and split tunneling all work smoothly. But if you want a VPN that's not ashamed to be a VPN, Mullvad is the right choice.

Of course, it has its own compromises. It's solidly in the middle of the speed pack and occasionally trips up when unblocking streaming sites. The lack of any protocols other than WireGuard grates on me a bit, since it reduces the user's options for troubleshooting. With all that said, those are minor hiccups on a VPN that does such a thorough job keeping you anonymous online.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/mullvad-vpn-review-near-total-privacy-with-a-few-sacrifices-130000056.html?src=rss

Toyota has unveiled the 2027 Highlander, the first fully electric version of the vehicle and the automaker’s fourth EV in the US. It’s also the company’s first EV assembled in the country and the first electric model with three rows of seats. The automaker already sells the electric C-HR crossover and the electric bZ SUV in the US. While the 2027 Highlander resembles its predecessors, its lines look sharper and it has broader fenders. In addition, it features flush door handles similar to Tesla’s, which were designed for aerodynamics but which China recently banned out of safety concerns.

The new Highlander will be available in several varieties, specifically in Limited and XLE (Executive Luxury Edition) grades with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive configuration. If you get the Limited edition all-wheel drive with a 95.8 kWh battery, you can get a range of 320 miles on a single charge, based on Toyota’s estimates. Take note that range estimates by manufacturers and the EPA could be different from each other. It would be more accurate to compare EPA ranges between vehicles across brands, because they were determined using the agency’s testing methodologies.

The 2027 Highlander in XLE front wheel drive configuration with a 77 kWh battery has a manufacturer-estimated range of 287 miles. Meanwhile, the all-wheel drive XLE variant comes with either a 77 kWh battery that can power it for 270 miles or a 95.8 kWh battery that has an estimated range of 320 miles, similar to the Limited edition vehicle. The all-wheel drive variants have a total maximum power output of 338 horsepower, whereas the front-wheel models have a power output of 221 hp.

All the EV’s versions can seat seven, with the third row being able to fold flat if you need it for cargo. They come with heated front seats, but you can also get ventilated and heated second row seats for an additional fee. Toyota will start selling the 2027 Highlander in late 2026, with some regions getting it early next year. The automaker says it will announce pricing for the EV model closer to its release date.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/the-2027-toyota-highlander-is-fully-electric-and-has-a-320-mile-range-115828463.html?src=rss

With his newfound focus on the Moon, Elon musk is making some wild new plans. In an xAI meeting with employees, Musk said the company needed to build an AI satellite factory on the moon with a gigantic catapult to launch them into space, according to audio heard by The New York Times. 

All of that would be part of the billionaire's plans to create a massive orbiting AI "data center" that uses satellites powered by the sun and kept cool by the vacuum of space (a bad plan, some experts say). Any satellites launched from the Moon would presumably orbit the Moon as well, though Musk didn't provide any additional details. 

"You have to go to the moon" in order to build the required AI capabilities, Musk told employees. "It’s difficult to imagine what an intelligence of that scale would think about, but it’s going to be incredibly exciting to see it happen." 

Such a catapult would certainly need to be powerful — though the Moon has only one-sixth the gravity of Earth, the minimum escape velocity required for orbit is still around 3,800 MPH or five times the speed of sound. That's currently possible with electromagnetic railguns that launch projectiles at speeds up to Mach 8.8, though any satellite launched by such a device would need to withstand acceleration forces around 10,000 g or more. 

It's fun to think about it, but there are a few tiny steps required first. That starts with orbiting the Moon and eventually landing on the surface. Then you'd need to build a colony, followed by a factory, all of which would require a large number of manned and unmanned expeditions. As a reminder, we haven't been to the moon for over 50 years and none of the colony or factory stuff has ever been done.  

Early last year Musk said in a post on X that SpaceX would be going "straight to Mars" and that "the Moon is a distraction." However, the CEO apparently shifted his near-term priorities to building a "self-growing city on the Moon" because it's a more achievable target. In a post on X, Musk said the company could complete this in less than 10 years, while doing the same on Mars would take over 20 years.

Any estimates from Musk himself certainly need to be treated skeptically, though. Elon once said in 2017 that SpaceX would send cargo missions to Mars by 2022 aboard a rocket that's still being tested in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/elon-musks-latest-scheme-is-a-satellite-catapult-on-the-moon-113403143.html?src=rss

Apple’s MacBooks don’t need much help out of the box, but the right accessories can make a noticeable difference in how you use them day to day. Whether that means adding more ports, creating a cleaner desk setup or making your laptop easier to travel with, there’s a growing ecosystem of gear designed to fill in the gaps Apple leaves behind. A good accessory should feel like an extension of your MacBook, not a workaround.

The picks below are meant to work smoothly with macOS and today’s USB-C-only reality, whether you’re using a lightweight MacBook Air or a higher-end MacBook Pro. From practical essentials to quality-of-life upgrades, these accessories are meant to help you get more done without adding unnecessary bulk or friction.

Best MacBook accessories for 2026 Best MacBook webcam accessories

Best MacBook docking stations and hubs

Best MacBook charging gear

Best MacBook keyboards and mice

Best MacBook stands

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-macbook-accessories-150014737.html?src=rss

Smart plugs aren’t the most complicated smart home device — they really just turn stuff off and on — but they do make life a little easier. Since using smart plugs, I’ve grown accustomed to having the living room lamps click on just before sunset and go off when I say goodnight to Alexa or the Google Assistant/Gemini (Siri can turn off a few of my lights, but isn’t compatible with all of them). Most smart home device makers have a plug or two in their lineups, but finding one that’s compatible with your chosen ecosystem, that’s easy to set up and reliably connects can involve a little trial and error. That’s why we tried more than a dozen models to find the best smart plugs you can buy right now..

Best smart plugs for 2026

The best outdoor smart plugs for 2026

Most people will likely use outdoor plugs for two things: patio lighting and holiday string lights. The devices are designed for the outdoors with a weatherproof protection rating of IP64 or higher, which means they’re impervious to dust and can handle splashing water from rain and sprinklers. They have a longer Wi-Fi range than indoor plugs, for obvious reasons, and many have dual outlets, with individual control over each one.

Setup is the same as for indoor plugs: you’ll use your phone to help the plug find your Wi-Fi using its companion app. The only tricky part is getting your phone within Bluetooth range of the plug (which it uses to initialize setup) and in Wi-Fi range at the same time. I had to awkwardly stand at a triangulated point in the middle of my driveway to get things communicating properly. Once set up, the plugs will communicate using your router for voice and app control and your phone needn’t be anywhere near the plug.

Best uses for a smart plug

Before you buy one, it helps to know how a smart plug works best. They are designed for things that have an on/off switch, making them great for doing things like turning regular ol’ lamps into smart lights. If you want a fan to move some air around before you get home, a smart plug can help. You can load a basic coffee maker with grounds and water the night before and wake up to a fresh pot in the morning. And instead of an air purifier running all day, you could set it to just run when you’re away.

But gadgets that need to be programmed further, or require a stand-by mode, aren't ideal. If you want to control built-in lights, you’ll need a smart light switch, which are more involved than smart plugs as they can involve in-wall installation. Smart bulbs are also an option for automation, and we have an entire guide devoted to those.

Some smart plugs can even monitor how much energy they use and display those figures within their companion app. That might not be much use on its own, as lamps with LED light bulbs consume very little energy, but it could help you keep tabs on your overall energy consumption.

What to consider when buying a smart plug Setup and use

Adding a smart plug to your home is relatively simple. You’ll use the manufacturer’s app to initially connect, after which you can add the plug to a compatible smart home ecosystem so you can use voice control and other features. Both the brand’s app and your smart home app will let you name the plug, set schedules and program “routines” which provide automation for multiple smart devices at once. But as you can guess, a manufacturer’s app only lets you control products from that brand. If you want whole-home automation, operating, say, a plug from TP-Link’s Kasa, a smart bulb from Philips Hue, a smart thermostat from Honeywell and a camera from Arlo without switching apps, you’ll need to use a smart home platform, which means you’ll need to consider compatibility.

Compatibility

Smart home devices connect through wireless protocols, often using more than one to communicate with your phone, smart speaker, router and in some cases, one another. The majority of smart plugs use Wi-Fi, but some have recently incorporated Matter, a relatively new wireless standard intended to solve integration issues between different brands and manufacturers, while also improving security and reliability.

More of these smart plugs are coming to market and, for now, most Matter devices work via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a low-power mesh network called Thread. Matter requires a controller that stays at home, like a hub or smart speaker, to manage things when you’re out and about.

As for Bluetooth, most plugs, including all Matter plugs, use the short-range protocol to get the device set up for the first time. Some can continue to run on Bluetooth in the absence of another option, but the connection isn’t as reliable and you won’t be able to control the plug when you’re away from home, or perhaps even just on the other side of the apartment.

Because Matter is relatively new, it may be easier to consider the manufacturer’s system you’d use the most. There are four major “branded” smart home platforms: Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, Apple’s HomeKit and Samsung’s SmartThings. The first two work with the widest range of brands and are compatible with both iOS and Android devices. HomeKit not only limits app access to Apple devices, but it’s also compatible with fewer plugs. You can also turn to open-source software like Home Assistant or go with the larger functionality of IFTTT if you want to, say, have your lights turn off when your Uber arrives. For the purposes of our testing, we stuck with the four big players. Nearly every plug we looked at clearly stated which platforms it works with, both on the packaging and retail product pages.

Of course, there’s no rule that says you have to stick with one home assistant. You might have an Echo Dot in the basement, a HomePod in the living room and a Google Nest Mini in the kitchen, each controlling any compatible devices. My kid has a great time telling Alexa to turn on a light then asking Google's Gemini to turn it back off.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget Hubs and smart plugs

All of our top picks recommended here don’t require a hub and connect directly to your home’s Wi-Fi router. That means if you already have wireless internet and a smartphone or tablet, you can quite literally plug and play. The exception is Apple’s HomeKit. If you want to pair up a compatible plug with that platform, you’ll need a HomePod speaker, Apple TV or an iPad that stays in your home to enable remote control when you’re away.

Some smart plugs require a hub regardless of which platform you use. For our guide, we focused on the simplicity (and lower cost) of options that work on their own, but hub-dependent devices may make sense in certain situations. Some companies, like Aqara and Lutron for example, make a vast range of smart home products, adding automatic shades, window sensors, smart locks and air quality monitors to the more traditional cameras and plugs. If you’re going all-in on one brand and plan to get a plethora of connected devices, a hub can keep your Wi-Fi network from getting too crowded and provide a more seamless setup with reliable connectivity. Zigbee devices use their own protocol (different from Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) and also requires a hub. 

Sharing

Once a plug is set up with your platform and voice assistant of choice, anyone can control the plug just by talking. If someone else wants to control things with their phone, things get more complicated. Google makes it easiest, allowing you to invite another person just by tapping the + button within the Home app. Whomever you invite will have full access to your connected devices – including cameras – so this is only for people you trust the most.

HomeKit makes it similarly easy to grant app access to someone else, but as with most things Apple, it only works for other iOS users. Amazon only allows you to share access to your Echo, not your connected home devices.

Many smart plug manufacturers allow you to share control through their app by inviting another person via email. But this only grants access to devices of that brand. Hopefully as Matter expands, multi-admin features will become more widespread.

If you get a new Wi-Fi network

Most people will wirelessly connect their smart plugs to their home’s Wi-Fi router. Matter, Z-Wave, Thread and other smart home protocols can work over local networks, but for most setups, the signals telling your plugs what to do will be dispatched through your router. If you happen to get a new one (like I did when it became clear my very basic gateway could not handle the number of smart home devices being tested) you’ll need to take a few steps to get everything reconnected.

Depending on the brand, the steps may simply involve using the plug’s companion app to update your credentials (network name and password). Or it will require deleting the device in the companion app, doing a factory reset (typically by pressing the onboard button for 10 seconds) and setting up the plug like it's brand new. GE Sync and Emporia plugs allow for a credentials update via their apps, others, like TP-Link Kasa and Meross plugs require deletion and a factory reset to get along with your new network. Amazon’s smart plug updates automatically after updating the associated Echo device.

How we tested the best smart plugs

Before I decided which smart plugs to test, we considered brands Engadget staffers have had the best experiences with, both in review capacity and personally. We also checked out other online reviews. I then looked at factors like price, compatibility and relative popularity. Then, I tested about a dozen plugs using their companion apps and the four major smart home ecosystems. With lamps, lights, heaters, fans and more plugged into them, I set schedules, create routines, use voice control and generally live with the devices to evaluate them. I and continue to test good candidates as new models hit the market. 

Other smart plugs we tested Eve Energy Strip

The Eve Energy Strip only works with HomeKit and it’s a bit more expensive than our pick for a smart strip. But it’s an exceedingly attractive device complete with an aluminum frame and easy-to-read LED buttons. Those act as both indicators and manual switches for each of the three, individually controlled and nicely spaced plugs. Setup happens through the HomeKit app but after that, you can control the plug (and curiously, many other smart home devices active in your HomeKit profile) through the Eve Energy app. Here, you’ll be able to create schedules and automations as well as monitor the plug’s energy usage.

Meross Matter plug (MSS115)

I wasn’t able to test the Meross Matter plug fully. It requires Wi-Fi splitting, a process that’s certainly possible for the average consumer, but more involved than it should be, considering the more than dozen other plugs I’ve tested don’t require such a step. The plug itself also blocked the other outlet. Meross has an updated version of the Matter device on the way, one that looks to solve both issues and we’ll update this guide accordingly once we’ve had a chance to test it.

Roku Smart Plug

Roku’s smart home gear is basically Wyze equipment with an app and packaging that are more purple. The Roku smart plug performed just fine with both compatible voice assistants (Alexa and Gemini). The companion app doesn’t offer scheduling that revolves around the timing of the sunset in your area, but the plugs go for less than $10 each and if you’ve got a Roku TV or streaming device set up and want to keep everything on-brand, it could be a fit.

Aquara Smart Plug

The Aqara plug requires an Aqara hub. In tests, the connectivity was solid and the companion app allowed for useful if/then automations that can rope in other Aqara devices like locks, window shades, cameras and more. The plug also worked well with voice assistants from Amazon, Google and Apple. As a stand-alone plug, however, it’s tough to recommend the nearly $100 combo to anyone who isn’t planning to get a complete Aqara smart home setup.

Smart plug FAQs What are the disadvantages of a smart plug?

While they’re great when everything is working properly, smart plugs can be frustrating, adding a layer of complication to the simple act of turning on a light, if something goes wrong. For example: If your Wi-Fi goes out, your smart plug won’t work. If the smart plug loses its connection to your router, it won’t work. If you change your Wi-Fi password or provider, you’ll have to re-program your smart plugs. If you forget what you named a particular plug during setup, you may be faced with an irritating conversation with your voice assistant. The best way to avoid some of those problems is to get a plug that works reliably, which is one of the features we considered for this guide.

How much power does a smart plug draw?

Smart plugs don’t draw much more power than whatever you’re plugging into them. True, they remain on standby to await instructions from your smart assistant or other controller, so they’re always using a small amount of power. But if, for example, you set a light to automatically turn off at night, and that light would otherwise stay on unnecessarily, the smart plug will save far more energy than the watt or two extra that it draws.

Do smart plugs use Bluetooth?

Some smart plugs use Bluetooth to connect to your phone during setup. After that, most connect to your home’s Wi-Fi network.

What appliances should not be plugged into a smart plug?

Common sense will help you determine what not to plug in. Obviously anything dangerous like power tools should not be plugged into a smart plug. Appliances that require supervision, such as space heaters and curling irons, shouldn’t be set to turn on automatically if no one will be around. You also shouldn’t bother with anything that needs further programming. Simple on/off appliances like lamps and fans work best.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-smart-plug-131542429.html?src=rss

After kicking off CES 2026 with its "First Look" event, Samsung is ready to announce the first of what should be several new Galaxy smartphones this year. The company is officially hosting a Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25 at 1PM ET, where it'll introduce the Galaxy S26 series and updates to Galaxy AI.

Leaks that have trickled out ahead of the event suggest that the Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra will feature a new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, and could come with more RAM and storage. Only the Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to include major hardware changes, though, with an updated camera system, and possibly proper support for Qi2 charging. Alongside new smartphones, Samsung is also expected to introduce the Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro, which will reportedly feature a new design, support for head gestures and an Ultra Wideband chip so they're easier to find using Google Find Hub.

As in previous years, Samsung has an optional deal for anyone who wants to lock in a discount before the company's new smartphones and accessories are announced. If you reserve Samsung's new devices now, you can receive a $30 credit and be entered to win a $5,000 Samsung.com gift card. When you do pre-order, the company also claims that it'll offer up to an additional $900 in savings if you trade-in a device or $150 off even without a trade-in if you pre-order through Samsung.com.

Engadget will have coverage of everything Samsung announces at Galaxy Unpacked right here, but if you want to watch along, you can catch the company's livestream of the event on Samsung's YouTube channel, the Samsung Newsroom page or at Samsung.com.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsungs-galaxy-s26-unpacked-event-is-on-february-25-230000375.html?src=rss

Discord is the latest company looking to bolster its child safety (again). Starting in March, all users will have a "teen-appropriate experience" by default. Unlocking adult content and age-gated spaces will require a (usually one-time) verification process. However, following blowback, the company appears to have pivoted. It now says its age prediction AI will verify the identities of “the majority of adult users” without requiring a manual age check.

The platform's big safety update encompasses communication settings, restricted access to age-gated spaces and content filtering. Users who aren't verified as adults will see blurred sensitive content. In addition, age-restricted channels, servers and app commands will be blocked. DMs and friend requests from unknown users will be routed to a separate inbox.

If you're an adult who didn’t pass the automatic age check, removing these restrictions will require one of two verification methods at launch. You can take a selfie video for age estimation or submit a government ID to Discord's vendor partners. (Let's just hope the age estimations work better than Roblox's.) The company stresses that the video selfies you submit for age estimation never leave your device. And it claims ID documents sent to its vendor partners are deleted quickly, "in most cases, immediately after age confirmation."

Although Discord says the process will be one-and-done for most people required to submit manual verification, some may be required to submit multiple forms. Its original announcement stated that additional verification options would be introduced, including an age inference model that runs in the background. However, following backlash to its initial announcement, the company now suggests that the inference model will be the norm for most adults.

“For most adults, age verification won’t be required, as Discord’s age inference model uses account information such as account tenure, device and activity data and aggregated, high-level patterns across Discord communities,” the company wrote in a statement sent to Engadget on Tuesday. “Discord does not use private messages or any message content in this process.”

This isn’t the company’s first attempt at beefing up its child safety measures. In 2023, it banned teen dating channels and AI-generated CSAM. Later that year, it added content filters and automated warnings. Those changes followed an NBC News report that 35 adults had been prosecuted on charges of "kidnapping, grooming or sexual assault" that involved Discord communication.

Alongside today’s changes, Discord is recruiting for a new Teen Council. The group will include 10 to 12 teens aged 13 to 17. The company says this "will help ensure Discord understands — not assumes — what teens need, how they build meaningful connections, and what makes them feel safe and supported online." This sounds like the corporate equivalent of the parenting advice: “Don’t just talk to your children; listen to them, too.”

The child safety changes will start rolling out globally in early March. Both new and existing users may be required to submit verification for adult content.

Update, February 10, 2026, 5:57 PM ET: This story has been updated to add Discord’s clarification and statement that claims most adults won’t need to conduct a manual age check.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/discord-will-soon-require-age-verification-to-access-adult-content-140000218.html?src=rss

The National Labor Review Board (NLRB) has dropped a case accusing SpaceX of illegally firing eight employees who criticized the company's CEO Elon Musk, The New York Times. The employees were originally fired in 2022 after circulating a letter that referenced reports of Musk's sexual misconduct and called the executive "a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment." The NLRB filed a complaint claiming the firing was illegal in 2024.

Originally, SpaceX's opposition to the NLRB's case was that the agency is unconstitutional, The New York Times writes. Complaints about the NLRB's independence and power are not uncommon. Amazon has previously claimed that the board's structure "violates the separation of powers," a critique the company has made even more recently about the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The NLRB dismissed its SpaceX case following an even more unusual line of argument, though: that regulating SpaceX actually fell under the jurisdiction of the National Mediation Board, the government agency that handles mediation in the airline and railway industries.

Because the company will technically let anyone book a space flight with it, and it operates under a license from the Federal Aviation Administration, SpaceX's lawyers argue it should be treated like an airline. According to The New York Times, the National Mediation Board issued a decision affirming that logic in January, and not long after, the NLRB dismissed its SpaceX case using the same line of thinking.

Elon Musk and his companies maintain a close relationship with the Trump administration. Musk spent over $250 million to help re-elect President Donald Trump, and he briefly served as a special government employee overseeing budget cuts and layoffs across various government bodies as part of the Department of Government Efficiency. The NLRB gave up its own authority to regulate, rather than it being stripped of funding or employees, but the decision still fits a larger pattern of independent agencies being disempowered during the second Trump administration.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-nlrb-just-gave-up-on-spacex-workers-who-claim-they-were-illegally-fired-215332847.html?src=rss

Meta has been going all in on AI, whether people want it or not, and now it's bringing more features in that vein to Facebook. The network's latest move is to let people use Meta AI to animate their profile photos. Because what better way to express your individuality than to use a pre-canned AI-generated animation on your own face?

Meta AI is also coming for your Facebook Stories and Memories. The network's Restyle lets you use gen-AI to change up the aesthetic of your posts. You can once again use pre-canned stylings or give the AI assistant your own prompt.

In the company's own words, the new tools that will create "share-worthy moments that spark meaningful interactions and conversations with friends." I guess meaning is in the eye of the beholder. If you're desperate to behold even more AI slop, Meta recently said its Vibes feed of exactly that content will be getting a standalone app.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/facebook-is-offering-meta-ai-powered-animations-for-profile-photos-201022506.html?src=rss

You have likely heard about the masked agents of ICE mucking around in Minnesota for the past few months, resulting in numerous violent incidents and deaths. Itch.io is hosting a bundle to help raise money for the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, which was organized by charity creator Jes Wade.

The No ICE in Minnesota bundle includes nearly 1,300 video games and tabletop games and costs just $10, though those with deep pockets can certainly donate more than that. It has a goal of $100,000, which it certainly is on pace to meet.

There are some nifty titles here, particularly for those interested in indie puzzle games and life sims. The standout is likely the stellar puzzler Baba Is You, which won the Game Designers Award at the Tokyo Games Show in 2020. This is a game that has to be played to be understood, as players are given the opportunity to change the rules to find novel solutions to complex puzzles. It's very good.

The bundle includes the life simulation game Calico, which involves players running a cat cafe on a magical island. The art style is gorgeous and the gameplay is relaxing. Also, calico cats are awesome.

Other titles include the bee-collecting sim Apico, the musical sci-fi adventure Periphery Synthetic and the space-based roguelike Hyperspace Dogfights. Scroll through the list to see if anything else strikes your interest, but mark out some time on the calendar first. Scrolling through nearly 1,300 games can take a while.

The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota is a nonprofit that provides free representation to low-income immigrants and refugees. The organization also provides support for those who have witnessed violent attacks and advocates for public policies which "respect the universal human rights of immigrants."

I live in Minneapolis. ICE is still here in full force, despite the media moving on to shinier objects. We really do need all the help we can get. The long-term presence of these masked, armed agents is really starting to destroy the local economy and many people are quite literally trapped indoors. To say morale is low would be an understatement. Schools are still being raided and people are still being brutally beaten. American citizens are still being arrested for dubious reasons. This is all happening after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

That's why these fundraising bundles on Itch have become so important. They really do shine a light on important topics. This is organizer Jes Wade's second ICE-related bundle, with a former focusing on California relief efforts. There have also been bundles to help raise money for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Community Bail Fund and to raise cash for charities working in Ukraine.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/this-itchio-bundle-to-help-minnesota-includes-over-1200-games-and-costs-just-10-190643987.html?src=rss

Former cryptocurrency poster boy Sam Bankman-Fried is trying to get another chance in court. He has filed a request that for a new trial on claims that new witness testimony could alter the case made against him by prosecutors, according to Bloomberg. His odds for getting the re-trial, where he'd be representing himself, seem pretty slim. This is a separate motion from a formal appeal of his previous conviction.

Bankman-Fried is one of many cryptocurrency leaders who have since been prosecuted for fraud. After being jailed for witness tampering, he was found guilty of seven charges of fraud and conspiracy in 2023. Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his actions as CEO and co-founder of crypto exchange FTX.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/sam-bankman-fried-wants-a-re-trial-for-fraud-charges-185910093.html?src=rss

Hubble may no longer be the gold standard, but it can still capture some impressive images. The telescope's latest snapshot is our clearest view yet of the Egg Nebula. Roughly 3,000 light-years away from Earth, the nebula's name is derived from its dense layer of gas and dust cloaking a central star.

The new image shows the nebula's four beams of starlight (from that central star) escaping from its gas-and-dust "shell." On either side of the disc-like cloud are fast-moving outflows of hot molecular hydrogen. The orange highlights in this image indicate the glow of infrared light.

As the beams of starlight stretch out from the center, they illuminate concentric rings of gas. The gas’s ripple-like pattern suggests it was created by successive bursts from the star, with a little more ejecting every few hundred years.

Hubble image of the Egg Nebula. A disc of gas and dust surrounded by beams of light and concentric rings of dust.SA / Hubble & NASA, B. Balick (University of Washington)

The Egg Nebula, found in the constellation Cygnus, was first discovered in 1975. Nebulae in this preplanetary phase are rare finds. Since the stage only lasts a few thousand years (and because they're often faint), they're relatively difficult for astronomers to spot. By comparing this new image with previous Hubble snapshots of the Egg Nebula, astronomers can learn more about it and shed more light on its processes. But for the rest of us, it makes for some pretty sweet eye candy, right?

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/hubble-showcases-the-egg-nebula-in-all-its-dying-star-glory-174239769.html?src=rss

Get ye to Windows Update, because there's a good chance you've got new Secure Boot certificates to install. Microsoft just announced that it will be refreshing those certificates, which were originally introduced when Secure Boot debuted in 2011, as a security precaution. Secure Boot was a way for Microsoft to protect systems from running unsigned and potentially malicious code before Windows launched. It went on to be an installation requirement for Windows 11, as well as anti-cheat software used in Valorant, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6/7 and Battlefield 6.

Without the new Secure Boot certificates, Microsoft says your system will still function normally, but it will enter "a degraded security state that limits its ability to receive future boot-level protections." Basically, you won't be protected from malware and viruses targeting vulnerabilities in older versions of Windows. As expected, Microsoft also notes that unsupported versions of Windows won't be receiving the new Secure Boot certificates. They're only coming to Windows 11 systems, as well as Windows 10 PCs subscribed to Microsoft's Extended Security Updates.

Microsoft says many users will be able to pick up the updated Secure Boot certificates by visiting Windows Update, but a few may need additional firmware updates from their system (or motherboard’s) OEM. You’ll also be able to track the status of your security certificates in the Windows Security app in the “coming months.”

"As cryptographic security evolves, certificates and keys must be periodically refreshed to maintain strong protection," Nuno Costa, Partner Director of Windows Servicing and Delivery, wrote in a blog post today. "Retiring old certificates and introducing new ones is a standard industry practice that helps prevent aging credentials from becoming a weak point and keeps platforms aligned with modern security expectations."

Costa says Microsoft has been working with OEMs like Dell and HP to ensure a smooth transition to the new Secure Boot certificates. Many new systems built in 2024 already have the updated certs, while "almost all" devices shipped last year have them as well. Microsoft has also been alerting IT customers to this transition since last year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsoft-will-start-refreshing-secure-boot-certificates-in-march-for-windows-11-and-windows-10-esu-users-170000777.html?src=rss

There appears to be no limit to how chonky and eye-wateringly expensive PC gaming handhelds can get, with the latest behemoth being the Ayaneo Next 2. First announced back in November, the latest Windows handheld in Ayaneo’s Next lineup is now up for pre-order, with a spec sheet that makes some of its rivals look modest.

If you missed the announcement at the end of last year, the Next 2 is packing a 9-inch OLED display with a 2,400 x 1,504 resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz (adjustable down to 60Hz). The Next 2 is powered by an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip and has a massive 115Mh battery under the hood.

To put all of that into perspective, the Next 2’s display is more than 1.5 inches larger than the Steam Deck OLED’s, and goes bigger than even the Lenovo Legion Go 2’s 8.8-inch panel. Its battery is the largest of the three by some margin too, and according to Ars Technica it weighs in at around 3.14 pounds (around 1424g), making it more than twice as heavy as the very heavy Xbox ROG Ally X. Get those wrists to the gym if you’re considering picking one of these up.

Ayaneo is ticking all the boxes where inputs are concerned too. Its latest handheld has dual touchpads (a feature ASUS left out on the ROG Xbox Ally X), Hall Effect sticks, an 8-way D-Pad and four customizable rear buttons.

All of this tech inevitably comes at a high price, with the entry-level model that ships with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage coming in at $1,999, or $1,799 if you take advantage of early bird pricing. This model is equipped with the slightly less capable Ryzen AI Max 385 CPU.

If you want the more powerful AI+ 395 chip you have a few options. A variant of the Next II with 64GB of RAM and 1TB of storage costs $2,699, but you can order now at the early bird price of $2,299. For 128GB of RAM and 2TB of storage you’ll be handing over a slightly hilarious $4,299 at full price. Early birds can order now for $3,499.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-ayaneo-next-2-is-a-massive-pc-handheld-with-a-price-tag-to-match-165326534.html?src=rss