Tech Talk

We have already rounded up all the best Chromebook options available, but when it comes to the best student Chromebooks, that's a different set of options. Education Chromebooks are designed to withstand the use and abuse of a classroom full of kids, as well as being carried around in an overstuffed backpack. Reinforced hinges and ports are the norm, as are water-resistant keyboards and all-day battery life. These lightweight laptops also have some of the easiest and most useful keyboard shortcuts to help your child get homework done quickly once they find their rhythm. There are many great options to choose from, but the best Chromebook for students overall is the ASUS Chromebook Flip C214. Here are some of our other trusted favorites to consider. ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 Best student Chromebook option available now The ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 is the best Chromebook for students because it provides an excellent experience in a compact, durable package. The 11.6-inch

Many of the best smart thermostats require a C wire ("common" wire) to power it due to their LED displays and Wi-Fi-powered advanced functions, leading homeowners with older heating systems to look for smart thermostats without a C wire requirement. If you don't already have a C wire in your system, these smart thermostats use separate power sources or adapters that let you monitor your home climate without having to hire a professional to rewire your home. Simple and straightforward Nest Thermostat E Staff pick Our top pick for the best smart thermostat without a C wire goes to the Nest Thermostat E . It's a great option for folks who don't want to spend too much and prefer minimalist devices. The display simply shows the temperature setting, while the app lets you prioritize certain rooms' cooling, change settings when you're away, and lets you know if it senses a problem. Most importantly, the Thermostat E features a built-in rechargeable lith

Google Maps is hands-down one of the most useful apps ever created, helping us find great takeout, get directions to an unfamiliar place, or even learn where we can get vaccinated against a deadly virus . A handy feature that many Google Maps users love is Street View, which lets you explore places you want to visit before you actually get a chance to go there. However, not everyone is thrilled with their homes, businesses, or personal property showing up in photos for all the world to see. Thankfully, there's a relatively easy way to get your home blurred out of Google Maps, so you can feel like you're abode is a secret government base protected from spying eyes. We'll show you how to hide your home from Google Maps Street View so that you can regain a bit of your privacy back. How to hide your home from Google Street View From your browser, open Google Maps . Type in your home address into the search bar. When your home comes up, click on the little yellow pers

This is the first time that the epidemiological impact of the Google Apple Exposure Notification (GAEN) system has been investigated. What you need to know A study has found that the NHS contact tracing app developed by Google and Apple helped save thousands of lives in the UK. According to the study, the app was regularly used by over 16 million people last year. The digital contact-tracing app may have averted nearly 594,000 infections. The Exposure Notifications API , which was launched as a joint effort between Google and Apple last year to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, might have helped save thousands of live in the UK. A new study published in Nature claims the NHS app , which uses the Exposure Notifications API, prevented between 4,200 and 8,700 deaths in England and Wales. The app is available on all Android phones with Google Play services — including the best cheap Android phones . The study investigated the epidemiological impact of the NHS COV

So if you don't know, the Raspberry Pi is a sort of do-it-yourself mini computer. You start with the Raspberry Pi motherboard and add other things to it, including cases, and RAM, and microSD cards for storage. Most of the time, you get a starter kit that includes a lot of that stuff. But the joy of building it is that you can do pretty much anything you want. Most notably, these systems are used as retro gaming machines similar to the NES Classic or PlayStation Classic machines that were so popular a couple years ago. Of course, if you really want to get creative you can use them to do a whole lot of stuff, including robotics or teaching computer science or any number of other things. The only limit is your... imagination ! Best Raspberry Pi Deals Available Now Best Raspberry Pi deals Best Raspberry Pi case deals CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 64GB Starter Pro Kit | $25 off Clip the on-page coupon to get an extra $15 off the already discounted price. Has a Samsung Evo+ microSD

Buy in bulk Mint Mobile From $15/mo. at Mint Mobile Pros T-Mobile LTE network Unlimited talk and text Free calls to Canada and Mexico Hotspot on every plan 5G on all plans Cons Minimum term is three months Unlimited plan is slowed at 35GB Save money by buying in bulk. Plans come with unlimited talk, text and have no overages after you've used your data. Speeds are lowered, but you can upgrade your plan mid-cycle or easily add more data. One month at a time Cricket Wireless From $30/mo. at Cricket Wireless Pros AT&T LTE network Service in Canada and Mexico (unlimited plans) Unlimited talk and text Cons SD quality videos (unlimited plans) Speed limits 5G is only on the most expensive plan Take advantage of the massive AT&T network without the contracts. You can start as small as just talk, text, and 2GB of data, then go all the way up to unlimited data with 15GB of hotspot data. Cricket has an advantage in travel to Canada and Mexico wi