WhatsApp will ditch Blackberry OS and Windows Phone by New Year’s

WhatsApp is bidding farewell to older mobile operating systems as the year draws to a close. Specifically, it’s ending support for BlackBerry OS (including BlackBerry 10) and Windows Phone 8.0 and older on December 31st. Although the Facebook-owned messaging app will continue to work on these platforms, users won’t be able to create new accounts or re-verify existing accounts. Oh, and WhatsApp claims its app could stop functioning at any time, so maybe it’s time for that upgrade.

In the past few months alone, WhatsApp has unveiled some handy features (like quick delete for sent texts, real-time location sharing, and new universal emojis). But, it seems older platforms don’t boast the “capabilities” the company needs to expand its functions going forward.

After extending its deadline for ending BlackBerry 10 support, WhatsApp is clearly done with the OS once and for all. If you’re a BlackBerry user who prefers the messaging app over BBM (who doesn’t?), you can always grab a newer device that runs on Android. Meanwhile, Windows Phone users on 8.1 or above needn’t worry about a thing (well, apart from Microsoft turning its back on the OS, along with Windows Mobile 10).

Source: WhatsApp

FCC approves first wireless ‘power-at-a-distance’ charging system

Charging your mobile device wirelessly is certainly less of a hassle than plugging it in, but still requires the device be in physical contact with its station to actually work. That’s about to change now that the Federal Communications Commission has approved the first wireless charger that works from up to three feet away.

San Jose-based startup, Energous, announced on Tuesday that it has received the first such FCC certification for power-at-a-distance wireless charging with its WattUp Mid Field transmitter. The transmitter converts electricity into radio frequencies, then beams the energy to nearby devices outfitted with a corresponding receiver. This differs from the resonant induction method that the Pi wireless charging system relies upon and offers a greater range than the Belkin and Mophie chargers that require physical contact with the device.

The WattUp can charge multiple devices simultaneously and should work on any number of devices, from phones and tablets to keyboards and earbuds, so long as they’re outfitted with the right receiver. What’s more, the WattUp ecosystem is manufacturer-agnostic — like WiFi — meaning that you’ll still be able to, for example, charge your Samsung phone even if the transmitter is made by Sony or Apple.

While Energous does not have any retail-ready devices available just yet, the company does plan to show off the new technology at CES 2018, which runs January 9th-12th in Las Vegas.

Israel may issue cryptocurrency to speed up payments

Some countries are treating cryptocurrencies as the bane of their existence, but that might not be true of Israel — it might see the technology as a cure. Reuters sources have claimed that the Bank of Israel is considering issuing virtual currency in order to both build a “faster payments system” and reduce the amount of conventional cash circulating in the economy. Officials are reportedly ready to include the issue in the country’s 2019 budget so long as the bank approves.

If Israel went forward, the currency would unsurprisingly be kept on a tight leash. It’d be centralized, “safe” and honor financial rules. Don’t expect the country to simply adopt bitcoin and call it a day.

The bank has declined to comment. However, it’s easy to see why Israel might at least be tempted by cryptocurrency. As the technology relies on blockchain, where there’s a distributed ledger that can quickly verify transactions, you could see payments fully authorized and completed within minutes no matter when they’re processed. You wouldn’t have to worry about paying a bill on the weekend and having to wait days before it clears.

This isn’t a guaranteed solution. Israel would have to convince residents and businesses to use this currency. There’s also the not-so-small problem of whether or not the currency would be useful with international transactions. Even so, it’s notable that Israel is even mulling the option. It’s looking at cryptocurrency as a practical solution to an economic problem, rather than an experiment or something to be shunned.

Source: Reuters

Rest in pieces: The biggest tech demises of 2017

It’s the holiday season, the happiest time of the year, so it’s only natural that our thoughts should turn to death and decay. Sadly, 2017 has given us a lot of fodder. While it’s been a great year for some tech companies and products, others have fared less well — succumbing to mismanagement or just plain sad old user indifference.

Well, light your candles and ready your handkerchiefs because here’s our list of the tech startups, products and (in one case) ideal that won’t make it to 2018.

Jawbone

UP24 by Jawbone

In terms of the sheer amount of money poured into it, Jawbone’s collapse in 2017 makes it the year’s biggest death: the equivalent of a Prince or a David Bowie, if Prince or David Bowie made so-so fitness trackers instead of classic albums. Having been valued at $3.2 billion in 2014, Jawbone stopped producing its fitness trackers in 2016, but struggled on to this year before liquidating its assets.

Company founder and CEO Hosain Rahman has now started a new company called Jawbone Health Hub, which will supposedly focus on software, but is its own distinct entity. The Jawbone that we knew and kind of liked has gone to Silicon Valley heaven.

AOL Instant Messenger

Some of you younger whippersnappers won’t believe it, but there was a time when AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was as crucial as WhatsApp and Snapchat for communicating with your buddies. Admittedly, that time was in the late 1990s, when we were busy fearing the Millenium Bug, and America was spent by a mass hysteria convincing us that Fred Durst was cool.

After a slow descent into obscurity, AIM finally had the plug pulled on December 15. Unless CD-ROM-based free trials of the internet miraculously come back in vogue, we can’t see it making a return.

Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition

Nintendo NES Classic Edition

Ah, Nintendo Entertainment System. You came, went, came back again, and then went for a second time, leaving an 8-bit hole in all of our lives. The all-in-one, HDMI-compatible NES Classic Edition was the “must have” Christmas gift of 2016, coming preloaded with 30 classic games.

Almost impossible to find early on, Nintendo stopped producing the NES Classic Edition in April 2017, just six months after it launched. We got a SNES Classic Edition to replace it with, but this little gaming gem clearly had a bit more life in it. If we ask Santa really nicely, maybe Nintendo will produce a few more in 2018.

The original Lily flying camera drone

It may have been handed a Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Innovation Award in 2016, and racked up $34 million in pre-orders and $15 million in investments, but the Lily flying camera drone so many of us were hankering after couldn’t make it out of 2017. A smart action cam you could supposedly launch by tossing it in the air, the Lily was one of the most eagerly anticipated crowdfunding projects around.

Unfortunately, it announced its bankruptcy in March, meaning that customers will never get the version they were promised. Another company, Mota Group, later bought the Lily trademarks and put out a less ambitious drone under the same name. But it’s not really the same thing.

Vertu

If people will spend $20,000 on a watch, why won’t they spend that much on a mobile phone? This was the somewhat spurious thought process that launched Vertu, a British brand of luxury phones which sold for prices that would have even the folks behind Apple’s iPhone X pricing mumbling about wealth inequality.

Unfortunately, the blinged out, but surprisingly low-spec phones hit a stumbling block in 2017 — in the form of a $178 million debt. It collapsed in July, leaving 200 staff members unpaid and out of a job.

Net neutrality

The concept of net neutrality, the idea that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) offers the same connection speeds no matter what you choose to do with it, is as baked into the internet’s identity as free cat pictures. Or, rather, it was until December 2017.

That’s when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officially repealed the 2015 net neutrality regulations by passing the Restoring Internet Freedom declaratory ruling, thereby opening up potential sweeping changes to the way ISPs have to deliver services in the U.S. Since nothing definite has changed yet, calling net neutrality dead might be a slight exaggeration at this point. But the doctors would definitely be a bit concerned.

Yik Yak

Yik Yak was a controversial messaging app, built around the promise of sending anonymous messages for college students, which made it feel all a bit Gossip Girl. With an extra dose of trolling thrown in for fun.

Sadly for its creators, 2017 turned out to be the year in which people stopped being anonymously nasty to one another online. Actually, that’s not true at all — but despite once being valued at $400 million, Yik Yak announced its closure in April. A pivot to group messaging failed, and the service was sold off for just $1 million.

3D televisions

Perhaps our first high profile tech death of 2017 was the 3D television. A format that never really caught on beyond a niche group of avid fans, 3D TV’s memorial service may as well have been January’s CES 2017, where none of the major manufacturers — Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic — had a new 3D TV model to show off.

People have written off 3D multiple times over the years, so we’re sure that the concept will have another go-around a few years down the line. For now, though, this is technology we’re not expecting to hear about too much in the new year.

iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle

There was a time when the iPod was Apple’s golden goose, every bit as important for the company’s bottom line as the iPhone is today. That time was not 2017. While the iPod brand continues to limp on in the form of the iPod Touch (essentially a stripped-down iPhone for people not trusted to make phone calls), it suffered two bereavements this year — in the form of the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle.

Sales of the once great devices have continued to drop, as more of us listen to music on our phones. The iPod Touch, which hasn’t received a hardware update since 2015, must live in fear of receiving a phone call with a California area code.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Where to buy the NES Classic Edition
• Gamers are discussing which unreleased game should be on the ‘N64 Classic’
• Give the gift of nostalgia with these awesome retro gaming consoles
• The C64 mini will bring back all the fun of the Commodore 64 in 2018
• SNES-themed New 3DS XL is a thing of beauty, comes with ‘Super Mario Kart’

Rest in pieces: The biggest tech demises of 2017

It’s the holiday season, the happiest time of the year, so it’s only natural that our thoughts should turn to death and decay. Sadly, 2017 has given us a lot of fodder. While it’s been a great year for some tech companies and products, others have fared less well — succumbing to mismanagement or just plain sad old user indifference.

Well, light your candles and ready your handkerchiefs because here’s our list of the tech startups, products and (in one case) ideal that won’t make it to 2018.

Jawbone

UP24 by Jawbone

In terms of the sheer amount of money poured into it, Jawbone’s collapse in 2017 makes it the year’s biggest death: the equivalent of a Prince or a David Bowie, if Prince or David Bowie made so-so fitness trackers instead of classic albums. Having been valued at $3.2 billion in 2014, Jawbone stopped producing its fitness trackers in 2016, but struggled on to this year before liquidating its assets.

Company founder and CEO Hosain Rahman has now started a new company called Jawbone Health Hub, which will supposedly focus on software, but is its own distinct entity. The Jawbone that we knew and kind of liked has gone to Silicon Valley heaven.

AOL Instant Messenger

Some of you younger whippersnappers won’t believe it, but there was a time when AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was as crucial as WhatsApp and Snapchat for communicating with your buddies. Admittedly, that time was in the late 1990s, when we were busy fearing the Millenium Bug, and America was spent by a mass hysteria convincing us that Fred Durst was cool.

After a slow descent into obscurity, AIM finally had the plug pulled on December 15. Unless CD-ROM-based free trials of the internet miraculously come back in vogue, we can’t see it making a return.

Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition

Nintendo NES Classic Edition

Ah, Nintendo Entertainment System. You came, went, came back again, and then went for a second time, leaving an 8-bit hole in all of our lives. The all-in-one, HDMI-compatible NES Classic Edition was the “must have” Christmas gift of 2016, coming preloaded with 30 classic games.

Almost impossible to find early on, Nintendo stopped producing the NES Classic Edition in April 2017, just six months after it launched. We got a SNES Classic Edition to replace it with, but this little gaming gem clearly had a bit more life in it. If we ask Santa really nicely, maybe Nintendo will produce a few more in 2018.

The original Lily flying camera drone

It may have been handed a Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Innovation Award in 2016, and racked up $34 million in pre-orders and $15 million in investments, but the Lily flying camera drone so many of us were hankering after couldn’t make it out of 2017. A smart action cam you could supposedly launch by tossing it in the air, the Lily was one of the most eagerly anticipated crowdfunding projects around.

Unfortunately, it announced its bankruptcy in March, meaning that customers will never get the version they were promised. Another company, Mota Group, later bought the Lily trademarks and put out a less ambitious drone under the same name. But it’s not really the same thing.

Vertu

If people will spend $20,000 on a watch, why won’t they spend that much on a mobile phone? This was the somewhat spurious thought process that launched Vertu, a British brand of luxury phones which sold for prices that would have even the folks behind Apple’s iPhone X pricing mumbling about wealth inequality.

Unfortunately, the blinged out, but surprisingly low-spec phones hit a stumbling block in 2017 — in the form of a $178 million debt. It collapsed in July, leaving 200 staff members unpaid and out of a job.

Net neutrality

The concept of net neutrality, the idea that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) offers the same connection speeds no matter what you choose to do with it, is as baked into the internet’s identity as free cat pictures. Or, rather, it was until December 2017.

That’s when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officially repealed the 2015 net neutrality regulations by passing the Restoring Internet Freedom declaratory ruling, thereby opening up potential sweeping changes to the way ISPs have to deliver services in the U.S. Since nothing definite has changed yet, calling net neutrality dead might be a slight exaggeration at this point. But the doctors would definitely be a bit concerned.

Yik Yak

Yik Yak was a controversial messaging app, built around the promise of sending anonymous messages for college students, which made it feel all a bit Gossip Girl. With an extra dose of trolling thrown in for fun.

Sadly for its creators, 2017 turned out to be the year in which people stopped being anonymously nasty to one another online. Actually, that’s not true at all — but despite once being valued at $400 million, Yik Yak announced its closure in April. A pivot to group messaging failed, and the service was sold off for just $1 million.

3D televisions

Perhaps our first high profile tech death of 2017 was the 3D television. A format that never really caught on beyond a niche group of avid fans, 3D TV’s memorial service may as well have been January’s CES 2017, where none of the major manufacturers — Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic — had a new 3D TV model to show off.

People have written off 3D multiple times over the years, so we’re sure that the concept will have another go-around a few years down the line. For now, though, this is technology we’re not expecting to hear about too much in the new year.

iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle

There was a time when the iPod was Apple’s golden goose, every bit as important for the company’s bottom line as the iPhone is today. That time was not 2017. While the iPod brand continues to limp on in the form of the iPod Touch (essentially a stripped-down iPhone for people not trusted to make phone calls), it suffered two bereavements this year — in the form of the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle.

Sales of the once great devices have continued to drop, as more of us listen to music on our phones. The iPod Touch, which hasn’t received a hardware update since 2015, must live in fear of receiving a phone call with a California area code.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Where to buy the NES Classic Edition
• Gamers are discussing which unreleased game should be on the ‘N64 Classic’
• Give the gift of nostalgia with these awesome retro gaming consoles
• The C64 mini will bring back all the fun of the Commodore 64 in 2018
• SNES-themed New 3DS XL is a thing of beauty, comes with ‘Super Mario Kart’

Here’s a gold watch, thanks [#acpodcast]

In this episode, Daniel Bader, Andrew Martonik, and Jerry Hildenbrand wrap up this year’s coverage of the Android universe with a look back at the Galaxy Note 8, plus reviews of the Amazon Echo Spot and Google Home Max. They also talk about Eric Schmidt leaving the Executive Chairman role at Alphabet.

Additionally, they share their top picks from 2017. Join us for the last hurrah before CES in January!

Show Notes and Links:

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review, 3 months later: A polarizing powerhouse

• Amazon Echo Spot review

• Google Home Max

• Eric Schmidt leaving Executive Chairman role at Alphabet

• Best of 2017

Sponsors:

• MintSIM: Voice, data, and text for less. Get free first-class shipping with code IMFREESHIP.

• Thrifter.com: All the best deals from Amazon, Best Buy, and more, fussily curated and constantly updated.

• GameStash: Hundreds of awesome games on your Android phone. Try it free for 14 days!

Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral366.mp3

Elon Musk vows to build Tesla pickup truck ‘right after’ Model Y

Tesla has been hyping up the prospect of an electric pickup truck for a long time (you’re looking at an artist’s rendering above), but when can you expect to see it? You might have a clearer idea. As part of a call for feedback, Elon Musk has promised that the pickup will be made “right after” the Model Y crossover arrives between 2019 and 2020. We’d take that commitment with a grain of salt (remember how Tesla expected widescale Model 3 deliveries to start in 2017?), but it at least gives you an idea of what the EV maker is shooting for.

Musk also agreed to tackle a number of features for existing cars. Most notably, he gave the nod to tech investor Jason Calacanis’ request for an alert that lets your family know when your Tesla should arrive home. He also liked a request to use all the onboard cameras as dashcams, sign recognition and even a “Disco Mode” that would pulse the ambient lighting in sync with your music.

Many of those features are likely to take a while to arrive, provided they don’t get cut. However, they d suggest that Tesla will have a laundry list of promises to tackle in 2018, and not just catch-ups like the inclusion of more original Autopilot features on newer vehicles.

I promise that we will make a pickup truck right after Model Y. Have had the core design/engineering elements in my mind for almost 5 years. Am dying to build it.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 26, 2017

Sure

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 26, 2017

Was gonna say we’ll do all but the last, but that last one sounds like good, cheesy fun 🙂

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 26, 2017

Source: Elon Musk (Twitter 1), (2), (3)

Amazon’s holiday bestsellers include smart plugs and toothbrushes

Amazon has published its customary holiday stats… and they’re not as predictable as you might think. While the company spends much of its time crowing about its own device sales (which, as usual, are mostly meaningless without concrete numbers), it also reveals some decidedly unusual gadget shopping habits. For one thing, smart plugs were oddly dominant: a TP-Link plug was the best-selling smart home device worldwide (including in Amazon retail stores), while the Wemo Mini Smart Plug was one of the top-selling wireless gadgets in the US. This isn’t to say that other smart gadgets didn’t thrive (Philips Hue ruled the home improvement space), but people were clearly bent on upgrading their wall outlets.

The hottest tech in other categories was decidedly strange at times, too. For instance, the best-selling beauty items were led by toothbrushes — Philips’ Sonicare Diamond rechargeable brush was the top worldwide item, while Oral-B’s Black Pro 1000 was one of the US leaders. Robotic vacuums were “among” the bestsellers, as well. Hardware buying habits even spilled over into Amazon’s digital media businesses, with an Instant Pot cookbook ruling the Kindle nonfiction charts.

This data doesn’t completely reflect the technological zeitgeist, since people will frequently go elsewhere for specific devices (such as Apple, Google and Microsoft). However, it’s a reminder that the biggest tech isn’t necessarily the flashiest. In many cases, it’s simple but functional products that make your life noticeably easier.

Source: Amazon

The best washing machines (and their matching dryers)

By Liam McCabe

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here.

After more than 100 hours of research, we think that the LG WM3770HWA is the washing machine that will make the most people the happiest. Based on LG’s great reputation over the past few years, this washer should be as reliable as any modern, efficient model can be. It also has some of the quickest cycle times of any washer and excellent cleaning performance.

How we picked

Since 2015 we’ve tracked 232 models, and about 114 of them are still currently available. To use these washers, you’ll need access to hot and cold water hookups and somewhere to drain the washer. If you want a matching dryer, you’ll also need a 220-volt outlet (or a gas line) and somewhere to hook up the ventilation hose. We also limited our scope to machines with a width of about 27 inches, the standard size in North America.

Beyond those basics, we looked for washing machines with exemplary cleaning abilities, quick wash cycles, a prewash or soak option, a reputation for reliability, and efficient usage of both water and energy. You should be able to adjust water temperature and spin speed, and have both a heavy cycle for dirtier clothes and a delicates cycle for sensitive fabrics. And, of course, the best washers are sold by companies with reliable customer service.

To read in detail about why we think these features are crucial, and to see which features we think you can safely ignore, please see our full guide to washing machines.

Our pick: LG WM3770HWA

Photo: LG

The LG WM3770HWA is the best all-around washing machine for most people. LG makes the most reliable high-efficiency (HE) washers, and as far as we can tell, the WM3770HWA is one of them. It’s one of the fastest washers you can get, with typical cycle times running about half as long as most HE washers. The cleaning performance is excellent even on the Normal cycle, and it also has cycles that are strong enough to kill bacteria and eliminate allergens. It’s gentle on fabric and very efficient. We also think it’s a little less likely to smell like mildew than most front-loaders. And, for what it’s worth, the jingle that plays at the end of every cycle is super-pleasant and catchy.

The WM3770HWA has both prewash and steam options, both of which can loosen stains before the main wash action kicks in. You can also add additional rinses, add a garment, or delay the start time. Though LG’s customer service could certainly be better, we think the WM3770HWA offers the best balance of price, performance, reliability, and convenience you can get in a washing machine.

If you need the matching dryer, it’s the DLEX3570W (electric) or DLGX3571W (gas).

Runner-up: Electrolux EFLS617SIW

Location courtesy of Food52. Photo: Michael Hession

The Electrolux EFLS617SIW is another great washing machine. It’s not our main pick because it tends to cost more, probably isn’t as reliable, and is notably rougher on clothes. But it’s the single best stain-remover, and among the most efficient washing machines we’ve seen. It’s also one of few models with a reversible door.

The secret to the EFLS617SIW’s success is most likely the SmartBoost feature, which premixes detergent with the wash water before spraying it into the tub. In theory, every item should get washed equally, with no splurts of detergent wasted. Most front-loaders are excellent cleaners even without this feature, but if you want the very best, it seems to be the EFLS617SIW.

If you want a matching dryer, those are the electric EFME617SIW or gas-powered EFMG617SIW.

Budget pick: Maytag MHW3505FW

Photo: Maytag

If you’re sold on the advantages of a front-loader but want to save some money, we think the Maytag MHW3505FW is your best bet. It doesn’t have the speedy cycles and high-temperature cleaning options that our main pick does. It’s a little more likely to need repairs. And it might also be rougher on clothes. But it’s still an efficient, effective washer for a fair price, and its power-wash cycle is great at removing stains.

If you want the matching dryer, it’s the MED3500FW (electric) or MGD3500FW (gas).

Also great: LG WT7500CW

Photo: LG

We think the LG WT7500CW is the best washer for people who want a top-loader. It’s not our main pick because top-loaders have some built-in downsides (they’re less efficient, effective, and gentle than front-loaders). But compared with other top-loaders, the WT7500CW has quicker and more powerful wash cycles. It also comes from LG, a company known for producing reliable high-efficiency (HE) top-loaders (subscription required).

If you want a matching dryer, check out the LG DLEX7600WE.

A sturdy agitator top-loader, if that’s what you really want

Photo: Speed Queen

If you’re not too thrilled about modern high-efficiency washers and have decided that you want an old-school machine, check out the Speed Queen AWN432SP113TW04. It’s the sturdiest, longest-lasting residential washing machine you can buy. However, it’s not our main pick because it’s so inefficient that you’ll probably spend more on water and energy over time than if you repair and replace HE washers as they break. Even on its most efficient setting, it uses nearly twice as much water per load as our top pick. But if longevity and reliability are the most important things you want from your washer, the AWN432SP113TW04 is as sturdy as they come.

If you’d also like a matching dryer, it’s the Speed Queen ADE3SRGS173TW01.

This guide may have been updated by Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

Note from Wirecutter: When readers choose to buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn affiliate commissions that support our work.

The best laptops for high school students you can buy

Hunting down the best laptop for your money can be a real pain. Buying for yourself is one thing: You and you alone must suffer with your decision. But when you’re on the market hunting down the best laptops for high school students, making the wrong decision will produce an endless flow of complaints. It’s too slow. It’s too heavy. It won’t run my programs. Painful, we know, so we’re here to save you from the horrors.

As parents, we know exactly what you need to buy. Don’t jump on Amazon and buy a cheap laptop originally released in 2012. There are plenty of modern options sporting the same price tag. Most of what you’ll find below are based on Intel’s latest eighth-generation processors, and screens ranging from 13.3 inches and larger.

All but one laptop listed below is based on Windows 10 Home. We selected a Chromebook as well in case you want to bypass Windows altogether. Chromebooks are highly popular in the educational system for their lightweight design and dependence on web-based applications. 

Our Pick

Acer Aspire E 15

If you’re looking for an all-around great laptop for your high school student, but don’t want to beg the bank for a loan, Acer’s Aspire E 15 models fit the bill. There are two versions for the picking: a $599 model with an eighth-generation Core i5 processor and a $799 version with an eighth-generation Core i7 chip. These two CPUs are the latest built by Intel for laptops, so they should stay relevant for a few years.

Backing the eighth-generation Intel CPUs is a discrete (stand-alone) GeForce MX150 graphics chip by Nvidia. It’s designed specifically for laptops, promising four times the performance experience with Intel’s integrated graphics. The chip wasn’t built for high-end gaming, but it can handle eSports-related games like League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and DOTA 2 at 60 frames per second using a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. That’s not too shabby.

Of course, you’re not buying a laptop for your student to play games all night. Having a stand-alone discrete GPU is beneficial in other areas that demand high levels of graphics processing, such as 3D animation, video editing, CAD design, and so on. Backing both the GPU and CPU is 8GB of system memory, and a minimally-sized 256GB SSD. The laptop even includes a DVD writer!

Other features packed into Acer’s laptop include two video outputs, a handful of USB ports, wireless and wired networking, and an SD card reader. But it’s not exactly thin and light, measuring 0.94 inches thick at the front, and 1.19 inches in the back. Given its size, students may elect to keep this laptop at home unless they are comfortable stuffing it into their backpacks along with their textbooks, or carrying the laptop by hand.

See it

Best Chromebook

Acer Chromebook 15

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

This is probably the biggest and best Chromebook we’ve seen in a while. Although the processor isn’t served up in the usual “Core” flavor, it does a fine job running Google’s Chrome-branded operating system. There’s no discrete graphic chip like we saw in Acer’s Windows 10 laptop, but it can handle graphics applications lower than the default resolution at a decent frame rate.

One of the bigger features of Acer’s Chromebook is its support for Google Play. At its core, Chrome OS was designed to handle web-based apps, so students and other users aren’t downloading possible malicious apps. With Google Play support, you can download and install most of your favorite Android apps, but that means the Chromebook’s 32GB of storage can quickly disappear.

Despite its 15.6-inch screen, Acer’s Chromebook is rather thin and light, measuring 0.75 inches thick and weighing 4.30 pounds. The screen is a decent Full HD resolution, but it’s the technology behind that screen that really shines, providing wide viewing angles and rich, deep colors. All that imagery is backed by an awesome speaker placement, which seats a front-facing speaker on each side of the backlit keyboard.

As for other goodies packed into Acer’s big Chromebook, it includes two USB-C ports, either of which can be used to power the Chromebook and/or recharge the battery. That battery isn’t shabby at all either, lasting around 12 hours while streaming video non-stop. The device also includes two regular USB ports, Wireless AC networking, and a 720p webcam that’s perfect for Google Hangouts.

See it

Best Budget Laptop

HP Stream 14t

The good news with this laptop is that it has a decent-sized screen at 14 inches. The drawback is that the resolution is only 1,366 x 768, which is rather low for a laptop currently sold on the market. It’s also backed by a dual-core Intel Celeron processor that was released in the first quarter of 2016, so it’s coming up on hitting its second anniversary. While there’s nothing wrong with this mixture of ingredients, this combination is why the laptop is so inexpensive.

For the money, you get a decent amount of performance stemming from two processor cores with a base speed of 1.60GHz, and a maximum speed of 2.48GHz. The CPU is backed by Intel’s integrated graphics and 4GB of system memory to handle normal tasks like web browsing, document editing, streaming “high definition” video, and more. There’s even a built-in camera for web-based video collaboration.

Although HP doesn’t list a 64GB option on its website, you can find the laptop on Amazon with 32GB and 64GB capacities. Otherwise, the features remain the same: wired and wireless networking, a handful of USB ports, an SD card reader, and HDMI video output. The device measures a mere 0.70 inches thick, and weighs 3.17 pounds.

This isn’t the only Stream-branded laptop sold by HP. The company also lists 11.6-inch models ranging from $199 to $479 for mainstream students and “pro” users. All appear to rely on Intel Celeron processors by default, but the “pro” models pack higher storage capacities, and the Windows 10 Pro operating system. But what you get with the Stream 14t at $249 is a real bargain, especially for a 14-inch laptop.

See it

Best Premium Laptop

Asus Zenbook UX330UA

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Although the Zenbook UX330UA packs the smallest screen on our list, the horses underneath its 13.3-inch hood can’t be ignored. Powering this laptop is an eighth-generation Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8GB of system memory, and a somewhat-speedy SSD with a 256GB capacity. There’s no discrete graphics chip, which is why Acer’s Aspire E 15 won our top pick over this impressive eighth-generation laptop.

Of all the laptops on our list, this model is the only one packing a fingerprint reader. This reader supports Windows Hello, allowing students to access Windows 10 using their finger instead of manually entering credentials. For parents, this may seem troublesome, but you can always access the PC using whatever PIN or password you created. Windows 10 also provides parental controls, so you can limit the types of content your student accesses on and offline, and receive a weekly report detailing the student’s activities.

Intel’s Core i5-8250U is a four-core chip with a base speed of 1.60GHz and a maximum speed of 3.40GHz. The integrated graphics isn’t exactly performance driven, but it’s capable of outputting a 4K resolution through a DisplayPort adapter. Video outputs include a MicroHDMI port, and the two USB-A ports that support vide output through an adapter or dock.

Other goodies packing into the laptop include wireless networking (wired is available through a USB adapter), Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity, and a 720p webcam. The laptop measures just 0.53 inches thin, and weighs 2.64 pounds, making it an easily portable device for any high school student.

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How We Test

Laptop testing begins on a visual level. We look at the overall quality, how the screen connects to the base, the spacing of the keys, the sturdiness of the chassis (shell), and more. We walk around with the unit in our hands to determine its portability: is it extremely heavy? How well does it withstand bumps? You know, the fun, easy, visual stuff.

Of course, looks aren’t everything. We use specific software to test the processor, graphics, storage read/write speed, and battery life. Benchmarking can be a long process – especially when you’re trying to kill a battery that promises an uptime of over 20 hours. For laptops with discrete graphics chips, we use PC games to determine how well they render output frames at specific resolutions every second.

We also make sure the screens deliver as promised. We have a special tool for that, which measures the screen’s brightness level, how it correctly displays colors, the contrast ratio level, and so on. While we’re killing the battery with a video loop, we’ll sit down and watch how each frame is rendered on-screen, and listen to how the sound projects from the laptop’s speakers.

Ultimately, our evaluation stems from both software-generated numbers, and our hands-on personal opinion. But we have opinions as parents too, thus we feel that any one of these laptops would be a great fit for one of our own kids.

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