Lançado no início deste ano especificamente para usuários dos Estados Unidos e da Índia, o Pergunte ao Maps está sendo expandido agora também para Austrália, Canadá, Indonésia, Japão e México, além de mais de 150 países e territórios — por enquanto só em inglês.
A expansão para novos locais, porém, está longe de ser a única novidade relacionada ao recurso, que está mais inteligente e agora conta com características agênticas que o tornam capaz de executar tarefas complexas com várias etapas.
Divulgação/Google
Com essa novidade, passa a ser possível pedir comida em um restaurante, descobrir informações atualizadas sobre hotéis e eventos locais, comparar preços em tempo real, mostrar shows em determinado local, dentre outras tarefas.
Divulgação/Google
A Inteligência Personalizada (Personal Intelligence), por sua vez, permite integrar o recurso ao Gmail para que o chatbot tenha um maior contexto na hora de realizar tarefas — inclusive com a possibilidade de relembrar conversas anteriores, caso o histórico esteja ativado.
Divulgação/Google
O Google também está expandindo as atualizações em tempo real do Pergunte ao Maps para transporte público, além de permitir que usuários contribuam com informações sobre locais conversando ou enviando uma foto de uma placa, por exemplo.
Divulgação/Google
As atualizações sobre transporte público, as respostas mais contextuais e a capacidade de relembrar conversas anteriores estão sendo disponibilizadas a partir de hoje para todos os locais onde o Ask Maps está disponível (o que agora inclui o Brasil).
Ask Maps is getting an upgrade. 🔍✨
Now powered by agentic capabilities, real-time information, and Personal Intelligence, Ask Maps is transforming how you plan and move through the world. pic.twitter.com/XadDCw44uu
Os pedidos de comida, a descoberta de hotéis e eventos, e as contribuições dos usuários, por sua vez, estão começando a ser disponibilizados apenas nos Estados Unidos, com previsão de uma expansão gradual para outros países no futuro.
Nesta quarta-feira, aproveite a nossa seleção de promoções na App Store!
O destaque do dia fica para o utilitário Recent Contacts Timeline. Desenvolvido por Adam Bardon, ele organiza suas interações recentes em uma linha do tempo visual simples.
A proposta é facilitar a identificação de novos números incluídos na sua agenda — agrupados por data e com acesso rápido. Em vez de listas tradicionais, ele apresenta uma visão cronológica, que pode ser muito mais prático, dependendo da sua necessidade.
Aproveite a oferta e baixe agora! 📇
Abaixo outros jogos/apps que, juntos, somam quase R$70 em descontos:
Jogos
Controle de fronteira.
Acabe com as peças.
Jogo de aventura.
Aplicativos
Utilitário para cartões virtuais.
Utilitário para desenho.
Aproveite as ofertas e até amanhã! Vale lembrar que as ofertas são sempre por tempo limitado, então é bom correr. 🛸
The death, which radiocarbon dating places between 3932 and 3653 B.C., surprised an individual at approximately forty weeks of gestation in the rock shelter of Ripari Altí, at 1,100 meters above sea level, within the current Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park. The archaeological context points to the final phases of the Neolithic, a period in which […]
Confira e aproveite a nossa seleção de promoções na App Store nesta terça-feira!
O nosso destaque do dia é Pencil Notes: Handwriting, um aplicativo voltado a quem busca uma experiência de escrita manual, simples e direta — tanto no iPhone quanto no iPad.
Sem necessidade de uma configuração avançada, o aplicativo aplicativo abre rápido, em um ambiente minimalista, para você anotar suas ideias, registrar informações rápidas e tentar substituir o papel no seu cotidiano. A compatibilidade com o Apple Pencil funciona bem e a ausência de menus complexos torna o app acessível para qualquer usuário que queira apenas escrever sem distrações.
Com uma proposta enxuta, o aplicativo fica atrás dos principais concorrentes quando o assunto é produtividade e organização — diferente de apps como GoodNotes, Notability ou até o próprio Notas (Notes), da Apple, o Pencil Notes não oferece recursos avançados como reconhecimento óptico de caracteres (OCR), busca em manuscritos, organização por pastas, templates, camadas ou integração robusta com serviços de nuvem. Isso limita bastante o uso se você precisa estudar, trabalhar com PDFs ou manter um sistema de notas mais estruturado e pesquisável.
Se você ainda não encontrou o app ideal para suas anotações, aproveite a oferta e compre hoje mesmo! 📝
Abaixo outros jogos/apps que, juntos, somam mais de R$90 em descontos:
Jogos
Jogo musical.
Puzzles.
Aplicativos
Arte em pixels.
Tabuada de forma divertida.
Aproveite as ofertas e até amanhã! Vale lembrar que elas são sempre por tempo limitado, então é bom correr. 🏎️
A seção de avaliação locais em aplicativos como o Google Maps é bastante útil para ajudar outros usuários a visualizar imagens e feedbacks de lugares populares — mas recursos do gênero costumam ser bem limitados e oferecem uma abordagem que depende bastante da ação do usuário.
O Wrinkles, no entanto, oferece uma experiência bem mais completa nesse sentido. Basicamente, o app usa a localização do usuário para mostrar histórias sobre os lugares ao seu redor automaticamente — como um guia local personalizado em qualquer lugar do mundo.
Alimentado por inteligência artificial, o app permite que os usuários perguntem sobre os lugares que acharem interessantes — e o app responde em tempo real com um conhecimento enciclopédico sobre praticamente qualquer assunto, daqueles mais simples aos mais complexos.
Com a capacidade de criar um roteiro turístico personalizado em questão de segundos, o app conta com um mapa que permite navegar e descobrir histórias em qualquer lugar — tanto as criadas pelo próprio aplicativo quanto as que forem criadas pelos usuários.
Isso porque o Wrinkles permite que os usuários vinculem suas publicações a locais específicos no mapa e destaquem lembranças pessoais a respeito deles. É possível também salvar os locais preferidos para que eles sejam organizados automaticamente pelo Wrinkles como guias pessoais.
O Wrinkles está disponível gratuitamente na App Store e conta com opções de assinatura por R$30/mês e R$300/ano, as quais liberam a versão Explorer. Também é possível adquirir o Trip Pass a partir de uma compra de R$250.
O popular jogo Wolfenstein 3D (um dos primeiros games de tiro em primeira pessoa do mercado) foi reconstruído do zero como parte de um novo projeto para modernizá-lo.
O objetivo dessa empreitada, denominada Wolfenshine, foi superar as limitações técnicas da época em que o jogo foi lançado e que o impediam de ter coisas como sombras, luzes coloridas, neblinas e outros efeitos.
O novo projeto, por sua vez, faz uso dos arquivos de mapas, inimigos, armas, sons e gráficos do jogo original — que não são distribuídos junto do Wolfenshine, mas lidos a partir de uma cópia própria do usuário (seja a versão shareware gratuita ou a completa, com as seis fases) — e acrescenta uma camada de efeitos modernos por cima, levando um pouco da tecnologia atual para o game.
Com isso, salas que teoricamente deveriam ser iluminadas por uma lâmpada passam a realmente contar com iluminação, corredores passam a exibir a luz originada por uma porta aberta, dentre outras coisas bem legais.
A jogabilidade, cabe destacar, continua exatamente a mesma. Como o game usa os mesmos arquivos da versão original, basta apertar F2 no teclado para alternar entre o visual clássico e o do Wolfenshine, num passe de mágica.
O Wolfenshine é um projeto de código aberto. O código-fonte e todos os detalhes técnicos (incluindo o passo a passo para a sua instalação) estão disponíveis no repositório oficial no GitHub, onde ele pode ser baixado em versões para macOS, Windows e Linux.
A novidade pode ser considerada uma expansão da sincronização limitada que já existia entre os dois aplicativos, e que permitia enviar dados já consolidados do aplicativo da Apple para o do Google — mas não o contrário.
Segundo o site, agora é possível compartilhar dados gravados com o Fitbit Air — como registros de exercícios, de sono e de passos — diretamente para o app da Maçã, sem usar qualquer gambiarra ou apelar para o registro manual.
Para isso, basta tocar no ícone de perfil dentro do app do Google, selecionar “Apps parceiros” e depois escolher o Apple Health entre as opções. Aí, é só conceder as permissões para a sincronização ser completada.
De acordo com o site Droid Life, no entanto, a sincronização ainda não funciona para a variabilidade da frequência cardíaca (HRV), uma vez que as duas empresas calculam essa métrica usando fórmulas diferentes.
In the summer of 15 BC, Emperor Augustus’ two stepsons, Tiberius and Drusus, brought the Central Alps and the Swiss Plateau under Roman control. That campaign concluded decades of efforts to link the Gallic provinces with Illyricum and secure the routes between northern Italy and the Danube. However, while the western and eastern routes of […]
MacBook Neo sales have given Apple something the Mac rarely achieved through its premium models: immediate access to the enormous market for affordable everyday notebooks.
The new line arrived in March 2026 with a launch price of $599, or $499 through education pricing. That placed a current MacBook within reach of buyers who previously depended on discounted older models, inexpensive Windows laptops or Chromebooks.
Price opened the door, but appearance helped people walk through it. MacBook Neo entered the market in blush, indigo, silver and citrus, avoiding the visual compromises commonly associated with entry-level computers. The aluminum enclosure, color-matched keyboard and 13-inch Liquid Retina display made it look like a deliberate new Mac rather than a reduced MacBook Air.
Those choices changed the conversation around an affordable Apple notebook. Buyers could select a computer according to personality and style before considering processor benchmarks. Students could carry something visibly different from institutional gray and black laptops. Families could distinguish multiple computers by color, while first-time Mac owners received a product with its own identity.
Early shipment estimates suggest that strategy worked. IDC data shared with TechCrunch placed MacBook Neo shipments at approximately 1.1 million units during the March quarter, even though the computer had been available for only about three weeks. Apple does not disclose sales by individual Mac model, so the figure remains an independent market estimate rather than an official unit count.
The pace was nevertheless substantial enough to make MacBook Neo one of the strongest recent Mac introductions. It also pushed the story beyond one successful product launch. Apple had entered a price segment responsible for tens of millions of notebook purchases each year and found customers who had never seriously considered macOS.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
MacBook Neo Sales Started With a Missing Price Tier
Apple spent years concentrating the MacBook line above the mainstream notebook market. MacBook Air became the accessible model, but its price still placed it beyond many students, families and buyers in countries where local income and currency conversion make Apple hardware especially expensive.
Discounted older MacBook Air generations partially filled that gap. Retailers could keep M1, M2 or M3 models available after newer versions arrived, offering buyers lower prices without Apple designing a dedicated entry-level computer.
That approach had limitations. Availability depended on remaining inventory, configurations varied among retailers and the product still looked like a previous generation being cleared from the channel. It could attract value-conscious buyers, but it did not establish a permanent starting point for the Mac.
MacBook Neo created that starting point. Apple designed the model around an A18 Pro chip rather than the M-series processors used by MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The base configuration included 8GB of unified memory and 256GB of storage, enough for browsing, school assignments, communication, streaming and everyday productivity without competing directly with higher-performance Macs.
The model retained features that buyers encounter every day: an aluminum body, a 13-inch high-resolution display, a Magic Keyboard, a large Multi-Touch trackpad, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera and a fanless design. Apple rated its battery for as long as 16 hours under its testing conditions.
Performance headroom, memory capacity and external-display support remain more limited than on a MacBook Air. Those compromises are easier to accept when the computer is purchased for writing, research, web applications, video calls and media consumption rather than professional video production or complex development work.
IDC estimated that the sub-$700 segment represented about 75 million annual notebook shipments, close to 40% of global notebook volume. Windows and ChromeOS historically controlled more than 95% of that tier. Apple had been competing for a small premium section of the market while a far larger pool of buyers purchased elsewhere.
MacBook Neo sales gave the company a way into that pool without placing an old design or plastic enclosure at the entrance to the Mac line. A buyer comparing computers at similar prices could now choose macOS without first accepting a major premium.
Color Gave the Affordable MacBook an Identity
Low-cost laptops are frequently designed to disappear. Dark plastic, conservative finishes and generic bodies keep manufacturing simple and reduce the risk that one color will remain unsold. MacBook Neo took the opposite approach by making color one of the most recognizable parts of the product.
Silver preserves a familiar Mac appearance, while indigo offers a darker alternative without returning to standard black. Blush gives the line a softer finish, and citrus creates the visual signature that separates Neo from every other MacBook on a table.
The colors do more than decorate an inexpensive computer. They prevent the model from being defined entirely by what it lacks. Instead of asking why it has an A18 Pro rather than an M5, buyers can begin with which finish they want.
That distinction is valuable among younger customers. IDC described reactions from teenagers who focused on the display, weight and appearance rather than memory specifications or processor architecture. Their interest centered on how the computer would look at school compared with the Windows laptops and Chromebooks already around them.
Apple used a similar strategy when color helped turn the original iMac into a cultural object. Later iBook models carried bright finishes into portable computing, while colorful iMac and MacBook designs made personal computers feel less institutional. MacBook Neo revisits that idea for a generation accustomed to selecting colors for phones, headphones, cases and watches.
The approach also avoids making affordability look like punishment. A lower price does not force the buyer into an anonymous product with a visibly cheaper exterior. Neo has limitations, but its design gives owners something exclusive to the line instead of presenting the computer as a substitute for the MacBook they could not afford.
Color alone did not produce MacBook Neo sales. The launch price, battery life, macOS integration and recognizable MacBook construction carried more purchasing weight. Color made those advantages easier to notice and gave stores a product that could attract attention before a salesperson explained its specifications.
First-Time Buyers Changed the Mac Equation
Apple said customer response exceeded its expectations and connected the launch with record participation from people buying their first Mac. That audience may prove more valuable than existing owners choosing a less expensive replacement.
A first Mac purchase can introduce a customer to applications and services that become part of daily work. People who already use an iPhone can access Messages, FaceTime, Photos, iCloud, AirDrop and iPhone Mirroring from the computer without rebuilding their digital routines.
That familiarity lowers one of the barriers to changing computer platforms. A person may have used Windows throughout school or work while carrying an iPhone for years. MacBook Neo makes the switch less financially demanding, while the connected features reduce the amount of relearning required after purchase.
MacBook Neo sales also challenge the assumption that low-cost notebook buyers care only about the lowest available price. Many customers are willing to spend more than the cost of an entry Chromebook when the difference provides a better display, metal construction, longer useful life or closer integration with a phone.
The line is therefore competing on perceived value rather than absolute cheapness. A $599 launch price remains expensive beside the least costly education laptops, but it enters the same purchasing discussion as many mainstream Windows models. It no longer requires a buyer to stretch directly toward MacBook Air pricing.
Education represents a particularly large opportunity. Schools and families make purchases around durability, battery life, software management, support requirements and the number of years a computer can remain useful. A lower acquisition price gives the Mac a better chance of surviving the first stage of that calculation.
Small businesses face similar decisions. A company that previously reserved Macs for designers or executives can consider Neo for administrative work, communication and browser-based services. Wider Mac deployment then becomes possible without assigning a premium notebook to every employee.
MacBook Neo sales may also protect Apple from depending entirely on upgrades. Mature computer owners can keep a capable Mac for many years, extending replacement cycles. Bringing new people onto the platform creates additional demand without waiting for an existing MacBook Air or MacBook Pro to become obsolete.
Worldwide Adoption Is the Larger Story
The geographic distribution of the first units shows both progress and unfinished work. IDC estimated that 44% of March-quarter shipments went to the United States. That concentration is unsurprising for an Apple launch, but the larger opportunity sits in markets where Mac adoption has remained limited by price.
India offers an early example. Approximately 18,000 units reportedly shipped there during the short March launch period, while retailers later experienced difficulty obtaining enough inventory. The local starting price of ₹69,900 remained above the direct currency conversion of the U.S. price, yet it sat far below the ₹119,900 entry point reported for MacBook Air at the time.
Older MacBook Air generations had previously generated Indian sales when retailers offered substantial discounts. Neo gives Apple and its partners a current model to promote throughout the year rather than depending on irregular clearance inventory.
Availability timing will influence adoption elsewhere. The computer reached some markets later than the initial launch, including Indonesia in May. Local taxes, currency movements, distribution capacity and supply allocation can produce a very different value proposition from one country to another.
Independent forecasts remain optimistic despite severe pressure across the PC industry. TrendForce projected Apple notebook shipments could grow 7.7% during 2026 and estimated that MacBook Neo could reach between 4 million and 5 million units. IDC later said stronger-than-expected demand from the model contributed to an upward revision of its notebook forecast.
Those gains are occurring while memory shortages and rising component costs are pushing much of the computer industry toward higher prices. IDC expects worldwide PC shipments to contract during 2026, making Apple expansion unusual in a market where many manufacturers are reducing configurations and protecting margins.
Supply control helped Apple enter the lower tier at a difficult moment. The company already designs the A18 Pro, uses a highly standardized configuration and purchases components at enormous scale. That structure gave it more room to assemble a focused notebook without relying on a separate processor vendor for the central chip.
Recent Mac price increases caused by rising memory costs may test how much of the early advantage Apple can preserve. Neo depends on remaining close enough to mainstream notebooks that first-time buyers continue placing it on the same shortlist. A widening price gap would return the Mac to the premium territory the new line was created to escape.
The next evidence will arrive through education purchasing cycles and expansion in price-sensitive countries. A personal citrus or blush MacBook can win attention in a store, but deployments across schools and small businesses will depend on supply, local pricing, management costs and useful life. The first semester filled classrooms with individual Neo buyers; the coming academic year will reveal whether entire institutions are ready to replace rows of gray laptops with macOS.
A new Google Earth tool allowed the creation of A.I. deepfake maps. The tech giant quickly pulled it back after a backlash and concerns about disinformation risks.
Calendar and contacts management apps updated with user interface improvements and bug fixes. ($49.99 new for each, free update, various sizes, macOS 12.4+)
Entre aplicações para seguir o Sol no eclipse, jogos e apoio ao exercício físico, as aplicações que a equipa do TEK Notícias escolheu esta semana podem dar uma ajuda a refrescar o seu smartphone ou tablet.
Boy, sure is a hot one today, huh? Okay, I get the irony: that's a take so cold you could use it to replace your freezing Wim Hof showers. But when the metaphorical mercury creeps this high, you've got to keep your cool. The same goes for your laptop, which is why you might want to grab a laptop cooling pad this summer.
Fortunately for you, I've spent this week testing every laptop cooling pad I can get my hands on to see which offers the superior AC for your computer. Not only that, but I've brought receipts — this piece has more graphics and graphs than election night coverage. So if you want objective numbers about which pad is genuinely gusty and which is all bluster, I've got the data you need.
I get that it can be tempting to overlook cooling your laptop during warm weather — I've been more worried this summer about tracking down a fan to keep myself cool than my laptops. But you overlook the best laptop cooling pads at your peril.
I still have vivid memories of the summer I redlined my laptop during a heatwave. While the video skittering should have been a hint, it was only when it stopped booting up and started bleeping SOS in Morse code that I began questioning my life choices. Turns out I'd burnt out the memory — quite literally: there were scorch marks on the inside of the case.
So at this time of year, it's worth considering whether a laptop cooling pad can help you out. And I can definitely help out there.
Laptop cooling pads: cooling
Temperature Rise Using Laptop Cooling Pad
The temperature rise during a stress test while using the laptop cooling pad on max settings
Baseline
31.9
TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad
22.8
Klim Mistral
20.4
Klim Wind
19.5
Almiuzi F2 Plus Laptop Cooling Pad
18.4
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
17.9
Klim Ultimate
15.5
Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad
15.3
Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad
12
Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad
8
010203040
Temperature difference (°C) Data
Product
Value
Baseline
31.9
TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad
22.8
Klim Mistral
20.4
Klim Wind
19.5
Almiuzi F2 Plus Laptop Cooling Pad
18.4
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
17.9
Klim Ultimate
15.5
Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad
15.3
Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad
12
Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad
8
Baseline
57.4
TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad
41
Klim Mistral
36.7
Klim Wind
35.1
Almiuzi F2 Plus Laptop Cooling Pad
33.1
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
32.2
Klim Ultimate
27.9
Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad
27.5
Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad
21.6
Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad
14.4
015304560
Temperature difference (°F) Data
Product
Value
Baseline
57.4
TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad
41
Klim Mistral
36.7
Klim Wind
35.1
Almiuzi F2 Plus Laptop Cooling Pad
33.1
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
32.2
Klim Ultimate
27.9
Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad
27.5
Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad
21.6
Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad
14.4
Lower values indicate better cooling.
How I tested
To test each laptop cooling pad's performance, I ran a 3DMark Steel Nomad stress test on an Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU. The test ran for 15 minutes, with each cooling pad set to maximum. Using a thermal camera, I clocked the hottest point before and after the test, then calculated the temperature differential between the two to determine how much warming each cooling pad allowed.
Assessing which laptop cooling pad is a breezy wonder and which is a wheezy blunder ultimately comes down to how frosty each model's cooling is. That's why I went through every pad I could get my hands on to see how much each one prevented our gaming laptop from heating up during a 3DMark stress test.
As you can see, by far the weakest cooling offered by any laptop cooling pad I tested was from the TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad. Compared to the 57.4°F / 31.9°C baseline rise of our gaming laptop alone, the C12 was only able to limit it to a 41°F / 22.8°C rise — that might be better than frantically waving a dish towel in its general direction, but only barely.
Probably the biggest disappointment of these tests was how the Klim Mistral performed. Not only did it seem to perform worse than the more affordable Klim Wind — resulting in 36.7°F / 20.4°C warming compared to the Wind's 35.1°F / 19.5°C — but it was pretty inconsistent to boot, achieving even worse results on a retest.
Skipping ahead a little, the laptop cooling pad I was most surprised by was the TECKNET. Although it's cheaper than quite a few of the pads I tested here, setting me back just $21.59 / £21.99, the 32.2°F / 17.6°C warming it presided over put it firmly in the top half of the pack. It's the little laptop cooling pad that could.
(Image credit: Future)
Given that the Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad and Klim Ultimate both achieved an almost photo finish, it would be easy to assume there's not much daylight between them. However, like a bottle of wine, you really need to weigh up what you're spending here to calculate its true value. And as the Liangstar costs $20.99 / £23.59 versus the Klim Ultimate's $44.97 / £44.97 price tag, that definitely takes the edge here.
But, frankly, there's a reason Llano is the absolute GOAT in my eyes. As you can see, it took both first and second place on my cooling pad podium. While the Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad stopped our gaming laptop from warming up more than 21.6°F / 12°C, the Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad kept it down to just 14.4°F / 8°C of warming. This boi makes liquid nitrogen look positively toasty.
Laptop cooling pads: noise levels
1 / 2
Noise Level — cooling pad alone
Noise level of the cooling pad or laptop alone taken at head height and from 3 inches away
Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad
71
Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad
64.5
Klim Mistral
52.6
Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad
45
TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad
43.5
Laptop alone
42
Almiuzi F2 Plus Laptop Cooling Pad
37.4
Klim Wind
36.2
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
36
Klim Ultimate
36
020406080
dB
Head height Data
Product
Value
Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad
71
Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad
64.5
Klim Mistral
52.6
Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad
45
TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad
43.5
Laptop alone
42
Almiuzi F2 Plus Laptop Cooling Pad
37.4
Klim Wind
36.2
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
36
Klim Ultimate
36
Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad
85
Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad
77
Klim Mistral
62.6
Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad
59
TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad
58
Laptop alone
60
Almiuzi F2 Plus Laptop Cooling Pad
50.2
Klim Wind
48.8
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
60
Klim Ultimate
46
0255075100
dB
Near Data
Product
Value
Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad
85
Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad
77
Klim Mistral
62.6
Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad
59
TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad
58
Laptop alone
60
Almiuzi F2 Plus Laptop Cooling Pad
50.2
Klim Wind
48.8
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
60
Klim Ultimate
46
Noise Level — cooling pad & laptop
Combined noise level of the cooling pad and laptop taken at head height and from 3 inches away
Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad
64
Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad
57.5
Klim Mistral
51.5
TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad
45
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
45
Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad
45
Klim Ultimate
44.4
Klim Wind
44
Almiuzi F2 Plus Laptop Cooling Pad
44
020406080
dB Head height Data
Product
Value
Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad
64
Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad
57.5
Klim Mistral
51.5
TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad
45
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
45
Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad
45
Klim Ultimate
44.4
Klim Wind
44
Almiuzi F2 Plus Laptop Cooling Pad
44
Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad
79
Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad
69
Klim Mistral
61.5
TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad
58.5
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
58
Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad
59
Klim Ultimate
55.2
Klim Wind
58.5
Almiuzi F2 Plus Laptop Cooling Pad
61
020406080
dB Near Data
Product
Value
Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad
79
Llano V10 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad
69
Klim Mistral
61.5
TopMate C12 Laptop Cooling Pad
58.5
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
58
Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad
59
Klim Ultimate
55.2
Klim Wind
58.5
Almiuzi F2 Plus Laptop Cooling Pad
61
How I tested
When it came to noise levels, I measured the noise of each cooling pad from 3 inches away and from my head height when sitting in front of it. I also recorded the combined noise of each cooling pad and the testing laptop's fans 10 minutes into each stress test from the same distances.
You may think that your gaming laptop makes a lot of noise. But believe me: that's scarcely more than a murmur compared to some cooling pads. Given they're essentially just an LED-adorned box with a whopping great fan inside, they can get pretty shouty. That's why I grabbed the sound level meter from my utility belt and started measuring like the world's nerdiest superhero.
Perhaps predictably, the pad that blows coolest blows loudest. While I love the Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad's glacial chilling, I can't get away from the fact that it's pretty noisy. I'm 5 foot 11 inches tall, and from my head height, I clocked it at 71dB — according to the Center for Hearing and Communication, that's roughly as loud as a coffee grinder or freeway traffic. In my book, that's a worthy price to pay for keeping your laptop cool, but it might not be ideal if you're planning to use it in the office.
In fact, you might assume there's an inverse relationship between cooling and fan noise. And while that does hold true for the most part, there are some interesting exceptions. For example, while I found the Liangstar Laptop Cooling Pad offered the third best cooling in my tests overall, it was substantially quieter than either of the Llanos, clocking in at a much less brash 45dB.
Conversely, the Klim Mistral manages to buck the trend in the other direction, running surprisingly loud compared to some of the other competitors here. At 52dB, it kicks out a similar level of noise as a fridge — which is pretty ironic given it offered some of the worst cooling in my testing.
(Image credit: Future)
And there are some surprising candidates for the winner's podium when it comes to sound levels. The TECKNET offers far from the worst cooling, and yet it ties for first place as the quietest pad on test here at 36dB — again, not at all bad given its super affordable price tag.
Honestly, though, if you want whisper-quiet running without sacrificing performance, my pro tip would be to check out the Klim Ultimate. Unlike Klim's two cheaper cooling pads, it offers very credible chilling while also measuring noise levels of 36dB from head height — that's apparently quieter than a library, which isn't known for being a raucous place.
Fundamentally, noise levels probably shouldn't be the deciding factor when picking your perfect laptop cooling pad. Both cooling power and budget come higher up the pecking order in terms of my personal preferences. But that doesn't mean you should ignore it completely — depending on where and how you use your laptop, you could find strapping a jet engine to the bottom of it to be a bit of a deal breaker.
Do I even need a laptop cooling pad?
1 / 2
MacBook Air M5 encode test
Performance after an hour during a standard encode test both with and without cooling
Versus Comparison Data
Attribute
Benchmark — MacBook Air M5
Klim Ultimate — MacBook Air M5
Average FPS
2.52
2.77
Estimated encode time
122
114
VS
Average FPS (fps)
2.52
2.77+10%
Estimated encode time (minutes)
+7%122
114
Re-encoding a 4K stereo .mov file at highest quality, the MacBook Air M5 showed a modest reduction in throttling in terms of average FPS and encode time when using the Klim Ultimate laptop cooling pad.
Acer Predator Helios 300 encode test
Performance after an hour during a standard encode test both with and without cooling
Versus Comparison Data
Attribute
Benchmark — Acer Predator Helios 300
Klim Ultimate — Acer Predator Helios 300
Average FPS
2.8
2.8
Estimated encode time
115
113
VS
Average FPS (fps)
2.8
2.8
Estimated encode time (minutes)
+2%115
113
Re-encoding a 4K stereo .mov file at highest quality, the Acer Predator Helios 300 showed essentially no reduction in either average FPS or estimated encode time, suggesting limited heat-related throttling took place.
How I tested
Here I used a standard encoding test. I re-encoded the 4K stereo version of the Creative Commons animated movie Big Buck Bunny at 4K 120fps at the slowest encode speed, then ran it for an hour to allow throttling to take place and recorded the total estimated encode time and average encode rate. I ran this on both my MacBook Air M5 and our testing Acer Predator Helios 300, uncooled and cooled with the Klim Ultimate, to see the impact it had on performance.
So it's pretty clear which cooling pads offer ice-cold AC and which sound like a tumble dryer breaking the sound barrier. But I've left the biggest question until last — do you actually need one at all?
Aiming to prove my theorem that 'cold CPU = good', I whipped up a quick encode test designed to stress out the CPU of several laptops over a longer period. In theory, after an hour, their core temperature should have risen, their CPUs throttled, and the length of the encode spiked and the encode rate dropped. Running the same test with one of our top cooling pads, the Klim Ultimate, would then show how much it could reduce this throttling.
On my MacBook Air M5, after an hour of using its passive cooling alone, the total estimated encode time had crept up to 122 minutes, and the average encode rate was sitting at 2.52 FPS. When I reran the test with the Klim Ultimate running on max cooling, that total encode time was trimmed to 114 minutes, and the encode rate had increased to 2.77 FPS. That's not a huge difference, but it shows the Klim Ultimate was able to trim back some of that temperature-related throttling.
Running the same test on our Acer Predator Helios 300 was a much more ambiguous experience. During my first run, the encode crashed within minutes, and during the second it crashed moments after the test concluded. So it was honestly far from stable.
I was able to eventually get some results, however, and they showed... nothing. Whether I was using the Klim Ultimate or not, the test results were essentially identical, with Handbrake clocking an estimated encode time of 115 minutes uncooled and 113 with the Klim's help. Meanwhile, the encode rate remained steady, sitting at a reasonable 2.8 FPS.
(Image credit: Future)
What does that mean? That I've wasted several hours of my life? Not quite. There are a couple of key conclusions to take away from this. One is that a performance laptop with whacking great fans built in is already pretty good at keeping itself cool. Shocking revelation, I know.
But probably the more critical takeaway is that the mileage you get out of a laptop cooling pad is going to vary depending on how well optimized it is for handling heat, as well as the kind of tasks you're doing. Had I tried to run Cyberpunk 2077 on max graphics settings with ray-tracing switched on, the Predator Helios 300 would likely have caused it to melt into the earth's core.
There's also another caveat. While it's definitely been warm the last week or so in the TechRadar testing lab, it hasn't reached the kind of desiccating highs that have hit both the US and UK in recent months. Past a certain point, any laptop will struggle in the heat. Forget CPU throttling — in that heat, I'd be more worried about your components liquefying like a chocolate bunny on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral.
In light of that, I'd say a laptop cooling pad is still worth exploring, especially if you tend to do a lot of resource-intensive tasks like 3D work, Photoshopping or gaming.
Any thoughts or personal experiences you'd like to share? Please feel free to chime in down in the comments!
Despite predictions that AI agents could make traditional apps obsolete, developers are shipping new software faster than ever. From smarter bookmarking tools and neighborhood marketplaces to digital pen pals and nature journals, here are the latest App Store finds worth adding to your Home Screen.
Tough sell. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
The HP HyperX Omen 15, which I first saw at CES, replaces the HP Victus 15, a longtime bestselling budget gaming laptop. The Victus cost just $800, or less when on sale, and was a good entry point to decent laptop gaming.
The Omen 15 has nice little upgrades over the Victus. Its RTX 5050 Laptop GPU can play 2026's latest games, albeit on low-ish settings. But it's also got a brighter 16:10 aspect ratio display with higher refresh rate, and a 1080p webcam to make it a little better for non-gaming stuff.
I'd call it a working-class gaming laptop, but thanks to RAMageddon, the Omen 15 starts at $1,200 - a far cry from the $800 that made its …
A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, August 1 (game #881).
Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #882) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Eyes on the prize
NYT Strands today (game #882) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
BURP
HABIT
NATION
CLAP
ALONG
APPEAL
NYT Strands today (game #882) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 7 letters
NYT Strands today (game #882) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
• First side: right, 8th row
• Last side: left, 2nd row
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #882) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #882, are…
AMBITION
GOAL
PLAN
PURPOSE
OBJECTIVE
INTENTION
SPANGRAM: AIMHIGH
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
I’d collected six non-game words before I found AMBITION and managed to resist the temptation of speeding things up with a couple of hints.
After I’d got going, GOAL, PLAN and PURPOSE came easily, but even though I saw OBJECTIVE I still managed to mess up the order connecting the letters.
All in all, a quite straightforward game with the most unusual feature being a rare right-to-left diagonal spangram.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, August 1, game #881)
SILLY
ABSURD
PREPOSTEROUS
LUDICROUS
LAUGHABLE
SPANGRAM: GETREAL
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.
A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, August 1 (game #1650).
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #1651) — hint #1 — Vowels
How many different vowels are in Quordle today?
• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #1651) — hint #2 — repeated letters
Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?
• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.
Quordle today (game #1651) — hint #3 — uncommon letters
Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?
• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.
What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?
• B
• E
• R
• M
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1651) — the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle, game #1651, are…
BOOTH
EASEL
REACH
MAKER
Another close call for me today after I struggled to get EASEL.
Fortunately, by this point I only had a few letters left, so I was out of alternative options. Plus, for my final word MAKER, my first guess of “gamer” gave me the letter M, which narrowed things down considerably.
Daily Sequence today (game #1651) — the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1651, are…
Fã de jogos de mistério e aventuras "point and click"? Case Solved: The London Files coloca os jogadores no papel de um detetive que tem como missão investigar uma série de crimes, num título que promete pôr à prova as suas capacidades de observação e dedução.
Have you been asking yourself this question lately, “Why is my Mac running slowly?” If yes, you’re one of a number of users who encounter the problem wherein their computer starts to slow down. It’s a perennial question that we all ask ourselves at some point after using our Macs for a while. It’s ironic […]
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