The Final Four is set. No. 1 UConn has dominated throughout the tournament as the Huskies look to repeat. UConn faces No. 4 Alabama in the second Final Four game on Saturday. Today’s first game features the tournament’s Cinderella team, No. 11 NC State. The Wolfpack have become just the seventh team to reach the Final Four as a double-digit seed. It’ll face No. 1 Purdue, led by Player of the Year Zach Edey. Both games are on TBS.
Here’s everything you need to know for the Final Four and the National Championship game. The short of it is you need only one app for $10 a month — Max (with Ads) — to watch the final three games of the tournament.
Read More: Women’s March Madness 2024: How to Watch Caitlin Clark Today and Every Tournament Game
How can I watch or stream March Madness?
At this stage in the tourney, you need just one channel — TBS — for the Final Four and championship game.
You can watch TBS with a cable subscription or a live TV streaming service, but the most affordable option is signing up for a month of Max. With the basic, ad-supported $10-a-month Max streaming service, you can watch the TBS broadcast of both Final Four games on Saturday and the National Championship game on Monday.
Does Max have a free trial?
No, Max does not offer a free trial. The streaming service is, however, offering a deal of 40% off for the first year if you subscribe with its annual plan option. For the “With Ads” version, that would be $70 for the year, which amounts to $5.83 per month.
Which devices can I use to watch March Madness?
You’ll find an app for the Max streaming service to watch on an iPhone or Android phone as well as an iPad, Android tablet or Amazon Fire tablet. Max is also available on mainstream streaming platforms including Roku, Apple TV, Android TV/Google TV and Fire TV, as well as smart televisions from major manufacturers LG, Samsung and Vizio. It is also accessible through Xbox and PlayStation game consoles.
What is the March Madness schedule for the Final Four?
Here is the schedule for Saturday’s games (all times ET).
Saturday, April 6
No. 11 NC State vs. No. 1 Purdue, 6:09 p.m. on TBS
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 UConn, 8:49 p.m. on TBS
What is the March Madness tournament schedule?
Here’s the remaining schedule, round by round:
Final Four: Saturday, April 6
NCAA championship game: Monday, April 8
What’s the best live TV streaming service for March Madness?
After Max for $10 a month, Sling TV at $40 per month is the next cheapest option for watching the Final Four and National Championship on TBS.
With its multi-view capability, YouTube TV was a great pick for earlier in the tournament if you wanted to watch more than one game at a time, but that’s not a concern at this stage of the tournament when only one game is played at a time. YouTube TV, along with Hulu with Live TV and DirecTV Stream offer TBS.
Can I stream March Madness for free?
Go to the NCAA’s March Madness Live site or use its March Madness Live app and you’ll be able to watch games for free. You can watch March Madness Live on iOS and Android devices along with Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Xbox. The app also supports AirPlay and Chromecast.
As with most things that are free, there’s a catch. Without proving you’re a pay TV subscriber, you get only a three-hour preview, after which point you’ll need to log in to continue watching.
All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission.Reviews ethics statement
Andrew LanxonEditor At Large, Lead Photographer, Europe
Andrew is CNET’s go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
8.4/ 10 SCORE
Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Pros
Astonishingly good camera system
Unique camera grip transforms it into a compact camera
Lightning fast performance
Great, vibrant display
Cons
Very expensive; camera grip is a pricey extra
Battery life is only OK
Software support period could be longer
The 14 Ultra is Xiaomi’s brand-new flagship Android phone, and while it comes with a suite of top tech like a blistering Qualcomm chip and glorious display, it also has an awesome camera setup that’s capable of taking some of the best images I’ve ever seen from a phone.
That’s perhaps no surprise given the massive image sensor stuffed inside, along with a wide, variable aperture and Leica-engineered optics. Together with the handy Photography Kit, which includes a grip with shutter controls, I’ve loved using the 14 Ultra simply as a compact camera.
Read more: Best phone to buy in 2024
But it’s still good as a phone, too, with stellar performance from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, a glorious display and good enough battery life. And you’d be right to expect good performance, as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra costs 1,299. Add on the 179 photography kit and that comes to the princely sum of 1,478. Xiaomi doesn’t officially sell its phones in the US, but that base UK price converts to $1,640.
That’s a fair step up over the $1,420 it will cost you to put the same 512GB capacity Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in your pocket. Most people will probably get on better with Samsung’s phone or even looking towards the much more affordable Pixel 8 Pro.
But the photographers among you who want to always carry a truly superb camera setup, without the hassle of actually having to pack a dedicated camera, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is well worth splashing out on. I’ve taken better photos on this than I have on any other iPhone or Android phone, and using it with the grip makes it feel just like a regular compact camera.
A massive image sensor for amazing photos
The main camera is the hero of the bunch, packing an image sensor which is physically much larger (1/0.98-inch) than the sensors you’ll find in almost any other phone, including the iPhone 15 Pro Max (1/1.28-inch) or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (1/1.33-inch). A larger image sensor can gather more information, resulting in better looking shots and a wider dynamic range.
That big sensor has been paired with a variable aperture lens that can open wide to f/1.6 or stop down to f/4. Xiaomi partnered with legendary camera maker Leica, which lent some of its expertise to the 14 Ultra’s lens elements too, all of which make this phone capable of taking beautiful, pin-sharp images.
I took the camera around London and Edinburgh in a variety of conditions, and I have been genuinely blown away by the photos I was able to take. I shot most of my images using the phone’s pro mode, which allows for raw image capture. I have it set to shoot both raw and JPEGs, and I use the Leica high contrast black-and-white filter for a punchy monochrome look.
By shooting both JPEG and raw, I can capture the original black-and-white JPEGand still have the raw file, which can be turned back to color if I want to as raw files retain that color information. But I’ve actually been really pleased with JPEGs straight out of camera, especially when using the high-contrast monochrome mode. Personally, it’s black-and-white imagery where I think this camera excels.
The DNG raw files allow for deeper editing in apps like Adobe Lightroom and again, and I am blown away by the depth of editing possible on the 14 Ultra’s image files. The huge dynamic range gives me latitude to tone down highlights and rescue shadows, and that allowed me to edit these phone images in exactly the same way I would with images from my regular camera.
Below are two images of a roller skater. The first one is straight out of camera and underexposed. But as you can see in the second one, I was able to edit the photo and bring up a lot of detail while still maintaining a good exposure in the bright sky.
Here are two versions of a shot of people queuing at a food stall. The original image had some really overexposed highlights that I’ve again been able to rescue in post to create this great looking final shot with beautiful shadows.
The same thing happened in this shot. I assumed the original image would be irreparably blown out in the highlights. But the 14 Ultra’s file actually gave me plenty of room to bring the shot back to exactly where I wanted it.
To make it even more of a fully fledged camera, Xiaomi sells what it calls the Photography Kit. It comes with a case, a 67mm mount for attaching professional photo filters and a grip that lets you hold it exactly like a compact camera. The grip has a shutter button on top that lets you half-press to focus and fully press to take your image — again, just like a regular camera. It also has a small battery inside to help keep you shooting longer.
I loved using the camera grip when I was out and about in London as it’s a much more natural way of shooting. It even makes the phone look just like a camera, and there’s something about that which allows me to engage with my photography more than I would if I was just holding up a phone and tapping on the screen. The photography kit is a must-buy if you’re getting this phone for its image-taking prowess.
You’ll also find 3.2x and 5x optical zoom lenses, both of which have 50-megapixel sensors and both of which can take great-looking images packed with detail. The ultrawide — again, 50 megapixels — does a similarly good job.
The phone is great at night too, as that big sensor and wide aperture allow it to capture plenty of detail in low light. But for proper night photos I actually prefer to take manual control and step down the aperture to around f/3 to achieve gorgeous star bursts on points of light in the scene, which isn’t something I’ve ever been able to achieve on a phone before.
Again, shooting in high-contrast black and white works really well at night, though I’ve also found I can push the raw DNG files (that were also taken at night) hard to achieve the exact look I want.
It’s fair to say that I am suitably impressed with the photography prowess of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and I can comfortably say that it is the best camera phone I have ever used.
So what about the rest of the phone?
Well, it ticks all of the boxes you should hope for from a top-end flagship phone in 2024. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor delivered excellent benchmark scores and makes the phone a breeze in everyday use. Navigation around the Android 14 interface is swift and playing demanding games like Asphalt 9 or Genshin Impact on max settings is no problem at all.
The 6.73-inch display is bright, vibrant and pin sharp, and the Android software is easy to use, although there are a variety of preinstalled apps from both Xiaomi itself and third parties like AliExpress that I find cluttered the place up.
Battery life is one of the only places where the phone doesn’t earn my praise. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine. Like most phones, you’ll be able to get pretty much a full day of mixed use between charges, but it’s not top of the class in this regard.
The other disappointment is the software support period, where Xiaomi has committed to four years of Android updates and an additional fifth year of security patches. That’s not bad, but it falls behind the seven years both Google and Samsung are offering for their flagships.
Is this a phone you should buy?
Seen purely as a phone, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is par for the course for a top-end Android phone, with excellent all-round performance and decent, if not great battery life. If all you want is a good Android phone you’d be better off looking toward the Pixel 8 line, which will get you a great Android experience for quite a lot less money.
But if photography is your thing, then the 14 Ultra is the Android phone to buy. Its images are exceptional, giving huge creative scope for photographers of all kinds to get the shots they want. It’s finally a phone where I don’t need to consider taking a proper camera with me on day trips or photo walks, I can just take the phone, knowing I’m still going to be able to capture beautiful images.
Titanium frame, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cover glass
2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E
US price starts at
Converts to $1,646 (512GB)
$1,300 (256GB)
Converts to $1,076 (256GB)
$800 (128GB)
UK price starts at
1,299 (512GB)
1,249 (256GB)
849 (256GB)
799 (128GB)
Australia price starts at
Converts to AU$2,509 (512GB)
AU$2,199 (256GB)
Converts to $1,640 (256GB)
AU$1,399 (256GB)
How we test phones
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water-resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes, using standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark as well as our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using the phone daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We take into account additional features, like support for 5G; satellite connectivity; fingerprint and face sensors; stylus support; fast charging speeds; and foldable displays, among others that can be useful. And we balance all this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value. Though these tests may not always be reflected in CNET’s initial review, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.
Everyone likes being able to buy and unbox a shiny new gadget or fancy kitchen appliance. The only thing better than getting something new is knowing you got it for a really good price. If you’ve been eyeing something, now’s your chance to clear that cart during Best Buy’s massive outlet event. Right now Best Buy is offering deals right across the board, including on clearance and open-box products with discounts of up to 50% off. You can find TVs, laptops, phone accessories and more. Check out the entire sale selection below.
With so many pages of sale items, you may feel a little overwhelmed. To save you some time and make sure you have access to the best discounts available during this sale, we’ve rounded up a few standout deals. These are our top picks right now.
Along with the above deals, we’re also seeing significant savings on some of the best TVs on the market. There are several pages of discounts on open-box options, including the sleek Samsung Frame. The 65-inch model starts as low as $1,153 and it would make the perfect addition to any space. If you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, Best Buy has a 43-inch Insignia Fire TV starting at just $128. If you’re seeking more home appliances, you can save up to 60% on open-box options, including a Whirlpool smart top-load washer that’s currently available for $800, which is $235 off its original $1,035 price tag.
Of course, there’s no shortage of phone accessories available at Best Buy. OtterBox is a popular brand that’s often recommended by our experts. If you’re looking for a hard shell case for your iPhone 14 Plus, you can grab this OtterBox Fre case for $70.
And if you’re willing to go the refurbished route, then you have even more options. There are Apple AirPods Pro available for $170 and Beats Studio Buds Plus available for just $80. These options come with other perks, including three free months of Apple TV Plus.
Arsenal face a tough test of their title contender status on Saturday as they travel to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton in the English Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners clocked up a fairly routine win over struggling Luton on Wednesday, but may need to dig deeper today against a Seagulls side that’s still very much in the mix for European qualification.
The hosts have registered just one victory from their last five EPL matches, but Robert De Zerbi’s side have put in some solid performances during that run and have the talent to get back to winning ways and upend Arsenal’s title pursuit.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.
Brighton vs. Arsenal: When and where?
Brighton host Arsenal at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, April 6. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. BST, which is 12:30 p.m. ET or 9:30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 2:30 a.m. AEST on Sunday, April 7, in Australia.
How to watch the Brighton vs. Arsenal game online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Livestream Brighton vs. Arsenal in the US
Saturday’s Brighton vs. Arsenal match is streaming on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login, and can be streamed via Sling TV and other more expensive streaming TV services.
Livestream the Brighton vs. Arsenal game in the UK
Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). Brighton vs. Arsenal is exclusive to Sky Sports, showing on its Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League and Ultra channels. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the game.
Livestream the Brighton vs. Arsenal game in Canada
If you want to stream Brighton vs. Arsenal live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.
Livestream the Brighton vs. Arsenal game in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.
Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
Apple introduced iMessage reactions, called Tapback, with iOS 10 in 2016. The feature lets you react to a message in one of six ways; a heart, thumbs up or down, a “Haha,” exclamation points or a question mark. However, some people might be confused or irritated when they see someone react to their message.
Let’s say you’re texting your crush, and you react to their last message with a thumbs-up. You might simply be saying, “Sounds good!” but they might read the reaction as, “This conversation is over. Goodbye.” Congratulations, you played yourself, and now your crush thinks you hate them. But using emoji lets you quickly tell the other person what you really mean in a more direct way, and it gives you the whole emoji spectrum to do so.
Here’s how to use an emoji to react to specific messages on your iPhone.
Read more: How to Decipher Each Emoji
How to react with emoji
1. In the appropriate iMessage conversation, tap the blank iMessage bar across the bottom of your screen like you’re going to type something. 2. Tap the emoji keyboard icon — the smiley icon — in the bottom left corner of your screen. 3. Long press on the emoji you want to use. 4. Drag the emoji to the message and release it.
Now, instead of giving something a thumbs-up or an exclamation point reaction, you can give the raised hands emoji, the eyes emoji or even both. You can use multiple emoji to react to messages, pictures and gifs sent in conversations between you and another person, or in group messages.
You can also use this feature to combine emoji. To do this, you have to layer emoji on top of a sticker in iMessage. Here’s how to create your own emoji combos.
Layer emoji over stickers for fun combos
1. In the appropriate iMessage conversation, tap the plus sign (+) next to the blank iMessage bar across the bottom of your screen. 2. Tap Stickers. 3. Tap and send your chosen sticker. 4. Tap the blank iMessage bar again, then follow the above steps for using emoji reactions.
You can add as many emoji as you want to each sticker, so you could have fun and make small scenes if you wanted to. However, you can’t save these combined emoji, so you’ll have to recreate them each time. Hopefully Apple will let people save them in the future.
For more on iOS, here are the features that could be coming to your iPhone with iOS 17.5 and the features that were included with iOS 17.4. You can also check out our iOS 17 cheat sheet.
Aston Villa will be desperate to get their charge for a top-four place back on track on Saturday, as they host a Brentford side looking to ease themselves clear of the drop zone in the English Premier League.
Villa crashed to a 4-1 defeat to title-chasing Man City in midweek. That loss didn’t prove as damaging to their hopes of finishing in a guaranteed UEFA Champions League qualification place as it might, after rivals Spurs were held to a draw on Tuesday.
Brentford have won just one game from their last 10 — a run that leaves them just six points clear of the relegation zone. Bees boss Thomas Frank will be desperate to claim all 3 points here, but his team will need to make history in doing so, with the west Londoners having never won a game at Villa Park.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.
Aston Villa vs. Brentford: When and where?
Aston Villa host Brentford at Villa Park in Birmingham on Saturday, April 6. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. BST (10 a.m. ET, 7 a.m. PT in the US and Canada; and 12 a.m. AEDT on Sunday, April 7, in Australia).
How to watch the Aston Villa vs. Brentford game online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Livestream Aston Villa vs. Brentford in the US
Saturday’s Aston Villa vs. Brentford match is streaming on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login, and can be streamed via Sling TV and other more expensive streaming TV services.
Can I livestream the Aston Villa vs. Brentford game in the UK?
No broadcaster has the rights to show this game live in the UK, due to the traditional Saturday 3 p.m. kickoff blackout, which prohibits matches being shown in the region at that time in order to protect attendances throughout the English football pyramid.
That also means that if you’re in the UK traveling for pleasure or for work, you’re unlikely to be able to watch the game like you normally would at home, thanks to geo-blocking.
There is one option to get around this, however. By using a VPN, as explained above, you can set your location to a country where the match is being broadcast and go from there.
Livestream the Aston Villa vs. Brentford game in Canada
If you want to stream Aston Villa vs. Brentford live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.
Livestream the Aston Villa vs. Brentford game in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.
Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission.Reviews ethics statement
Lori GruninSenior Editor / Advice
I’ve been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I’m currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I’ve also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
ExpertisePhotography, PCs and laptops, gaming and gaming accessories
Keyboard backlight can make keys harder to differentiate
Finish shows smudges
HP gets points for style with its new 14-inch Omen Transcend model, a compact option for the compact gaming/creative crowd in the not-expensive-but-not-cheap mainstream price range. With performance suitable for high-quality 1080p or mid-quality 1440p gaming, along with a striking design, it’s a definite option to consider if you’re in the market and don’t care about a few potential flaws.
The Transcend comes in dark gray or white — the latter costs $20 extra — and can be configured in a variety of ways. The only display available is the 2,880×1,00 60Hz/120Hz dynamic-refresh-rate OLED, though. It starts at $1,500 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, GeForce RTX 4050, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM and Wi-Fi 6E. Ramping up to an RTX 4060 runs another $70; if you want to bump to a 4070, it costs another $570, because you can only get that by jumping to a Core Ultra 9 185H with 32GB RAM. A 1TB SSD adds $90, while 2TB requires $250 over the base; Wi-Fi 7 is a $40 option and Windows 11 Pro $70. All told, you can spend up to $2,450 on the laptop.
HP Omen Transcend 14
Price as reviewed
$1,700, 1,799
Display
14-inch 2,880×1800 (2.8K) 120Hz OLED 500 nits
CPU
1.4GHz Intel Core Ultra 155H
Memory
16GB LPDDR5X-7467 (soldered)
Graphics
8GB GDDR6 Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, max 65w
Storage
1TB SSD
Ports
2 x USB-C (1 x Thunderbolt 4 with DP 1.4), 2 x USB-A 3.1, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x combo audio
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200, Bluetooth 5.4
Operating system
Windows 10 Home 23H2
Weight
3.6 lbs/1.6kg
One of HP’s novelties for the Transcend 14 is a built-in wireless transceiver for the HyperX Cloud 3 wireless headset (HyperX is an HP brand), an excellent gaming headset. HP offers a bundle with the headset, but you don’t get any discount buying it that way, since it’s about the same $150 either way, and comes with the same dongle for use with other systems. It’s nice not having to worry about a dongle, but you can wait and buy it on sale if you’re on the fence. The transceiver only works with that headset, though.
We tested a middle $1,700 configuration of the laptop — the base plus 1TB SSD and Wi-Fi 7 — though HP sent the headset bundle box, so technically it’s the $1,850 version. Given the laptop’s solid but not standout performance, I’d suggest opting for a different laptop if you need more power, like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, rather than upping to the Ultra 9/RTX 4070 config. If performance doesn’t matter all that much to you, then save some money and get the base configuration, possibly with extra storage or Wi-Fi 7.
Design
I really like the look of the Transcend 14. It’s striking without resorting to slablike, though the only RGB lighting on it is the keyboard backlight — which seems to have enough lighting for all the laptops. It’s relatively thin at 0.7 in/18mm, but looks thinner because it has rubber feet that leave some space beneath it to accommodate the air intake on the bottom. It’s not especially lightweight, about the same as competitors with discrete GPUs.
The ports are scattered on the left, right and back. There’s a decent number of them, but it’s somewhat disappointing that the USB connections are only USB 3.1: That’s got a 10Gbps transfer rate. Of course you can get 40Gbps through the rear Thunderbolt 4 port, but if you’re using it for creation as HP pitches this, I’d want two Thunderbolt ports or at least a second fast USB 3.2 connection (and you lose the one at the back for if you’re on power). If you only need the connections for attaching an external keyboard or mouse, you’re fine with the slower ports.
The touchpad is the same quality as you get with its biz and premium laptops, so no complaints there. I did notice that frequently touched areas, like the wrist rests, developed smudgeprints very quickly, a problem you likely wouldn’t have with the white model.
While the latticeless-ish (I say “ish” because the strike zones of the keys don’t extend to meet each other, instead spreading at the base to show the backlight), per-key RGB keyboard makes a striking first impression, it was only partially effective as a backlight. The LEDs are designed to illuminate the area formerly called the lattice, but the symbols on the keycaps are barely — if at all — translucent and are overwhelmed by all the color. The only way I could read the letters in the dark was to look directly down on the keyboard.
Otherwise, it’s a perfectly serviceable membrane keyboard, and the decent 1080p webcam supports Windows Hello facial recognition, and you can use both Windows Studio Effects and Nvidia Broadcast, the latter accessible though the Omen Gaming Hub software. The camera is below average in low light (noise), the exposure is meh (it doesn’t meter off your face, so you get hotspots on your forehead and cheeks) and my normally pasty-white skin looked like a creamsicle. The software addresses the noise, but neither lets you fine tune exposure or white balance. Nvidia Broadcast has a lot more controls than Studio Effects, video and audio; the latter draws less power, but the former runs on more powerful hardware. Overall, it’s pretty typical of what I’ve seen from HP, though.
Performance and display
It’s hard to screw up an OLED screen, and this one’s no exception, delivering OLED-typical high contrast and a large color gamut with colors that pop. It’s good for everyday use and reasonably accurate for most creative work. If you do need color-critical accuracy, you should tweak the calibration, since it uses a generic profile that could use some tightening.
As it is, the white point is a hair low — close to DCI-P3 at 6200K, but a little warm for the more commonly accepted 6500K. Gamma is a little high at 2.3, but that can work better than 2.2 on OLED, since it opens up the shadows, where OLED tends to clip. Like all OLED panels, it covers 100% P3, and sRGB plus 94% Adobe RGB. It doesn’t have profiles for the other color spaces, which means it extends well past the boundaries of sRGB and may render highly saturated hues inaccurately. It hits peak brightness around 400 nits in standard mode, which is good for OLED (OLED’s higher contrast means it doesn’t need to get as bright for visibility in direct light as IPS).
Color measurements
Gamut coverage
White point
Gamma
Peak brightness 10% window (nits)
Peak full screen brightness (nits)
Accuracy (DE2K average/max)
SDR
100% P3, 149% sRGB, 94% Adobe RGB
6200K
2.3
402
397
2.47/5.55
HDR
100% P3
6450K
n/a
624
617
n/a
At least in my testing, the panel far exceeded its 500 nits rated peak brightness in HDR, hitting well above 600 nits, and a white point of effectively 6500K. It looked good when mapping high-brightness content down to the screens smaller tonal range; at a brightness level of 40, it seemed to most closely approximate the correct tone curve (PQ ST2084). The audio doesn’t fare quite as well; I heard some distortion and muddiness in music, especially when the laptop was on my lap.
The screen supports dynamic refresh-rate switching between 60Hz and 120Hz, intended to save power by dropping to the lower rate when the higher isn’t needed. Like most OLED screens, it has a very high pixel-refresh rate and low persistence, so it displays very little motion blur when gaming at 120Hz.
Graphics performance ranks where expected, between the RTX 4050 and RTX 4070, making the HP generally suitable for high-quality 1080p or mid-quality 1440p gaming or mainstream creative work.
Because the laptop doesn’t support Nvidia’s Advanced Optimus architecture, you can’t force it to use the discrete GPU; the performance settings in the Gaming Hub software let you choose among Eco (always use the integrated GPU), Balanced/Hybrid (let the system choose when to use the discrete GPU) and Performance (the same as Hybrid, but allocating more power to drive the components and dynamically allocate it as needed between the CPU and GPU).
There’s always at least a tiny bit of overhead when the discrete GPU has to work in conjunction with the integrated GPU to drive the screen, which can potentially slow things down a little. The flip side is that it can be more battery efficient, and the HP’s roughly 9- to 10-hour battery life (under the very light load our tests impose) may be worth the tradeoff for some.
You can also control fan speed: It has Auto and Max settings, plus the ability to create a manual curve. The cooling system draws air from the bottom and blows it out through the back, which keeps most of the metal surfaces from getting hot. I could feel it a bit coming through the keyboard, but it never got uncomfortable. The fans can get loud, though.
Processor performance is also on par with the other laptops with Core Ultra 7 155H CPUs we’ve tested. I was hoping the pattern I’d seen with the Alienware m16 R2 of only small drops in performance on battery would hold, but it looks more similar to older Intel H processors, where it can drop a lot when unplugged.
Wrapping sufficient power for mainstream gaming and graphics work in a compact, stylish design with an OLED display makes the HP Omen Transcend a first-rate general-purpose laptop choice and solid value.
Geekbench 6 (multicore)
Acer Predator Triton 14 (PT14-51) on battery6,256Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) on battery6,734Lenovo Slim 7i 14 (2024) on battery8,011HP Omen Transcend 14 on battery8,709Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023)12,049Lenovo Slim 7i 14 (2024)12,128Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)13,038HP Omen Transcend 1413,053Acer Predator Triton 14 (PT14-51)13,904
Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
Cinebench 2024 CPU (multicore)
Lenovo Slim 7i 14 (2024)628HP Omen Transcend 14675Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3)710HP Omen Transcend 14 max power788Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2024819Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2024 Turbo mode932Alienware m16 R2941
Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
Streaming video playback battery drain test (minutes)
Artificial intelligence chatbots are all the rage in the tech industry after ChatGPT hit 100 million users in two months, one of the fastest launches ever. Now parent company OpenAI says demand for a business-focused version of ChatGPT has seen “tremendous growth.”
In an interview with Bloomberg published Thursday, OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap said 600,000 people had signed up for ChatGPT Enterprise, a specialized subscription version of the chatbot service that includes features such as enhanced security, and the ability to read and understand additional data. Lightcap added that the figure was up from 150,000 in January, and predicted that 2024 will be “the year of adoption for AI in the enterprise.”
Read more: Introducing AI Atlas, Your Guide to Today’s Artificial Intelligence
OpenAI’s success expanding adoption of ChatGPT for business means it’s increasingly likely the technology will find its way into many of our workplaces sometime soon. OpenAI said last year that it had seen teams in over 80% of Fortune 500 companies adopt ChatGPT.
In his review of ChatGPT, CNET’s Imad Khan says, “It’s a tool that, when used in conjunction with Google and other resources, can help cut time down on research and discovery.” However, questions have to be carefully worded to get the most use out of ChatGPT. (Khan has also reviewed Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and the Perplexity AI search engine, and he has thoughts on how they all compare.)
Not all businesses have welcomed AI with open arms, however. OpenAI is also being sued by The New York Times, which says the company used its copyrighted works without permission to help create ChatGPT.
Despite growing concerns about AI’s societal impact, many other chatbots and other AI technologies have started spreading around the world. Microsoft last year began adding AI tools to its Bing search engine and Office suite of business software, integrating features powered by its partnership with OpenAI. The company has even begun experimenting with using AI to help with customer support issues for its Xbox video game division, such as answering questions and handling refund requests.
Google similarly has begun expanding its competing AI chatbot technology across its product line, including recently adding its Gemini AI to Google Workspace. Meta, too, has introduced chatbots with “unique interests and personalities,” in addition to other AI-powered tools.
Even Apple is getting into the AI race, reportedly planning its own AI enhancements for the iPhone, which may be announced as early as this summer during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference.
Read more: AI can’t do all our jobs for us. but we can make it a “superhero sidekick”
Editors’ note: CNET used an AI engine to help create several dozen stories, which are labeled accordingly. The note you’re reading is attached to articles that deal substantively with the topic of AI but are created entirely by our expert editors and writers. For more, see our AI policy.
Microsoft is nearing the end of its support for Windows 10, with security updates finishing on Oct. 14, 2025. You can pay to continue using Windows 10 securely, but if you want to continue to use Windows for free, it’s best you hop on over to Windows 11 if you haven’t already.
Even if you’ve never used Windows 11 before, you can quickly boot up your computer and easily use it to surf the web, watch videos and play music. All you really need is your mouse to get to where you need, but if you want to be a Windows power user, and not just a Windows novice, you should know about all the keyboard shortcuts that Windows has to offer.
In this story we’ll cover the most important keyboard shortcuts for Windows 11, many of which carry over from Windows 10 and earlier versions of Microsoft’s operating system. That includes the basics, like copying highlighted items and undoing a previous action, as well as lesser-known shortcuts, like snapping an active window into place.
You don’t need to know all of them, but there are likely a handful here that you’ll want to employ in your Windows workflow to improve your overall productivity. And if you want to check out more on Windows 11, here are nine hidden Windows 11 features and how to make Windows 11 act more like Windows 10.
Windows 11 shortcut basics
To start, here are the ones you’ll use most often.
Ctrl + A: Select all items in a window.
Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert: Copy selected or highlighted item (text, images and so on).
Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert: Paste selected or highlighted item.
Ctrl + X: Cut selected or highlighted item.
Ctrl + Z: Undo previous action.
Ctrl + Y: Redo action.
Ctrl + N: When File Explorer is your current window, open a new File Explorer window with the same folder path as the current window.
Windows key + F1: Open “how to get help in windows” Bing search in default browser.
Windows key + T: Cycle through the apps (including pinned apps) on the taskbar.
Windows key + [Number]: Open the app pinned in the [number] position on the taskbar. For example, if you have Edge pinned in the first position on the taskbar and you click Windows key + 1, Edge will open. If the app is already open, a new instance or window will open.
Windows key + Alt + [Number]: Open the right-click menu for the app pinned in the [number] position on the taskbar.
Windows key + D: Show or hide desktop (Windows key + , will display the desktop briefly).
Screenshots
Windows 11 also has several ways to take a screenshot, including three different keyboard shortcuts.
PrtScn: Take a screenshot of your entire screen and save it to your clipboard.
Windows key + PrtScn: Take a screenshot of your entire desktop and save it to a folder on your computer.
Windows key + Shift +S: Open Snipping Tool menu to take a screenshot of only a section of your screen.
The desktop: Windows, Snap Assist and virtual desktops
These shortcuts control how individual windows act on your desktop, including virtual desktops.
Windows key + M: Minimize all open windows.
Windows key + Shift + M: Restore minimized windows.
Windows key + Home: Minimize all windows except the selected or currently active window.
Windows key + Up arrow: Maximize selected window.
Windows key + Shift + Up arrow: Maximizes the active window vertically while maintaining its width.
Windows key + Down arrow: Minimize selected window.
Windows key + Left arrow: Snap selected window to the left half of the screen.
Windows key + Right arrow: Snap selected window to the right half of the screen.
Windows key + Alt + Up: Snap selected window to top half of the screen.
Windows key + Alt + Down: Snap selected window to bottom half of the screen.
Windows key + Shift + Left arrow or Right arrow: Move selected window to the left or right monitor.
Instead of trying to decide between a tablet or a laptop, why not have both? Two-in-one laptops can be used as a laptop or a tablet. Instead of having to switch between the two devices, you can have them both combined in one device. One of our top two-in-one budget laptops is now even more discounted. You can snag the Lenovo Flex 5i for only $420 at Best Buy, saving you a whopping $260 on its usual price. But act fast, this deal expires tonight.
The Lenovo Flex 5i is equipped with the 12th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, which is really good for multitasking. It also has a full high-definition display with a resolution of 1920×1200 giving you great picture quality for your streaming, browsing and gaming needs. And because it has a touchscreen, this extremely versatile device can be used as a tablet. It has a standard RAM of 8GB and total storage of 512GB. This device is good for regular browsing, students or other basic needs. The battery lasts approximately 10 hours, so you do not have to worry about the device running out of power in a short amount of time. Some other nice features of this laptop include a USB-C port and a fingerprint reader.
This deal expires tonight, so act quick to snag yours before it’s too late. Along with this insane deal of $260 off, Best Buy is also offering a free six-month subscription for Trend Micro internet security so you stay protected on the internet and a free one month Xbox Game Pass subscription. With all these bonuses and discounts, this deal is nearly impossible to pass up.
If you want a laptop that’s not a two-in-one device — perhaps an upgraded model with more robust features — check out our roundup of best laptop deals happening now to find the perfect fit for you at a great price.
