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18 Mar 2025

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At 50% off, the Blink Mini 2 is a great first home security camera
Listen. Being able to keep an eye on your home when you’re away can be a huge weight off your shoulders, especially if you have kids or pets. But who wants to shell out tons of cash for a simple home camera feed? Well, with this awesome deal, you won’t have to. The super-tiny, super-cute Blink Mini 2 is on sale for half price on Amazon, bringing the cost down from its original $40 to just $20. You can literally buy peace of mind for the price of restaurant entree. While I don’t have the Blink Mini 2 myself, I do have a very similar home security cam with nearly identical features: motion detection, two-way audio, and 1080p HD video. I use it to check in on my pets and see if they’re doing anything they shouldn’t be, like climbing over the new couch or chewing on my slippers. Plus, I often miss them when I’m away and love being able to check in whenever I want. But the Blink Mini 2 also has a few features I don’t have, like an LED spotlight. Yes, you read that right. This tiny camera has a built-in LED spotlight that helps put some color into its night-view footage. Also, if you have a Blink Video Doorbell (sold separately), the Mini 2 can also act as a chime for when people ring your doorbell. You can also set up the Mini 2 for outdoor surveillance because it’s weather-resistant, but you’ll need a Blink Weather Resistant Power Adapter (sold separately) for that. With a Blink subscription plan, you can also unlock smart notifications, store footage in the cloud, and share clips with others. Plans start at $3/month ($30/year) for a single device and go up to $10/month ($100/year) for unlimited devices. If you don’t have a home security camera, then the Blink Mini 2 for 50% off on Amazon is one of the best ways to get started. And since you’re here, let me remind you that Amazon’s Spring Sale 2025 is coming soon and ready to hit you with even more great discounts! The Blink Mini 2 is a great first home security camera for $20Buy Now at Amazon

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition review: Say goodbye to TrackPoint
At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Thin, light, and luxurious design Haptic touchpad and enjoyable keyboard Excellent 14-inch OLED with refresh rate up to 120Hz Future-looking connectivity including Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 7 Cons Missing TrackPoint will divide ThinkPad fans Not the best performance for your dollar Modest battery life Our Verdict The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 is a sleeker, more luxurious ThinkPad. However, its performance and battery life are mid-pack. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition Retailer Price Lenovo $1239 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition had PC World’s editors scratching their heads upon its reveal at CES 2025. It’s a ThinkPad, but it ditches many of the features that are typical of the ThinkPad brand. There’s no iconic red TrackPoint, no physical buttons on the touchpad, and the overall look and feel is more typical of Lenovo’s recent Yoga Pro laptops. These changes will make the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition controversial among long-time ThinkPad fans but also make it more approachable for the average laptop shopper. Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Specs and features The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition is built with a focus on portability over performance. I received a laptop with an eight-core Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB solid state drive. CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 226V Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x-8533 Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc Graphics 130V NPU: Intel AI Boost peak 40 TOPs Display: 14-inch 2880×1800 120Hz OLED with VRR and HDR Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD Webcam: 1440p 30fps camera with IR 3D camera for Windows Hello, electronic privacy shutter Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C (40Gbps data, DisplayPort, Power Delivery), 1x HDMI 2.1 (up to 4K 60Hz), 1x 3.5mm combo headphone/microphone jack Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: Windows Hello facial recognition, fingerprint reader Battery capacity: 55 watt-hours Dimensions: 12.28 x 8.35 x 0.51 inches Weight: 2.74 pounds Operating System: Windows 11 Pro Price: $1,519 retail from Lenovo The ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition is all in on future-proof connectivity. It has two Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4. However, it lacks USB-A ports and doesn’t have a physical Ethernet port. It does have a 3.5mm audio port, though. Lenovo lists the model I reviewed at $1,519. The entry-level model downgrades to 256GB of storage and a 1200p OLED display, which lowers the price to $1,239. Upgrades, meanwhile, include up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 268V processor, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage. Checking all the boxes boosts the price up to $2,349. The ThinkPad X9 14 also puts an emphasis on portability. It measures just .51 inches thick (excluding the rubber feet on the bottom of the laptop) and weighs a mere 2.74 pounds. Neither number is unusual in 2025, as many 14-inch competitors are similar in size and weight, but it still makes for a remarkably light laptop that’s easy to pick up, pack, and carry. Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Design and build quality IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition might be a ThinkPad, but it looks far more like Lenovo’s recent Yoga Pro and Slim Pro laptops. The chassis is built from a grayish-blue aluminum that feels solid and premium in-hand. It also has rounded corners, beveled edges, and a wavy texture across the bottom panel that makes the laptop easier to hold. All of this is heresy for ThinkPad super-fans, who often prefer the boxier, all-black designs of yore. But… I like it. A lot. This didn’t surprise me. PC World has favorably reviewed Lenovo’s premium consumer laptops such as the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i, which we gave an Editor’s Choice award. Indeed, the Yoga Pro 9i is so good it often left me wondering why anyone would want to buy a ThinkPad instead. The Yoga Pro 9i is typically more attractive, slimmer, and provides a much larger touchpad. It’s less expensive than a competitively equipped ThinkPad as well. It seems Lenovo noticed this, too, because the ThinkPad X9 14 feels like a Yoga Pro with the ThinkPad name on it. And, as a result, the ThinkPad X9 14 provides something ThinkPads often fail to deliver: a sense of luxury. The ThinkPad X9 14 also puts an emphasis on portability. It measures just .51 inches thick (excluding the rubber feet on the bottom of the laptop) and weighs a mere 2.74 pounds. Neither number is unusual in 2025, as many 14-inch competitors are similar in size and weight, but it still makes for a remarkably light laptop that’s easy to pick up, pack, and carry. Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Keyboard, trackpad IDG / Matthew Smith While the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition makes many changes to the ThinkPad formula, the removal of the classic TrackPoint—a red nub found in the middle of most ThinkPad keyboards—is probably the most jarring change. I’m a fan of the TrackPoint, as well, and I won’t sugarcoat it. If you want a TrackPoint, well, this ain’t it, chief. There’s nothing about the ThinkPad X9 14 that will convince TrackPoint loyalists to make the switch to a touchpad. However, as with the laptop’s design, I think offering a ThinkPad without the TrackPoint is a sensible move. I’ve owned a series of ThinkPads over the years and once greatly preferred the TrackPoint. Today, things are different. The responsiveness and size of modern touchpads have improved, and multi-touch gestures are more useful than they once were. Speaking of which, the ThinkPad X9 14’s touchpad is solid. It measures about 5 inches wide and about 3 inches deep. That’s a good size for a 14-inch laptop and provides space for using Windows’ multi-touch gestures, but it’s not any larger than most competitors. The touchpad uses haptic feedback to simulate the feel of a physical click when a left or right-click action is executed, and it works great. So much so that I prefer haptic feedback to a real, physical touch action on modern laptops. What about the keyboard? It’s great. The keyboard provides good key travel and has a spacious layout. Most keys are close to full size and those that are shrunk, like the Backspace and Tab keys, are still large enough that I didn’t have to adjust my muscle memory. A keyboard backlight comes standard and is effective at making the keys readable in dim settings. Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Display, audio IDG / Matthew Smith The entry-level Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition is sold with a 14-inch 1920×1200 OLED non-touch screen, but the model I tested (and most configurations sold online) had a 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED touchscreen. The upgraded display also boosts the refresh rate from 60Hz to 120Hz. It’s a beautiful display. 2880×1800 resolution on a 14-inch panel works out to about 243 pixels per inch, which is excellent for a laptop display and provides a razor-sharp look. Color performance and contrast are excellent, too, and combine to deliver a deep, immersive image. While a handful of laptops, like the Dell XPS 14, offer an even sharper 3200×2000 OLED panel, the ThinkPad X9 14’s display is otherwise as good as it gets. As mentioned, the 2880×1800 panel has a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. It also supports VRR and can handle variable refresh rates between 30 and 120Hz. That makes it possible to use Windows’ dynamic refresh rate feature, which can lower the refresh rate to improve battery life (though this was off by default on the machine I tested). The ThinkPad X9 14’s speakers are decent but not a highlight. They deliver good volume with some low-end in bass heavy content. However, the speakers can become boomy and harsh as the volume is increased past 50 percent of maximum. Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Webcam, microphone, biometrics Every Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition has a 1440p webcam (note: Lenovo advertises it as 1080p, but it can in fact record up to 1440p at 30 frames per second). The webcam delivers a sharp, crisp image and deals well with mixed lighting. The microphone array is also crisp and does a great job of reducing background noise. Most competitive laptops also do well here, but the ThinkPad X9 14 is a solid choice if you spend a lot of time on video calls. Biometric login is supported through both Windows Hello facial recognition via the webcam and fingerprint recognition via a sensor on the power button, which is located on the keyboard. Both prove easy to use but, as is typical, I found facial recognition quicker and more reliable than the fingerprint sensor. Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Connectivity IDG / Matthew Smith The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition makes many changes to the classic ThinkPad formula, and that includes connectivity. It makes no attempt to provide a wide range of ports and instead focuses on the latest, greatest standards. A pair of Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports, each with 40Gbps of data, DisplayPort and Power Delivery, provide the bulk of the physical connectivity. Two ports isn’t a lot, but the ports are extremely versatile and work well with a dock if more connectivity is needed. Also, the Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports are placed on opposite sides of the laptop (one on the left, one on the right), so there’s always a port close at hand no matter where your other devices are located on your desk. Additional video connectivity comes from the HDMI 2.1 port, which supports 4K at up to 60Hz. The HDMI port is handy for connecting to televisions or projectors. A 3.5mm combo audio jack on the laptop’s right flank rounds out the connectivity. Wireless connectivity is also forward-looking. The laptop supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, which are the latest version of each respective standard. I expect the laptop’s wireless connectivity will remain relevant for over a decade, as the progress of wireless standards has slowed in recent years. Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Performance The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition I reviewed had an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor. This is the least capable chip available in this laptop (four alternative Intel chips are available as upgrades). It has just eight processor cores, only four of which are performance cores, and comes paired with Intel Arc 130V. The laptop I reviewed also had 16GB of RAM and 512GB of PCIe solid state storage. IDG / Matthew Smith Our first benchmark, PCMark 10, takes a holistic approach and tests a laptop across multiple simulated real-world workloads, from web conferencing to image editing and much more. The ThinkPad X9 14 falls a bit behind in this test with a score of 6,272. That’s quite a bit less than laptops that have more powerful Intel Core processors or AMD’s Ryzen AI 9. IDG / Matthew Smith Intel’s Core Ultra 5 226V becomes a bit of a boat anchor in Cinebench R23, a heavily multi-threaded and short-duration test. The CPU’s limited core count (four performance, four efficient cores, for a total of eight) is a disadvantage in this benchmark. IDG / Matthew Smith Handbrake, a longer duration multi-threaded benchmark that encodes a movie from MP4 to MKV, doesn’t change the story. The ThinkPad X19 14 still lags the pack. However, the margin by which it lags is lower here than in Cinebench R23. IDG / Matthew Smith What about 3D performance? The ThinkPad X9 14 is again at a disadvantage, as the Intel Core Ultra 5 226 relies on Intel Arc 130V graphics. This version of Intel Arc integrated graphics has just seven Xe cores, down from eight with Intel Arc 140V, and the clock speed is lower as well. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, to see the ThinkPad X9 14 lag behind the pack. Overall, the ThinkPad X9 14’s performance doesn’t impress. Of course, some concession should be made for the fact Lenovo sent an entry-level configuration and I expect that upgraded models with more capable Intel Chips like the Intel Core Ultra 7 268V would perform better. Those upgrades aren’t free, however, and this is an area where the ThinkPad X9 14 feels uncompetitive. At any given price, Lenovo offers an alternative model of Yoga Pro that has a better processor, more storage, and more RAM. Asus’ Zenbook 14 and Samsung’s Galaxy Book5 Pro also provide a similar prosumer look-and-feel alongside better performance for the price. Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Battery life You might expect the thin-and-light Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition to provide good battery life but, as is often the case with thin laptops, battery capacity becomes an issue. The ThinkPad X9 14 has a 55-watt-hour battery, while most similar laptops have a 65 to 75-watt-hour battery. IDG / Matthew Smith Mediocre battery life is the result. The ThinkPad X9 14 lasted roughly 11 hours and 45 minutes in our standard battery test, which loops a 4K video file of the short film Tears of Steel. That’s not bad but as the graph shows, it’s possible to find better battery life in competitive laptops. Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Conclusion The ThinkPad X9 14 provides a great keyboard and touchpad alongside a premium look and feel that’s more like Lenovo’s excellent Yoga Pro laptops. While the changes won’t tempt long-time ThinkPad fans, they make the laptop more competitive with prosumer laptops, which often deliver better design than laptops focused on productivity and business. Where the ThinkPad X9 14 lags, however, is bang-for-the-buck. Though it’s as attractive as prosumer peers, you’ll still find that your money doesn’t go as far when buying a ThinkPad as it would if you purchased a prosumer laptop. Even so, the ThinkPad X9 14 is likely to find an audience among business and enterprise buyers who’d prefer a sleeker, more luxurious alternative to a typical 14-inch business thin-and-light.

I’m a desk fidgeter. These 5 fidget toys keep me sane while I work
I don’t know about you, but I have trouble sitting still. My personal combination of over-caffeinated autism and ADHD means I need to keep my hands busy during the workday to avoid chewing my fingers to bloody stumps or getting distracted by the latest notifications. In other words, I fidget — and it’s bad. Fortunately, I have a bunch of accessories, toys, and gadgets to help with that. I’ve invested in quite a few over the years and some stand out more than others. Here are some of my favorites and why I find them better than the rest. What makes a good fidget toy? Everyone has their preferred ways to fidget. I’ve never been much of a wrist flapper, but I’ll bounce from foot to foot and pace like there’s no tomorrow if you give me enough stress and space to do it in. The same goes for fidget toys. There are myriad options out there that serve the different types of fidgeters. Here’s what I look for: One-handed. I want to use it while I work, so one-handedness lets me type or control the mouse with my other hand. Quiet. While I do enjoy clacky fidget toys from time to time, their noisiness tends to stress me out more than I realize. Durable. Some that’s mechanically simple and robust. If it can accidentally break by bending the wrong way, I just know I’m going to break it that way at some point. Self-contained. I don’t want to clean up a mess of beads, nor do I want to risk parts being ingested by my dog or young children. A singular all-in-one fidget device, please. Smooth. Sharp edges and jagged corners have no place in my arsenal of fidget toys. This is about comfort and distraction. If I wanted to flagellate myself, I’d just chew my fingers. With all that in mind, and with the caveat that everyone’s ideal fidget toy will be different, here are my favorite fidget toys that keep me distracted while I’m busy working at my desk. My absolute favorite one: Knucklebone Jon Martindale / Foundry If I could only pick one fidget toy to use forever at my desk, I’d choose the AroundSquare Knucklebone. While the smooth surface is great for stroking or kneading, what I really like about it is the skill element. It took me weeks before I could comfortably roll one through my fingers both backwards and forwards, and then a few more weeks to do so in both hands at equivalent comfort and fluidity. You can even do tricks with it, and it takes enough effort to use that it’s something of a finger workout. Even after you’ve mastered rolling without dropping, just trying to keep it going for a minute or two at a time can be tiring. It makes the backs of my hand ache in ways that I’d never experienced before. As someone who spends all day typing, a finger workout like this is helpful — and the Knucklebone is perfect for it. And it even helps with the self-consciousness that can hit when using a fidget toy because this one’s pretty cool to flick around in your hand. I’m not saying your uncle won’t give you a funny side-eye when he sees you fiddling with one of these at a wedding reception, but it’s way more acceptable than, say, spinning a fidget spinner. For when I travel: 3D-printed sliders Jon Martindale / Foundry Rivaling the Knucklebone for my favorite overall fidget toy is this 3D-printed slider. It’s simple, cheap, and portable. It’s nice to keep one on my key ring, plus a few in different rooms of my house. I picked them up on Etsy but they’re no longer available. If you want something like it, try this magnetic slider on Amazon. All you have to do is slide it back and forth. Too loud? Too much friction? You can try lubricating for even more cathartic sliding. For when I’m anxious: Palm roller Jon Martindale / Foundry When I’m particularly anxious, even the most ordinary fidget toys can feel aggressive and overwhelming. Fortunately, at those times, there’s one I regularly come back to — this near-silent palm roller. You can find others like it, such as this popular one on Amazon. My particular palm roller fidget toy is a pair of metal cylinders, and it naturally rotates as you squeeze them in your palm. It even makes a muted metallic tick as they go around. I love it for its lack of noise and smooth motion. Also, the grip prevents me from accidentally dropping it to the floor, which makes it especially great when the world gets on top of me. Throw in some mindful breathing and I can rest assured that I’ll come out the other side of any situation with a slower heart rate and a cooler head. For quick bursts of energy: Rocket spinner Jon Martindale / Foundry Not all fidget toys are for consistent fidgeting — at least, not for me. Sometimes I just feel a quick burst of physical energy that needs to be expended so I can get back to whatever I was doing. Lots of fidget toys are good for that, but the one I’ve settled on is this rocket spinner. If you want something similar, check out this one on Amazon. I have small hands so most fidget spinners are somewhat uncomfortable to use, but not this one. It sits on my desk and, after a quick twist, spins and spins and spins. It doesn’t come apart and it doesn’t do anything except spin, but I love that it’s one-and-done. And it gets bonus point for its space theme. (Huge fan of Kerbal Space Program!) This kinetic stress relief toy surprisingly works. I can spin it and get back to what I was doing, and I often try to finish what I’m writing or working on before the rocket stops spinning. If I do, hurray! If I don’t, then I’ve probably forgotten all about the spinner by that point anyway. For something more classic: Fidget cube Jon Martindale / Foundry There’s a good reason why this one has stuck around for so long and why the design has been pirated by every 3D-printing chop shop since its inception. The fidget cube is a compact fidget toy that offers a wide range of sensations with its mini rollers, clicky switch, joystick, spinny disc, and buttons. You can get something similar like this on Amazon. The fidget cube is a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type device. I like the light switch and the joystick rocker, but the overall shape doesn’t fit my hand well. In the world of intangible neurodivergencies, there’s something about this one that doesn’t fully match my hand. It’s good but not great, versatile but imperfect. Honorable mention: Standing desk I’m fortunate enough to have the renowned Uplift V2 electric standing desk, which has been worth every penny. But there are cheaper alternatives out there. Just remember that you get what you pay for with standing desks.Uplift This one isn’t a fidget device, but it enables a kind of fidgeting that would be a struggle to do otherwise. When sitting at a desk, I can usually tap my feet or fidget with the above toys, but being constrained to a chair can sometimes make me feel claustrophobic. That’s why I invested in a standing desk — and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made. Part of it is due to my ongoing war with back pain, which it has really helped with. But the standing desk also lets me fidget freely, bouncing from foot to foot, dancing to music, even pacing while I work. I can step away for some squats or shadow boxing — whatever movement I need to do in the moment — without thinking twice about it. Standing too much comes with some risks, but sitting too much also has a bunch of its own health risks. For me, standing while I work outweighs driving myself mad strapped to an office chair (even if my office chair is admittedly comfortable and lumbar-supporting). I fidget, therefore I am At times, I feel uncomfortable about my fidgeting habits. But as time goes on, as I get older, and as my fidget toy collection grows, I’ve grown to accept it as part of who I am. Fidget toys help me concentrate at work, help me feel more comfortable in social settings, and even help me get paid (for writing personal articles like this one). It’s a habit worth embracing. If it gives you even a modicum of comfort, I say go for it. There’s something out there for everyone. Indeed, if you’ve got your own favorite fidget toy that you think I might like, get in touch! I’m almost certain to buy it. Further reading: The most useful work-from-home accessories