“I am in need of a new Android tablet and Windows laptop,” a reader wrote. “My tablet will only charge to 29% and my laptop has many problems and is almost 10 years old.”

“Get one like my HP,” I suggested. I’ve always liked HP, and “HP’s Newest 14 Laptop Ultra-Light for Students and Business” is no exception. It’s $255 on Amazon and comes with 16 gigabytes of RAM, Office 365 for a year and Windows 11s. The “s” means its operating system is fast for a cheapie laptop. It lasts up to 15 hours on a single charge. But this month’s PC Magazine recommends the Acer Aspire 3, $279 on Amazon. For a bigger budget, TechRadar suggests the Microsoft Surface, $943 at Walmart.

But don’t overlook the great deals on “renewed” desktops and laptops on Amazon. “Renewed” means “like new,” “thoroughly inspected, and “90 days to return it.” I like the HP ProDesk 600G4 Tower Desktop Computer for $308, with Windows 11. It has a super speedy Intel i7, 3.4 gigahertz processor, a monster-sized 32 gigabytes of RAM, and an ultra-fast, one terabyte Solid State Drive (SSD). If you don’t already have a monitor, you can get a great one with 3D acceleration for around $80. With 3D acceleration, your favorite video games may have special effects. For example, I like seeing them in “Peggle,” a runaway hit from yesteryear. A keyboard that lights up in multiple colors for as little as $30.

In tablets, I love Amazon’s Fire HD. The latest model, the HD 10, was on sale for $75, when I last checked, or you can get a refurbished (returned without being used) HD 8 for about half that. Both the HD 8 and 10 are great for reading, browsing the web, watching videos and listening to music. Either model can go for up to 13 hours before a recharge. Since all Fire tablets have Alexa inside, you can ask her to make a shopping list, set reminders, play music, read your book on Audible or place a video call, among other tasks.

But even with all these great Amazon deals, the reader wasn’t satisfied. “I’m worried that if I buy from any source outside of an electronics store,” she said, “I will not be able to transfer my documents and photos.” I pointed out that if you store your documents and photos in the Microsoft OneDrive folder, all your stuff will be automatically backed up in a private account at office.com. You’ll have automatic access on your new computer or tablet.

If your old PC has Windows 7, get the free OneDrive app from the Windows Store, and see Microsoft’s article titled: “Move your stuff with OneDrive and get started with your new PC.” Or ask BestBuy to do it for you, for a $100 fee. Alternatively, you could get a recommendation from your local library or college. I’m sure a tech-savvy student could do it for you for much less.

Collar isn’t attached.

Can You Spot AI?

Can you spot an AI-enhanced image or video? In the Mashable article “How to Identify AI-Generated Videos,” you can follow the link to a great AI-spotting guide by Northwestern University professor Negar Kamali. Kamali includes a quiz in which only two of the images are real. I spotted one of them. But the pictures are small, so you must look closely to spot the anomalies, like skin where teeth should be, or an object with blurry edges.

The Mashable article also displays some fun videos.  For example, there’s a Gucci ad featuring Mona Lisa wearing gorgeous outfits. There’s also an amazingly realistic video of a fake Tom Cruise. How can you tell he’s fake? For one thing, it’s just a talking head. AI creators avoid showing hands and arms, since these are likely to show glitches. Also, look at a subject’s teeth, to see if they change. Finally, the lower half of an AI-generated face may wobble.

Security Updates for Windows 10

Windows 10 computers will stop getting security updates after October 2025. But you can pay Microsoft $30 per computer for a one-year extension. Hmm. If my Windows 10 hadn’t automatically upgraded to Win 11, I’m not sure I’d pay for the updates. I’d rather just avoid rogue links in texts and emails.

Speeding Up Chrome

If your web browsing is slow on Google Chrome, speed it up with “Memory Saver,” by clicking the three vertical dots in the top right, then choose “Settings.” On the left side, click “Performance” and turn on “Memory Saver.”

Microsoft Edge already has this feature. If you have a gazillion tabs open like I do, some will turn gray, indicating that they’re in sleep mode, ready to spring back into action as soon as you click on them.

Robot News

The new Boston Dynamics Atlas robot can move auto parts from one shelving unit to another, unsupervised and unprompted. The company is owned by Hyundai, which just announced a partnership with Toyota Research Institute. To see it in action, search on “Boston Dynamics’ electric Atlas humanoid executes autonomous automotive parts picking.”

Internut

“Dentists are pulling healthy teeth to sell pricy implants.” Search on that phrase to read a chilling article about dentists who pull teeth just so they can sell them. Large dental chains, such as ClearChoice, Aspen Dental, Affordable Care, and Dental Care Alliance, declined to be interviewed for the story.