PC Magazine - December 2021

58EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE OR SSD
KINGSTON XS2000 PORTABLE SSD
$159.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

What the tiny Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD lacks in size—it’s barely larger than a
USB thumb drive and weighs just an ounce—it makes up for in speed and
durability. Geared to creative professionals, this handsome silver-and-black drive
is equally at home in a studio, an office, or outdoors. As a semi-rugged external
drive, the XS2000 is impervious to sand and rain, and it’s protected from tumbles
by a stretchable and removable protective rubber sleeve. When paired with a
computer with a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, the XS2000 puts to shame many
previous-generation SSDs, and it proved its mettle for everyday storage tasks in
our PCMark 10 testing.

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59NETWORK ATTACHED STORAGE
ASUSTOR DRIVESTOR 2 AS1102T
$170.00 EDITORS’ CHOICE

This two-bay NAS offers a stellar combination of premium features, is easy to
install even for networking novices, and does all that at a price that won’t break
your budget. You don’t often see multi-gig LAN ports or 4K video transcoding
capabilities on NAS devices under $200, but this has both. The Drivestor 2 also
comes with a generous selection of apps in categories including security, data
backup, and even web hosting.

60WIRELESS ROUTER
TP-LINK ARCHER AX50
$149.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

In 2021, Wi-Fi 6 finally became mainstream, and the reasonably priced Archer
AX50 is the router to prove it. At $150, it costs a fraction of what early Wi-Fi 6

routers do, but it still delivers solid speeds on our throughput tests and comes with
features typically found on more expensive models. Did we mention lifetime
subscriptions to malware protection and parental controls are included?

61MESH WI-FI SYSTEM
ASUS ZENWIFI ET8
$529.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

This outstanding bleeding-edge mesh Wi-Fi system from Asus will set you back a
pretty penny, but it’s by far the best way to spread blistering Wi-Fi 6E signals
throughout your 5,000-square-foot house. It adds support for the 6GHz band,
which ensures it’ll deliver the fastest throughput speeds, lowest latency, and most
bandwidth for years to come. And the stylish white grilles of the two nodes will
help them blend in with your modern decor.

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62INKJET PRINTER
HP OFFICEJET PRO 9015E ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER
$229.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e is a fast, versatile, inexpensive-to-use AIO printer with
multiple connectivity choices. The 9015e comes with a 35-sheet auto-duplexing
automatic document feeder (ADF) for copying, scanning, and faxing two-sided
multipage originals, which is good for its class. Based on the costs of the highest
yield cartridges, the 9015e’s running costs are about 2.2 cents per monochrome
page and 8.8 cents per color page. With the company’s highest-yield Instant Ink
subscription, each page—monochrome or color—costs 3.5 cents, so Instant Ink is
a good choice if you print a lot in color.

63LASER PRINTER
HP COLOR LASERJET ENTERPRISE MFP M480F
$879.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

The HP Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP M480f mid-volume color laser AIO printer
outclasses the competition with its beautifully detailed printing. Text is of near-
typesetter quality, graphics output is magnificent, and photos are as good as
you can hope for from a laser printer. Its paper capacity consists of one
250-sheet cassette and a 50-sheet multipurpose tray, with an optional 550-sheet
tray available. Though its upfront price is a little steep, reasonable running costs
make up for that. A rich range of connectivity choices includes two USB 2.0 host
ports, one USB 2.0 device port, Ethernet, Wi-Fi Direct, and near-field
communication (NFC).

64PHOTO PRINTER
EPSON ECOTANK PHOTO ET-8550 ALL-IN-ONE WIDE-FOR-
MAT SUPERTANK

$699.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 All-in-One is a great investment for photo buffs.
Although its price is high, the ET-8550 includes up to a two-year supply of ink, and
additional ink costs a pittance. Its six-ink system, in which bottled ink is poured
into refillable tanks, adds photo black and gray to the standard cyan, magenta,
yellow, and black. This helps ensure crisp grayscale graphics and makes dark
areas in photos deeper and richer. The ET-8550 showed exceptional output
quality for text, graphics, and especially photos.

653D PRINTER
ORIGINAL PRUSA I3 MK3S+
$999.00 EDITORS’ CHOICE

The Original Prusa i3 MK3S+, an incremental upgrade from the Prusa MK3S, makes
Prusa Research’s flagship 3D printer even sturdier and more reliable. It has a
revamped print bed leveling system, stronger parts to hold rods and bearings in
place, and improved extruder airflow. The MK3S+ is easy to set up and use, and
in our testing, it consistently produced prints of above-average quality with no
significant problems. The MK3s+ supports printing with a wide variety of filaments
and includes the simple yet powerful PrusaSlicer software. Although a modest
upgrade from its predecessor, the Prusa i3 MK3S+ is the culmination of nearly a
decade of refinements to the company’s premier 3D printer.

66SCANNER
FUJITSU SCANSNAP IX1600
$495.00 EDITORS’ CHOICE

The Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600 is modestly priced and highly accurate for a desktop
document scanner. The iX1600 exceeded its rated speed for both one-sided

(simplex) and two-sided (duplex) scanning. This user-friendly scanner comes with
Fujitsu’s well-regarded, comprehensive ScanSnap software, also available in a
mobile app version. You can connect the iX1600 to a single computer via USB or
to your home network via Wi-Fi. The iX1600’s daily duty cycle is 6,000 scans, more
than the competition and more than you’re ever likely to need. Its OCR scores
are also among the highest we’ve seen, making it a great choice for a small or
home office.

67 PROJECTOR
EPSON EPIQVISION MINI EF12 SMART STREAMING LASER
PROJECTOR

$999.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE
The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 is an Android TV-based streaming projector,
modest in brightness (1,000 lumens) but with high (1080p) resolution for its type.
This compact near-cube supports 4K UHD input and HDR. The EF12 lacks a zoom
but provides crisp, reliable autofocus. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi and two HDMI
ports. Dual 5-watt stereo speakers provide ample volume and surprisingly good
sound quality for such a small projector. Its laser-phosphor light source should last
the life of the projector, and its 3LCD light engine ensures that the image is free of
annoying rainbow artifacts.

68MOUSE
HYPERX PULSEFIRE HASTE
$49.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

PC gamers already know how essential a good gaming mouse is to claiming
victory on the virtual battlefield. Whether you’re playing the latest FPS or RTS, the
HyperX Pulsefire Haste Gaming mouse is an essential purchase for the aspiring
esports faithful looking to take their game to the next level. Lightweight with an
excellent sensor capable of up to 16,000dpi, the RGB-laden honeycomb mouse
is a steal at just $50.

69KEYBOARD
CORSAIR K70 RGB TKL CHAMPION SERIES
$139.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

Sure, you can use any ordinary keyboard to game with, but why settle for less
when the best is within your grasp? The Corsair K70 RGB TKL Champion Series
Gaming Keyboard strikes a perfect middle ground between feature-packed,
full-size keyboards and those with compact layouts. This is an incredibly
balanced board with tons of bells and whistles, including features essential for
tournament-bound players.

70WEBCAM
RAZER KIYO PRO
$199.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

The Razer Kiyo Pro drastically improves your video-call game across the board.
The auto-focusing camera performs well even in low light, and its microphone
sounds surprisingly crisp and clean. It’s a bit expensive at $200, but if you really
want to be taken seriously on Zoom, it’s a sound investment.

7 1BEST PRODUCTIVITY MONITOR
PHILIPS BRILLIANCE 279P1
$379.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

Befitting its name, the Philips Brilliance 279P1 proved bright for a business monitor
in our testing and showed great color coverage. It boasts a full set of ergonomic
features, with an even greater height and tilt range than comparable monitors.
The 279P1 can power a computer as well as receive data and video via its USB-C
port, and its Ethernet jack offers additional connection options. Add a
DisplayPort connector and a hub of four USB-A ports, and the 279P1 eliminates
the need for a separate docking station for your computer.

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7 2GAMING MONITOR
GIGABYTE AORUS FI32Q
$799.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE
When shopping for a gaming monitor, you need a few key features: rich colors,
fast refresh rates, and a sturdy base, for starters. Gigabyte’s new GI32Q Fast IPS
gaming monitor is the perfect combination of all the above and more, providing
an experience that’s head-and-shoulders above the past year’s competition.
Added quality-of-life features such as an integrated KVM bring greater
functionality, and the FI32Q’s color and gaming performance are tops.

7 3GAMING HEADSET
RAZER BARRACUDA X
$99.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

Want to bathe your ears in sweet, sweet gaming audio? The Razer Barracuda X is
an affordable, eminently capable gaming headset featuring a USB-C wireless
adapter that’s compatible with Android phones, Nintendo Switches, PCs, and
PlayStation systems (and leverages a 3.5mm connection for your Xbox needs). A
comfortable fit, a lightweight build, excellent sound quality, and a crisp
microphone round out the best-in-class package.

74VR HEADSET
HTC VIVE PRO 2
$799.00 EDITORS’ CHOICE

It’s been a relatively light year for compelling new VR headsets, but the HTC Vive
Pro 2 stands out from the competition thanks to the highest resolution and
sharpest picture we’ve seen in consumer VR. The Vive Pro 2 is pricey and needs
some extra components to get running, but you can combine it with the still-
revolutionary Valve Index motion controllers for the best high-end VR experience
available.

75GAMING CHAIR
SECRETLAB TITAN EVO
$429.00 EDITORS’ CHOICE

Secretlab improves its already excellent Titan chair by including several clever
quality-of-life enhancements, such as a magnetic head pillow, swappable
armrests, and improved lumbar support. In addition, the Titan EVO’s sturdy,
comfortable materials once again rank as some of the best in the gaming-chair
category. These elements combine to form the best seat we tested in 2021.

76GAMING CONSOLE
NINTENDO SWITCH - OLED MODEL
$349.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

With the OLED Switch, Nintendo makes its mega-popular console-handheld
hybrid even better. Games pop like never before in vibrant, gorgeous color,
thanks to the larger OLED screen. Other welcome upgrades include increased
internal storage, an Ethernet-equipped dock, improved speakers, and a much
wider kickstand. Although TV players won’t see as many benefits as handheld
players, and the Joy-Con controllers remain unchanged, the Nintendo Switch
- OLED Model is now the ultimate way to enjoy Nintendo Switch games in any
location.

7 7SONY PLAYSTATION GAME
RATCHET & CLANK: RIFT APART
$69.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the rare PS5-exclusive game that showcases the
system’s full capabilities while delivering an excellent, highly replayable action-
adventure experience. Don’t let the charming Pixar-like visuals fool you: Rift Apart
is a challenging third-person shooter with engaging combat, clever mini-games,
varied gameplay mechanics, amazing set pieces, and numerous collectibles to
nab as you phase through dimensional rifts and blast baddies to stop Doctor
Nefarious’ schemes. Add to that a new alternate-dimension protagonist who
spices up the story, as well as an endearing cast of characters, and the result is a
must-own PS5 title.

7 8MICROSOFT XBOX GAME
PSYCHONAUTS 2
$59.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

Psychonauts fans have waited nearly two decades to return to Double Fine
Productions’ psychic-focused action-adventure game, and fortunately,
Psychonauts 2 lives up to their expectations. You control Raz, a psionic hero, and
dive into people’s conflicted, unique brainscapes to solve puzzles, gather
collectibles, and complete objectives, all while making heavy use of your
psychic abilities to levitate, blast, and punch through the mental vices and
pitfalls that litter the minds you explore. With plenty of secrets to find and a
thoroughly entertaining story to enjoy, Psychonauts 2 is one of the best games on
the Xbox platform.

7 9NINTENDO SWITCH GAME
METROID DREAD
$59.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

Almost two decades after the last original 2D Metroid game, Metroid Dread
reminds us why the series’ formula has an entire video game genre named after
it—it’s that amazing. As intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran, you explore an
alien planet and use every tool in your arsenal to survive and escape its dangers,
hiding from creepy robots that perform one-hit kills and blasting towering bosses
with bombs and missiles. Finding the proper path forward through the dark,
maze-like world requires careful exploration, top-tier perception, and
backtracking. Metroid Dread lets you do all of that with aplomb.

80PC GAME
NIOH 2: COMPLETE EDITION
$49.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

Nioh 2 is not only a superb sequel that greatly expands upon its predecessor’s
impressive foundation—it’s also a tremendous, content-packed action RPG with
brutal action, highly technical combat mechanics, and a wonderful Sengoku-

era fantasy setting. In Nioh 2, you control a half-man, half-yokai being who’s

capable of shifting between human and demon forms. Swept up into the tides of

war, you aid powerful heroes and generals from Japan’s past while battling

supernatural abominations. If you love action in general or RPGs with beefy

customization and growth options, Nioh 2: Complete Edition will satisfy. It offers

dozens of hours of content and several highly replayable post-game modes to

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81OPERATING SYSTEM
APPLE MACOS MONTEREY
FREE EDITORS’ CHOICE
Apple’s macOS has long been the slickest, most stable desktop operating system
around. With Monterey, Apple gives users more ways to collaborate for fun.
SharePlay, for example, lets you watch videos and listen to music while
FaceTiming. New Focus modes and Shortcuts help you work more efficiently, and
updates to Safari make Apple’s browser relevant again. Live Text offers a nifty
way to make images of text actionable. New features such as iCloud Private
Relay, Hide My Email, and a mic access indicator build on Apple’s reputation for
privacy and security.

82MOBILE OS
APPLE iOS 15
FREE EDITORS’ CHOICE

A lot of the improvements and changes in macOS Monterey show up in iOS 15 as
well: SharePlay for watching shows and listening to tunes together with pals,
FaceTime with non-Apple-using contacts, Safari updates, Live Text, and new
Focus modes, for starters. A lot of already-great iOS features see improvements in
version 15, including the Photos app’s Memories, Health updates, Spotlight

search, and the Wallet, which now includes official
government IDs for some locales. As with macOS,
privacy and security features take another step forward
as well.

83GRAPHIC DESIGN S
SOFTWARE
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

$19.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

Adobe does not sit on its laurels when it comes to its
industry-standard Illustrator design software. The 2022
update adds some nifty integration with the company’s
newly acquired Substance 3D modeling software, a
Discover panel for tutorials, and collaboration and
review tools such as Creative Cloud Canvas, Spaces,
and Share for Comments. And you can use Illustrator
on an iPad now. That’s all in addition to Illustrator being
the most powerful collection of vector-editing tools in
the business.

84PHOTO EDITING
SOFTWARE
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

STARTS AT $9.99 PER MONTH EDITORS’ CHOICE

Adobe Photoshop is the tool of record for raster images
such as digital photos. With every release, it keeps
getting better. New neural filters let you turn frowns
upside down, make old black-and-white pictures
convincingly look like they were shot in color, and
transfer the colors of one landscape photo to another.
One new feature lets you import documents from
Illustrator to Photoshop, complete with layers, vector
shapes, paths, and masks. Photoshop’s masking tools
have become more powerful, too, so you can select
multiple subjects simply by hovering the cursor. The
software is available in an increasingly impressive iPad
version and a beta web app.

85VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
CYBERLINK POWERDIRECTOR
$129.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

PowerDirector is often the first enthusiast-level video editing program to support
new video specifications—4K, 360-degree VR, and HEVC, to name a few. The
same can be said for techniques such as motion tracking, multicam, and AI style
transfers. Recent versions add impressive new color editing, sky replacement,
audio and soundtrack tools, and a shape designer. For creative inspiration, a
steady flow of templates and effects is available to PowerDirector 365 users. If
you don’t have your own content, you can choose from a huge selection of
royalty-free stock footage from both Getty and Shutterstock.

86AUDIO EDITING SOFTWARE
APPLE LOGIC PRO
$199.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

At just $199 and with free major updates for eight years running, Logic Pro
delivers world-beating value. Version 10.7 integrates Dolby Atmos and Spatial
Audio production, and you still get Logic’s built-in pitch correction, loop
composition tools, score editor, and a vast array of virtual instruments and effects
plug-ins that rival third-party packages in their complexity and sonics. Dedicated
fans of other audio-editing tools shouldn’t necessarily jump ship, but if you’re
coming in cold and are looking to record, mix, and master audio on a
professional level, Logic Pro is the best and most obvious choice.

87 VIDEO STREAMING SERVICE (ON DEMAND)
NETFLIX
STARTS AT $8.99 PER MONTH EDITORS’ CHOICE

What did we all do before we could Netflix and chill? The ubiquitous streaming
service is part of the culture now, and its influence has changed the way we
watch movies and television. Despite its long reign at the top of the growing pile
of streaming services, Netflix remains an excellent value: It features a reliable
core catalog of original programming, licensed features, and series with global
appeal. Netflix also integrates excellent features across interfaces, allows offline
downloads on mobile platforms, and offers 4K content.

8 8VIDEO STREAMING SERVICE (LIVE TV)
HULU + LIVE TV
STARTS AT $6.99 PER MONTH EDITORS’ CHOICE

Tons of streaming services fight for your money and your views while offering
different exclusives and perks. Hulu continues to separate itself from the rest by
giving subscribers both a strong on-demand streaming library and a robust live
TV option. It’s the best service for watching popular shows, although Hulu’s
original content is hit-or-miss. On the live TV front, Hulu’s channel coverage is top-
notch, and its DVR features compare well with the competition’s. We appreciate
Hulu’s broad platform support as well.

MUSIC STREAMING With Spotify,
SERVICE you can create
your own Artist
89 SPOTIFY Radio station or

STARTS AT $9.99 PER MONTH EDITORS’ CHOICE use the
excellent Group
Spotify distinguishes itself from the crowded streaming Session to listen
music pack via a set of fun, useful features. Not only
does the service feature a tremendous catalog of music, with friends.
podcasts, and recordings, but it’s also available on
pretty much anything that connects to the internet.
Besides listening to your favorite tracks, albums, and
playlists, you can create your own Artist Radio station or
use the excellent Group Session to listen along with
friends and family during these socially distanced times.
Spotify is an excellent service, so if you haven’t already
explored it, make a beeline for the app.

90PRODUCTIVITY APP
CAVEDAY
STARTS AT $20.00 EDITORS’ CHOICE

Do you need a little motivation in your life—the kind that
encourages you to find a flow for your work and to keep
it up? If so, try Caveday, our favorite productivity service
of the year. Caveday brings together a community of
people who join a video call to create an environment
where they can focus deeply. Artists, creative writers,
Ph.D. students, and a variety of others work deeply and
get reminded at regular intervals to take breaks. It might
sound a little like feel-good woo-woo, but it’s a
surprisingly down-to-earth experience that can help you
accomplish your goals.

91CLOUD STORAGE & SYNC
MICROSOFT ONEDRIVE
FREE EDITORS’ CHOICE

Microsoft’s online storage and syncing service does more
than you might expect. It not only stores and syncs files
you upload via browser or the OneDrive app, but it also
syncs Office documents from the desktop or web apps,
backs up PC settings, and displays photos with plenty of
info including maps showing the pictures’ locations. Its
Files On Demand feature saves local disk space, and the
Personal Vault encrypts your sensitive data. OneDrive
offers the best options for sharing files, including
password protection, read-only or editing privileges,
expiration times, and commenting. A OneDrive
subscription also gets you the full installable, peerless
Microsoft Office applications.

VIDEO CONFERENCING SOFTWARE

ZOOM MEETINGS

9 2 STARTS AT $14.99 PER USER, PER MONTH EDITORS’ CHOICE

Zoom Meetings was a darling video-call service in the tech community well
before the COVID-19 pandemic, though many people had never heard of it until
early 2020. Since then, Zoom has become synonymous with video calling for two
reasons: It’s arguably the most stable and reliable video-calling platform, and a
generous free account lets anyone make unlimited calls (capped at 40 minutes
with more than two participants). People also love Zoom for its fun and
interactive features—Virtual Backgrounds, Touch Up My Appearance, Tiled
Display—some of which have become so popular that other video-calling apps
have had to incorporate similar features to keep pace.

93WEBSITE BUILDER
WIX
STARTS AT $13.00 PER MONTH EDITORS’ CHOICE

Many website builders let you construct a website with little effort, but the
excellent Wix is the best of the bunch. Wix offers many useful features, such as
e-commerce tools, cool video backgrounds, title animations, hundreds of
templates, and well-designed mobile apps. On top of that, Wix’s interface is one
of the most intuitive, slick, and powerful in the website-building services field, so
you can create an attractive online presence in just a few clicks.

94BEST WEB HOSTING SERVICE
HOSTGATOR
STARTS AT $10.95 PER MONTH EDITORS’ CHOICE

Simply put, if you own a business, you need a website. The feature-rich HostGator
is our top choice for individuals and small businesses, as it offers dependable and
reasonably priced shared, WordPress, cloud, reseller, virtual private server (VPS),
and dedicated-server hosting packages. In addition, Hostgator demonstrated
terrific uptime and customer service in our tests, making it a highly dependable
web host.

95MEAL-KIT DELIVERY SERVICE
HELLOFRESH
STARTS AT $8.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

Many meal-kit delivery services specialize in a certain food type or diet, but
HelloFresh truly has something on the menu for everyone. A vast rotating
selection that has choices for both meat-lovers and vegetarians ensures you’ll go
weeks or months before you cook the same meal twice. Even better, each
course is as delicious as the last, and you can easily prepare them in the comfort
of your home kitchen.

96DATING SERVICE
MATCH
STARTS AT $44.99 EDITORS’ CHOICE

In a world full of increasingly ephemeral dating apps, Match remains the best
tool for finding real, lasting, adult relationships. Naturally, you can just swipe
through photos of hot people, but you can also browse the detailed, vetted
profiles that highlight hobbies, biographies, and other important details for
determining true compatibility. In addition, Match’s video-dating functionality
lets you test chemistry before meeting up in real life.

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97SECURITY SUITE
NORTON 360 DELUXE
STARTS AT $104.99 PER YEAR EDITORS’ CHOICE

When you subscribe to Norton 360 Deluxe, you get security protection with full
coverage across all your devices. You can install its protection on Windows,
macOS, Android, and iOS devices. In addition to expected security-suite features
such as antivirus, firewall, spam filtering, and parental control, Norton comes with
a full-blown, no-limits VPN. You can use Norton 360 Deluxe to store up to 50GB of
backups online for your most important files. And while it doesn’t include LifeLock
protection as such, its Dark Web monitoring helps protect your identity.

98STANDALONE ANTIVIRUS
BITDEFENDER ANTIVIRUS PLUS
STARTS AT $39.99 PER YEAR EDITORS’ CHOICE

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus receives outstanding ratings from the independent
antivirus testing labs and scores well in our hands-on tests of web-based
protection against dangerous and fraudulent websites. Its wide collection of

features includes ransomware-specific behavioral detection, process isolation for
your financial transactions, and a basic password manager. This antivirus comes
with so many security features that it outdoes many full-scale security suites.

99PASSWORD MANAGER
KEEPER PASSWORD MANAGER & DIGITAL VAULT
STARTS AT $34.99 PER YEAR EDITORS’ CHOICE

Remembering all the passwords in your life is an impossible task, especially when
you’re creating strong, unique passwords for every website and app you use.
Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault helps you keep track of all your
passwords across the web. The tool is easy to use and offers stellar features such
as multi-factor authentication support, good sharing capabilities, useful auditing
tools, and full password histories. Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault also
delivers top-notch credential management across a ton of platforms and
browsers.

100PREMIUM VPN SERVICE
NORDVPN
STARTS AT $11.95 PER MONTH EDITORS’ CHOICE

NordVPN isn’t the cheapest, but it makes a strong argument for its value. This VPN
supports privacy-protecting multihop connections and lets you easily connect to
the Tor anonymization network via VPN. It boasts a global presence, so you’ll
always be able to find exactly the right server for your needs, and it’s wrapped
into an excellent client application. NordVPN is especially notable for expanding
its product line with aspirations that go far beyond just VPNs.

101FREE VPN SERVICE
PROTONVPN
FREE EDITORS’ CHOICE

From the people who brought you the encrypted email service ProtonMail,
ProtonVPN is an excellent product for improving your privacy online. It offers
multihop connections around the globe for extra protection, access to the free
Tor anonymization network via VPN, and a robust collection of servers across the
world. We really like that ProtonVPN offers a flexible pricing system that includes a
free subscription tier. Although its free subscription doesn’t have all the features
and servers of the paid tiers, it’s the only free VPN we’ve reviewed that places no
limit on your bandwidth.

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I DECEMBER 2021

FEATURES

THE HOTTEST TECH
TOYS FOR KIDS

From a build-it-yourself space station to a portable storyteller
to Harry Potter’s Hedwig, here are the 2021 tech toys that’ll
bring the kids in your life a ton of fun

BY CAROL MANGIS

Toys don’t need technology to be fun—and tech shouldn’t be the whole point of
a toy. But when it’s done right, technology can elevate a toy from fun to
amazing. We look for that magic extra element in the toys we recommend. This
year, we found more toys for younger kids than we usually do. But our list will
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EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS CIRCUIT EXPLORER DELUXE BASE STATION

$59.99. AGES 6 TO 12; USES 9 AA BATTERIES.

With the Educational Insights
Circuit Explorer Deluxe Base
Station, kids can build their own
interplanetary headquarters while
learning the fundamentals of
electrical circuits: This kit gives you
everything you need to build a base
station featuring lights, sounds,
motion, and even little astronaut
and robot explorers to inhabit the
station. It comes with a pictorial
guide that shows how to build the
circuits and the rest of the station.
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as well—Rover ($44.99) and Rocket
($34.99)—and they can all combine
to create a space empire.

HEYKUBE

$74.95. AGES 8 AND UP; RECHARGEABLE

BATTERY.

The Rubik’s Cube has been around since 1974, but
it’s still as intriguing—and hard to solve—as ever.
The HeyKube adds a smart element to the
traditional cube puzzle: Scramble it up, and it
remembers the moves you made and guides you to
solve via LED lights and audio cues. It also contains
16 preprogrammed patterns it’ll teach you to solve.
Even more fun is included for prospective coders:
You can create your own light-and-sound patterns
and games using a Raspberry Pi (not included).

SPIN MASTER PEEK-A-ROO

$47.97. AGES 5 AND UP; USES 4 AA BATTERIES.

Open the box and let Momma Roo loose; She’s an
interactive and very cute plush hybrid of a
kangaroo and a panda. When you play with her,
you’ll start to see some movement in her pouch:
It’s a baby PandaRoo who’ll eventually pop his
head out. Momma and Baby both have lots of
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games and sing songs, as well. Parent take heed
though; there’s no volume control.

SPIN MASTER WIZARDING WORLD HARRY
POTTER, ENCHANTING HEDWIG INTERACTIVE
OWL

$33.99. AGES 5 AND UP; USES 3 AA BATTERIES.

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owl (and my personal favorite of the plush
interactive toys this year). Speak to her softly, and
she makes charming sweet chirps and hoots; her
responses are unpredictable and lifelike. Be careful
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or she’ll let you know she’s not pleased.

THINKER-TINKER OCTOBO STARTER PACK

$119.99. USES 4 AA BATTERIES.

This smart plush octopus-bot teaches kids as
they play. It’s sweetly cuddly on its own, but it
comes to life by integrating with a tablet and
plays interactive games, reads stories, and helps
your child develop motor skills and learn ABCs,
spelling, and more. In addition to Octobo itself,
the Starter Pack includes the Underwater
Storybook, six interactive tokens, a play guide,
and three apps; there’s also an Advanced Pack
for older kids, and an Everything Pack with
—you guessed it—everything. Ages 4 months to
7 years;.

LEAPFROG ON THE GO STORY PAL

$19.88. AGES 3 TO 8; USES 3 AA BATTERIES.

This bunny is a great companion for younger kids.
It comes loaded with over 70 entertaining stories,
poems, and songs. Parents can also record
themselves reading a story or singing a song for
their child. The Story Pal comes with a carrying
strap and has a headphone jack (headphones
aren’t included) and volume control, so it’s truly
usable “on the go.” And LeapFrog toys are well
made and rugged.

FLYCATCHER SMARTY JOJO

$8.33. AGES 3 TO 5; USES 3 AAA BATTERIES.

A nice hybrid of physical toy and digital tech,
the Smarty JOJO helps to teach young kids
colors, shapes, right-and-left, up-and-down,
and more. (It’s aimed at preschoolers, and we
don’t often come across well-designed smart
toys for that age group.) The cute plane gives
kids missions, such as “Find something red!”
Kids zoom it around and land on a red object.

Smarty JOJO can recognize whether they got it right—and will light up in that
color, to boot. And it talks, too, giving kids words of encouragement.

SPHERO MINI ACTIVITY KIT

$79.99. AGES 5 AND UP; RECHARGEABLE.

We already thought the Sphero programmable
robot ball was pretty cool. The Sphero Mini Activity
Kit is a less expensive alternative that includes a
clear-shelled, drivable Sphero Mini ball with a
gyroscope, accelerometer, and LED lights for 45
minutes of battery life. Also in the kit are
accessories for 15 projects kids can build, play with,
and even try some simple coding.

OSMO LITTLE GENIUS STARTER KIT

$79.99. AGES 3 TO 5. IPAD REQUIRED.

Osmo’s kit conceptualizes basic lessons for
young children. It includes a small, downward-
angled mirror, a stand, a play mat, 38 silicon
rings and sticks for creating letters and shapes,
and 19 costumes and a character board for the
two dress-up games included with the set. It
requires a tablet—ideally an iPad or Kindle
Fire—and connects to Osmo’s apps suite. The
mirror slides over your tablet’s camera, allowing
the device to “see” your creations and scan them
into one of Osmo’s games. Four free apps are compatible with the Starter Kit
out of the box: ABCs and Stories are educational, and Costume Party and
Squiggle Magic provide more open, experimental experiences. The character
board features a generic, gender-neutral child onto which you can layer clothes
and props—everything from space suits to tutus. Osmo’s starter kit is a little
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educational journey.

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I DECEMBER 2021

5*14 )08 504

CLOUD STORAGE

What Can You Do on iCloud.com?

On iCloud.com, you can access all your backed up and
synced Apple iCloud content, search for a lost iPhone, man-
age your passwords, and change account settings.

BY LANCE WHITNEY

Apple’s cloud-based storage service lets you back up and synchronize email,
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PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I DECEMBER 2021

THE WHY AXIS

CYBERNETICS

Cyborg-Like Body Mods Are
A-OK With Most of Us

Medical microchips? Bionic eyes? LED tattoos? A lot of people
want them, and most people surveyed say they should be
allowed.

BY ERIC GRIFFITH

You used to have to sneak around to get a tattoo. Now, though, a survey from
Tidio, a customer service chatbot provider, shows that a majority of Americans
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as they’re done by trained pros or, better yet, as More women
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or a new body.

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PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I DECEMBER 2021

MASTHEAD

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, PC MAGAZINE NETWORK THE INDEPENDENT GUIDE

Dan Costa PC Magazine is the Independent Guide to
Technology. Our mission is to test and review
EDITOR Wendy Sheehan Donnell computer- and internet-related products and
services and to report fairly and objectively on the
MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL EDITIONS Carol Mangis results. Our editors do not invest in firms whose
products or services we review, nor do we accept
PRODUCTION DESIGNER René Ramos travel tickets or other gifts of value from such firms.
Except where noted, PC Magazine reviews are of
NEWS & FEATURES products and services that are currently available.
Our reviews are written without regard to
EXECUTIVE EDITORS Chloe Albanesius, Jamie Lendino advertising or business relationships with any
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ART, VIDEO, & PRODUCTION

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Pete Haas
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