Articles by Rael Hornby, Content Editor

Rael Hornby, potentially influenced by far too many LucasArts titles at an early age, once thought he’d grow up to be a mighty pirate. However, after several interventions with close friends and family members, you’re now much more likely to see his name attached to the bylines of tech articles. While not maintaining a double life as an aspiring writer by day and indie game dev by night, you’ll find him sat in a corner somewhere muttering to himself about microtransactions or hunting down promising indie games on Twitter.

Articles by: Rael Hornby

Asus ExpertBook P5 (P5405) open on a wooden table

The 5 best Ultrabooks are premium thin-and-light laptops that make great picks for most peoplp

By Sarah Chaney last updated 18 April 25

These are the five best ultrabooks in 2025 based on dozens of premium thin-and-light laptops put through Laptop Mag's real-world tests and benchmark results.

You don't have to give up physical media in 2025; I found the best external DVD drives for CDs, DVDs, or Blu-Rays

By Rael Hornby last updated 16 April 25

Check out our selection of the best external DVD drives in 2025. There are still numerous benefits to having an optical media drive to plug into your laptop.

Will Sam Altman's controversy be the downfall of OpenAI?

ChatGPT's Sam Altman threatened to "Uno reverse" Facebook over AI app — he might be dead serious

By Rael Hornby published 16 April 25

An older tweet from Sam Altman suddenly looks less like a joke and more like OpenAI's next big move.

A mysterious new folder appeared in my C drive after this Windows 11 update, should I be worried?

By Rael Hornby last updated 15 April 25

A recent Windows 11 update has left behind a strange "inetpub" folder on users' computers — here's what it is and what it isn't.

Oops. Deleting Windows' mysterious "inetpub" folder was a terrible mistake. Here's how to fix it

By Rael Hornby published 15 April 25

Last week, a strange folder appearing in the system directory of Windows machines was deemed harmless, but users who deleted it may be at risk.

Windows 10 BSOD saying "It's not you, it's me."

If you ignore this Windows error, maybe it'll go away — or so says Microsoft

By Rael Hornby published 14 April 25

A recent Windows 10 update claims to cause an issue with Windows Recovery, but the solution seems quite simple.

VITURE x 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Controller

Handheld gaming. 135-inch display. The reality-warping twist behind this world-first controller

By Rael Hornby published 11 April 25

VITURE and 8BitDo partner to defy the impossible, unlocking cinematic-scale for games in the palms of your hands.

Razer Blade 16 makes a sharp exit as gaming laptops are cut from direct sales in the US

By Rael Hornby published 9 April 25

One of Razer's sharpest gaming machines just got cut from U.S. sale overnight. Here are the likely reasons why.

The 2025 Framework Laptop 13 with lid open in front of an abstract yellow background

Framework built one of the last laptops you'll ever need to buy — but it can't sell it to you

By Rael Hornby published 8 April 25

Trump's tariffs risk taking the wrench to Framework's right-to-repair dream, starting with its most affordable laptops.

The Nintendo Switch 2 running Mario Kart World with a dollar sign icon edited over it

The Nintendo Switch 2 looks great, but there's a reason I won't go back to console gaming

By Rael Hornby published 7 April 25

The Switch 2 is the greatest handheld game console that I'll never buy. Here's why.

Microsoft has forked-up Windows 11, but there's one clear solution

By Rael Hornby published 4 April 25

Former Windows 10 users may have jumped through Microsoft's upgrade hoops, but they're being left behind anyway. Something has to change.

Microsoft doesn't want you to upgrade to Windows 11

By Rael Hornby published 3 April 25

Microsoft's Windows 10 end-of-support checklist all but confirms what you've suspected for years: Microsoft would rather you ditch your old machine entirely.

As Windows 11 adoption skyrockets, Microsoft tightens its grip on new users

By Rael Hornby published 2 April 25

Windows 11 has never been so popular, and Microsoft is trying its hardest to capitalize on that.

The next-gen ROG Ally looks to be Xbox's first steps toward handheld gaming

By Rael Hornby published 1 April 25

Asus has announced a next-gen follow-up to the ever-popular ROG Ally, and an Xbox partnership may be only one of its secret weapons.

Live: Amazon Big Spring Sale's best laptop and MacBook deals

By Rael Hornby, Stevie Bonifield, Nick Lucchesi last updated 28 March 25

Sale Event The best laptop and MacBook deals to look out for during Amazon's Big Spring Sale event

The Lenovo Legion Go S handheld gaming PC in white on a desk with headphones and a monitor

Lenovo just stole the Steam Deck's special sauce, and maybe the handheld gaming crown

By Rael Hornby published 22 March 25

Steam Powered and ready to (Legion) Go

Amazon's Alexa privacy U-turn just made this Apple rumor all the more exciting

By Rael Hornby last updated 21 March 25

As Amazon makes a privacy U-turn on voice recordings through its Alexa Echo devices, rumors of Apple's next-gen HomeHub hold a 2025 release window open.

Plugable Thunderbolt 4 & USB4 Quad Display Docking Station (TBT4-UDZ) on a wooden desk with an SD card and USB drives in front of it.

Best laptop docking stations in 2025: My 7 top tested picks

By Rael Hornby last updated 20 March 25

After testing and reviewing dozens of docking stations, here are our picks for the best docking stations in 2025 based on ports, power, performance, presentation, and price.

Microsoft Copilot physical key on Windows keyboards

Microsoft "fixes" Windows update bug that some users considered a feature

By Rael Hornby published 20 March 25

Microsoft has fixed a bug to restore a central Windows feature, but many Windows users were happier when it was broken.

Photograph of a gaming laptop deck with a 'Powered by SteamOS' badge added to the image.

I'm ready to gamble on this alternative gaming-focused underdog to Windows 11, are you?

By Rael Hornby published 18 March 25

As Microsoft closes the door on Windows 10, Valve opens a weird and accessible Linux-shaped window to gamers

Windows users call Microsoft's latest update blunder "The greatest bug in living memory" — here's why

By Rael Hornby published 18 March 25

Microsoft is working on a fix for a new Windows update-related issue, but some users don't want them to rush.

Small robot in front of code in background

I tried vibe coding games with AI — neither were much fun

By Rael Hornby published 13 March 25

Has vibe coding unlocked the developer in all of us? I gave it a whirl, but it failed to pass the vibe check.

Microsoft's Majorana 1 quantum processor shown in front of a background visualizing clusters of particles.

Microsoft's Majorana moment in question: Breakthrough or boy who cried quantum?

By Rael Hornby published 12 March 25

Microsoft's quantum computing claims are under intense scrutiny, and physicists are demanding receipts.

What is Manus AI? The autonomous assistant that wants to do the work for you

By Rael Hornby published 11 March 25

Manus AI is reported to be the world's first fully autonomous AI agent, but what does that mean, and does it live up to those claims?

Samsung's Vision Pro alternative may bury its best feature under a ridiculous price tag

By Rael Hornby published 10 March 25

Forget your fancy OLED display tech, just make spatial computing accessible

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