Amazon has sold Kindle ereaders for almost two decades but it wasn't until last year that it went beyond black and white. The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition came out in October and — despite a previous screen issue that seems fixed — it's a great product overall. Our biggest quip is the price, $280 for the 32GB edition, compared to $200 for the 32GB Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, for example. 

Now, a new sale is easing the strain on our wallets, dropping the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition to $225 — a 20 percent discount and record-low price. The deal is the same whether or not you opt for three months free of Kindle Unlimited. The seven-inch display touts "paper-like color," up to eight weeks of use in one charge and has an an IPX8 waterproof rating. Plus, it's especially nice for graphic novel readers who want to get the full effect. 

Amazon is also running two types of book sales. If you have one of their ereaders, then you can get three times the amount of points every time you buy a Kindle book between today and Friday, April 25. If ereaders aren't your thing then you can check out Amazon's Book Sale, on through Monday, April 28. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Those looking to upgrade from an aging tablet to a new iPad should consider the new iPad A16. Not only do we consider it the best affordable iPad, but it's also on sale for even less right now. A few colorways of the iPad A16 are down to $320, which is $29 off the normal price and a record low. The deal is for the entry-level configuration with 128GB of storage, 6GB of RAM and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity.

The A16 iPad, which Apple released earlier this year, is our pick for the best budget iPad. It's not as sleek or powerful as the iPad Air, but as things stand it'll run you $234 less than that tablet. It's a good device in its own right, as we gave it a score of 84 in our review.

Apple didn't increase the price of the latest base iPad compared with the previous model, but it added 2GB of RAM, doubled the storage and slotted in a more powerful chipset that's fast enough for most common tasks, including casual gaming and light photo editing. However, the iPad doesn't support Apple Intelligence — which is either a positive or negative, depending on your perspective or feelings about generative AI.

The build quality is still solid, while the 11-inch tablet runs for around 10 hours on a single charge, depending on the taks you carry out with it. On the downside, the accessory situation isn't ideal. The Apple Pencil doesn't charge wirelessly when you attach it magnetically to the iPad — you'll need a USB-C cable and a USB-C to Lightning adapter to juice up the original Pencil's battery from the tablet. The Magic Keyboard support isn't great either, as the model that works with the base iPad is tough to stabilize on your lap.

Still, if the accessory fussiness doesn't bother you, this might be the right iPad for your needs. Sure, the iPad Air and Pro lineups have models with more powerful chipsets, but if all you're looking for is an iPad to watch some movies on while you're flying or to read the news on without breaking the bank, this could be the way to go.

Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Apple TV+ has a ton of popular originals like Ted Lasso, Severance, Slow Horses, For All Mankind, Foundation and Silo. If you've been meaning to check them out, you can do so for less right now. Apple TV+ is on sale right now for $3 per month for the first three months, bringing the total cost to just $9 for the entire period. That saves you a total of $21 off the standard $10 monthly cost of the subscription that we consider to be one of our favorite streaming services. But the deal expires on April 24, so you only have a bit more time to grab it.

Apple's shows won 10 Emmy Awards in 2024, including a Slow Horses victory for outstanding writing in a drama series. Although its films weren't up for anything at this year's Oscars, it received 13 nominations in 2024, including Best Picture nods for Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon.

Both new and qualified returning subscribers (those who haven't been subscribed for the past 30 days) are eligible for this deal. You also must sign up via Apple directly and not through a third-party provider or your mobile wireless provider. If you don't want to pay full price after three months, just remember to cancel before the renewal date.

Check out our coverage of the best streaming deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

You can sink a lot of money into your kitchen without even realizing it. There’s no doubt that some of the best kitchen gadgets are on the pricey side, but there are also plenty of budget-friendly tools that can make your time meal prepping, cooking for a party and reheating leftovers much easier. All the recommendations on this list are either products I use currently, or more affordable versions of something I decided to splurge on after years of food prep. You may not consider every single item an essential for your kitchen, but all of them can save you time when you need to get dinner on the table quickly.

Best cheap kitchen gadgets for 2025

Meta's Oversight Board has deemed Meta was right to leave up two videos reported for hate speech and harassment, though it recommends changes for the company. The decision follows revisions Meta made in January to its Hateful Conduct Policy.

The Board started looking into the two posts last August. One of the videos showed a trans woman being confronted in a bathroom by another woman who misgenders the trans woman and asks why they should be allowed to use the women's room. The included caption states that the trans woman is a "male student who thinks he's a girl." The second is of a trans woman winning a track race with onlookers disapproving. That caption similarly calls the individual, a "boy who thinks he's a girl" and names the person (who is a minor).

In its decision, the Board claims that "public debate on policies around transgender peoples' rights and inclusion is permitted, with offensive viewpoints protected under international human rights law on freedom of expression." Yes, you did read "offensive viewpoints" and "permitted" in the same sentence. It goes on to state that a majority of the Board couldn't find a strong enough "link" between removing these posts and limiting harm to trans individuals and that they didn't "represent" harassment or bullying.

"Transgender women and girls' access to women's bathrooms and participation in sports are the subjects of ongoing public debate that involves various human rights concerns. It is appropriate that a high threshold be required to suppress such speech," the decision continues.

The Board states that Meta's recent "hastily announced" policy changes didn't influence its decision but that it is concerned about content and implementation. "Meta should identify how the policy and enforcement updates may adversely impact the rights of LGBTQIA+ people, including minors, especially where these populations are at heightened risk," the Board states. "It should adopt measures to prevent and/or mitigate these risks and monitor their effectiveness. Finally, Meta should update the Board every six months on its progress, reporting on this publicly at the earliest opportunity."

The Board also calls out a specific line in Meta's updated policy which states, "We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words such as 'weird.'" It recommends Meta remove the word "transgenderism," a term organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign called out as signaling "a disturbing alignment with anti-LGBTQ+ political rhetoric."

I liked Logitech's MX Creative Console when I tested it last year, but one of biggest issues was a lack of support for specific content creation and other apps. The company has rectified that with a major update now available on the company's Logi Marketplace. It expands the console's compatibility to several key apps including DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Lightroom and Figma. 

As a reminder, the MX Creative Console is a control panel that connects to your Mac or PC and is designed to speed up creative chores for apps like Adobe Premiere and Photoshop. It's more compact than rival consoles and features a modern design and a pair of slick control dials, along with dynamic display keys that change depending on the app and page you’re looking at.

A key new addition is support for Adobe's Lightroom, rather than just Lightroom Classic as before. It lets you use the dial controller on the MX Creative Console to straighten images or adjust brightness, contrast and clarity. The buttons can also be set up to do things like rate and flag images for quicker processing. 

Logitech also worked with Blackmagic Design to get the console working with DaVinci Resolve, a popular editing and effects app that's an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro. You can now use the console to navigate the timeline, cut, trim and retime clips and navigate Fusion's effects nodes efficiently. 

It added similar functionality for Apple's Final Cut Pro, while also letting you do precise color grading via the app's Color Wheels. For the interface design tool Figma, the MX Creative Console lets you quickly access essential tools and actions, manage assets, text alignments, spacing and layout adjustments and adjust text size, weight and height with the dial. 

Logitech got into creative control surfaces in a big way when it purchased Steam Deck rival Loupedeck in 2023. The $200 MX Creative Console arrived a year later, and though it took Adobe nearly seven months to release a major update, support for the new apps makes the console far more versatile. "Adding these highly requested plugins will unlock the MX Creative Console’s potential for a broader range of creative professionals,” noted Logitech GM Anatoliy Polyanker.

Following reported delays over political concerns, the European Commission (EC) has penalized Apple and Meta over anti-competitive activities. The fines of €500 million and €200 million respectively (around $570 million and $228 million) are the first to be issued under Europe's new Digital Markets Act (DMA), according to the EC. 

The fines were issued after what the Commission called extensive consultation with the two companies after the probes were opened in March 2024. Apple violated the DMA by blocking developers from informing customers about sales and other offers outside the App Store. "Consumers cannot fully benefit from alternative and cheaper offers as Apple prevents app developers from directly informing consumers of such offers," the Commission wrote, adding that it failed to demonstrate the restrictions are "objectively necessary." 

The €500 million fine levied against Apple takes into account the "gravity and duration" of the non-compliant behavior. The EC also ordered Apple to remove the restrictions and refrain from imposing them in the future. 

However, the Commission also closed its investigation into another Apple matter around app choices "thanks to early and proactive engagement by Apple on a compliance solution." Namely, Apple changed its browser choice screen, made it easier for users to change default settings for things like calls, messages, keyboards and password managers, and agreed to allow users to uninstall apps like Safari. 

Meanwhile, the EC hit Meta for its "consent or pay" system that forced EU users to either shell out €10 ($11) monthly for an ad-free subscription or be forced to share their data. Meta introduced a new version of the free personalized ads model in November 2024 that supposedly uses less personal data to display ads (while also cutting the subscription price to €6), but the Commission is still assessing that. 

The €200 million fine thus takes into account the time period between March 2024 and November 2024 when Facebook was violating DMA rules. However, Meta could face further penalties depending on how the EC evaluates the new personalized adds. On a positive note for Meta, the EC rules that Facebook Marketplace is no longer designated under the DMA, following "careful assessment of Meta's arguments and as a result of... additional enforcement and continued monitoring measures."

Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg specifically urged President Trump to intervene on potential EU sanctions around the pay for privacy issue. The White House also released a memo in February saying it could retaliate against any European DMA sanctions against US tech companies. However, Meta has its own problems in the US that could have more dire consequences. The Justice Department accused it of squashing competition through acquisition and could force it to sell off key apps like WhatsApp and Instagram. 

Finding a laptop that can juggle both gaming and schoolwork isn’t as tricky as it used to be. These days, you don’t have to choose between a machine that can handle your homework and one that can keep up with your favorite games. Whether you’re diving into an essay, editing video for a project or hopping into a round of Fortnite or Baldur’s Gate 3 after class, there are plenty of laptops that strike the right balance between performance, portability and price.

The key is knowing what to look for. A solid gaming and schoolwork laptop should have enough processing power for multitasking, a GPU that can handle modern games (even if you're not cranking settings to ultra) and decent battery life to get you through a day of classes or study sessions. Some are sleek and lightweight enough to slip into a backpack while others double as full-on gaming rigs when you’re home and plugged in. We’ve tested a range of laptops to help you find one that fits your student schedule and your Steam library.

Best laptops for gaming and school in 2025

Best laptop for gaming and schoolwork FAQs

Are gaming laptops good for school?

As we’ve mentioned, gaming laptops are especially helpful if you're doing any demanding work. Their big promise is powerful graphics performance, which isn't just limited to PC gaming. Video editing and 3D rendering programs can also tap into their GPUs to handle laborious tasks. While you can find decent GPUs on some productivity machines, like Dell's XPS 15, you can sometimes find better deals on gaming laptops. My general advice for any new workhorse: Pay attention to the specs; get at least 16GB of RAM and the largest solid state drive you can find (ideally 1TB or more). Those components are both typically hard to upgrade down the line, so it’s worth investing what you can up front to get the most out of your PC gaming experience long term. Also, don’t forget the basics like a webcam, which will likely be necessary for the schoolwork portion of your activities.

The one big downside to choosing a gaming notebook is portability. For the most part, we'd recommend 15-inch models to get the best balance of size and price. Those typically weigh in around 4.5 pounds, which is significantly more than a three-pound ultraportable. Today's gaming notebooks are still far lighter than older models, though, so at least you won't be lugging around a 10-pound brick. If you’re looking for something lighter, there are plenty of 14-inch options these days. And if you're not into LED lights and other gamer-centric bling, keep an eye out for more understated models that still feature essentials like a webcam (or make sure you know how to turn those lights off).

Do gaming laptops last longer than standard laptops?

Not necessarily — it really depends on how you define "last longer." In terms of raw performance, gaming laptops tend to pack more powerful components than standard laptops, which means they can stay relevant for longer when it comes to handling demanding software or modern games. That makes them a solid choice if you need a system that won’t feel outdated in a couple of years, especially for students or creators who also game in their downtime.

But there’s a trade-off. All that power generates heat, and gaming laptops often run hotter and put more strain on internal components than typical ultraportables. If they’re not properly cooled or regularly maintained (think dust buildup and thermal paste), that wear and tear can shorten their lifespan. They’re also usually bulkier and have shorter battery life, which can impact long-term usability depending on your daily needs.

Gaming laptops can last longer performance-wise, but only if you take good care of them. If your needs are light — browsing, writing papers and streaming — a standard laptop may actually last longer simply because it’s under less stress day-to-day.

What is the role of GPU in a computer for gaming and school?

The GPU plays a big role in how your laptop handles visuals — and it’s especially important if you’re using your computer for both gaming and school.

For gaming, the GPU is essential. It’s responsible for rendering graphics, textures, lighting and all the visual effects that make your favorite titles look smooth and realistic. A more powerful GPU means better frame rates, higher resolutions and the ability to play modern games without lag or stuttering.

For schoolwork, the GPU matters too — but its importance depends on what you're doing. If your school tasks mostly involve writing papers, browsing the web or using productivity tools like Google Docs or Microsoft Office, you don’t need a high-end GPU. But if you’re working with graphic design, video editing, 3D modeling or anything else that’s visually demanding, a good GPU can speed things up significantly and improve your workflow.

Georgie Peru contributed to this report.

It’s rare for a turn-based RPG to excite the editorial team beyond Engadget’s usual core RPG fans. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has many excited, however. Maybe it’s the dreamy Belle Époque aesthetic and design. Maybe it’s the gloriously pulpy concept of an all-powerful Paintress dooming humankind to an ever shortening mortal clock. Maybe it’s the characters, bolstered by a starry voice artist roster, and nuanced animation and story. Maybe, at this point in gaming, it’s the $50 price tag.

Maybe it’s just the treat of a turn-based RPG for those of us not looking for another real-time action RPGs. Expedition 33 does a great job setting up its world in a way that allows everyone to get on board. Lumiere, which seems to be a chunk of Paris plus change, is doomed to repeat a cycle of death, with a powerful godlike figure, the Paintress, looming on the horizon. The vestiges of humanity send out expeditions each year to “the Continent” in a bid to stop the death. This is the story of Expedition 33, although it’s not the 33rd, but closer to the 77th, with the clock counting down from 100.

Sandfall

Once you’re exploring the dangerous world beyond the safety of the city, you’ll discover that each expedition, while failing at ending the Paintress, made progress in different ways, paying it forward for the expedition that followed. Some groups set up grapplehook points across the world, while others figured how to use the world’s painty powers to tattoo themselves to boost their combat powers. Some tried to reach the Paintress on boats and submarines, but failed miserably.

It gets the player excited about exploring the world and the lore, even before you’ve left the safety of Lumiere. You start the game as Gustave, picking up party members throughout the early part of the game. While not all of them are part of your battle party, Gustave seems to have a connection with many other members of Expedition 33. A farewell party, tinged with hope, pessimism and loss, sets up the journey before things go wrong, pretty much as soon as they land.

Expedition 33 introduces its battle system and its take on turn-based RPGs in easy-to-digest parts. First you’re taught the basics of parrying and dodging, as well as a Free Aim shooting mode, which gobbles up your activity points just as much as a straightforward attack, but can be used to hit weak points or sabotage powerful attacks of your enemies. Quick-time actions, pressing the right button at the right time, will ensure your skills do even more damage, but are more crucial for parries and dodges.

You’ll want to refine your ability to parry attacks as soon as possible. Parries have a shorter success window than dodges, but offer extra action points for the character, and if performed perfectly, set up an automatic (and powerful) counterattack. Later abilities, learned from Pictos (sort-of accessories) can augment your parries to offer mild healing, extra action points, and even more powerful counter attacks. From the mid-game onwards, parrying will likely be your life.

Sandfall

There’s then the addition of elemental attacks, which can apply status effects, augment future attacks and more. Initially, I found the skill sets of each character, which are entirely different, a little complicated. Sure, Gustave’s shot ability was laced with Lightning, but it also applied the Mark status effect, which adds 50 percent more damage to whoever attacks the same enemy next. It all soon clicked into place, though, and I was cuing up each character’s attack to build upon the last.

Alongside their unique skills and spells, each character has their own fight mechanic too. Our preview touched on Gustave’s super-charged robot arm, Lune’s elemental stains which she can store up and apply to add more oomph to spells, and Maelle’s battle stances that can risk weakened defense for heavier hits.

The party is eventually joined by Sielle, who has a light-dark mechanic that tags enemies, building up momentum to convert into considerable damage, or a mixed hit-and-heal attack. Then there’s monkey-monk Monoco who is both the comic relief and blue mage, collecting defeated monster’s feet (!) and wielding their moves in combat. Those skills are further complicated by a Beastial wheel, which spins after each attack Monoco makes, and augments certain families of attacks. For example, if wearing the Caster mask, a regen spell will also heal the party substantially. Like I said, initially confusing, but you get to grips with it.

In the later game chapters, enemies will often deliver seven-hit combos, with some attacking all of your party each time. You’ll find yourself dodging, parrying and leaping over attacks in a bid to shore up ability points, or just keep yourself alive, and it can get a bit stale at times.

But! When you nail that boss’ attack pattern, flawlessly countering the evil older man (there shouldn’t be anyone alive over 33!) and his eight laser cane attacks, and your three-person party coalesce into a group counter attack, severing a considerable chunk of his health bar.

Urgh. I felt like an athlete—an artist.

Sandfall

There are no random encounters, so like Metaphor Re:Fantazio (There are a lot of parallels there) enemies exist in the world, ready for you to sneak attack – or just avoid. The auto-save system is forgiving, and even kindly keeps three saves at hand, so you can perhaps retreat from an area you’re not quite ready for. And you will get thrashed by a random super enemy when you push your luck. There are also a few difficulty spikes, but it’s often a matter of attack pattern recognition.

While there are distractions and optional areas to explore, Expedition 33 guides you in a relatively linear fashion for most of the game. As more exploration options become available, you’re eventually able to easily return to past areas, and go obliterate that one monster with the giant spear that shamed you in the early hours of your playthrough.

Most transport options come from befriending a giant plushie-kind-of-mythical-creature called Esquie, who can swim, blast through rocks and eventually fly you around the world. To do so, however, you’ll have to find his friends. Those friends are stones that add skills. So while he can fly as soon as you meet him, he can’t carry you until you find his special stone buddy. I love this kind of RPG nonsense. Gestrahl villages (another species that inhabits the continent) add some welcome comic relief amid all the death, family strife, and betrayal.

Fortunately, the cast of Expedition 33 have the dramatic bonafides to deliver on the emotional beats, including Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Jennifer English (Baldur’s Gate 3’s Shadowheart) Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI) and Andy Serkis (do I even have to say?).

There are both French and English VAs, and I’d recommend playing through at least part of the game in both. It adds a certain je ne sais quoi – or at least made me feel somehow cultured. There are numerous other playfully French touches and clichés, including a droopy Eiffel Tower and a series of formidable enemies: a tribe of mimes.

Sandfall

Sandfall decided to forgo maps; there’s an overworld map, accessible by pressing up on the D-pad, but it lacks an overlay, and you’ll have to zoom in significantly to see the areas’ labels.

The bigger frustration is the lack of mini maps in core areas. While it’s not an open-world exploration kind of game, there’s some latitude for exploring off the beaten path, which is nearly always rewarded with new equipment (or a strong enemy). However, without a map, I often found myself running in circles, struggling to find a way forward.

It’s a good thing, then, that the environments are gorgeous and filled with detail. I need a camera mode added to this game, as soon as possible. The sinister Monolith, counting down the years, always seems to be visible from cliff sides, valleys, and abandoned train stations, always in a very aesthetically pleasing way. Even the campsite that the group uses to save, rest and develop friendships overlooks the Paintress’ countdown clock.

We covered the faux underwater level from the early part of the game in our preview, but there are several more meticulously designed levels and areas later in the game. One optional distraction partway through is a vertiginous structure made of gravity-defying floating objects and parts of buildings that you can climb up for a (frustrating) mini-game. There’s also a fractured snowy Belle Époque ski resort that you have to hike up, and a broken city, skewered by swords of light, to fight through on your way to confront the giant, weepy Paintess, who’s always slumped on the horizon.

Side quests and distractions from the main story are minimal until later in the game, and I found myself happily moving on without completing them, hoping for an easy way to backtrack to areas. That doesn’t quite ever happen, although a Doctor Who-esque house found within the game, with doors attached to various places across the Continent, would have made a convenient shortcut. Instead, you have to wait until you’ve found Esquie’s stone for flying, which comes pretty late into the game.

Once Esquie takes to the skies, there’s no shortage of mini quests and new areas, including gorgeously hued floating islands, paintings to test your battle strategies and curios that help bolster smaller story beats. I haven’t finished all of the optional bosses and quests, but the only frustrating ones so far have hinged on some precarious platforming segments. It’s not great; it's frustrating. These characters were not built for leaps of faith. And if you’re sprinting, don’t be surprised if you parkour roll off the platform you landed on, and fall to your death.

Without spoiling the story, many of the characters have a degree of plot blindness that stretches incredulity. It can be especially jarring when woven amid a lot of heaviness, themes of loss, death of close friends and the whole attempting-to-save-the-world when no-one even knows if it’s possible.

Sandfall

I’m willing to forgive the high-concept wankery to an extent (It’s an RPG!). Still, when new characters join you, almost certainly connected to mysterious enemies trying to kill you, you’d expect other party members might have a few questions.

You can tell the team loves RPGs. The director said he was “starving for turn-based RPGs” and he’s helped make quite the meal. The RPG inspirations come from many places. You can easily see the affection for both the Persona and Final Fantasy series in places. Still, during the battles, it was Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario, of all things, that came to mind, with the judicious use of timing and quick button presses being the best way to win – or at least survive.

Another thing that Expedition 33 does right is a rather fantastic run of battles, cinematic set-pieces and exploration towards the end. The final villain, too, is someone I was hoping to fight – no random evil big bad here, like we have suffered in one or ten RPGs past.

Expedition 33 is a solid, enjoyable RPG – and I’ve already started. However, later into the game, and on the higher difficulty level, it devolves into a rhythm action game, especially on damage-sponge bosses. Although that might not be what turn-based RPG fans want, it adds urgency and focus to fights. It’s also a gorgeously made and well-considered world. A strong endorsement for it all is that I’m still hunting down records of every expedition that came before Gustave, Maelle and Lune.

May the 4th be with you is almost upon us, so get ready for an influx of Stars Wars paraphernalia. That includes new merch, such as Casetify's collaboration with Star Wars. Yes, starting today, Star Wars fans can get a series of branded accessories for devices ranging from iPhones to wireless chargers. 

One of the most over-the-top items available is a Darth Vader AirPods holder. As you can see above, it's an entire stand for your AirPods that almost looks like a little bobblehead doll. But, it fits your AirPod case (which can also be Star Wars themed) and leaves space for the keychain to poke out. Plus, Casetify claims it's "complete with authentic breathing sound effects" — a purchase that truly falls under the category of something you never knew you needed. 

The Darth Vader head follows similar Casetify products, including a stand that looks like RX-78-2 from Gundam. It also held both AirPods and another case from the anime collaboration. A separate roll out with Neon Genesis Evangelion included an AirPods case based on the head of Evangelion Unit-01.

As for the Star Wars collection, you can check out all the products below and purchase items starting at $32. Some of the themed accessories will be available to buy in bundles. 

Casetify