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1 Feb 2025

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Score this 2-pack of 100W USB-C cables for just $8 right now
Is there such a thing as having too many charging cables? I don’t think so! In fact, given how fast today’s power banks and charging plugs have gotten, it’s probably time to upgrade your cables. And now’s a great time to do it because these Ugreen USB-C cables are on sale at Amazon. Normally priced at $12, this two-pack is now down to just $8 — on par with a single dolled-up Starbucks drink. These are USB-C-to-USB-C cables, each supporting 100W of power throughput, so you’ll be able to charge up your phone, laptop, and other devices in the blink of an eye. (Assuming you have an equally fast power bank or wall plug.) But these cables are great for data transfers, too. They’re capable of up to 480Mbps speeds, which is fast enough to transfer 1GB in under a minute. And they’re each 3.3 feet long, ideal for connecting devices on your workstation or plugging in your phone while in bed. The braided nylon sleeve keeps them resistant to wear and tear, so you can expect longer-than-typical lifespans out of these. If your devices aren’t charging quickly or if your files aren’t transferring fast enough, the bottleneck might be your cables. This is a great price for two fast-charging USB-C cables, so snatch this deal while you still can. (Need even longer cables? The 6.6-foot variant and 10-foot variant are also on sale, albeit for a slightly lesser discount.) Two fast-charging USB-C cables for just $8? That's a great dealBuy now at Amazon

BenQ PD2730S review: A feature-packed 5K monitor for creative pros
At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Attractive and functional design Wide range of connectivity including Thunderbolt 4 Bundled remote is handy Excellent SDR image quality Cons No Ethernet connectivity HDR is available but underwhelming Only a 60Hz refresh rate Our Verdict The BenQ PD2730S will call to creative professionals with its 5K display, but some will find its connectivity and special features just as alluring as its razor-sharp image. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: BenQ PD2730S Retailer Price BenQ $1199.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 5K monitors are having a bit of a moment. Although hardly new (Apple first introduced a 5K iMac all the way back in 2024), 5K resolution was available from just a few monitors outside Apple’s ecosystem. That is changing, however, thanks to monitors like the BenQ PD27230S. It’s a feature-packed display that pairs 5K resolution with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity and a bundled remote. BenQ PD2730S specs and features The BenQ PD2730S is a 5K monitor widescreen, which means it has a resolution of 5120×2880. It’s part of a new breed of more affordable 5K monitors just now hitting store shelves. Unlike earlier 5K displays, this monitor has new IPS technology which roughly doubles the contrast ratio compared to most prior IPS monitors. Display size: 27-inch 16:9 widescreen Native resolution: 5120×2880 Panel type: In-Plane Switching (with enhanced contrast), 10-bit panel Refresh rate: 60Hz Adaptive sync: None HDR: Yes, HDR 10 Ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 90 watts of Power Delivery, 1x Thunderbolt 4-out with daisy-chain display support, 1x USB-C upstream, 1x USB-C downstream, 4x USB-A downstream VESA mount: 100x100mm Speakers: 2x 3-watt speakers Remote control: Included Price: $1199.99 Resolution aside, the BenQ PD2730S is also notable for its connectivity. It supports Thunderbolt 4 as well as USB-C and includes a total of four USB-A downstream ports. The Thunderbolt 4 output also supports daisy-chain connections, meaning it’s possible to connect two monitors to a single video output on your PC. Further reading: See our roundup of the best monitors to learn about competing products. BenQ PD2730S design The BenQ PD2730S is part of the company’s designer sub-brand so, unsurprisingly, it boasts a professional and attractive design. It has slim black bezels around the sides and top and a modestly sized chin below. Around back, BenQ relies on “powdered white” matte plastics which look clean and feel robust. Overall, the design is simple but purposeful. A robust silver-gray stand keeps the monitor upright and provides a wide range of ergonomic adjustment including tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustment. The swivel and height adjustments offer more room to adjust than with many other monitors, at 60 degrees of swivel and up to 150mm of height adjustment. I also like the broad yet thin stand base, which keeps the monitor stable while allowing owners to use the desk space that it occupies. If you don’t want to use it, however, the display panel has a 100x100mm VESA mount for use with third-party monitor arms and stands. Matthew Smith / Foundry BenQ PD2730S connectivity The BenQ PD2730S is a 5K monitor, but that’s not the only thing notable about it. It’s also a Thunderbolt 4 monitor that provides a ton of connectivity. Video connectivity includes HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort Alternate Mode, for a total of three video inputs. This is one area where connectivity is a tad weak, as I’d prefer to see a second DisplayPort. Still, the available video connectivity is fine for most people. The monitor’s Thunderbolt 4 port also supports USB-C, of course, and up to 90 watts of Power Delivery for charging a connected tablet or laptop. There’s also a Thunderbolt 4/USB-C downstream port with up to 15 watts of Power Delivery and support for daisy-chain video connections (meaning the monitor’s Thunderbolt 4 output can be passed to a second monitor’s input, which allows for cleaner, simpler monitor connections). In addition to that, the monitor has a data-only USB-C upstream port that handles data rates up to 10Gbps, as well as a USB-C downstream port with 10Gbps of data and 7.5 watts of power. USB-A connectivity is robust, too. The monitor has a total of four USB-A downstream ports. One offers 10Gbps of data, while the rest handle up to 5Gbps of data. A KVM switch function is included and arranged so that the Thunderbolt 4 port provides one source, while a USB-C port provides the other. A 3.5mm audio-jack rounds out that monitor’s connectivity. That’s a lot, and it should be well-suited for the monitor’s intended use. This is a monitor built for professional use, after all, and many professional users want to connect many external devices. The only important port missing is Ethernet. That’s something a few competitors like the Dell U3224KB provide (though, in that case, at a higher price). BenQ PD2730S features The BenQ PD2730S is not short on features, especially when it comes to color management and calibration. The company provides several software utilities including ColorTalk (a color matching utility for people lacking a colorimeter for calibration) and Palette Master Ultimate (for those who do have a colorimeter). It’s also compatible with Display Pilot 2, a utility that provides access to most monitor options and settings in Windows. Matthew Smith / Foundry Alternatively, the monitor’s options can be changed with a joystick on the lower right bezel or BenQ’s unique puck-style rotary remote. The puck is wireless and provides a quicker, more intuitive way to change settings. Not everyone will need it, but owners who make frequent adjustments to their monitor will appreciate it. The monitor also features a pair of 3-watt speakers. As with most bundled speakers, they suffer from a lack of bass (as there’s no subwoofer), which causes audio to sound tinny and muddy at higher volumes. Still, the speakers are acceptable for listening to a podcast or playing ambient music at lower volumes. BenQ PD2730S SDR image quality The BenQ PD2730S is meant for creative professionals, so image quality is a high priority, and the monitor doesn’t disappoint. Though it’s not perfect, the PD2730S delivers an accurate, sharp quality that’s great for both creative work and general productivity. Matthew Smith / Foundry First up is SDR brightness, and here the BenQ PD2730S provides a strong score of 485 nits. While the Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV scored better, the BenQ PD2730S otherwise runs ahead of the competition, including the Philips Creator Series 27E2F7901, another solid monitor for creative work. Many people will use the PD2730S at some small fraction of its maximum potential brightness. However, its ability to reach a high brightness could be helpful if you work in a sunlit room or brightly lit open office. Matthew Smith / Foundry Contrast is a strong point for the BenQ PD2730S, though it does depend on your needs. I measured a maximum contrast ratio of 2070:1 which, as the graph shows, is a good result in line with other monitors that have an IPS Black display panel. The contrast improvement is noticeable when compared to monitors with a conventional IPS panel, such as the Asus ProArt PA278CFRV. However, shoppers should know that OLED monitors can achieve an effectively infinite contrast ratio that provides a deeper and more immersive image with better detail in shadowy scenes. On the other hand, most OLED monitors are inferior in brightness in sharpness. Matthew Smith / Foundry The BenQ PD2730S has a wide color gamut that meet or exceeds 100 percent of sRGB and DCI-P3. It also reaches up to 89 percent of AdobeRGB. As the graph shows, these are excellent results that put the PD2730S in the upper echelon of monitors sold today. A wide color gamut is important for creative work, as it allows owners to see subtle gradations of color that might not appear on less capable displays. But it also provides a vibrant, saturated look in general day-to-day use. Matthew Smith / Foundry BenQ scores a big win in color accuracy with an extremely low average color error that beats similar competitors. In addition to that, I noticed the PD2730S achieved this result with consistently low color error across all colors (instead of a high error in one or two colors and very low error elsewhere, which can happen). The result is not only a realistic image, but one that should please creatives who need to know that the colors displayed by a monitor are accurate to how they will appear on other calibrated displays. The BenQ PD2730S scored a tad off our gamma and color temperature targets, however. It hit a gamma curve of 2.1 (instead of 2.2) and color temperature of 6700K (instead of 6500K). These are minor deviations, and I doubt most would notice, but keen-eyed users could see a variance. I recommend taking advantage of the monitor’s calibration features, which includes the calibration software mentioned earlier and a wide range of gamma, color temperature, and color hue/saturation adjustments. Sharpness, of course, is a strength. A resolution of 5120×2880 across a 27-inch panel translates to a pixel density of 218 pixels per inch, which is excellent for any PC monitor. You’ll only see a sharper image from the rare few 6K and 8K monitors, such as the Dell Ultrasharp U3224KB. The extra sharpness is valuable for anyone who works with high-resolution images and videos. It also looks great everywhere else, from Microsoft Excel to Civilization VI. The BenQ PD2730S also has the company’s Nano Matte Panel, a specific display coat marketed by BenQ. It’s meant to reduce reflections and provide a more paper-like experience. The PD2730S isn’t BenQ’s best monitor for printed work, as BenQ offers a Photographer Monitor line-up which includes displays like the BenQ SW272Q. Still, I generally prefer a matte finish on my monitors, and I think BenQ’s Nano Matte Panel finish is excellent. Overall, the BenQ PD2730S is an excellent general-purpose monitor for creative professionals. It will also appeal to shoppers who want a high-quality, color-accurate display with even better sharpness than a 4K alternative. If I have any complaint, it’s that the BenQ PD2730S doesn’t look much better than Asus’ less expensive ProArt 5K Display PA27JCV. But BenQ tosses in connectivity and features the Asus lacks, so it makes sense that BenQ asks more for its monitor. BenQ’s Nano Matte Panel finish is excellent — it reduces reflections and provides a more paper-like finish. BenQ PD2730S HDR image quality The BenQ PD2730S supports HDR signals and is VESA DisplayHDR400 Certified. That, however, is a modest level of certification, and the information BenQ provided on the PD2730S made it clear HDR isn’t the monitor’s priority. The monitor is “suitable for users previewing HDR content,” but SDR is the focus. If you do view HDR, the monitor’s limited brightness and contrast are limitations. The monitor lacks the brightness to reveal luminous details in HDR content, and it lacks the contrast to properly preserve shadow depth and detail when displaying small, bright HDR details in an otherwise dark scene. So, as BenQ said: You might want to flip on HDR to preview HDR content, but it’s not ideal if you view, or work with, HDR more often than SDR. BenQ PD2730S motion performance Motion performance, like HDR, isn’t a priority for the BenQ PD2730S. It has a standard 60Hz refresh rate and doesn’t provide support for Adaptive Sync. Because of that, the monitor isn’t a good choice for fast-paced PC games, as it lacks the motion clarity and smooth frame-pacing competitive gamers require. To be fair, this is currently typical for a 5K monitor. Acer revealed a 5K monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate at CES 2025 but it’s not yet available. Should you buy the BenQ PD2730S? The BenQ PD2730S is an excellent monitor, though one targeted at a specific audience. Its accurate SDR image, wide range of connectivity, and functional design with many image quality options make it a great choice for professionals, including digital artists and photographers, who want to work with high-resolution images. Compared to Asus’ more affordable and similar ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV, the BenQ has more features for dialing in the image quality and better connectivity. I’d recommend the ProArt to most people interested in a 5K display as it’s often nearly as good as the BenQ and more affordable, but creative professionals shouldn’t be shy about paying more for the BenQ PD2730S, as its extra features add value.

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Your password sucks. But does your PIN code suck too?
Password health is important, but don’t overlook the humble PIN, too. Often just four digits, it stands between bad actors and major parts of your life: your bank account, your smartphone, your home security system. But most people chose weak, easily guessed PINs for protection. And chances are, you’re one of them. Earlier this week, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) revealed common usage trends in 29 million hacked or leaked PINs, found in the data hosted by security site HaveIBeenPwned. Turns out, almost one in 10 people rely on the same four-digit code—and it’s stupidly easy to guess. (Yep: It’s 1234.) In fact, that’s true of every popular code in the list. If you’ve ever had the impulse to sweep your fingers across a row of keys to create your PIN, so has someone else. Same applies to picking a sequential set of numbers, using the same numeral for all four digits, repeating two numerals, or choosing a birth year. A weak PIN could allow someone to easily drain your bank account of its money.Erol Ahmed / Unsplash You can see the top 50 discovered by the ABC in their article, which includes a very slick visual presentation of the data. (It makes parsing so many numbers interesting and easy to follow—very worth checking out.) For a sampler, here are the 20 most common codes: 1234 (9.0%) 1111 (1.6%) 0000 (1.1%) 1342 (0.6%) 1212 (0.4%) 2222 (0.3%) 4444 (0.3%) 1122 (0.3%) 1986 (0.3%) 2020 (0.3%) 7777 (0.3%) 5555 (0.3%) 1989 (0.3%) 9999 (0.2%) 6969 (0.2%) 2004 (0.2%) 1010 (0.2%) 4321 (0.2%) 6666 (0.2%) 1984 (0.2%) (As a reminder, 0.2 percent of 29 million is 580,000, so it’s still well over half a million people sharing 1984 as a PIN.) With up to 10,000 permutations possible for a four-digit PIN, having almost 10 percent of people rely on the same super guessable one is an unnecessary security hazard. It’s just as bad when you look at six-digit PINs (123456). If you have a weak PIN, the fix is simple. You can use a password generator for a truly random PIN, and then update accordingly. This task is simple if you use a password manager. (If you don’t, we have recommendations you can look at.) No password manager? I’d advise you consider one, but you can at least upgrade your PIN security by choosing a string of digits that seem random, but have personal meaning for you. For example: The day you met each of your enemies. Scale the number of enemies appropriately for the length of your PIN. (Obviously, this only works if no one knows who you consider an enemy.)