This Ryzen 5 mini PC with 16GB RAM and Windows 11 Pro is only $250
You don’t have to break the bank to get a powerful computer these days, especially if portability isn’t a must. Instead of overpaying for an expensive laptop, you can get a mini PC with the same performance at a fraction of the price! Like the Acemagician K1 mini PC that’s now just $250 on Amazon, down from its original $319.
Here’s what you get for that crazy low price: a decent AMD Ryzen 5 7430U processor, a decent 16GB of RAM, and a decent 512GB of SSD storage. Overall, it’s a decent package that’s capable of running Windows 11 Pro (included) without lagging along with all the apps and browser tabs you’ll need. It’s also user-upgradeable to 64GB of memory and 4TB of storage, so you can beef it up later on the cheap.
Those specs are powerful enough to support up to three 4K@60Hz monitors as well. Available connections include HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C video, as well as six high-speed USB-A, Ethernet, and 3.5mm audio. It also comes with a VESA mounting kit, so you can attach it to the back of a VESA-compatible monitor and keep it out of sight.
If you’re in the market for a compact-yet-capable PC, the Acemagician K1 mini PC is a steal for just $250, so don’t miss your chance to grab this deal while it lasts! It’s a crazy good value for what you pay.
Save 22% on this Ryzen 5 mini PC with 16GB RAM and Windows 11 ProBuy now at Amazon 
© 2025 PC World 1:45am  
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‘Juice jacking’ is back, but rogue USB chargers don’t scare me
Remember juice jacking? This kind of attack happens when you plug your phone or tablet into a public USB charging port (like at an airport), and the malicious charger compromises your device. Most commonly, the sketchy port will access data on your device or upload malware to its storage. Juice jacking first made the news over a decade ago, with periodic reminders about its dangers since then.
Most people don’t think about this threat—and truthfully, I haven’t either, even though I cover security for PCWorld. Back in 2011, security on phone operating systems was more basic. Since then, both Google and Apple have updated their operating systems to be more resistant to juice jacking.
But at the start of this summer (and since), various news outlets have recirculated a warning from the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) about an updated version of juice jacking at airports. Called “choice jacking,” a rogue USB charging port’s malware can bypass the required interaction with your phone or tablet’s screen to grant access to storage. It tricks the device into believing you’ve pressed the on-screen buttons that give the permission.
I’m still not very worried about this updated attack method—and not because security experts and software vendors say that this threat is more theoretical than actual. Why? It’s incredibly easy to avoid this threat, no matter how real or imagined.
An easy solution to this potential threat.Alaina Yee / Foundry
Just don’t plug your phone into public chargers. Use your own power bank or charger instead.
I prefer this method because I keep full control over how I charge my phone in multiple ways. (I’m still scarred by the early days of smartphone ownership, when I plugged my phone into a misconfigured charger and shorted my connection port.) Win-win.
If you hate carrying extra weight and/or bulk, you can also simply turn off your phone before charging via a public charger. Or look into USB cables that only carry an electrical charge and not any data. (Search for “secure USB cable.”)
Ultimately, with how much energy we already have to spend watching for online threats, I see this as a potential problem so easily sidestepped, it’s not worth stressing about. I worry more about these three travel scams. Also, that lithium ion batteries are much more flammable than we realize.
© 2025 PC World 1:05am 
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