Blake Lively and Taylor Swift messages can be included in legal case
Lively's team had claimed they were irrelevant to the ongoing legal case but the judge disagreed. 
© 2025 BBCWorld 10:35pm Traveling with a laptop can be scary. These 5 essential tips will keep yours safe
Taking a laptop with you when you travel means you have the convenience of your work or entertainment with you wherever you go. But there’s no doubt that having such an expensive and important device with you can also be a logistical and security challenge. So, here are some tips to help keep you and your laptop safe.
1. Use a VPN and antivirus software
Using public Wi-Fi is a necessity for most people travelling with a laptop, unless you have an LTE connection, that is.
Unfortunately connecting to public Wi-Fi can compromise your laptop security. These networks are often unsecure, without password protection or encryption, and many have been compromised with malware that malicious actors can use to steal information or passwords.
Information breaches via public Wi-Fi happen more often than you might think. A Forbes Advisor survey of 2,000 working Americans that used public Wi-Fi found that four out of every 10 had their information breached while on public Wi-Fi. The survey also found that the most common places that breaches occurred were cafés, airports, and hotels.
That’s why you should always use a virtual private network (VPN) and have an antivirus program running when on public Wi-Fi. A VPN acts as an intermediary that encrypts the data you send between your device and the public router, making it a lot harder for cybercriminals to steal your data. If you have to download any files, a good antivirus program can detect and stop malware before it can damage your PC.
Pexels: Kevin Paster
2. Have tracker software loaded
Tracking software can often be your best bet for getting your laptop back if it goes missing on a trip.
Find My Device is one utility that you can use to track a lost laptop. If you have Windows 10 or 11 and a Microsoft account, you have access to this feature and can turn it on in your Microsoft settings.
As well as basic tracking of your lost device, it lets you lock your laptop and reset the passwords on it remotely to prevent others from accessing your personal data.
The catch is, your Microsoft account has to be an administrator account; you need to have location settings enabled; and the laptop has to be connected to the internet for these features to work.
Some savvy travelers prefer to use more sophisticated tracking software than Find My Device. One example is Absolute’s Home and Office software. It gets integrated into the laptop’s BIOS once installed, so even if your laptop’s operating system is changed or the storage drive is replaced, you can still track it down.
Chris Hoffman / IDG
3. Label it for easier recovery
It may seem like an obvious nugget of advice but having a label on your laptop that specifies your name, phone number, and either your residential or work address can be the one thing that gets you your laptop back when it’s found. The people who found it need to know who it belongs to.
Add a sticker on your laptop’s underside as a discrete identification tag. You can buy writable and printable adhesive tags on Amazon for just a few dollars. Otherwise, slip a note into your laptop bag as a less intrusive identification method.
You should also record your laptop’s make and model and serial number before you go, in the event it is found, and you need to make a report about it. Also jot down any other distinguishing features that will help you describe your laptop’s appearance, like its color, or any stickers on the chassis.
Pexels: Brett Sayles
4. Apply common sense protection strategies
The number one protection strategy you can apply is to always keep your laptop in your line of sight wherever you go. But if you do need to travel light and leave it in your hotel when you go out, be sure to store it in your room security safe or have the hotel staff store it in a secure place if you don’t have a safe in your room.
Travel insurance is also a must when traveling with a laptop. The right kind of insurance will cover you for the complete cost of the device in the event it’s lost or stolen. If your laptop has a Kensington lock port, you should use a Kensington lock to prevent grab and run theft. Otherwise, buy a cable lock before you go that will work with your laptop’s ports.
When it comes to physical protection against damage, ensure your laptop bag is either a hard case or has sufficient padding to protect it in the event it is dropped. Buying a bag made from waterproof material is also a sensible idea.
As a rule, you don’t want to leave your laptop in the overhead compartment of an airplane where it can be squashed or battered by other luggage. Instead, keep it with you in your seat. If your laptop bag is deemed to be checkpoint friendly, that can prevent you having to remove it from your bag every time you go through airport security.
Pexels: Markus Winkler
5. Bring your own safe laptop accessories
Always bring a universal travel adapter and a wall charger to use with your laptop when you travel. The universal travel adapter should have the correct plug shapes for the country or countries you are visiting, if you intend on travelling overseas.
The adapter should also support a voltage range of between 100 to 240V. Make sure you have surge protection too, either built into your adapter or as a standalone accessory, because you can never rely on unfamiliar electrical outlets. Unexpected power surges can and will fry your laptop’s circuitry.
The reason you want to bring a wall charger and always plug it into a wall socket is so you can avoid using public USB chargers, which are used by hackers for Juice Jacking. This is another cyber-theft tactic used by cybercriminals, whereby they load malware onto public USB ports to infect and maliciously access user devices.
If you do ever have to use a public USB port, be sure to use charge-only cables with data blocking functionality. These cables deliver power but prevent any data (and therefore any malicious files) from being downloaded to your computer.
Pexels: ready made
Related content
Best laptops: Our experts pick the top 11 models
23 travel gadgets you need for your next trip
How to find lost gadgets (and avoid losing them)
© 2025 PC World 10:35pm  
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Windows vs. SteamOS will be the next great console war. I can’t wait
Have you seen the news? Microsoft has signaled that future Xbox consoles will run Windows, which points to one big possible future: gaming PCs may soon be taking the living room by storm. It sounds like the next Xbox will run Steam games, too.
Meanwhile, at CES 2025, Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais told PCWorld that going beyond handhelds to living room PCs was one of Valve’s long-term goals. Remember when Steam Machines launched back in 2015? A decade later, it seems we may be looking at their return—except in a new, more interesting way. Thanks to the Steam Deck, Linux-based gaming PCs may be a bigger threat to Microsoft this time around.
In short, the next great console war will likely go down between Microsoft and Valve. Both companies have signaled their intentions, with Xbox-themed Windows PCs battling SteamOS-running Linux systems for living room dominance. Which one will come out on top?
Xbox is smartly merging with Windows
Next-generation Xbox consoles look like they will be running Windows! And they won’t be locked to a single store—it sounds like the next Xbox will also run Steam and other PC gaming platforms.
That’s not a big surprise as Microsoft already announced an Xbox-branded Windows handheld PC named the Asus ROG Xbox Ally. Microsoft hides that it runs Windows, which makes sense because Windows has so far been a mess on gaming handhelds. When I reviewed the Lenovo Legion Go S, I found that Windows made the entire experience more frustrating compared to a Steam Deck, and SteamOS delivers better performance on the same hardware.
But Microsoft isn’t just shrugging its shoulders and letting PC manufacturers slap the Xbox name on gaming PCs. Instead, the company appears to be merging Xbox and Windows in a smart way, at least according to press announcements. For example, Microsoft says existing Xbox games will run on that next-generation console, and Windows is transforming to run better on gaming-focused devices.
SteamOS is way, way, way better now
Valve initially launched Steam Machines back in 2015, a line of gaming PCs designed to offer a console-style living room experience. While Valve didn’t make its own hardware for those PCs—aside from the now-discontinued Steam Controller—the company did partner with PC makers like Alienware, who made their own hardware that ran Valve’s Linux-based SteamOS.
The initial line of Steam Machines—released just a few years after Microsoft freaked Valve out with the launch of Windows 8 and its iPad-style app platform locked to Microsoft’s own app store—didn’t take the world by storm. Those Steam Machines ran games that were ported to Linux… and the results weren’t pretty.
Since then, however, Valve’s Proton software compatibility layer has provided a way for the Steam Deck and other SteamOS-based machines to run Windows games directly on Linux, sometimes with better performance than they have when running on Windows itself.
The software is now much more ready. And Valve is already making moves to certify SteamOS for other manufacturers’ devices. Lenovo’s Legion Go S is the first non-Valve SteamOS device in the modern era. Valve doesn’t have to make its own Steam Machines—all Valve has to do is give the stamp of approval to PC makers who want to deliver their own experiences. Except this time, Valve’s SteamOS is ready.
Valve’s Steam Deck is already a living room gaming console
Valve already has a solid living room console. It’s called the Steam Deck! Paired with a dock—like Valve’s own Steam Deck docking station or a third-party dock like this one—the Steam Deck can easily connect to and run on your living room TV. Pair a controller of your choice (or even a mouse and a keyboard) and you’ll be using your “handheld” gaming console docked to your living room TV, just like you would with a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 console.
While the Steam Deck doesn’t have the power to run the latest PC games at high graphics settings, there are solutions. Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming platform works on the Steam Deck, giving you a powerful way to play demanding games with high graphical detail in your living room right on your TV, just like you can on the go.
Valve’s Steam Deck also supports Remote Play, so you can stream games wirelessly from your own PC right to your living room TV. It’s a quick-and-easy-to-set-up living room gaming experience.
Valve probably won’t release its own Steam Box any time soon…
Near the start of 2025, we heard rumors of Valve working on its own Steam Machine-style living room console, and those rumors took the web by storm. Valve appeared to be working on support for AMD RDNA4 hardware. But, as Valve developer Pierre-Loup Griffais explained, that’s nothing new. Valve always does this kind of work, and it’s no sign that a proper SteamOS console is imminent.
There’s at least one case of what appears to be a “Valve Steam Box” in the wild, but that machine is a prototype from the 2017 era. Definitely not a recent device to hang our hopes on! Given the rumors circulating online, it’s much more likely that Valve will release its own “Deckard” VR headset—and I hope they do. The VR gaming industry needs the help.
…but Valve doesn’t need to release its own SteamOS console
iBuyPower’s SBX Steam Machine from 2015.
iBuyPower
Valve doesn’t need to release its own hardware. If Microsoft is building to a Windows-based future for Xbox consoles, many users will want a proper SteamOS-based interface for their consoles. But why run Steam on a combination Xbox-plus-Windows-PC when you can run it on SteamOS and have the slick experience you get on a Steam Deck?
Heck, if the future of living room gaming involves PCs, why would Valve let Microsoft run away with that without any competition? The Steam Deck needed to exist—and needed to be a Valve-created product—because it wasn’t just about the software. There was no great handheld gaming PC that delivered what Valve delivered.
When it comes to the living room, things are different. Gaming PC companies can deliver excellent console-style experiences in everything from a “mini PC” form factor to a traditionally large gaming PC. The hardware is already ready, so Valve doesn’t have to be the one making the perfect living room PC. SteamOS is more mature than ever, too—and PC makers may be eager to get into the living room and start competing against Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo.
It’s about time PCs took over living rooms
This is PCWorld, so I’ll just say it: I’m happy the PC is taking over the living room. While the simplicity of console gaming is great, I’ve long hoped for a more open gaming experience in the living room. I want multiple stores, I want consoles that can run homebrew games from outside stores, I want support for mods, and I want all the other cool stuff you can traditionally get from PC gaming but not console gaming.
Whether Valve decides to put SteamOS up against Microsoft’s new Xbox-Windows combo operating system, I’m just excited to see the living room move in a more open, PC-oriented direction.
But I do hope SteamOS goes toe to toe with Microsoft in the living room. If nothing else, competition is better for everyone. Valve’s SteamOS efforts have already made Microsoft take Windows PC gaming much more seriously, and that’s good for all PC gamers.
© 2025 PC World 10:35pm 
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