If you’ve got a Fire TV video streamer, you already know how great it can be to access all of the major streaming platforms and thousands of shows and movies in one centralized hub. And seeing all your favorites on a big-screen TV is way better than watching it on a smaller laptop or smartphone screen.

But what if you wanted to watch a show or movie and discovered it was unavailable in your country? Or what if you wanted to watch an award-winning BBC documentary but it was only available on the BBC’s iPlayer — and you don’t happen to live in the United Kingdom?

That’s where a VPN (virtual private network) comes in. Using a VPN can let you unlock geo-blocked content for streaming even if you’re outside of a given area. And here’s the best part: Unlike archrival Roku, Amazon’s Fire TV system offers VPN apps straight through its built-in app store. We’ll explain the details and tell you how it works.

Choose the right VPN for your Fire TV

For starters, we’re going to assume you have a Fire TV device. If you don’t, we have good news: If your TV doesn’t already have , the add-on devices are frequently on sale at Amazon for as little as $25 or less. Grab the if you want a good balance of price versus performance — just make sure it’s on sale for $40 or less. (See how the Fire TV streamers compare to rivals from Roku, Google, Apple and more by checking out our list of .)

Once you have your Fire TV hardware set up, it’s time to choose a VPN — and that’s where the Fire TV operating system shines. A long list of VPNs, including all of our current top picks for the , are available on the platform and they’re as easy to download and install as any of the video apps.

The Engadget-approved VPNs currently available on Fire TV include:

We’ll leave it to you to research which VPN offers the best combination of features and value for you, but a word of warning: With the exception of the first two listed above, we don’t recommend using a free VPN, as they’re notorious for collecting and selling your data to advertising networks to fund shoddily-protected servers. Note you can install as many VPNs as you’d like on Fire TV, if you’d like to cross-test them at your leisure.

Installing the VPN

Installing it is easy once you know which Fire TV VPN you want to use. Head to Find > on the main menu and simply search the name of your preferred VPN – just type “VPN” if you’d like to scroll through all of the options available. There, you can find the service you want (or are already subscribed to) and start installing. The process shouldn’t take too long. Once it’s completed, you’re ready to start using it.

Using your Fire TV VPN

Once you’ve downloaded the app, navigate to it on your Fire TV dashboard. You’ll have to enter your username and password or sign up to create an account. Some VPNs might require you to create an account on your smartphone or computer beforehand.

Once logged in, you can either click the “Connect” button on your VPN or browse the server list to choose which country you want to tunnel to. Once connected, return to the Fire TV home screen and reload your streaming platform of choice to verify if the content is different. If it is, your VPN is working and you’re ready to stream.

Google will soon offer a paid version of its AI research tool NotebookLM, specifically targeting businesses. 

NotebookLM Business will have “enhanced features for businesses, universities, and organizations.” For now, access to NotebookLM Business is through a pilot program for early access to its features, training and email support. 

Google told VentureBeat in an email that participants in the NotebookLM Business pilot “will gain a significant advantage with enhanced capabilities designed to boost productivity and collaboration.” These capabilities include higher usage limits and new features such as customization and sharing notebooks with team members. The company said these features could unlock new use cases for businesses using the tool.

“We’ve seen this early feature streamline onboarding, shared understanding of complex projects, and building a centralized repository of your team’s collective intelligence all within a collaborative notebook environment,” a spokesperson said. 

Another feature that will be part of NotebookLM Business is Audio Overview, which lets users create a narrated study guide.

Google said the paid version will continue to have robust data privacy and security. 

NotebookLM, built with Gemini 1.5, lets people upload source material to “notebooks” to gather information and ask the Gemini chatbot questions about the research. First announced in July last year, NotebookLM became generally available in December. 

Google will also remove the “experimental” tag on the tool. 

NotebookLM product manager Raiza Martin previously told VentureBeat that the team saw many different uses for the platform, including some for enterprises. While NotebookLM was never intended for a specific audience, Martin said many researchers and students embraced the product. Many businesses have also begun using NotebookLM as a repository of information for teams. 

Google will announce general availability and pricing for NotebookLM Business later this year. 

Additional control over audio 

Along with announcing NotebookLM Business, Google updated the Audio Overview feature of NotebookLM. Audio Overview lets people generate podcasts about their research. Google characterized Audio Overview as a spoken research or study guide rather than a podcast. However, its first version featured two voices (one male, one female) conversing about the information in the notebook, reminding many of podcasts. 

Audio Overview proved popular among some users, with many posting their generated audio on social media. Martin had previously promised additional controls over Audio Overview and said the company’s research showed conversations helped people retain more information.

Users can now guide more of the conversation of Audio Overview, including prompting the model to focus on specific topics or levels of expertise. Audio Overviews will also continue to play while users query their sources or ask questions with its chat feature. 

I got to explore the updated capabilities of Audio Overviews early. In a notebook with sources around AI Orchestration, I told it to focus on the definition of orchestration and how different frameworks like LangChain work. The final product did talk about AI orchestration based on the different blog posts and YouTube videos I had uploaded. The two “hosts,” however, spoke about frameworks as if LangChain was the only orchestration framework out there. This might be a misunderstanding of my prompt where I specifically named LangChain because the source documents definitely talk about available tools. 

Google does point out that Audio Overviews “are generated discussions and are not a comprehensive or objective view of a topic.” It only takes into account information found in the uploaded source materials. 

Open NotebookLM, an open-source competitor to NotebookLM, launched last month and included an audio recap function. While Open NotebookLM does not have the same fact-checking capabilities as NotebookLM, it represents a shift in the ease of deploying complex AI-driven platforms. 

Mira Murati, the OpenAI CTO who announced her departure last month, is raising VC funding for a new AI startup, according to Reuters.

This startup will reportedly focus on building AI products based on proprietary models and could raise more than $100 million in this round.

When she left, Murati wrote on X that OpenAI had “fundamentally changed how AI systems learn and reason through complex problems” in its recent releases. She said, “I’m stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration,” but didn’t offer details about her plans.

Before joining OpenAI as VP of applied AI and partnerships in 2018, Murati worked at Tesla and Leap Motion. She was promoted to CTO in 2022 — and was even named interim CEO during co-founder and CEO Sam Altman’s brief ouster.

Murati is among several OpenAI executives to leave recently; OpenAI’s chief research officer and research VP announced their departures hours after she did. A week later, OpenAI said it had raised $6.6 billion in the largest VC round of all time.

Fall has arrived, bringing cooler temperatures with it. Thankfully, Ember is running a sale through October 21st that takes 20 percent off many of its self-heating vessels — including the Ember Mug 2, a guilty pleasure of ours. The 10-ounce mug is available for about $104 ($27 off) with promo code SEASON20, while the 14-ounce version is down to about $120 ($30 off). The same code is good for the metallic versions of either model, too, as well as the 16-ounce Ember Tumbler (now $143.96) and the ultra-fancy Travel Mug 2 Plus (now $159.96).

Each Ember Mug 2 features a built-in battery, which allows the second-gen smart mug to last up to 90 minutes per charge or indefinitely if you set it on the included charging coaster. It pairs with a barebones mobile app for Android and iOS, as do the like-minded Ember Tumbler and Travel Mug 2 Plus, letting you lock in a temperature between 120 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The 12-ounce Travel Mug 2 Plus takes things a step further with LED status lights, onboard controls, and support for Apple’s Find My tool, giving you an easy way to keep tabs on it using an iPhone or Mac.

It’s worth noting that Amazon is selling the Mug 2 in some colors for even less right now — a 10-ounce mug can be had for as little as $87.99 — but Ember’s current promo is the only way to get a steep discount on the new purple option (and several other colors). Those prices are still pretty high for drinkware, but they’re a nice way to keep your cup of joe, cocoa, and other warm drinks at the proper temperature — that is, without having to constantly nuke them in the microwave.

We first wrote about the GPD Duo back in June 2024, and while GPD is best known for producing compact gaming laptops and handheld gaming consoles, the Duo is a full-sized laptop with a twist – it features dual 13.3-inch OLED screens that fold upwards for increased productivity.

Marketed as a “13.3-inch Dual Screen Productivity Laptop for Engineers,” the Duo is now available for backing on Indiegogo. The twin screens have a 2.8K resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, and 10-point touch capability, offering a total of 18 inches of display space.

Not everyone needs the fastest CPU and the highest-quality high-resolution display. Sometimes, a machine with a last-gen CPU and a decent Full HD display is plenty for the web browsing, email, and Office applications that make up many users’ workflows. This can be true for students, or for buyers who are looking for a secondary machine to augment one of the best laptops you can buy.

That’s where budget laptops come in. The definition is a loose one, with some machines costing a bit more, but offering a lot more to go with it. But they’ll save you hundreds over midrange and premium laptops that are overkill for what you need. This list will provide several options, including for gamers and those with the lowest budgets. You can check out our best laptops under $500 and best laptops under $300 lists for even more affordable options.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming

Asus ZenBook 14 OLED

Best budget laptop

Why you should buy this: The features and battery life are game-changers at the price.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a beautiful display for less money,

Why we picked the Asus ZenBook 14 OLED:

Sometimes, companies have to cut corners to fit a laptop into a remarkable $500 price. The display is often one casualty, with a panel that might suffer in terms of color quality and contrast. The ZenBook 14 OLED is a major exception, offering a spectacular OLED display that’s bright, colorful, and displays inky blacks. It’s equal to displays on laptops costing twice as much.

But that’s not all. The AMD Ryzen 5 or 7 CPUs on offer provide competent productivity performance to go with great battery life. And the laptop’s build quality is excellent, with a great keyboard and touchpad with an LED numeric keyboard. It’s a tremendous value all around, landing it on our list of best laptops.

Asus ZenBook 14 OLED

Best budget laptop

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3

A Chromebook 2-in-1 that won’t break the bank

Why you should buy this: It’s the best budget Chromebook.

Who it’s for: Anyone on a budget who doesn’t mind sacrificing performance for extreme value.

Why we picked the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3:

Chromebooks have become popular budget choices over the last few years, and many have won us over as well. One style that hasn’t done as well as some others is the detachable Chrome OS tablet. That changed with the introduction of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet, now in its third generation, which not only is a very usable tablet but one that represents tremendous value thanks to the included kickstand cover and detachable keyboard.

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3’s low price brings some limitations and basic specs. Its Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage don’t deliver stellar performance, although it’s good enough for the kinds of tasks you’ll want to run on it. The display is very nice, with a 15:9 2K (2000 x 1200) resolution that’s not as pixel sharp as Apple’s baseline iPad that the Duet competes against. If you want a tablet for web browsing, light productivity work, and consuming media, then the Chromebook Duet 3 and Chrome OS have you covered.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3

A Chromebook 2-in-1 that won’t break the bank

HP Victus 15

Solid gaming for less than $1,000

Why you should buy this: It’s the best budget gaming laptop.

Who it’s for: Gamers and only gamers.

Why we picked the HP Victus 15:

Although the best gaming laptops are typically expensive, the HP Victus 15 is a great example of why they don’t need to be. Often priced at less than $900, you get some impressive specs. That includes an AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS chipset, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB solid-state drive (SSD), with options for faster CPUs, more powerful graphics, extra and faster storage, and memory if you don’t mind spending a little more. Every model comes with a 15.6-inch, 1080p IPS display, and for just a little more, that display can run at a refresh rate of 144Hz.

With a decent build quality and surprisingly good gaming performance, the Victus 15 offers an all-around solid gaming package at an impressively competitive price. It does have its weak points, most notably that the starting graphics card isn’t as powerful as what you’ll see in more expensive laptops, but it’s still enough for entry-level gaming.

HP Victus 15

Solid gaming for less than $1,000

Advertisement

Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Laptop

A business laptop for less

Why you should buy this: It’s the best budget business laptop.

Who it’s for: Office workers who want to save the cash for other investments.

Why we picked the Dell Inspiron 15 3000:

Whether you’re typing up another spreadsheet or winding down with a game at the end of a long workday, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 strikes a great balance as a business laptop. It features powerful and efficient general computing power, like a 12th-generation Intel Core i7-1255U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. That’s a lot of computer for just $280, even if the chipset is several versions behind.

With the typical Inspiron build quality, we’d expect this system to borrow several great design features from the more premium XPS range but make them available in a more affordable form. It’s not the lightest laptop at just under 4 pounds, but it has a great, spill-resistant keyboard, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth connectivity, and a top-mounted 720p webcam for conferencing.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 also comes in an attractive business black paint job, which helps it fit in with any setup.

Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Laptop

A business laptop for less

Apple MacBook Air M1

The only MacBook that could be considered ‘cheap’

Why you should buy this: It’s the only modern MacBook you’ll find for well under $1,000.

Who it’s for: MacBook fans who don’t want to pay thousands for a newer model.

Why we picked the Apple MacBook Air M1:

The MacBook Air M1 isn’t the latest and greatest MacBook, but it still holds it own in a number of ways. Its performance is still excellent, competing easily with recent generation Windows laptops. It also sports impressive battery life, with close to 20-hours between charges. In typical MacBook fashion, too, the build quality is excellent, and the display is Apple’s usual Retina-grade with a high resolution and crisp, bright picture.

The design is lightweight and portable, making it good for use in transit or when commuting, and it supports the fastest possible Thunderbolt 3 connections (up to 40 Gbps) so will work well with any external display or accessory. There’s not a lot of storage space in this base model, but there’s enough there to get you started and external or cloud storage can make up the short fall.

This model is a few years old, but still holds its own well. Grab one while you still can.

Apple MacBook Air M1

The only MacBook that could be considered ‘cheap’

Advertisement

Acer Aspire 3

Best cheap Windows laptop

Why you should buy this: It’s performance is impressive for the price.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a capable laptop for a fair price.

Why we picked the Acer Aspire 3:

For basic business and entertainment use, you’ll find little better than the Acer Aspire 3. It’s a very affordable laptop using a new CPU design – although based on an older Zen 2 architecture – with four cores and support for eight simultaneous threads. It has some fast DDR5 memory and a full half terabyte of SSD space, which gives you plenty of room for documents, films, and and for backing up your important data.

The onboard Radeon GPU is fine for the most casual of gaming, but it won’t be powerful enough for anything taxing. With Thunderbolt 3 you could attach an external GPU if you wanted, although that’s a very expensive add-on for this affordable machine. The Thunderbolt 3 ports are super handy, though. With support for up to 40 Gbps data transfer speeds, you can attach anything from an external monitor to a high-speed external storage drive.

There’s fast networking on this laptop too, thanks to its Wi-Fi 6, though you’ll need to use an adapter if you want Ethernet.

Acer Aspire 3

Best cheap Windows laptop

Frequently Asked Questions