A new wave of AI laptops from top brands like Dell, Lenovo, and Asus just hit the market. With a hefty price tag, are they really worth it?
Ask Kim: 'Can you help me get better with speech-to-text?'
I would like to get talk-to-type software to use for emails and Word. What suggestions do you have? Anything free that does not violate my privacy too much? I have a Lenovo PC and Windows 11.
Brian, Ohio
Good news, Brian. It’s built right in!
For Word:
Open a new or existing document and go to Home > Dictate while signed into Microsoft 365 on a mic-enabled device. Wait for the Dictate button to turn on and start listening. Start speaking to see text appear on the screen. Easy peasy!
For Outlook:
Start a new email or reply to an existing one, select the body of the message, then go to the Message tab and select Dictate while signed into Microsoft 365 on a mic-enabled device. Wait for the Dictate button to turn on and start listening. Start speaking to see text appear on the screen.
For Windows 10:
To use the Windows 10 speech recognition, open a document, email, or other file you want to dictate within. Hold down the Windows key and press H to trigger the dictation toolbar. You can now dictate text. When finished, press the Win key + H to turn off the dictation toolbar.
For Windows 11:
Press the Windows key + H on the keyboard. Next, press the microphone key next to the Spacebar on the keyboard. To stop, say a voice typing command like “Stop listening” or press the microphone button on the voice typing menu.
For Mac:
- In an app on your Mac, place the insertion point where you want the dictated text to appear.
- Press the microphone button if available in the row of function keys, use the Dictation keyboard shortcut, or choose Edit > Start Dictation. Note: Press and release the microphone button to start Dictation; press and hold the microphone button to activate Siri (Siri must be enabled).
- When a microphone icon appears above or below a highlighted cursor, or you hear the tone that signals your Mac is ready for dictation, dictate your text. On a Mac with Apple silicon, you can type text even while dictating; there’s no need to stop dictation. The microphone icon disappears while you type and reappears after you stop typing so you can continue dictating.
- To insert an emoji or a punctuation mark or perform simple formatting tasks, do any of the following:
- Say the name of an emoji, like a heart or car emoji. Say the name of the punctuation mark, such as an exclamation mark. Say, “new line” (equivalent to pressing the Return key once) or “new paragraph” (equivalent to pressing the Return key twice). The new line or new paragraph appears when you’re done dictating. For a list of the commands you can use while dictating, see Commands for dictating text. Note: In supported languages, Dictation automatically inserts commas, periods, and question marks for you as you dictate. To turn this feature off, choose the Apple menu > System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Go to Dictation on the right, then turn off Auto-punctuation.
- Press the Dictation keyboard shortcut or the Escape key when you’re done. Dictation stops automatically when no speech is detected for 30 seconds.
Tech with ties to China: What to avoid
Color me surprised that TikTok hasn’t been banned in the U.S. yet. Can’t stop using it? Take this simple step to keep your data from going back to China.
It’s not just apps. More than a third of the world’s electronics are produced in China. There’s a difference between products made in China and those made by companies with ties to the Communist Chinese government.
🕺 Speaking of twisting: Lenovo’s new laptop, the Auto Twist PC, opens and closes with a voice command. Say “Open lid” and yep, it does. The screen rotates almost 180 degrees, too, and it can put itself into tablet mode. Neat? Yes. Gimmicky? Absolutely.
List: 50+ laptop models are a security risk after bad update
It is always a good idea to update your computer’s operating system and software to the latest versions. This ensures that any security vulnerabilities are patched and that hackers can’t breach your data. Tap or click here for instructions on downloading the latest Windows update, which fixed six zero-day flaws.
Security updates issued for 100+ laptop models over malware risk - Update now
One of your first lines of defense against malware is to keep your devices updated. Security patches fix bugs and vulnerabilities that hackers use to get into your system, so staying updated is crucial.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has been a hotbed of scams and hacks. Crooks will always take advantage of significant events to target fresh victims. Tap or click here for tips on five things you need to update now because of the Ukrainian war.
The world complains about these consoles, mobiles and laptops the most
They say the cream always rises to the top. On the opposite side, the scum sinks to the bottom. For every beloved Apple and Android product, there’s an equally-loathed item that users vent about on social media.
Electronics Hub wanted to see which devices people complain about the most. Its team created a complaint detection tool that analyzed thousands of tweets that mentioned popular tech products. They used Twitter because it’s usually the No. 1 place people go to when they want to scream into the social media void.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet
For under $200, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is an absolute steal.
With 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, it’s got a fair amount of space if you’re planning on downloading apps, pictures and documents. Plus, it’s easy to carry to school or the office — and it lasts 10 hours. With this laptop, you’re getting a lot of power and decent storage space even when you’re on the go.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
CES 2021: The best mobile tech we've seen so far
We love it when the Consumer Electronics Show rolls around. There are always so many wacky, interesting and innovative products unveiled during this event. During CES 2020, we saw tons of awesome and strange new products.
Windows 10 updates are crashing, slowing down PCs - here's what to do
Microsoft works its tail off to stay one step ahead of hackers and cybercriminals. That’s the reason it’s constantly releasing new bug fixes and security patches — but these updates don’t always go as planned.
Previously, a Windows 10 update managed to fix several critical bugs while adding a glitch that caused the dreaded Blue Screen of Death. The issue was so bad, in fact, that Microsoft pulled the update altogether. Tap or click here to see why this bug was so bad.
How to choose the Android tablet that's right for you
Apple and Android have both come a long way since their initial tablet models. Today, there’s a wide selection of Android tablets, some of which offer features that surpass those of Apple’s iPad.
As with Android smartphones, many manufacturers like Samsung, Google and Lenovo lend their names to suped-up tablets. With such a large number of producers, you’ll notice variations in style, function and price when shopping for the right device, but it’s all in the name of amazing features and capabilities.
CES 2020 hits and misses from massive TVs to toilet paper-fetching robots
With CES 2020 finally rolling into Las Vegas this month, tech journalists and fans are going crazy over the plethora of new announcements and reveals. With all the new tech coming out, there’s bound to be something for everyone at the world’s biggest electronics trade show.