The Morning After: Our guide to the best laptops

Whether you’re planning for the back-to-school season, or you just need a refreshed work machine, a new laptop is an expensive purchase that warrants some thought. Despite a global chip supply shortage, companies are still making a ton of new laptops, and there’s still plenty of choice.

Most laptops with top-of-the-line specs can cost you around $1,800 to $2,000 these days. That doesn’t mean you won’t find a good system for under $1,000 — a grand is the base price for a lot of premium ultraportables in the 13-inch category. Then again, if you do most of your work in a browser (lots of online research, emails and Google Drive), then a Chromebook might be a cheaper alternative.

Let Engadget’s Reviews Editor, Cherlynn Low, guide you through the best choices.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Thankfully without all the RGB.

Logitech’s MX Master mice are well regarded for both gaming and office-based pointing and clicking. Its keyboards, however, never commanded the same level of respect. With the new MX Mechanical, though, your next keyboard might be a Logitech one. Sam Rutherford walks us through what it can offer. The MX Mechanical is available today, starting at $170.

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It uses the same tech that powers Stadia.

Following a pilot last fall that saw AT&T test Google’s Immersive Stream for Games technology to allow its customers to stream Batman: Arkham Knight, the carrier is back with a new game. Starting today, AT&T mobile postpaid subscribers can play Control: Ultimate Edition on their phones, tablets and computers on the company’s Play Now website at no extra charge.

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A privacy group called it ‘excessive, intrusive and creepy worker surveillance.’

Amazon in the UK will use cameras to record footage from inside vans and out to the road. The cameras detect road violations or poor driver practices and give an audio alert, while collecting data Amazon can use later to evaluate drivers.

The cameras don’t monitor the drivers in real-time and won’t capture sound but can supposedly upload footage to a dedicated safety team in certain circumstances. They track illegal road behavior, like failure to stop or speeding, and actions like hard braking or seatbelt violations.

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‘Words with Friends’ and ‘FarmVille’ now belong to Take-Two.

We’ve already touched on EA’s search for a suitor, but elsewhere Take-Two’s billion-dollar purchase of Zynga is now officially wrapped up. Zynga has joined the likes of Rockstar Games and 2K under Take-Two’s umbrella. As a result of the deal, Take-Two now has a bigger stable of well-known mobile and casual gaming franchises, including Words with Friends and Farmville.

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