Articles by Rael Hornby, Content Editor

Rael Hornby, potentially influenced by far too many LucasArts titles at an early age, once thought he’d grow up to be a mighty pirate. However, after several interventions with close friends and family members, you’re now much more likely to see his name attached to the bylines of tech articles. While not maintaining a double life as an aspiring writer by day and indie game dev by night, you’ll find him sat in a corner somewhere muttering to himself about microtransactions or hunting down promising indie games on Twitter.

Articles by: Rael Hornby

Dell XPS 13 9345 (Snapdragon X Elite) open on a white background

Best Windows laptops for January 2025: Tested, reviewed, and ranked

By Sean Riley, Rael Hornby published 15 January 25

Laptop Mag tests and reviews over 100 laptops annually to find the best ones for you, regardless of your budget or needs. Our regularly updated guide will show you the best Windows laptops in 2025.

Windows 10 retail box casting a shadow on a blue backdrop

Microsoft is making Windows 10 users an offer they (probably) can't refuse

By Rael Hornby published 15 January 25

Microsoft reminds Windows 10 users that they have a "limited time" to upgrade to Windows 11 for free.

Everything we're excited to see from Apple in 2025: New MacBooks, iPhones, iPads, and more

By Rael Hornby published 14 January 25

A look ahead to what (and when) to expect from Apple in 2025, including the M5 MacBook, iPhone SE 4, and new iPhone 17 "Air."

5 PC games we’re excited for in 2025 — plus our favorite new gaming laptops to go with them

By Rami Tabari published 11 January 25

Between new games and gaming laptops, here’s a look at what’s coming in 2025 and what we’re most excited about.

Razer Monitor Stand Chroma, an ergonomic monitor stand and USB-C hub combo with Chroma RGB lighting.

Razer's monitor stand and USB-C hub combo is a fun reminder that you can never have too much RGB

By Rael Hornby published 10 January 25

The company's Monitor Stand Chroma adds ergonomic support and gamer flair to smaller setups.

I'm hot and cold over Razer's new gaming chair — but it could lead to something incredible

By Rael Hornby published 9 January 25

Razer's Project Arielle makes me think the company is unknowingly wandering into a 4D gaming wonderland.

Halliday DigiWindow smart glasses display tech

Heads-up: A new smart glasses trend is taking over CES 2025

By Rael Hornby published 8 January 25

The heads-up display is making the leap from games to real life, and you won't want to miss it.

Valve Steam Deck showing the Nvidia GeForce NOW cloud-based game streaming service.

Nvidia GeForce NOW just made the Steam Deck and Quest 3 headsets gaming powerhouses

By Rael Hornby published 7 January 25

Nvidia's cloud-gaming platform will bring thousands of PC games to Steam Deck handhelds and Meta Quest headsets with RTX 4080-level graphics.

Halliday AI Glasses split into components with a white outline on a purple to blue gradient backdrop.

These AI smart glasses just blew away my favorite Ray-Ban Meta frames at CES 2025

By Rael Hornby published 6 January 25

Halliday smart glasses push the boundaries of wearable AI and smart glasses tech and look to release early this year.

The best external DVD drives in 2025: Optical drives for CDs, DVDs, or Blu-Rays

By Rael Hornby last updated 4 January 25

There’s life in the old drive, yet!

3D render of a person wearing a Meta Quest 3 VR/Mixed Reality headset tripping over an extension cable in a cluttered living room.

12 rules for life every Meta Quest owner should know

By Rael Hornby published 4 January 25

Handy advice for new Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S owners on getting to grips with VR and Mixed Reality

Dear Apple, it's 2025, where’s my MacBook SE?

By Rael Hornby published 3 January 25

One of the more interesting MacBook rumors failed to pan out in 2024, but what about 2025?

Plugable Thunderbolt 4 & USB4 Quad Display Docking Station (TBT4-UDZ) review photos

Best laptop docking stations in 2025: Our top Thunderbolt and USB docks to enhance your laptop

By Rael Hornby last updated 2 January 25

After testing and reviewing dozens of docking stations, here are our picks for the best docking stations in 2025 based on ports, power, performance, presentation, and price.

3D render of the iPhone SE 4 and iPad mini 7 based on information gathered from rumors and leaks. Two iPhone SE 4 smartphones sit on top of an iPad mini 7, one is facing up to show its display, the other is facing down to show its back and camera array.

The most impactful iPhone SE 4 change may be what's on the box, not what's in it

By Rael Hornby published 2 January 25

Could the iPhone 16E branding mean more reliable budget iPhone releases in the future?

Image of a white Valve Steam Deck limited edition handheld gaming PC.

Valve's SteamOS could be 2025's biggest winner, powering new VR and handheld gaming hardware

By Rael Hornby published 1 January 25

This year could see Valve's Linux-based operating system come into its own and feature on a range of first and third-party hardware.

Laptop Mag's Biggest AI Moments in 2024 image showing various leaders in the AI industry in a punk-pop-art scrapbook art style on a colorful pastel background.

The 24 biggest AI moments of 2024: A Laptop Mag countdown

By Rael Hornby, Stevie Bonifield last updated 31 December 24

A curated series of events that defined AI’s impact this year — and possibly in the years to come.

Latest Switch 2 rumor may reveal when gamers can claim Nintendo's next-gen handheld

By Rael Hornby published 31 December 24

A fresh report claims we will see the Switch 2 in March 2025, but is it likely?

The Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3s headsets sitting on a couch and coffee table with two pairs of controllers

VR headsets are mainstream, and I'm tired of pretending they're not

By Rael Hornby published 30 December 24

From Meta Quest to Vision Pro, VR and mixed reality headsets have more than earned their place in the limelight of the mainstream.

What to expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Galaxy Ring 2, Project Moohan, Galaxy S25-Series, and Galaxy AI

By Rael Hornby published 27 December 24

Everything we expect, and hope, to see during Samsung's January 2025 Galaxy Unpacked showcase.

Pimax seems confident in its Vision Pro-like Dream Air VR headset. Me? Not so much

By Rael Hornby published 26 December 24

Pimax's latest VR headset looks to be a real premium challenger to Apple's Vision Pro and Samsung's Project Moohan. But can the company deliver?

Sam Altman asked ChatGPT users what they want to see in 2025, and dropped some clues about what to expect

By Rael Hornby published 26 December 24

OpenAI's CEO took to X to hear what people want from ChatGPT in 2025, and his replies are full of clues about what to expect.

Asus Zenbook floating above a stack of older model Zenbooks.

Asus to unveil the world's lightest Copilot+ PC next month at CES 2025

By Rael Hornby published 23 December 24

Asus is bringing the ultra-thin-and-light magic of the Zenbook to Copilot+ PCs next year.

TP-Link routers targeted by Chinese state-sponsored cyber attacks

TP-Link routers may face nationwide ban after 'significantly alarming' link to US cyberattacks

By Rael Hornby published 20 December 24

An investigation into TP-Link could see the company's routers banned in the US.

New ChatGPT feature makes every phone an AI phone (even the dumb ones)

By Rael Hornby published 19 December 24

The ChatGPT hotline is open and offers new ways users can interact with OpenAI's chatbot.

A week on, Google's Android XR is stealing the VR/AR spotlight from Meta

By Rael Hornby published 18 December 24

Android XR is proving popular with software developers and hardware makers.

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