How to connect your laptop to your TV wirelessly or with HDMI

If you're getting bored or annoyed with your laptop's tiny screen during the coronavirus lockdown, maybe you should try using your big TV as a monitor instead. It's great being able to sit back on your sofa and surf the web, play PC games or stream video from apps not available on your TV. Or maybe you just want a bigger view for video chat while you're stuck at home.

Using your TV as a monitor has downsides too. Text might be too small to see, input lag might ruin your gaming scores, and while the couch may seem comfy, it may turn into a neck ache when put into service as an office chair. And then there's the mouse, trackpad and keyboard to worry about. But going PC-to-TV works well in many situations, and the best part is that it's cheap (or free) depending on what gear you already have.

Read more: How to cast and mirror an Android phone screen to a TV

Mirroring vs. extending

Mirroring means putting the same content on both your laptop's screen and the TV. It's more common and generally easier than screen extending -- where you see different content on both, making the TV an extension of your laptop's screen. Extending is useful for things like having a YouTube video running on the TV while you're working on a spreadsheet on your laptop. It's a bit more involved but still possible depending on your equipment. Mostly we'll be talking about mirroring in this article.

The easiest way: Wired HDMI

The most basic PC-to-TV connection consists of running a wire from your computer to the HDMI input on your TV. If you have an older TV and an older laptop, there are options like VGA, but that's basically the Dark Ages at this point.

Laptops and PCs have a bunch of different connections, so which wire or adapter you'll need to run depends on what computer you have. If you're not sure, check the manual or Google the model to determine its specs. Here's the rundown.

Full-sized HDMI: If you're lucky, your laptop has a full-sized HDMI output, so you can use a standard HDMI cable to run to your TV. 

Mini- or micro-HDMI: These smaller versions of HDMI just need an adapter, or a cable that has a regular HDMI at the other end, to connect directly to your TV. 

Thunderbolt, DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort: All of these usually work with HDMI as well. Thunderbolt is found on many laptops. The first two versions of the connector were the same as Mini DisplayPort, so Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI cables or adapters should work. Newer versions use the same connectors as USB-C (see the next section). Full-sized DisplayPort is common to Windows PCs. Again, you'll need an adapter or cable with this type of connection on one end and HDMI on the other. 

USB-C port: Many modern laptops have only this kind of connection. Usually you'll just need an adapter (USB-C to HDMI) and it will work fine, but sometimes it might not work at all. MacBooks from the last few years should work, as will Microsoft Surface laptops and many others. Note that USB-C uses the same physical connection as Apple's Thunderbolt 3. Check your computer's specs to double check what connector/adapter you might need.

More wired tips: There are so many varieties of laptops out there, we can't make a blanket statement that a particular adapter will work for your PC. If you're not sure, Google your brand and model before you buy any kind of adapter.

Also, in some cases the quality might be diminished. You also won't likely get HDR or 4K resolution, for example, so if you want the best image quality for videos, you should use a different method to get the videos to your TV, like a Roku or Blu-ray player.

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1:25

Wireless connections

There are a few options to skip the wires completely. Again, it depends on what computer you have, as well as the capabilities of your TV (or the streaming device connected to your TV).

If you have an Apple computer: The easiest way is to use AirPlay. But you'll need a device that supports it, namely:

If you have a Windows PC: There's something called Miracast, though it's not as widespread as "all recent Apple products" like AirPlay. Your Windows 10 laptop should have the tech built-in. On the TV side, devices that support Miracast include:

If you have a Chromebook: Computers that run Google's Chrome OS can send content to a TV wirelessly too. To use it you'll need:

Casting from a Chrome browser: If you don't have a TV device with AirPlay or Miracast compatibility you can still mirror your screen from the Chrome browser on any laptop. It works with any of the devices from the Chromebook list above. Only content on the browser will be visible, and certain websites won't work.

You can also "cast" content from a variety of mobile apps, like Netflix or YouTube, to most smart TVs. This isn't screen mirroring, but if you're just looking to get some content from your phone to a bigger screen, this is an easy way to do it.

If your intention is to play games, the lag from a wireless connection is probably going to prohibit any fun with games that require fast and accurate clicking, like with first-person shooters and racing games.

Accessories

If you want to up your game a bit, consider a few optional accessories. A wireless keyboard or mouse can go a long way toward making your PC-on-TV experience easier. Here's a couple inexpensive options.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Put your laptop someplace to charge, and just keep a small, light keyboard on your lap. We like the Bluetooth Logitech K380 not least for its long battery life, but also its ability to toggle between devices, like from your laptop to your tablet.

Logitech

There are a lot of wireless mouse options, but I like this one because it's comfortable, and more importantly, quiet. Instead of click-click-click, it sounds more like a light tapping on a table. 

Settings tips

Your TV and your laptop's screen are probably different resolutions. In theory this won't be an issue, but if you're finding text hard to read, or overall the image looks poor, make sure the laptop's output matches your TV's resolution. 

It's easy to do on both Windows and Mac. If you're also trying to send audio, that might need to be switched on as well, either by clicking the speaker button in the lower right on Windows, or in System Preferences on Mac.

On the TV side, make sure you disable your TV's overscan. It might be disabled automatically, but if the edges of your desktop are cutoff, dig deep into your TV's menus for something like "size" or "zoom." If you're gaming, also see if your TV has a game mode. This should help reduce input lag, the delay between you pressing a button and that action showing up on screen. It's also a good idea to lower the sharpness control. I mean, in general this is a good idea, but here specifically it should help you make out fine details better, like text.

Speaking of text, if you're trying to work from your couch it's likely that despite the extra screen size, text is still too small. If that's the case, you can adjust text size on Windows and Mac. You can also use the zoom controls in certain apps, like Chrome browsers.

If you're not getting an image on screen at all, try unplugging the HDMI and plugging it back in (with the TV on), and if that doesn't work, leave it all plugged in but turn the TV off then on. This is trite advice for a reason: it solves so many issues.

Good luck, and if you have any favorite PC-to-TV tips, let us know in the comments.

Got a question for Geoff? First, check out all the other articles he's written on topics such as why you shouldn't buy expensive HDMI cables, TV resolutions explained, how HDR works and more.

Still have a question? Tweet at him @TechWriterGeoff, then check out his travel photography on Instagram. He also thinks you should check out his best-selling sci-fi novel and its sequel.

how to screen mirror your laptop/ PC screen to your television WIRELESS [EASY]

Flow Computer Market is expected to grow USD 1474.13 million by the year 2024 Influence of COVID-19

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

Apr 30, 2020 (AmericaNewsHour) -- Flow Computer Market Research Report - Global Forecast to 2024Global Flow Computer Market Research Report: by Component (Hardware, Software and Services), by Operations (Single Stream Flow Computers and Multi-Stream Flow Computers), by Connectivity (Wired Flow Computers and Wireless Flow Computers), by Equipment (Pressure Gauges, Temperature Probes, Gas Composition Sensors, Meter Prover, Sampling System, Density Measurement Equipment and others), by Applications (Fuel Monitoring, Liquid & Gas Measurement, Wellhead Measurement and Optimization, Pipeline Transmission and Distribution and others) and by Region (North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa and South America) - Forecast till 2024

Market AnalysisThe Global Flow Computer Market is expected to register a CAGR of 8.49% during the forecast period 2019-2024. A flow computer is a dedicated computer that works on algorithms and complex calculations to calculate and record the flow rate of a flowing substance as per the industry standards at a definite point of time. It provides precise and reliable results using advanced programming, damage-resistant hardware components, and graphical user interface to display the readings. Flow computer manufacturers make flow computers that use either wired or wireless networks to connect to its various hardware devices for instance pressure gauges, temperature probes, gas sensors, and distributed control systems.

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The global flow computer market created a revenue of USD 925.69 million in the year 2018 and is projected to attain a market value of USD 1474.13 million by the year 2024, registering a CAGR of 8.49%. The growing improvements in flow computers and increasing demand for flow computers for wastewater treatment products are the primary factors pushing the growth of the global flow computer market. Based on component, the global flow computer market has been fragmented into hardware, software, and services. The hardware component comprises of field-mounted devices and panel-mounted devices.

These hardware devices are categorized based on the type of mounting flow computer is using. A software component is established on the user's devices for example laptop, tablet, mobile, or computer to connect with the flow computers. Different services for the flow computers include technical support, repair and maintenance, product training, parts replacement, and consulting services.

Market SegmentationFlow Computer Market can be segmented into different segments. On the basis of component, the market can be segmented into Hardware, Software, and Services. On the bases of operations, the Flow Computer Market can be divided into Single Stream Flow Computers and Multi-Stream Flow Computers. Based on connectivity the market is divided into wired Flow Computers, and Wireless Flow Computers. Based on equipment, the market is divided into different parts like Pressure Gauges, Temperature Probes, Gas Composition Sensors, Meter Prover, Sampling System, Density Measurement Equipment, and Others. By application, Flow Computer Market is divided into Fuel Monitoring, Liquid & Gas Measurement, Wellhead Measurement and Optimization, Pipeline Transmission and Distribution, and Others.

Regional Analysis:The flow computer market on the basis of region, has been segmented into the different regions like North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and South America. In the year 2018, the largest market share 35% was held by North America with a market value of USD 321.74 million. The market is expected to register a CAGR of 7.33% during the forecast period. European market was the second-largest market in the year 2018 that was valued at USD 237.48 million; the market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 8.74%. Middle East & Africa market is anticipated to register the highest CAGR of 10.19%. In terms of market share due to the existence of various key players who are emerging new and improved flow computers, the North America region is the leading region systems.

The growing demand for developed and consistent computing in industries is one of the main factors influencing to the development of the market in the region. Due to the early adoption of the flow computer technology/systems the US is responsible for the major share in the flow computer market in North America. Furthermore, the existence of different oil & gas companies in the US, such as Abraxas Petroleum Corp., Adams Resources & Energy Inc., California Resources Corp., ExxonMobil Corp. and Chevron Corp., which use flow computers for the volume of substances such as liquid and gas, provide substantially to the growth of the market in the country.

The geographic analysis in Europe has been performed for numerous countries such as UK, Germany, France, Russia, Italy, and the rest of the European countries. Europe has different industries, including chemicals, petrochemical, and oil & gas, that use flow computer systems. The growing awareness for wastewater treatment is another factor driving the growth of the flow computer market in this region.

Request For Full Report- https://www.kennethresearch.com/sample-request-10159272

Major Players:

Honeywell International Inc, Schneider Electric SE, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Emersion Electric Co, Schlumberger Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, Contrec Ltd, Dynamic Flow Computers, Inc, Flow Systems, Inc, Kessler-Ellis Products, Co, TechnipFMC PLC (FMC Technologies Measurement), and Flowmetrics, Inc., ABB Ltd, OMNI Flow Computers, Inc, ProSoft Technology Inc. (Belden Inc.), KROHNE Messtechnik GmbH (KROHNE Group), Rockwell Automation (Allen-Bradley) are some of the key players of global flow computer market.

About Kenneth Research:

Kenneth Research provides market research reports to different individuals, industries, associations and organizations with an aim of helping them to take prominent decisions. Our research library comprises of more than 10,000 research reports provided by more than 15 market research publishers across different industries. Our collection of market research solutions covers both macro level as well as micro level categories with relevant and suitable market research titles. As a global market research reselling firm, Kenneth Research provides significant analysis on various markets with pure business intelligence and consulting services on different industries across the globe. In addition to that, our internal research team always keep a track on the international and domestic market for any economic changes impacting the products' demand, growth and opportunities for new and existing players.

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The post Flow Computer Market is expected to grow USD 1474.13 million by the year 2024, Influence of COVID-19 appeared first on America News Hour.

COMTEX_365155733/2606/2020-04-30T09:38:12

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

Imports, Exports, and Exchange Rates: Crash Course Economics #15

Coronavirus: Got over 3.5 lakh requests for laptops mobile phones consumer electronics says Paytm Mall

Paytm Mall, the ecommerce arm of Paytm, announced that it has received an overwhelming number of requests for non-essential items since the start of the lockdown, with the searches on its platform for mobile phones, trimmers, and laptops surging more than 200 percent. With work from home and online education becoming the new normal, citizens are also wish-listing non-essential products like consumer electronics.

Consumer electronics topped the wishlist with over 1.3 lakh requests. A positive indicator for mobile phone companies, people wish-listed mobile phones upwards of 75,000 requests, says Paytm Mall.

This is closely followed by people wish-listing to buy laptops as the ecommerce company received a total of 50,000 requests. Demand for laptop charging cords, phone chargers, headphones, desktop computers, and study tables are also on an all-time high.   

In a statement released by Paytm Mall, the company said: "Lakhs of customers over the last five weeks have earmarked their 'wishlist' on Paytm Mall, in hopes of buying them immediately after the end of lockdown."

The company also says that it has received requests over email and through comments from its users to deliver laptops, mobile phones, headphones, trimmers, chargers, academic books, and other study materials, consumer electronics, as well as white goods since the lockdown was announced.

As per the company statement, if the "government expands the list of essential items and introduces work and study from home products as part of the list, it would help people function properly during the lockdown and not cause unnecessary delays in work which can affect their personal and professional productivity."

Srinivas Mothey, Senior Vice President, Paytm Mall, added, "We believe that the ambit of essential goods should be increased. India is mostly working from home at the moment but many are finding it difficult as they are running low on certain items necessary to effectively operate under lockdown. Laptops, mobile phones, and accessories, computer hardware, webcams, all these things should be allowed to be part of essential goods. If the lockdown continues, lack of proper technical support would hinder the efficiency of employees which in turn would affect a company's operations."

Post the lockdown, the company plans to take several measures to help its partners and citizens fight COVID-19. Earlier, Paytm Mall decided to help its merchant partners who are facing issues with stocking up on inventory and fulfilment of orders, by waiving off service level agreement (SLA). It also partnered with several suppliers and brands of FMCG goods to help its merchant partners stock up.

How has the coronavirus outbreak disrupted your life? And how are you dealing with it? Write to us or send us a video with subject line 'Coronavirus Disruption' to editorial@yourstory.com

UK Rejects Chinese Test Kits For Coronavirus; 35 Lakh Kits Declared Faulty

Best Laptops (Updated 2020)

Whether you are a student, a business professional, or looking to play games on the go, a laptop is an essential part of your daily tech. While many people can get by with their smartphones or tablets, there are still those that need a dedicated yet portable computer. Laptops have made major strides in the past several years, and the best stand toe to toe with their desktop counterparts. There are also more unique options on the market, which means anyone can find a laptop that perfectly suits their needs. With so many options, though, it can be difficult to choose which one is best for you. We've done the work for you, though, and compiled the best laptops of 2020 for anyone to use.

Microsoft has been fleshing out its Surface line of products for years, and now the family has gotten rather large. After experimenting with and fine-tuning 2-in-1 products through the Surface Book and Surface Pro series, Microsoft finally released a dedicated Surface laptop a few years ago. The laptops were heralded for their beautiful design and solid specs that made them ideal for students and mainstream consumers.

With the Surface Laptop 3, Microsoft has done some major fine-tuning while still maintaining what makes their laptops so great. There are still the Alcantara fabric models that have a unique and comfortable feel to them, along with the more premium aluminum models. The displays are as vibrant and beautiful as ever with a 3:2 aspect ratio and 2256 x 1504 resolution. While it all looks beautiful, it also isn't really that different from what was found on the Surface Laptop 2.What makes this model different is what's underneath the hood. The Surface Laptop 3 runs 10th generation Intel processors, which gives a significant boost in performance from the year before. While it isn't optimal for these tasks, the Surface Laptop 3 can be used for light gaming, mild video editing, and maybe a touch of Photoshop. Users will see improved performance with the i7 variants, but these still aren't the ideal tasks for heavy users.

The Surface Laptop 3 is the perfect laptop for students and business professionals looking to do light work. Their signature aesthetic is just the icing on the cake of this solid and dependable machine.

Read More Key Features

Alcantara surface

Touchscreen

2.79 pounds

Specifications

Screen Size: 13.5 inches

Memory: 8GB/128GB

Battery Life: 11.5 hours

Operating System: Windows

Brand: Microsoft

Pros

Sleek and elegant design

USB-C

Improved performance from Surface Laptop 2

Cons

USB-C does not support thunderbolt

Razer has been a leader in the PC gaming industry for years. At first, they fine-tuned accessory products and peripherals, particularly their impressive line of mechanical keyboards. A few years ago, they launched full force into the computer world with their Razer Blade series. Since the first iteration, Razer has continued to fine tune and improve the laptop line, and it has culminated into the elegant and understated Razer Blade 15 Advanced. This is an impressive laptop that has all the power of a gaming machine without all the flash and gaudiness commonly associated with those devices. It is a gaming machine you could take to the office without blushing.The Blade 15 Advanced has a lovely display. There are two options, a 1080p and a 4K option. Combined with the 144hz display, and the user experience for the Razer Blade 15 is buttery smooth no matter what task you throw at it.That's also because of the added horsepower in the computer. The Advanced model is refreshed with the RTX Super cards, which means they can handle even modern games at high settings. Combined with the 144hz display, and you have a top tier gaming experience period, let alone one for a laptop. However, all that power comes with a drawback. Battery life on the Razer Blade 15 Advanced is mediocre, topping at six hours. That means you will want to lug your charger around all day, which makes it less than ideal for professionals on the move a lot.Still, for a gaming laptop that can also do lots of video editing and other intense tasks, the Razer Blade 15 Advanced is a tough one to beat.

Read More Key Features

Windows Hello

RBG backlit keyboard

Powerful RTX graphics cards

Specifications

Screen Size: 15 inches

Memory: 16GB/512GB

Battery Life: 6 hours

Operating System: Windows

Brand: Razer

Pros

Powerful graphics card makes it great for games and editing

All the power of a gaming laptop without the gaudy aesthetics

Lightweight for a gaming laptop

Cons

Battery limits how far you can go with it

When Chromebooks were first introduced on the market, they were considered novel but not overly functional. However, as technology and the industry has shifted to cloud-based work, Chromebooks are beginning to make their case as legitimate computing devices. Now that some Chromebooks can also run Android apps, it is now more justifiable than ever to invest in a Chromebook.

The Pixelbook Slate was Google's latest foray into the premium laptop market. Although it was impressive, there were some problems that held it back from being one of the best laptops on the market. That honor goes, instead, to its toned-down cousin, the Google Pixelbook Go M3 Chromebook. It isn't as sleek or flashy as the Slate, nor can it use the solid Pixelbook pen, but the Go is a dependable and entirely impressive machine.

Chromebooks are most ideal for students, who spend a lot of their time doing emails, taking online classes, and writing papers. Google's suite of apps like Docs, Sheets, and Slides are more than sufficient for most students. Many business professionals are also making the jump, since Chromebooks are dependable and often a more affordable option.

However, there is nothing cheap about the build quality of the Pixelbook Go. While its design isn't anything inspiring, it is well built. The display is also impressive, despite the thick bezels. The Pixelbook Go also has impressive speakers that go toe to toe with all the best laptops. If your work is primarily done online and you need a dependable laptop with a solid build quality and long battery life, this Pixelbook Go is tough to beat.

Read More Key Features

Titan C security chip

Intel Core m3-8100Y processor

2.33 pounds

Specifications

Screen Size: 13.3 inches

Memory: 8GB/64GB

Battery Life: 12 hours

Operating System: Chrome OS

Brand: Google

Pros

Impressive battery life

very lightweight

Impressive speakers

Cons

Can't use Pixelbook pen

Big bezels

Dell's XPS series has been the leader of the business professional laptop industry for several years. The laptop line has been known for having impressive specs and performance in a thin and powerful form factor. Dell puts all of that and more into their latest XPS 13. Unlike prior XPS models, though, this laptop is also a -2in-1 with a 1900x1200 touchscreen. This model also comes loaded with the latest 10th generation Intel Core i7, making it one of the most powerful ultrabook 2in1s on the market. The XPS 13 2-in-1 can also get the most out of its powerful process thanks to its advanced cooling system. It also has integrated Intel Iris graphics, which isn't superb but more than enough for some light video editing and photo editing. If you are looking for the best in class screen, the Dell XPS 13 2in1 can be upgraded to a vivid 4K panel, all without sacrificing the fluidity and smoothness of their other display. Just expect the upgrade to take a hit on battery life.

With its small form factor and 2-in-1 functionality, the XPS 13 2-in-1 is great for professionals on the go. It's ideal for coffee shops, laps, and any other nook and cranny that the traveling worker might expect. And with two Thunderbolt compatible USB-C ports, it is easy to hook up to a dock or monitors for more comprehensive work. If that sounds like the work you do, then the XPS 13 2-in-1 is the device for you.

Read More Key Features

2-in-1 w/touchscreen

4K resolution

Two USB-C thunderbolt ports

Specifications

Screen Size: 13 inches

Memory: 16GB/1TB

Battery Life: 10 hours

Operating System: Windows

Brand: Dell

Pros

Powerful specs in compact form factor

Beautiful display

Wi-Fi 6 technology makes it fast and snappy

Cons

Can't upgrade memory or storage after purchase

Apple has a longstanding reputation as the top manufacturer for workhorse laptops, and for good reason. The MacBook Pro series has been heralded by creatives and professionals for its next-gen aesthetics, vivid displays, and powerful specs. The latest generation of Macbook Pros has seen some fumbling, mainly due to the butterfly switch keyboard that was prone to failure. In their latest iteration, though, Apple has returned to form with the MacBook Pro with a 16-inch display. It is sleek, powerful, and, without a doubt, one of the best laptops on the market.

One of the most notable things about the Macbook Pro 16" is the keyboard. Apple has ditched the problematic butterfly switches for the scissor switches found in their incredible magic keyboard lineup. Everything is well spaced and travel distance is incredible, making it one of the single most enjoyable typing experiences on the market right now.

Apple has also improved the speakers of the traditional MacBook. Apple has always been one of the leaders in creating loud onboard speakers with decent bass, and the latest iteration only improves that reputation. The six speakers have force canceling woofers, which stops the bass from blowing out the rest of the sound and ruining the sound quality. It is really impressive to hear.

Now combine all of that with this MacBook Pro's gorgeous display, which is larger without making the computer clunky. That's because of the thin bezels along the side. Under the hood, you can get up to a 10th-gen Core i7 and up to 8TB of SSD storage.

With the Macbook Pro 16", Apple has delivered another stellar laptop that is difficult to beat.

Read More Key Features

Six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers

TouchBar

4 USB-C ports

Specifications

Screen Size: 16 inches

Memory: 16GB/512GB

Battery Life: 12 hours

Operating System: macOS

Brand: Apple

Pros

Improved keyboard over previous models

Thin bezel display

Loud and powerful speakers

There is a lot of stiff competition in the premium laptop market. So the fact that HP can create a laptop that stands above its own impressive line of products along with everyone else's is truly impressive. The HP Elite Dragonfly Notebook has a beautiful and distinct design without being gaudy. And beneath its beautiful exterior is a powerful machine that can handle just about anything you throw at it.

The design is truly unique with the Elite Dragonfly. It's stunning blue chassis is made of magnesium and recycled ocean plastics. In fact, the whole thing is made of recycled materials. That makes for a computer that is both beautiful and eco-friendly.

HP has several options for a display, with the 1080p panel with 400 nits of brightness, a Sure View 1080p panel with 1,000 nits, or a stunning 4K display with 550 nits. The Elite Dragonfly also has robust security features like a fingerprint scanner, Windows Hello, and a Tile tracker if the laptop is lost or stolen. Combine that with the laptop's 5G connectivity and robust series of ports, and this is truly a laptop designed for traveling professionals.

The Elite Dragonfly is also a workhorse, with the top models boasting 16GB of RAM and powerful 10th-generation Intel processors. No matter what you do for work, the Elite Dragonfly can handle it.

For a laptop meant to go anywhere and do anything, the HP Elite Dragonfly is best in its class.

Read More Key Features

Fingerprint scanner

Tile tracker

5G compatible

Specifications

Screen Size: 13.3 inches

Memory: 8GB/128GB

Battery Life: 12 hours

Operating System: Windows

Brand: HP

Pros

5G connectivity means you can take work anywhere

Recycled materials are elegant and eco-friendly

Lots of ports

Cons

Video drains battery quickly

Lenovo has been the top dog in the business-class laptop industry for a long, long time. That's thanks to its X1 Carbon series, with its no-nonsense aesthetics, top-in-class keyboard, and incremental improvements in display quality and weight. However, with so much competition these days, will the X1 Carbon still make a mark?

The answer is "yes." While Lenovo is slow to update the design of the X1 Carbon, there also isn't much to fix. The carbon fiber chassis looks good enough, and business professionals more concerned with performance aren't going to sweat it over a bland aesthetic. Lenovo has instead made improvements where it counts most.

One of those improvements comes in the display. With a 4K model available, the X1 Carbon now has HDR400 support, which improves the contrast and color the display. That makes the screen pop, perhaps letting users forget the boring design. Combine that with the powerful Intel processors, and the X1 Carbon is still a staple device for most business professionals. It also has plenty of connectivity options with 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, and an ethernet jack. That's the type of I/O serious business professionals are looking for. The only true drawback is battery life. On the 4K model, battery life tops out at seven hours. Though, if you get the FullHD option, that doubles to fourteen hours.

When it comes to being the best laptop for professionals, Lenovo is taking a "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" approach. And that approach works here in spades.

Read More Key Features

Anti-glare display

Fingerprint reader

HDR400 support

Specifications

Screen Size: 14 inches

Memory: 16GB/512GB

Battery Life: 7 hours

Operating System: Windows

Brand: Lenovo

Pros

Impressive and spacious keyboard

HDR400 makes display vibrant and impressive

Lightweight carbon fiber design

Cons

Weak audio

4K display reduces battery life

LG came out with a surprising device last year with the LG Gram. It was lightweight and had an impressive processor making it ideal for heavy workloads. The 2020 Gram is a refinement of last year's model. While there aren't any dramatic changes this year, it is hard to do a major upgrade on a device that was already exceptional.

The LG Gram earns its name. It is incredibly lightweight at 2.5 pounds, and its thin profile makes it perfect for travel or working on an airplane or in a coffee shop. While it is still lightweight and the build is solid, it does already look little dated. The bezels are thick on the display and LG still didn't beef up the speakers, which sound thin and tinny.

However, minor drawbacks aside, the appeal for the LG Gram comes in performance and battery life. The LG Gram has been updated to 10th-generation Intel processors. While the base clock speeds aren't significantly different from the 8th-gen counterparts, that is nothing to scoff at. These are incredibly powerful processors that can handle video and photo editing with a breeze.

The battery life is also impressive. While most of the competition averages around 10-12 hours of battery life, the LG Gram tops out at 18.5 hours. That makes the LG Gram a must have for professionals on the go who don't want to pull out their charger constantly.

If battery life and performance are your top priorities, the LG Gram is a must have.

Read More Key Features

2.5 pounds

Wi-Fi 6

2in1 design with touchscreen

Specifications

Screen Size: 14 inches

Memory: 16GB/512GB

Battery Life: 18.5 hours

Operating System: Windows

Brand: LG

Pros

Insane battery life beats the competition

Incredibly lightweight and portable

Wi-Fi 6 give impressive data performance

Cons

Speakers are tinny and underwhelming

Ultrabooks are great for professionals who don't want to lug around a heavy backpack all day, but they aren't always ideal for everyone. That portability usually comes with a sacrifice in performance, particularly when it comes to thermal throttling. Those thin designs usually lack the fans for proper cooling. That can make it difficult to do heavy duty work without the computer overheating. In this sense, sometimes it is nicer to have something more heavy duty.

Introducing the Acer Aspire 5. It isn't as thin and light as other laptops on the market, but it easily holds its weight in performance. That's because of the impressively fast 10th-gen Core i5 processor and the discrete Nvidia MX250 graphics card. The added horsepower of a graphics card makes the Aspire 5 great for creatives who need to render videos or do some photo editing.

The Acer Aspire 5 also comes with an impressive array of ports. Many ultrabooks sacrifice these ports to be thin and light, but many professionals are frustrated by the amount of dongles they have to lug around to make them functional. The Acer Aspire 5 doesn't have this problem. It has a host of USB ports, including one USB-C. It also includes an HDMI port.

The Acer Aspire 5 may not be as lightweight, nor is it as elegant as some other options. However, impressive specs combined with robust port options makes it a compelling option for creatives and professionals alike.

Read More Key Features

Nvidia MX250 graphics

WiFi 6

Robust I/O

Specifications

Screen Size: 15.6 inches

Memory: 8GB/512GB

Battery Life: 9.5 hours

Operating System: Windows

Brand: Acer

Pros

Discrete graphics card improves performance for creatives

Connectivity options is ideal for professionals

Memory and storage are upgradable

Cons

Heavier than other laptops

If there is one thing HP does exceedingly well, it is making business-oriented laptops look beautiful. In the case of the HP Spectre x360, it does that and everything else very effectively. The Spectre isn't only a beautiful looking 2-in-1, but it is uncompromising in its quality and performance. The Spectre x360 gets its name from the hinge that converts it into a tablet when flipped completely around. This has been a standout feature for HP for several years, which made them one of the first major names in the 2in1 market. The x360 also has the added benefit of being one of the best looking 2in1s around. Its gold trim and futuristic angled edges make it an appealing and eye-catching device.

That beauty continues with the updated display. The 4K panel is AMOLED. With a nearly bezel-less screen, the blacks are black and the whites are white, and every color between is as vibrant as they possibly could be.

On other devices, this type of screen quality would greatly reduce battery life to below ten hours. But the HP Spectre can last as long as eleven hours with the right settings and conditions.

In terms of performance, the x360's 10th gen Intel processors are just as powerful as anything else in the top tier. It doesn't have a discrete graphics card, so it isn't ideal for gaming. But this device isn't aimed at gamers on the go. The HP Spectre x360 is meant for business professionals who want the most powerful and best looking device available.

Read More Key Features

2in1 360 degree hinge

Fingerprint scanner

HP Imagepad

Specifications

Screen Size: 15.6 inches

Memory: 16GB/1TB

Battery Life: 11 hours

Operating System: Windows

Brand: HP

Pros

Beautiful and eye-catching design

Display is beautiful without overly draining battery

Powerful specs put it in stiff competition with other brands

How We Choose

There are a lot of things to consider when deciding what the best laptop is for you. Everyone's needs and lifestyles are different, and you need to find a device that appropriately suits the work and environment you will be using it in.

Not all laptops are built the same, and as such not all of them are optimized for the same tasks. If you are looking for a basic device to stream Netflix and shoot off some emails, you don't need a powerhouse computer. On the flip side, if you plan on doing any video rendering or photo editing, you don't want to skip out on a computer with a beefy processor. Before you make any decisions, you need to think long and hard about the daily uses you expect from your new computer.

Once you have determined how you will use your new laptop, it is time to determine what specs you will need in the device. There are several things to consider, and it can seem kind of overwhelming. Without getting too technical, here are some things to consider.

Size and Weight

All laptops are portable, but some are more so than others. If you will be using your laptop in one place, getting a small and lightweight device isn't as necessary. However, if you travel a lot or work in cramped quarters, getting something smaller and more lightweight is preferred. This also applies to screen size. The most common screen sizes are between thirteen and fifteen inches, with some gaming laptops reaching seventeen inches. As the size of the screen goes up, so too does the size and weight of the rest of the computer. Think long and hard about how you plan on carrying your device around and how often you will be doing it.

RAM and Storage

Random Access Memory (RAM) is effectively the short-term memory of your computer, as it determines how many tasks you can run at once. Most laptops have at least 4GB of RAM, though it is becoming more common to start with 8GB. If you plan on doing heavy video editing or gaming, 8GB is the minimum you should have, though you should aim for 16.

Storage is not the same as memory. Storage is the actual hard drive that houses the data from your computer. Most laptops use solid state drives (SSDs), or M.2 now, which are faster and lighter in weight than disk drives. This switch is why most laptops can be so thin and light now. 128GB is usually the base size for SSDs, though it is rarely enough for even moderate users. It is recommended to get at least 256GB of storage.

GPU

Most laptops do not have a graphics processing unit (GPU). They usually rely on integrated graphics through the CPUs, which allow for light gaming and editing. However, if you want to play the latest games or get the most powerful experience, you will want to look for a computer that has a dedicated graphics card.

We hope you like the items we recommend! CBR has affiliate partnerships, so we receive a share of the revenue from your purchase. This won't affect the price you pay and helps us offer the best product recommendations.

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TOP 5: Best Laptops in 2020

Citizen Science Effort Launched for Gaming Community to Donate Computer Processing Power to Find Treatments for COVID-19 Virus

DALLAS, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BALANCED Media|Technology (BALANCED) and Complexity Gaming (Complexity), one of North America's most elite and longest standing esports organizations, have partnered to announce #WeAreHEWMEN, a new citizen science/crowdsourcing effort to encourage the video game community to donate spare computer processing power to find treatments to fight the COVID-19 virus.  BALANCED, a crowdsourced healthcare artificial intelligence company bringing purpose to play, has launched the HEWMEN® Cell application, a free secure download that creates a virtual network to process drug discovery data for COVID-19.  Leading esports team and sponsor, Complexity, is urging the gaming community to support the effort by downloading the HEWMEN cell application.

BALANCED's HEWMEN technology creates a distributed network that processes data-driven problems such as drug discovery and medical research.  The HEWMEN Cell application, which uses small amounts of volunteer computers' unused processing capacity, has integrated BOINC, an open-source software platform used for volunteer resources developed by the University of California, Berkeley. It allows for the virtualizing of servers and applications inside a voluntary grid network and has been widely used with no security issues on millions of PCs. The HEWMEN Cell app was used by BALANCED and computational biologist John Wise, Ph.D., of Southern Methodist University's Drug Discovery Lab, for finding co-medications to enhance the effect of chemotherapy in the treatment of recurrent, resistant breast and prostate cancers.

BALANCED, with John Wise, will harness the power of gamers to have the HEWMEN Cell app process information from more than 200,000 FDA-approved existing medications/compounds against models of the protein and enzymatic functions of COVID-19 to see which candidates prove most effective at reducing the virus' pathology. Using these compounds, between 1.5-3 million virtual experiments will be run, simulating attempts to dock compounds to specific locations on the virus. By identifying the compounds with the highest probability of success, the effort will dramatically reduce development cycle time and get new treatments to market faster. 

"If there's one universal truth about gamers, it's that they're always looking for their next challenge," said Robert M. Atkins, BALANCED CEO. "COVID-19 is the biggest threat to humanity and there's no community in the world more engaged online than gamers. This makes them the perfect group to empower to help put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. When they hear the call to help, they will answer. It's the moment they've been training for since they booted up their first video game."

The HEWMEN Cell app can also combine human intelligence with the system's machine learning by injecting scientific datasets into videogames.  As players interact with the games, they add human intuition and insight into the process as they act upon scientific datasets to solve complex problems or help a computer vision algorithm learn to "read" a certain type of image.

In an industry first, BALANCED recently put a medical research project on Twitch Interactive in partnership with Complexity for World of Warcraft's "Race to World First." The livestream event invited viewers to become participants by playing BALANCED's The Omega Cluster within Twitch streams while watching Complexity-Limit, the top World of Warcraft guild in the United States, become the first North American guild to win the "Race to World First." During the 10-day tournament, participants logged over 900 hours - or 23 40-hour work weeks - playing The Omega Cluster, virtually processing medical compounds for cancer medicines through their gameplay.  

"As with 'Race to World First,' we're proud to partner with BALANCED to showcase the power of gaming and esports within our greater global community," said Jason Lake, Founder and CEO, Complexity Gaming. "We're grateful to continue working with BALANCED not only to create an engaging new experience but also to be a part of something meaningful as we strive to find a solution to this global pandemic."

Other BALANCED efforts include the use of its technologies in an award-winning project by Chief Technical Officer Corey Clark, Ph.D., for the Barbara Bush Foundation's Adult Literacy XPRIZE (2019) and the creation of an Eye in the Sky: Defender game for the Retina Foundation of the Southwest to improve the automation of interpreting Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scans used in the diagnosis and treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. 

About BALANCED Media TechnologyBALANCED Media|Technology is a crowdsourced healthcare artificial intelligence company bringing purpose to play.  BALANCED is focused on changing the way researchers, pharmaceutical and medical device companies leverage machine learning (ML) to advance the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. By crowdsourcing artificial intelligence through online communities and gaming via its HEWMEN platform, BALANCED hopes to aid researchers in investigating new treatments by creating AI-enabled technologies that reduce research time and cost and increase research effectiveness. BALANCED, a 2019 Tech Titan winner that has been recognized as an industry innovator by multiple groups including the Dallas Business Journal and Dallas Innovates, is also creating the 8 CELL video game that aids in medical/health education and research. The McKinney, Texas based company is headed by founders in data science, computing, video game development and the medical/healthcare industries.

About Complexity GamingComplexity Gaming is one of North America's longest standing and most successful esports organizations, now owned by Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and investor John Goff. The esports organization is led by Founder and CEO Jason Lake, considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of esports in North America. Complexity Gaming has won more than 140 championships in nearly 30 game titles over it's more than 15-year history. Staunchly committed to passion, professionalism, and a player-first mentality, Complexity Gaming has been continuously recognized as a global leader in modern esports. For more information on Complexity, visit http://Complexity.gg and follow the organization on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook.

The Awesome Power of Citizen Science

Daily Deals: AirPods Discounted HP Laptops and Dell Desktops on Sale

It's the weekend! With it comes a selection of deals, this time focused on technology! If you're in the market for some earbuds, the AirPods and AirPod Pros are both on sale, as well as a slew of laptops and desktops thanks to savings at both HP and Dell. Topping things off is our selection of various digital services that are discounted or outright free for a short time. 15% Off Latest Apple AirPods 2 (With or Without Wireless Charging Case) Starting now, Verizon Wireless has discounted the 2nd generation Apple AirPods down to Black Friday prices. You can get it with a charging case (which charges via Lightning cable) for only $135.99, or with a wireless charging case (which charges via inductive Qi charging or Lightning cable) for $169.99. The AirPods 2 is a truly wireless headphone with Siri support and 50% longer talk time than the original AirPods.10% Off Apple AirPods Pro, Now $224.99 This is the lowest price ever, even lower than on Black Friday, and it ends very soon. These are truly wireless AirPods with built-in active noise cancellation and despite that that they actually have longer play time on a single charge than the vanilla AirPods. Other features include three sets of silicone tips for customized fit, a sweat and water resistant outer shell, and a wireless charging case that can provide an additional 24 hours of battery life.HP OMEN 15" 4K 3840x2160 Intel Core i7-9750H Gaming Laptop with RTX 2080 for $1826.10 It's hard enough to find an RTX 2080-equipped gaming laptop for under $2000, but this one doesn't skip on any other spec either. In fact, you get a true 4K 3840x2160 display, a 9th gen Intel Core i7 processor, and plenty of RAM and SSD storage.

Click Here

Select Processor and Graphics - i7-9750H + RTX 2080 (+$630)

Select Display - 15.6" 4K IPS (+$150)

Proceed to shopping cart

At cart, apply code "10GAMERSPRING"

Price should show up as $1826.10

HP OMEN 15" 1080p 144Hz Intel Core i7-9750H Gaming Laptop with RTX 2070 for $1484.99 This laptop is every bit as good for gaming but you'll save about $350 compared to the above config. The RTX 2070 video card is almost as powerful as the previous generation's GTX 1080, which used to be the most powerful mobile GPU. It should be more than enough handle any game on the 15" 1080p display, even at 144Hz refresh rate. If you want to, you can upgrade to 12GB RAM and 512GB SSD for $180.

Click Here

Select Processor and Graphics - i7-9750H + RTX 2070 (+$450)

Select Display - 15.6" FHD 144Hz IPS (+$70)

Proceed to shopping cart

At cart, apply code "10GAMERSPRING"

Price should show up as $1484.99

Sonos PLAYBAR Smart Wireless Home Theater Soundbar and Streaming Music Speaker for $549 Save $150 off the Sonos PLAYBAR for a limited time. The Sonos PLAYBAR is one of the best soundbars you can get for under $1K, and it's very versatile to boot. You can use it as a soundbar for your TV for a great home theater setup or as a high-end streaming speaker with the Sonos app or Alexa. If you want to boost your low-end, the equally impressive Sonos SUB wireless subwoofer is also $150 off.Alienware AW2518H 25" 1080p 1ms 240Hz GSYNC Gaming Monitor for $429.99 The Alienware AW2518H 25" 1080p Monitor is all about a stutter and tear-free gaming experience.. Besides having a blazing fast 1ms response time, this is one of the very few monitors that can support a 240Hz refresh rate and support NVIDIA's GSYNC tehcnology. It retails at $710, but you can get it today for almost $300 less.Alienware Aurora R8 Intel Core i7-9700 RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming PC with 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and 2TB HDD for $1548 Use code "LCS10OFF"

This gaming PC boasts a 9th gen Intel Core i7 processor and the newest RTX 2080 SUPER video card. It's about 10% more powerful than the non-SUPER model and considerably more powerful than the GTX 1080 Ti. For those of you who would rather have a PC preinstalled with all the RAM and storage you'll ever need, this model has 16GB RAM and dual drive storage.

Alienware Aurora R8 Intel Core i7-9700 RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming PC for $1404 Use code "LCS10OFF"

If you want upgrade the RAM and hard drive yourself, you can save alot of money compared to adding pre-configured upgrades. Like the new R9 chassis, the R8 features easy toolless entry. Swapping components doesn't void the warranty.

New Alienware Aurora R9 AMD Ryzen 7 3700X AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Gaming Desktop PC for $1044 Use code "LCS10OFF"

For those of you who haven't been keeping up with the Intel vs AMD CPU war, AMD has been giving Intel a run for its money with its flagship processors. The new AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-core processor is comparable to the Intel Core i7-9700, both in terms of gaming and workstation performance. It's paired with an RX 5700 XT video card, which is on par with the RTX 2070. If you want to upgrade the RAM or hard drive, I'd suggest doing it on your own. You'll save money, and the Aurora R9 allows for toolless access without voiding your warranty.

Save 73% Off 1-Year IPVanish VPN Plan IPVanish is offering 73% off its 1 year VPN plan, dropping the price to $39. That's only $3.25 a month for a service that provides some great benefits. VPN is the first and easiest step to making your internet activity a bit more anonymous. VPN is also a great way to "trick" a host site into thinking you're in another part of the world. That's great for watching region-locked content from streaming services like Netflix. IPVanish boasts a very user-friendly interface, doesn't hog resources, and has a zero-log policy. We also gave it a great review.Online Learning Course Bundles from Stack Social Want to be more productive at home? Stack Social has plenty of practical courses that can kick start your career. For under $40 per bundle you get dozens of hours of online instruction in programming, game creation, video production, ethical hacking, and more... all from the safety of your home.1 Month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $1 (Includes Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass) May work for both NEW and EXPIRED accounts

This price is reserved for new and expired accounts. Game Pass Ultimate is basically Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass combined into one membership. You even get access to Game Pass for PC. Normally you'd be paying $14.99 for one month, but Amazon is offering an additional month for free. Game Pass gives you access to tons of high profile games like Kingdom Hearts 3, NBA 2K20, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Gears 5, Forza Horizon 3, The Outer Worlds, Grand Theft Auto 5, State of Decay, and more.

Big Savings on PSN Games during the Big In Japan Sale

If you're a Playstation owner, and looking for some new digital games, make sure to take a look at their brand new sale, called Big In Japan. It features a wide array of games, from Resident Evil to Final Fantasy and more.

Free Sling TV from 5pm to Midnight (Includes the 2020 NFL Draft, CNN, MSNBC, Food Network, HGTV, Cartoon Network) No Credit Card Required for Signup

Sling's Happy Hour promotion is offering free Sling Blue from 5pm to midnight (normally $30/month). You can catch rounds 2 and 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft, keep up with live news about the COVID virus from CNN, MSNBC, HLN, and Fox News, or just lose yourself in family friendly TV shows from HGTV, Food Network, A&E, Bravo, TNT, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, The Discovery Channel, Nick Jr, and more. Best of all no credit card is required.

ComiXology Free Trial Extended to 60 Days This sponsored deal is brought to you by ComiXology

The ComiXology trial period is normally 30 days. ComiXology is Amazon's digital comic platform and is the largest digital retailer of American comics. The site hosts 20,000 digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and more. Here's your chance to access all of it, totally free, for 30 60 days. If you're an avid comic reader, you might want to consider continuing on afterwards, since it's only $5.99/month. You can even sign in with your Amazon account.

3 Months of Amazon Music Unlimited for Free This deal only works for new Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers, but you don't have to be a Prime member. Normally you'd be paying $9.99/month for this service (or $7.99/mo for Prime members). Amazon Music Unlimited works alot like the paid ad-free versions of Spotify or Pandora. Get access to millions of songs and playlists that you can stream anywhere.New Licensed Castlevania Apparel at the IGN Store Do you enjoy Netflix's original Castlevania animated series? If so, the IGN Store has added a host of officially licensed Castlevania apparel. Sign up for our newsletter and get a 20% off coupon code. Alternatively, save 10% off using coupon code "igndeals10".

Is there actually extra chargers or airpods in your iPhone boxes

Learning from home for COVID-19: follow this Ontario family's 8-part education journey

Families all over Ontario are figuring out how to support their school-age kids as they learn from home during COVID-19.

For two weeks CBC Kitchener-Waterloo tagged along as Carin Lowerison and Matt White helped their three girls learn from home.

All three of their kids are in elementary school: Clementine, 5, is in senior kindergarden, Heidrun, 9, is in Grade 4 and their eldest, Berkeley is 11.

It all started just after Easter when their local public school board formalized home-based learning. That meant assignments from teachers, deadlines and daily feedback.

Carin Lowerison and Matt White have three "boisterous, creative, amazing little girls": Berkeley, 11, Heidrun, 9, and Clementine, 5. Like parents all over Ontario, they're bravely embarking on a journey of home-based education as their family is kept home for COVID-19. Here's a look at Day One. 3:34

Day 2: Managing screentime when school goes online

As the girls' teachers continued to send daily assignments and even feedback, Carin and Matt discovered managing screen time is more difficult than expected.

All communication, assignments — even the family's decompression time together — involves time in front of a computer, tablet or TV. 

And taking classwork offline comes with a tradeoff: more hands-on work for the parents.

Carin Lowerison and Matt White have three elementary-school age girls: Berkeley, 11, Heidrun, 9, and Clementine, 5.CBC is following their family as they navigate home-based education. Here's a look at Day 2 and the family's philosophical struggle with screentime. 3:41 Day 3: Even parents who teach are finding school difficult

As it happens, both Matt and Carin have a bit of experience teaching.

Carin is a yoga instructor and Matt teaches the odd course at the University of Waterloo. But teaching kids is something completely different, he says, as he struggles to digest some of the curriculum, and break it down in a way his young daughters can understand.

On top of that, their two oldest girls are in French immersion, but only one parent speaks French.

Kitchener couple Carin Lowerison and Matt White are among many people in Ontario juggling the roles of parent, worker and now teacher amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Even with laid-out lesson plans, many parents are finding it much harder than they expected. Both Matt and Carin have a bit of experience teaching, but Matt says he's struggling to digest the curriculum, and break it down for his young daughters. 4:28 Day 4: Setting reasonable expectations

Like many parents, Matt and Carin are finding learning from home is harder than they expected.

The daily assignments from teachers are taking longer than anyone hoped; what was supposed to be a simple hour-long self-directed activity takes much longer. That's on top of the regular parenting, work, feeding everyone and keeping the house clean.

Here's the whole family's take on how week one went, and what a fresh start will look like for week two. 

If you're feeling home-based is hard, you're not alone. Daily assignments from teachers may be taking longer than you'd hoped — an assignment that was only supposed to be an hour, morphs into three. Kitchener couple Carin Lowerison and Matt White are among many people in Ontario juggling the roles of parent, worker and now teacher amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Here's their take on how this week will hopefully go smoother than the last. 4:39 Day 5: Overcoming conflict in close quarters

For week two of learning at home, Carin and Matt decided to try something a little different: get schoolwork done early and one at a time, so each one of their kids has time to concentrate on their studies solo.

It started out smoothly, but when they tried to encourage one of the girls to be more independent, it didn't go over well.

That got Matt and Carin thinking about overcoming conflict while cooped up in close quarters.

Carin Lowerison and Matt White are among many people in Ontario juggling the roles of parent, worker and now teacher amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Their three daughters all go to elementary school in Kitchener. Their youngest, Clementine is in senior kindergarden and she's been somewhat forgotten as Carin and Matt focused on their older girls' studies. So today the family got a little fresh air, and focused more on the little one's learning. 4:19 Day 6: When fresh air helps focus the mind

For the better part of the last week, the family's focus has largely been on Heidrun, 9, and Berkeley, 11, and their schoolwork; making sure they had time, space and energy to get the work done. 

The result, say Matt and Carin, was Clementine, 5, kind of got lost in the mix. So, on Day 6, the family got a little fresh air, and focused more on the little one's learning. 

Like parents all over Ontario, Carin Lowerison and Matt White are bravely taking on home-based education as their family is kept home for COVID-19. As they enter week two, Carin and Matt tried to encourage their eldest to do some more independent learning but it doesn't go over well and that got them thinking about overcoming conflict when we're all cooped up in close quarters. 3:40 Day 7: Working through stress and anxiety

Up until March Break, all three girls spent their days at Sheppard Public School, in downtown Kitchener, Ont.

Then the pandemic closed the schools and ever since, Berkeley, Heidrun and Clementine have been doing their lessons at the kitchen table, in the attic — wherever they can find a quiet place to study. 

But never far away is the reality that they can't see their friends and they can't really play outside like they used to. That creates stress and anxiety that kids are only somewhat equipped to deal with. 

Especially empathic ones, like Heidrun, who are prone to worry. 

We get an update from Kitchener's Carin Lowerison and Matt White as they try to help their three girls learn from home as schools stay closed for COVID-19. Today they talk about helping their middle child deal with her anxiety, and the supports being offered through the school district. 2:36 Day 8: Endings and beginnings

Carin and Matt's eldest girl, Berkeley, 11, graduates elementary school this June — and was really looking forward to it. 

She had hoped to have a chance to say goodbye to her school, her teacher and her friends, before moving onto a bigger school where she'll only know some of the kids.

It's just one more thing she, and her family, are adjusting to as schools stay closed, but Carin and Matt say, it is getting easier and if they need to keep it up until the end of June, they'll make it work.

For the last two weeks we've been tagging along as Kitchener's Carin Lowerison and Matt White have helped their three girls learn from home during COVID-19. And though their segments are coming to an end, home-based learning isn't. There's still no news on if the kids will finish out the school year at home, or in their regular classrooms and that means their eldest will miss out on her very first graduation. 3:40

Coronavirus outbreak: Ford government launches learn-at-home portal due to schools closures | FULL