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25 Nov 2024

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Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology proposes to axe forestry courses, among others
A proposal to cut programs from a Rotorua apprenticeship training program has blindsided the forestry and wood manufacture industry, a tutor says.

Cop posing with gang patch may bring police into disrepute - employment lawyer
Legislation banning the display of patches in public came into effect last week.

So the grand slam is gone. But now we know Wallabies will give Lions a contest
The Wallabies’ bandwagon hit a dark blue wall against Scotland at Murrayfield. But there is still so much to be optimistic about with this team.

Her career is one long highlights reel. But these were Emma McKeon’s five greatest moments
Australia’s most decorated Olympian has called time on her glittering swimming career. We relive the best moments.

After 136 years, this Australian top order has made the worst type of Test history
India went into the lunch break needing five wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar series.

Warriors star fools internet sensation
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak gets his teammates pumped up as he jumps over internet sensation IShowSpeed.

Australia v India LIVE updates: Bumrah strikes again as India close in on famous win
One of the heaviest defeats on Australian soil in years looms for Pat Cummins’ side as they chase a mammoth target of 534 in Perth. Follow all the action live.

Credit card fraud: Retailers left to carry the cost
There is a major power imbalance between credit card companies and merchants, says an Auckland retailer that has had to absorb thousands in losses from a fraudulent transaction.

New Zealand Dental Association supports Helen Clark Foundation obesity report
"It doesn't make sense for schools to be selling sickness to kids, in the form of sugary drinks," a dental expert says.

Garage to global: The Wellington business selling chocolate scented rat traps
The smell of chocolate and PB&J wafts from a factory in central Wellington, but it’s not humans they’re looking to lure in - it’s rats

‘Urban vandalism’: Wellingtonians vent over City to Sea Bridge demolition
Passionate submitters launched fiery verbal attacks at a Wellington City Council meeting on Monday.

‘We need to stop the rot:’ Council to explore sale of iconic Dunedin building
Ratepayers have paid around $750,000 to maintain a former theatre, which last held a performance six years ago.

Health rationing 'nothing new', some patients say
The Labour Party is blaming the government's new wait time targets for so many patients being unable to get onto a waiting list for hospital treatment, but some patients say this kind of rationing is nothing new.

Legendary McKeon announces retirement
Australia's most decorated Olympian of all time, champion swimmer Emma McKeon, has announced her retirement from the elite level.

‘I’m staggered by that’: Hazlewood comments point to divided team, say Test greats
Adam Gilchrist has questioned the unity of the Australian side in light of remarks made by the frustrated fast bowler after play on day three.

Langford, Dipper, Platten: Hawks greats among 50 to sign open letter as board battle heats up
Four-time premiership Hawk Chris Langford warned that not voting for the incumbents would allow agitators to take the club back to “dark places”.

Best Black Friday Chromebook deals
With Black Friday less than a week away, we’re already seeing loads of Chromebook deals popping up all over the place. We’ve listed our recommendations for the best Black Friday deals below, which we’ve separated out into budget picks, mid-range choices, and premium offerings. They’re listed in order of price (from low to high) but we also explain which ones we’d pick ourselves and why. If you need more guidance when shopping for Black Friday Chromebook sales, scroll down to the FAQ at the end where we explain what prices to look for, the specs we prefer, and more. Best Black Friday budget Chromebook deals Acer Chromebook 315 (Celeron N4500/4GB RAM/64GB eMMC/15.6-inch 1080p display), now $139.00 (22% off at Walmart) Asus Chromebook CX1 (Celeron N4500/4GB RAM/128GB eMMC/14-inch 1080p display), now $159.00 (31% off at Walmart) HP Chromebook 14 (Intel N100/4GB RAM/64GB eMMC/14-inch 1080p display), now $159.99 (20% off at Amazon) Asus Chromebook CM14 (Kompanio 520/4GB RAM/64GB eMMC/14-inch 768p display), now $168.95 (40% off at Amazon) Asus Chromebook C424 (Celeron N4020/4GB RAM/128GB eMMC/14-inch 1080p display), now $196 (22% off at Amazon) Lenovo 14-inch Chromebook (Kompanio 520/4GB RAM/64GB eMMC/14-inch 1080p display), now $202.00 (33% off at Amazon) Samsung Chromebook 4 (Celeron N4000/4GB RAM/64GB eMMC/15.6-inch 1080p display), now $214.99 (33% off at Amazon) Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i, (Pentium N6000/8GB RAM/128GB SSD/15.6-inch 1080p touch display), now $299.99 (25% off at Amazon) Budget Chromebooks are all about the tradeoffs. In this case, there aren’t any deals with 8GB of RAM, which is what I’d prefer. Among these, the Acer Chromebook 315 gives you the most for your money, including a nice big display and a relatively modern processor. The Intel Celeron N4500 is faster at single-threaded tasks than the Arm-based MediaTek Kompanio with slightly less battery life. Best Black Friday mid-range Chromebook deals Lenovo Flex 3 (Pentium Silver N6000/8GB RAM/64GB eMMC/15.6-inch 1080p display), now $328.99 (31% off at Best Buy) Google Pixelbook Go (Core m3-8100Y/Intel HD Graphics 400/8GB RAM/64GB SSD/13.3-inch 1080p display), now $329.99 (49% off at Amazon with Prime) Asus Chromebook Flip CR1 (Celeron N5100/8GB RAM/32GB eMMC/11.6-inch 768p touch display), now $439.99 (20% off at Adorama) HP Chromebook Plus x360 (Core i3-N305/8GB RAM/128GB UFS/14-inch 1080p touch display), now $509.99 (7% off at Adorama) The HP Chromebook Plus x360 offers a versatile 2-in-1 form factor and a touch-enabled display, making it a solid choice if you want to swap between laptop and tablet styles. The Intel Core i3-N305 CPU should be fast enough for day-to-day tasks and the 14-inch 1920×1080 screen should produce crisp-looking visuals. The device itself also weighs just 3.03 pounds, so it’s super travel-friendly. Best Black Friday premium Chromebook deals Acer Chromebook Plus 515 (Core i3-1215U/8GB RAM/128GB UFS/15.6-inch 1080p display), now $279.00 (30% off at Best Buy) Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i (Core i3-1315U/8GB RAM/128GB SSD/14-inch 1200p display), now $369.00 (26% off at Best Buy) Acer Chromebook 516 GE (Core i5-1240P/8GB RAM/256GB SSD/16-inch 1600p display), now $448.99 (30% off at Best Buy) Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (Core i5-1335U/8GB RAM/256GB SSD/14-inch 1200p display), now $449.99 (36% off at Best Buy) Google thinks you’ll want to buy a Chromebook Plus laptop (what’s that?) to achieve the very best Chromebook experience. Do you need one? The experience is undoubtedly smoother and more powerful, without the caveats that typically accompany cheaper Chromebook hardware. That’s why we recommend the Acer Chromebook Plus 515, as it comes with a zippy processor as well as a roomy display. FAQ 1. When is Black Friday? Officially, this year’s Black Friday takes place on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. Cyber Monday is the following Monday, or Dec. 2, 2024. 2. What should you pay for a Black Friday Chromebook deal? Budget Chromebooks could be about $150 or so, perhaps less — but that can mean compromising on some of the features we think you’ll like. We try to include some of these models, though, in case you’re just looking for absolute bottom prices. (Refurbished models can cost even less, but we aren’t including them.) Good mainstream Chromebooks now cost about $250 to $350, as noted above — that’s the floor for a Chromebook we’d recommend. A Black Friday or Cyber Monday steal could push prices down even further. 3. What features should I look for in a Black Friday Chromebook? We still prioritize three things when looking for a Chromebook deal: memory, the size and resolution of the screen, and the CPU. There’s also one big wrinkle for this Black Friday and that’s the Chromebook support window. You will still find retailers trying to unload Chromebooks with 4GB of RAM, a 768p screen, and an ancient processor. We will still list products with those specs, if justified, as budget Chromebooks. But we really feel that you deserve a Chromebook with 8GB of RAM, a 1080p screen or better (with screen sizes above 13 inches if possible), and a relatively modern CPU. We don’t put a lot of weight on the CPU, if only because a Chromebook doesn’t need a lot of horsepower behind it. Be aware that “HD” does not mean 1080p! It basically means 768p, which is going to be a bit hard on your eyes. “Full HD” or “FHD” equates to the 1080p display you should get. Our recommended CPUs include Intel Celerons, Intel Pentiums, Intel’s Core chips, AMD’s Ryzen processors, and Arm chips from Mediatek or Qualcomm. All of those have their pros and cons, though the performance differences probably won’t matter as much as additional memory. More memory (8GB rather 4GB of RAM) will allow for more browser tabs and a smoother browser experience. A 1080p screen will offer a comfortable laptop-like viewing experience. Onboard storage really doesn’t matter all that much, though an SSD of at least 32GB is preferable for storing apps, screenshots, and the like. If you’re familiar with our lengthy laptops versus Chromebooks explainer, you know that one of the potential gotchas is buying a Chromebook whose support window expires soon. Google now supports new Chromebooks for up to 10 years, so this is less of a concern. We think this might push prices down, but for very old hardware. We’re trying to watch this. 4. Which Chromebooks does PCWorld rate highest? Our editors regularly review Chromebooks, so make sure to check our rankings of the best Chromebooks. We recommend a wide range of price points, and the article offers a great primer on Chromebook shopping. What’s more, some of our top picks will likely go on sale before or during Black Friday.