My love affair with the iPhone goes back to the first model released, and I’m thrilled with the latest Apple flagship. So, I wasn’t expecting to be wooed by Google’s Pixel devices. In the end, I found a lot to like about the Pixels, but the benefits weren’t enough to make me want to switch. Google vs. Apple Choosing my favorite phone was a tough decision with such excellent choices....
For $219, you can get a bundle that includes the new tablet, plus a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Personal—which provides access to all Office apps and 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage—and a detachable keyboard case. At this price, quibbles about whether the HD10 compares to the iPad are silly because, of course, it doesn’t. My iPad Air costs $599, plus my Apple Magic Keyboard retails for $299. You’re getting into decent laptop price territory with the iPad setup, but the $200 range for the Fire makes it something I’m comfortable throwing in a backpack....
I can barely hear the siren song of the Bose headset since I’m wearing my newish Apple AirPods Max headphones, but the Bose cans could be a longer-lasting and more comfortable option than Apple’s finest. The $329.95 QC 45s are also cheaper than the ProMax, which retails for $549. But the new Bose headset promises to be more than just a value proposition. I’ve owned several Bose headsets, including the current QuietComfort 35, and have been impressed with their, well, comfort....
Coming up with designs that appeal to women is a tricky task. After all, shouldn’t good design appeal to anyone, regardless of gender? An individual may not like the iPhone’s look or something like Teenage Engineering’s sleek aluminum OP-1 Field, but nobody would say that they’re “for boys” or “for girls.” But the gaming accessory market is decidedly “male teenager” in its design character, which can put many people off—including the boys....
The company’s virtual assistant arrived in Windows 97 in the form of a small paper clip to help Microsoft Office users. Clippy was flicked into the wastebasket by Office 2007 after complaints that it was ineffective and annoying. But I stand up for Clippy as a welcome attempt at humanizing computer interfaces that now seems to have been all but forgotten with the trend towards cool minimalism. It’s true that Clippy didn’t accomplish much at times, but his cheery metal face was a reminder that there could be warmth in dealing with computers....
As Twitch streamer Pikachulita, Katie Robinson electrifies the audience with her style of socially aware wit and an element of gaming finesse and intrigue that permeates her variety streams hoping to give Twitch a shocking makeover. A veteran on the platform, Robinson has seen a sea of progressive changes at Twitch and she’s dedicated to ensuring they continue. Boasting the coveted Twitch Partner status, as well as a partnership with computer hardware brand Logitech, this streamer has turned her passion into a lucrative side hustle....
The Neo has a tiny LCD monochrome screen and can pretty much only do word processing. That means no web browsing, email, Netflix, etc. It’s clunky and ugly with a dark green plastic case. But I’ve found the Neo to be an invaluable, distraction-free gadget that makes me more productive. It’s got incredible features that no ordinary laptop can match. Do you claim your fancy Samsung laptop has 12 hours of battery life?...
TikTok is expanding the amount of music available to its users under this agreement, which the social media app says will help content creators use licensed music, and could even lead to more “ambitious experimentation, innovation, and collaboration” in the future. It’s a smart move for both TikTok and UMG, though experts say content creators are the real winners. “This is a good thing for TikTok users,” Adam Chase, president of Music Minds, told Lifewire in an email....
A sealed copy of the Nintendo 64 classic Super Mario 64 recently sold for $1,560,000, toppling the record that The Legend of Zelda had just claimed. It’s part of a heating market for collectibles that’s likely to continue, experts say. “There’s a perception among gamers now that physical media-based games are going to become increasingly rare, which in turn is accelerating the nostalgia market,” Michael Hancock, a professor at The Games Institute at the University of Waterloo, told Lifewire in an email interview....
Twitter TV Twitter’s plan to become a broadcaster was first noted by The New York Times, which first reported speculation about this. Now that it’s available, Twitter’s app has unleashed a new era of socially connected TV. The company is reaching a host of different content deals. When it began it started to offer NFL’s Thursday Night Football games through the Apple TV app. This is great as it means you can access all the action without needing a pay a TV subscription (or even a Twitter account)....
Blend, which is still in beta mode, is a new type of evolving playlist based on two listeners’ musical tastes. Unlike Spotify’s existing shared playlists, Blend automatically picks and updates songs instead of requiring each user to manually add tracks. While I found Blend to be far from perfect, I still think everyone should try it. What Is Spotify Blend? Blend analyzes two Spotify users’ musical tastes to create a mix....
What to Do When Your Car’s Headlights Won’t Turn Off When your headlights suddenly stop working, things can get dangerous in a hurry. But headlights can also fail in the other direction. Far from a fail-safe, headlights that won’t turn off, no matter what you do, can quickly drain your battery and leave you stranded. With that in mind, the short-term solution for headlights that won’t turn off is to take emergency preventative measures to keep the battery from going dead....
While there are a few reasons that a keyless entry remote might stop working, most of them are pretty easy to check yourself. The most common problem with these car key fobs is that the batteries go dead over time, in which case replacing the battery should fix the problem. Other key fob remote problems are more complicated, but it’s still possible to fix them. Here are the five things you’ll want to check first when your remote stops locking or unlocking your car doors:...
The move is a response to Etsy increasing the fees it charges sellers from 5 percent to 6.5 percent. In an online letter, the protest organizers said that the increase is hurting small businesses. However, Etsy seller Naomi Morris told Lifewire in an email interview that she thinks the condemnation of the company is unwarranted. “During these times of high inflation, we should expect price increases on everything,” Morris said....
Windows 11 is currently available as a part of Microsoft’s early access Windows Insider Program. As with any early access, some users have encountered bugs and other issues along the way. The latest problem seems to cause difficulties with the Windows Security application. According to Windows Latest, the bug is noticeable in Windows 11 Build 22000.160 or older, and it keeps the app from opening when you select it in Windows Settings....
Once a device has passed the Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) process, the manufacturer can use a “Certified for Windows” logo (or something very similar) in their advertising, and the device is allowed to be listed in the Windows HCL. The Windows Hardware Compatibility List is usually just called the Windows HCL, but you may see it under many different names, like HCL, Windows Compatibility Center, Windows Compatibility Product List, Windows Catalog, or Windows Logo’d Product List....
What Is an XAML File? A file with the XAML file extension (pronounced as “zammel”) is an Extensible Application Markup Language file, created using Microsoft’s markup language that goes by the same name. An XAML file may instead use the .XOML file extension. XAML is an XML-based language, so .XAML files are basically just text files. Similar to how HTML files are used to represent web pages, XAML files describe user interface elements in software applications for Windows Phone apps, Microsoft Store apps, and more....
According to a blog post, the update affects Xbox One Controllers that have Bluetooth support, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, and Xbox Adaptive Controllers. The main new feature is Dynamic Latency Input (DLI) which will deliver controller inputs more efficiently to make gameplay more responsive. This is a feature that was exclusive to the Xbox Series X and is now making its way to the older controllers. The update also includes a Bluetooth Low Energy feature which provides a similar communication range compared to the standard, but at with reduced power consumption....
The update delivers new features based on player feedback. New features include updates to the Xbox app on PCs, a new Play Later feature, and the latest version of Microsoft Edge. The Xbox app on PCs is gaining new ways for players to access their games remotely. Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) is now available on the app for members with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service. Cloud Gaming (Beta) lets people play games on their Windows 10 PC, Android devices, and even iOS, with no downloads necessary....
This fun-sized soundbar is 30 percent smaller than the company’s standard offerings, which is great news for apartment dwellers and anyone with little to no room left on a cluttered TV stand. The SR-C30A is also an all-in-one audio solution, as it ships with a wireless subwoofer for increased bass response. The device is designed to “fit neatly on or in smaller furniture,” with a width of just 23-inches and a height of 2....
