Summary The14-inch MacBook Prois an expensive laptop—there’s no getting around it. However, it may also be the best value-for-money laptop Apple has produced to date, and it is perhaps the best value laptop I’ve ever used. It’s hard to imagine how it could be improved other than by slashing the price. Apple MacBook Pro - M4 Pro This “binned” M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 14-inch screen is one of the best deals ever to come from Apple’s factories....

Quick Links In this economy, every cent you may save counts, but many of us are overpaying for our phone bills without even realizing it. You could fight for a much better deal if only you knew that you were overpaying in the first place. To find out if you’re getting a fair shake, consider these tips. Check to See If You Are Using All the Features You Are Paying For Sometimes, overpaying for a phone plan simply means paying for things you don’t actually use or need....

Quick Links Many folks in the United States may never have heard of VCDs. However, in many parts of the world, these CD-based movies were the main way anyone could get their hands on the latest and greatest Hollywood hits. A Brief History of VCDs VCDs have quite an interesting history. It all started in the late 1980s when engineers at a little company called Philips developed the technology for Video Compact Discs....

If you’re using a Linux computer, you may think many games you want to play, especially a vintage classic, is going to require futzing with compatibility layers and other nonsense—if it’s playable at all. In reality, right at your fingertips are many fun and free games that emulate the ones you remember. I’ve done a lot of digging in Linux software repositories in my time. They’re the places you get your standard free andopen sourceapps like Firefox and LibreOffice....

Summary The problem with mobile game controllers is usually the high price tag that comes with them. That’s why theGameSir X5 Liteis refreshing in its uniquely budget category. It’s not going to win any design awards, but it gets the job done for a reasonable price. GameSir X5 Lite The GameSir X5 Lite is a budget-friendly gaming controller for Android and iOS phones and tablets (maximum size of 8.39 inches). It includes Hall Effect sticks, a turbo function, and pass-through charging....

Storm season is already here—get a portable solar generator before a storm knocks out your power. It’s nearly summertime, which means it’s about to be storm season for many. For some, like myself, it’s already here, as I quickly learned when an early May tornado knocked my entire city’s power out for an extended period. Even though officials and neighbors warned me to get a battery backup every year, I balked at the price—but now I’m balking at my grocery bill instead, as I had to throw the food out in my fridge and freezer....

Most smart speakers allow you to choose between Alexa or Google Assistant—one or the other, but never both. We treat this restriction as if it’s something normal, and as a result, smart homes that rely on both Alexa and Google Assistant are needlessly over-complicated. Now, Harman is setting a new standard. Its new JBL Authentics speakers are the first to provide simultaneous voice assistant functionality for multi-assistant households. It’s amazing that this didn’t happen sooner....

Summary Google is expanding its Play Games app for PCs to include Android games and games made specifically for PCs. The goal is to compete with well-known platforms like Steam by supporting all native PC games, providing tools for developers to make in-app purchases easier and more secure, and offering up to 15% back on earnings. Google faces tough competition from Steam and has had past failures in the gaming industry, like Stadia....

Quick Links Instead of waiting for October, Google took to its Silicon Valley HQ to unveil its latest generation of products at today’s Made By Google event. Instead of relying on AI and software features to be the star of the show, Google made serious improvements to its Pixel 9 lineup, with much-needed upgrades to the Watch 3 and Buds Pro 3. I got an early hands-on with everything announced, so here are my first impressions....

Samsung Messages is (almost) no more. After a slow move away from its own messaging app, Samsung is now starting to avoid bundling it with its flagship phones, replacing it with Google Messages instead. If you’re looking to switch to Google Messages yourself, you can follow these steps to do so. Google Messages Is Replacing Samsung Messages For a long time, Samsung has pushed its own apps on Android with (somewhat) limited success....

Quick Links If you want to keep your local files in sync with your Google Drive account, you can use a graphical or command-line method on your Windows 11 PC. I’ll show you how. Method 1: Use the Official Google Drive App One way to sync new files on your Windows 11 PC with Google Drive is to use theofficial Google Drive app for Windows. This app allows you to pick the folders on your storage that you want to keep in sync with your cloud account....

Most of the time, my taskbar is a cluttered catastrophe, and I have a nearly uncountable number of tabs open in more browser windows than I would care to count. Virtual desktops saved my organization—and my sanity. What is a Virtual Desktop? A virtual desktop is a bit like havingan extra screen, except instead of moving between physical screens, you get multiple “digital” screens. In some ways, it is a bit like having multiple browser tabs, except you get multiple desktops, apps, taskbars, and even wallpapers....

Quick Links Summary To blur your Zoom background, open the Settings window and choose the “Blur” background under Background & Effects. you’re able to also select “Blur My Background” from the meeting window—click the up arrow to the right of the camera to find this option. Do you have yesterday’s laundry piled behind you? Worried about your cluttered office space? No problem. You can easily blur your surroundings during your Zoom meetings with the background blur option on desktop and mobile....