Quick Links I used to think I knew Windows pretty well—until I stumbled upon some features hidden in plain sight, which can make a big difference in how you use your device. Even if you’ve been using Windows for years, there’s a good chance you’ve missed a few of these. Here are some features worth checking out. 5Make Use of Dynamic Lock Imagine your PC locking itself when you walk away—no extra effort required....
Quick Links If you’re a Google Pixel 9 user, you have access to various AI-enabled features on your phone. From editing your photos “magically” to translating on-screen text, let me show you what your phone is capable of, thanks to AI. Edit Your Photos With Magic Editor in Google Photos In the Google Photos app on your Pixel 9, you have access to a feature called Magic Editor. This AI-enabled feature allows you to move, resize, reimagine, and remove objects from your photos....
Amazon’s Alexa assistant has struggled with both complex and basic tasks for a long time. Amazon has now revealed its revamped Alexa+ assistant, intended to be “smarter, more conversational, more capable, and free with Prime.” Alexa+is a new upgraded version of Alexa supercharged by generative AI, which should be significantly better at understanding natural language, in much the same way Google recentlyoverhauled its Assistant with Gemini AI. Amazon says it should become personalized over time as it learns your schedule and preferences, perform actions on your behalf, and provide information....
Quick Links Summary Bone conduction headphones offer better comfort, long-term wear, communication with other people, and situational awareness than traditional headphones. This comes at the cost of music quality and noise cancellation or blocking. Bone conduction headphones offer the promise of audio without cutting you off from the outside world. This made them great for work or workouts, but now that headphones have passthrough modes, are there any good reasons to still buy them?...
There isn’t much I love more than a good crime thriller, and these days, they’re all over the place. With their gritty narratives and intense character performances, we can’t get enough of them. They’re fascinating little mysteries, and when they’re based on or inspired by actual events, they’re even better. Lucky for us,Apple TV+has a killer selection. In this list of 10 thrilling crime watches, you’ll find shows and movies that are worth doing time for, even if it is just over the weekend....
Summary I’ve been a drone and RC enthusiast for longer than I care to think about at this point, and there’s never been a better time to get into the hobby (or even profession) if you get a good start to your journey. I’ve made some expensive mistakes over the years, but hopefully I can help you avoid that with a few good tips right out of the starting gate....
Summary A smartwatch is a very useful tool, capable of doing many of the same things your phone can do. Your phone, however, needs a data plan for a lot of its functionality, so you’d be forgiven for assuming that a smartwatch needs one, too. But the truth is, few smartwatches require a data plan. Many Smartwatches Cannot Even Use a Data Plan The main reason most smartwatches don’t require a data plan is that many of them aren’t even capable of supporting one....
Summary We all love using cool gadgets to improve mundane activities like working out or eating healthy. That’s why it’s so great to see that fitness apps and smart devices are constantly getting better. With more features becoming locked behind paywalls, though, it’s worth considering if premium fitness services are must-haves. How Monetization Changes Fitness Apps At the most basic level, fitness apps should make it easy to set goals, track progress, or gamify the fitness journey....
Quick Links Summary While its roots may lie in the storied Neve brand, Focusrite has been better known for its solid, affordable audio interfaces for years. The company has revamped its popular Scarlett line, and theFocusrite Scarlett 2i2 Gen 4seems to be the perfect option for the solo artist or aspiring podcaster. The look has changed slightly from the previous generation, but it’s the newer features that make the interface more interesting....
Quick Links Summary If you never tried out a smartwatch because they’re far too expensive, maybe it’s time to check out one of the budget offerings. In fact, not only are they more affordable, but I firmly believe that cheap smartwatches can be superior to more expensive models. Here’s why. Cheaper Smartwatches Have Better Battery Life The feature set and build quality of smartwatches only get better as you go up in price....
Summary If you’re looking to add a splash of style to a garden, walking path, or other exterior zone, I highly recommend theGovee Outdoor Garden Lights. This illumination powerhouse is a bit on the pricey side, but its features and customizations make it worth the price, at least in my opinion. Govee Outdoor Garden Lights Illuminate your garden with 16 million colors, infusing every moment with the magic of nature and intelligence....
Summary In the 90s, every sci-fi movie that featured data storage invariably had some far-future version of a CD in it. It may have been in a caddy, or have a weird holographic sheen, but everyone thought optical discs were the future. Today, that doesn’t seem likely, but continuing research into optical storage might prove those movies right after all. What Is “Optical” Storage? It pains me to write this, but there are probably some of you reading this who only have vague contact with optical media....
Quick Links Summary You can normally fix a kmode_exception_not_handled error by disabling Fast Startup. If you can identify the hardware causing the error, updating its drivers may be a more permanent fix. If you keep getting the kmode exception BSOD, test your RAM for problems. Seeing aBSOD (Blue Screen Of Death)when starting or using Windows is never fun. Fortunately, not all BSODs are a disaster. Many, including the Kmode Exception Not Handled error, are easy to fix....
