At their recent annual media conference, Volkswagen Group officials unveiled a new battery configuration—not a new battery, but a new way of arranging them. Why does this matter? The arrangement of batteries in vehicles directly affects their range. By exploring this approach—one already pioneered byChina’s BYD—Volkswagen Group, which includes Audi and Porsche, could create cars with impressive range at a significantly lower cost. The Basics of the Technology Volkswagen’s new battery arrangement, Cell to Pack (CTP), has been years in the making....

Quick Links Summary Tor is much slower than a VPN, but it can provide more anonymity, as your VPN provider is technologically capable of logging your traffic. The key difference between the two is that VPNs use servers, while Tor uses nodes. This makes Tor more decentralized and dependent on volunteers. However, Tor is also free, while most trustworthy VPNs require payment. If you want to keep your browsing anonymous on the internet, there are a number of ways to do it....

Summary Buying a new mechanical keyboard is exciting, but with all the different features out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. One of the most important factors to consider is the plate mounting style. Recently, the gasket mount has garnered significant attention among enthusiasts. What Is a Gasket Mount? Before you can understand what a gasket mount does for your typing experience, it helps to first understand what mounting styles in keyboards are....

During prior console generations, I always assumed console exclusivity was nothing but a pointless, borderline anti-consumer marketing tactic. Years later, it seems like console games are finally shedding the chains of exclusivity and I’m beginning to question if that’s the right decision. Before the launch of the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, most consoles had a healthy lineup of exclusive releases. Sure, some consoles boasted better exclusives than others (and nothing has ever outshined the PS2), but each console carried at least a few notable games to set itself apart from the competition....

Quick Links Summary A vehicle cell signal booster can give you a reliable connection on your travels, but they don’t work everywhere and are a bit expensive. If you’ve ever seen an ad for a signal booster, your first question is probably, “do cell phone signal boosters work?” After wondering the same thing for a few years, I recently put one in my truck, and here’s why I absolutely love it....

Summary The purpose of a review is to give you enough information to decide whether something is worth your time and money. However, in a world with on-demand streaming subscriptions, I think reviews waste more of your time than they save. I’ve Already Paid My Subscription Reading a review for a show I already have access to without putting down more money, defeats one of the main purposes of a review....

Quick Links Windows 11 comes preloaded with several usefulwidgetsthat you’re able to use to get quick information about what you’re interested in. You can also add third-party widgets to your PC, extending your PC’s functionalities. Here are some of the best widgets out there. 1. Outlook Calendar To take a quick look at all your calendar events and even create new ones, add the stock Outlook Calendar widget to your widgets bar....

Summary One of the biggest problems withelectric vehicleownership is long charging times. Few people want to sit around for an hour or more to be able to drive their car. However, a global push and huge investment in EVs has forced improvements in battery technology and charging speeds. Now, manycarscan charge up to 80% in 25 minutes or less. These ten electric cars prove that owning one doesn’t need to be an inconvenience....

Quick Links Apple Music is more than a basic streaming service, so make sure you’re making the most of everything included with your subscription. Here are some of the features you may have missed. Lossless and Hi-Res Audio If having the highest possible sound quality is important to you and you have the bandwidth to spare, you canincrease the quality of your Apple Music library. Choose between “High Quality” lossy 256kbps,“Lossless” 24-bit recordings at 48KHz, and “Hi-Res Lossless” 24-bit recordings at 192KHz....

Summary Finding an open-source alternative to Microsoft Excel depends on what you are trying to accomplish: Are you tracking your monthly groceries, or looking for something to underpin your business processes? Here are some spreadsheet editors for every use-case. Excel Is Still the Big Boss in Business Microsoft Excel is still ubiquitous in business, and the continuing popularity of Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 in the enterprise space can arguably be credited to Excel’s broad feature set (I’ll give a nod to Outlook too, it still manages to be the best at what it does)....

Summary Netflix is obviously a great streamer for providing an endless flow of binge-worthy movies and shows. But when it comes to usability, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. To that end, here’s my list of seven features that I think Netflix should already have, but doesn’t. I’m not asking Netflix to invent anything new, just a few features that its competitors already have. 1Watch With Friends—No Browser Extension Required I was surprised to find out Netflix doesn’t already have a nativewatch party feature....

Quick Links Amazon’sFire TVsystem gets an upgrade with theAlexa Voice Remote Pro, but is it worth the cost to switch? For now, smart remotes are still pretty basic gadgets—but Amazon has thrown in some handy features that could justify upgrading. At $35, the Alexa Voice Remote Pro is cheap enough to grab any day, but it’s also more expensive than competitors. Cost aside, it might be worth replacing your oldAlexa remote—even if you aren’t a champion binge-watcher—just for the new auto backlight, a Bluetooth button to connect to your favorite headphones, and two customizable buttons to complete frequent tasks quicker....

Anker just announced another recall for five of its wildly popular portable power banks, and you need to check yours because there’s a good chance you have one. This is Anker’s second recall this month, but the company says it’s only out of an “abundance of caution.” Here’s what to know and how to get yours replaced. A few weeks ago, we reported on an Anker recall that potentially affectedover 1 million power banks, and now that number is about to increase significantly....