No, the Steam Deck Isn’t a Better Switch

When Valve released the Steam Deck gaming handheld, the comparisons to the Nintendo Switch were unavoidable, and the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 has reignited those discussions. I’m here to tell you that the Steam Deck is not a better Switch or Switch 2, because they aren’t really doing the same thing. The original Switch was underpowered hardware, even when it was a new—it used a modifiedTegra X1 chipset from 2015, and the original Switch arrived in March 2017....

July 6, 2025 · 5 min · 919 words · Jon Lewis

Physical Video Games Might Be Hurt by Tariffs, Too

A proposed 25% tax on goods imported from Mexico was proposed in an executive order from the new president of the U.S. It is expected by some to have a significant effect on the video game market in the United States. President Trump just signed anew executive orderto look into current trade agreements and tackle what the government sees as unfair trade practices like the large trade deficit in goods. The order calls for investigations to find out why these deficits exist and suggests possible solutions, like adding extra tariffs....

July 6, 2025 · 3 min · 479 words · Kendra Hurst

Protect Your Windows PC Against Zero-Day Exploits

Summary Unless your computer isn’t connected to the internet in any way, you’re always under threat from hackers looking to exploit vulnerabilities in your operating system. The worst of these are “zero-day” exploits, but you can still do something about them. What Is a Zero-Day Exploit? If you clicked on this article wondering what the heck a “zero-day” exploit is, let’s get that out of the way first. Normally, in cybersecurity, when someone discovers a vulnerability in software, they’ll let the developer know about the issue privately....

July 6, 2025 · 3 min · 584 words · John Whitaker

Ryobi 18V Cordless Leaf Blower Review: 110 MPH Jet Fan Handles Any Yard

Quick Links Leaf blowers are an invaluable tool for those looking to keep their yard, garden, or driveway clean of debris and leaves. And these days, no one wants to deal with gas tools or trip over power cords. That’s why I chose thisRyobi Cordless 18V leaf blowerfrom Home Depot, making the job easier than ever. The Ryobi One+ 18V brushless leaf blower is a high air volume output and relatively quiet machine with no cords, a lightweight design, and an 18V (4Ah) rechargeable lithium-ion battery....

July 6, 2025 · 7 min · 1390 words · Travis Cooper

Samsung’s 5K Viewfinity S9 Monitor Is Now Available

UPDATE: 2025-08-11 10:27 EST BY CORBIN DAVENPORT ViewFinity S9 Now Available The 27-inch Samsung ViewFinity S9 monitor is now available atAmazon,Samsung’s online store, and other retailers for $1,599.99. Choosing thebest monitorfor your PC can be hard. There are plenty of options out there, ranging from ultra-wide models to ones that have ultra-high refresh rates Samsung’s new 27-inch 5K monitor looks like a great choice, as long as you’re able to swallow the price....

July 6, 2025 · 3 min · 501 words · Kathleen Montoya

Should You Turn Your Water Heater Off While On Vacation?

Quick Links Summary It’s generally best to skip turning off the water heater and use the vacation mode or lowest setting to avoid problems. If you’re headed out of town for a while, you might be curious if you can turn off your water heater to save a little money. Here’s what to consider before you do. Skip a Total Shutdown, Use Vacation Mode If you have a newer tankless water heater, good news....

July 6, 2025 · 4 min · 724 words · Donald Jones

Speed Up Windows 11 By Breaking These 6 Bad Habits

Quick Links Bad habits often lead to negative outcomes. This doesn’t just apply to your personal life but also to other stuff like your Windows computer. These are six bad habits that could actually be slowing down your Windows 11 computer. 6Not Updating the OS Regularly Update your Windows computer—this is not just another generic piece of advice you hear from experts online. It actually works. Updating Windows has long been one of the best ways to improve system performance....

July 6, 2025 · 6 min · 1211 words · Patrick Gardner

Stop Using DOSBox and Try One of These 5 Forks Instead

DOSBox makes it possible to play games and run software designed for MS-DOS on a wide range of platforms. Though this emulator makes interacting with DOS relatively straightforward, the open-source nature of the project has enabled others to further improve upon it with new versions. By “forking” the original emulator, different implementations of DOSBox have appeared with various enhancements that improve accuracy, usability, and targeted use cases. While you could just use the “vanilla” version of DOSBox, these ports offer tangible benefits that shouldn’t be ignored....

July 6, 2025 · 8 min · 1584 words · Lisa Reynolds

Switching to Linux Saves You Money in More Ways Than One

While mobile devices are fine for chatting, reading, and watching, sometimes you need a real computer to get work done. But, it’s become expensive to keep Windows PC up to date. Switching to Linux means you can keep using your old PC, and save money in other ways, too. To Upgrade to Windows 11, You Might Need To Buy a Whole New PC As everyone has moved to their mobile phones and tablets to email, chat, and browse the web, PC usage has centered on gaming and productivity....

July 6, 2025 · 4 min · 724 words · Danny Jones

The Best Free Pomodoro Timers and Apps to Boost Productivity

Summary The Pomodoro Technique can be used to cut down on procrastination by scheduling work and break periods throughout the day. While any old timer will do, dedicated timer apps make it easier to get started and stick with it. What is the Pomodoro Technique? ThePomodoro Techniqueis credited to Francesco Cirillo, who developed it in the late 1980s. The technique divides work into blocks of time, typically 25 minutes, followed by short breaks of 5 minutes....

July 6, 2025 · 7 min · 1432 words · Deborah Lopez

The Google Pixel 6a at $249 for Prime Day Is a Must-Buy

While plenty of smartphones are on sale for Amazon’s Prime Day event, many of you are likely looking for a steal. If so, theGoogle Pixel 6a is only $249, making it nearly a must-buy for those on a budget. This matches its previous low and is a great price for an excellent phone. Sure, you could spend a little more on thenew Pixel 7athat Google recently released, but the Pixel 6a is still a quality device that’s barely a year old....

July 6, 2025 · 2 min · 391 words · Jennifer Love

These New Snapdragon 8 Elite Phones Are a Bigger Deal Than You Think

Quick Links We’re all familiar with the typical generational improvements in mobile processors by now—a minor performance bump here, some battery optimization there, and maybe a new feature. But with the new Snapdragon 8 Elite, Android users are finally getting a truly groundbreaking upgrade. Significant Boost in Speed and Battery Life Apple has been dominating the mobile and laptop market with its custom Arm-based Apple SiliconSoCs, leading many Android users toswitch to iPhone....

July 6, 2025 · 4 min · 665 words · Kim Ramirez

This Air Taxi Wants to Get You Between New York Airports in 15 Minutes

Summary Anyone who has ever been in a rush trying to reach the airport to catch a flight understands—traffic can make the difference between making it to your gate an hour early or not making it at all. Archer wants to implement a solution for New York City, a city famous for traffic, and of course, it involves more flying. Archer Aviation, one of the top competitors in the developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft sector, has announced a few potential air taxi routes aimed at connecting Manhattan with major New York City area airports....

July 6, 2025 · 3 min · 575 words · Matthew Arias