Quick Links Your personal text messages, banking info, social media passwords, and search history all have one phone app in common: the keyboard. When so much private data interfaces with a single app, privacy becomes a real concern. Why You Should Ditch Google Gboard or Microsoft Swiftkey If you already have a favorite keyboard that stays out of your way and gets the job done, the hassle of getting used to a new keyboard might seem pointless....

Summary Japanese entertainment giant Nintendo has officially announced the successor to its best-selling console in a short teaser video. Dubbed the Nintendo Switch 2, the device features a long list of improvements, including a bigger display and an additional USB-C port. 6Nintendo Switch 2 Offers a Larger Screen Themost obvious change for the Nintendo Switch 2is a bigger screen. Although the company hasn’t revealed numbers yet, the upcoming console has a significantly larger screen than its predecessor....

Quick Links Who wants to pay good money for electricity they’re not even getting any benefit from? Here are some common energy vampires to look for around your home. What’s an Energy Vampire? If you’re a fan of pop psychology articles or the quirky vampire-centered mockumentaryWhat We Do in the Shadows, you might associate the term “energy vampire” with people who, metaphorically or literally, drain your energy. In terms of electrical usage and the impact on your electric bill, however, the term “energy vampire” refers toany device that carries a phantom, or standby, loadwhen not in active use....

There are a lot of companies cramming AI features into unhelpful tools, but Adobe generally isn’t doing that. Its Adobe Firefly-powered versions of Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects have been successful, and a lot of people find themselves using the AI features in software like Photoshop on a daily basis. Two Adobe programs that have lacked generative AI, however, include Acrobat and Reader. Now, this is changing. Adobe has launched AI Assistant in beta, an AI-powered conversational engine integrated into Reader and Acrobat....

Summary Android 16 is on its way, bringing with it a brand new design called “Material Expressive.” It’s all about personalization, and that includes wallpaper. Google is doing some interesting things I’ve never seen before—but I think that’s a good thing. The New “Shape” Wallpaper Effect Let’s start with the feature that’s a little on the strange side. There’s a new “Shape” effect that allows you to take your chosen image and display it within a specific shape or cutout on your screen, with the surrounding area filled by a solid color of your choosing....

Quick Links Summary Apple Music has more music, higher quality streams, spatial audio, and it tends to work better on Apple devices. Spotify by comparison has podcasts and audiobooks, a completely free (ad-supported) tier, and arguably better apps and music discovery features. Apple MusicandSpotifyare the two biggest music streaming services, but which one is right for you? Let’s break down the core differences, various similarities, and things you should consider when picking between them....

Summary Your puny gaming monitor is no match forBenQ’s X500i projector. With a minimum 4ms of input lag and a maximum 240Hz refresh rate, the X500i delivers the responsiveness and quality of a gaming monitor with an image that exceeds 100 inches. I’ve spent a few months with the BenQ X500i and, while this isn’t the flagship model inBenQ’s gaming lineup, itfeelslike a flagship product. BenQ X500i The BenQ X500i achieves a minimum 4ms of latency and a 240Hz refresh rate....

Summary Anyone who knows they have a lot of smart home products and thinks another smart home product is the solution to their chaos is a perfect candidate for Brilliant’s Smart Home Control—a touchscreen controller that comes in varying sizes. For people in that predicament, but aren’t confident in their electrical skills,Brilliant’s new Plug-In Panelis the optimal solution. The Plug-In Panel’s wiring doesn’t need to be inside the wall and plugs into a regular AC wall outlet....

Summary Having recently taken the plunge and purchased my first CRT TV in over 20 years, I first spent a silly amount of time researching things that I either never knew, or had forgotten over the decades. Some of the potential mistakes one could make were obvious in hindsight, but some truly surprised me. Buying a Flatscreen CRT Might Be a Mistake The last CRT I owned in the mid-2000s was a flatscreen model....

Quick Links There’s a killer AirPods feature on the loose, and enabling it makes talking to people while wearing your AirPods so much easier. Here’s what you need to know about Conversation Awareness onAirPods Pro (2nd Generation). Apple released a new firmware update for AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) withiOS 17, adding a host of new features to the earbuds. Out of these, Conversation Awareness is a complete game changer, as it practically eliminates the need to pause playback manually as you engage with someone while listening to a podcast, an audiobook, or your favorite music track....

Summary TheDJI Mini 3 Pro, released in May 2022, is one of the most beloved mini, or compact, drones on the market. It’s lauded for its lightweight, usability, and video quality. Now, DJI is back with theMini 4 Pro, promising improvements in flight performance, camera quality, flight time, and beginner-friendly features like Intelligent Flight Modes. DJI claims it’s their best drone for beginners, and the Mini 4 Pro’s competitive price point makes it an approachable purchase....

Flashy marketing, contract deals, and social pressure make it tempting to upgrade your iPhone every couple of years, but you normally don’t need to. Not only is this a waste of your money, but it’s bad for the planet and can leave you regretting it when the new phone isn’t all that different anyway. If you’re questioning whether to upgrade your iPhone, there are usually only four good reasons to do so....

Popular printer brand Brother recently came under fire for “going to the dark side” and blocking third-party ink or bricking printers with firmware updates, among other things. If you saw the news and started worrying about your machine, Brother just released a statement to clear the air and deny those rumors. As we all know, computer printers are affordable because you’ll inevitably spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on ink cartridges and toner....