Quick Links Phones are big. We all know it. They’re more unwieldy than they used to be, and yet we use them more than ever. You may have to live with a big phone, but thankfully, there are many ways to make your Android phone easier to use one-handed. Install a Different Launcher One of Android’s big advantages is you can swap out virtually the entire interface. The default home launcher is fine, but some alternatives may be much better suited for one-handed use....

Quick Links The Google Play Store has a treasure trove of apps, but it’s not the only game in town. In fact, some of the most innovative and privacy-focused Android apps are hiding just beyond Google’s official storefront. Before we dive into the list, you might be wondering where you can even find these hidden gems. Many of them are available on athird-party app store called F-Droid(which is the first app on the list)....

Summary It’s great that Apple is showing some love to its non-flagship products, but I can’t be alone in thinking the iPad Mini could do withmorelove. As an “iPad-curious” potential buyer, the seventh-generation iPad Mini has not won me over. The Same Old LCD Panel My biggest gripe with the iPad Mini is that the display is inferior to just about every other Apple device I currently own. My iPhone 13 Pro (which I’m refusing to replace for at least another year) has an OLED display, and the iPhone X it replaced used the same technology....

Quick Links It’s the final week of February 2023 (already), and we’ve got the deals to end it right. Today, save up to hundreds of dollars on the latest 11-inch iPad Pro, an ultra-affordable SSD from Crucial, automated robot vacuum from Ecovacs, and plenty more. The iPad has evolved quite a bit since its humble beginnings as a tablet-sized iPhone. Today, devices like the latest 11-inchiPad Pro– now down to its lowest price yet – excel at a wide range of tasks, from watching your favorite content on Netflix, to reading a good book on the Kindle app, to even getting some work done (yes, real work)....

Summary Is your Chromebook camera not working correctly? Issues such as restricted camera access for an app, misconfigured Chromebook settings, the camera being disabled, or limitations on administered devices can lead to camera problems. We have some solutions to help you resolve the issue. Perform Some Preliminary Checks Begin the troubleshooting process by performing some basic fixes. First, close the app where the camera isn’t working, restart it, and attempt to use it again....

Quick Links Summary If you’re having trouble hearing the dialogue on TV, a soundbar is usually the best and cheapest solution. Not only will a soundbar improve your TV’s audio quality, but it will give you the option to boost dialogue or normalize volume levels. It’s a timeless complaint—you can’t hear the dialogue on your TV, and cranking up the volume doesn’t really help. Everybody runs into this situation at some point in their life....

Quick Links Summary TheDell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (7435) laptopmarries portability, flexibility, and affordability. And while the hybrid laptop isn’t chock-full of über-fancy specs, it delivers reliable performance that everyday laptop and tablet users will find satisfying. Dell’s Inspiron laptops have a history almost as long as the internet’s release to the public—the first website launched in August 1991—while the first Inspiron came in 1999. With that kind of history comes a reputation, and despite some hurdles over the years, the Inspiron name is a trusted one....

Summary Console generations used to signify massive leaps forward for gaming hardware. We’ve seen the jumps from 8-bit to 16-bit, 2D to 3D, low-resolutions to high-definition—you get the point. But the last few console generations have only delivered slight graphical improvements with very few attempts at innovation. With console prices rising and new games showing very little change from past systems, console generations are beginning to seem less meaningful with the release of each new system....

Valve has previously confirmed that it’s committed to theSteam Deckasa multi-generational product. But will the second-gen Steam Deck come with a considerable performance leap? Maybe don’t count on it, says Valve. Steam Deck designers Pierre Loup-Griffais and Lawrence Yang sat down with The Verge for a wide-ranging interview about everything related to the Steam Deck. Among the things that were discussed, the Valve designers talked about current efforts to improve the Steam Deck hardware that’s being shipped to customers....

Quick Links Summary The PlayStation Portal is a $199 streaming device that, unlike most PlayStation gadgets, isn’t the plug-and-play accessory console gamers are used to. Before you splurge and gift the Portal, make sure you know the potential pitfalls. The PlayStation Portal Needs a PS5 to Work Unlike a “true” handheld gaming system like theNintendo Switchor Sony’s ill-fated PlayStation Vita, the Portal can’t do anything by itself. It can’t stream cloud games from Sony’s online services either....

Quick Links If you’ve ever considered self-hosting a server to run one or more services instead of using existing web-based providers, you’ve likely pondered if it was worth the hassle. Here’s why it is. What Is Self-Hosting? Before we dive into some of the reasons self-hosting is great, let’s get everyone on the same page just in case they’re unfamiliar with the term and the practice. Self-hosting is when you—either using a computer on your local network at home or a remote “bare metal” server host you’ve purchased—host your own services for various purposes....

If your back hurts in the morning, then you probably remember how you knew a call or text message was coming thanks to a distinctive morse-code-like interference on whatever speakers were nearby. Usually your desktop PC speakers. You may also have noticed that even if your phone is right next to your computer, TV, or anything else with speakers, that doesn’t seem to happen anymore. So why did this problem quietly go away?...

High Power Mode, Apple’s feature in macOS Ventura and later which enables sustained performance for demanding workloads, is now available on the latest M4 Macs. The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptopsusing the latest M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max processors from Apple can now use High Power Mode, as can thelatest Mac mini modelspowered by the M4 Pro chips. This is the first time this feature is available on the higher-end Mac mini....