Quick Links Web browsers have become some of the most ubiquitous tools in our lives. Almost everyone opens up Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, or some other browser every day. But are you using your browser to its full potential, or are you stuck with some habits that need updating? Stop Using Google as a Website Launcher Google is good for many things, but there are some people out there using it in strange ways....
Quick Links Raspberry Pi 4 microcomputers are a hot commodity, so hot that prices are significantly inflated. So forget overpaying for a Pi, buy a used NUC instead—it’s a much better value. The Pi Shortage Pricing Changes the Equation If the Raspberry Pi was consistently in stock and selling for the MSRP, the pricing for the Raspberry Pi 4 boards would range from$35 for the base 1GB modelup to$75 for the 8GB model....
Summary Every gaming peripheral manufacturer touts the lofty (albeit industry-standard) polling rates of its mice and keyboards. However, don’t give up your 1,000 Hz devices just yet. 8,000 Hz Polling Is a Needless CPU Sink A device’spolling raterepresents how many times per second it sends data to your computer. So, a 1,000 Hz polling rate updates 1,000 times per second, and so forth. Higher frequencies reduce latency, with the intent being smoother mouse motions and faster keystroke or button registration....
A Dutch software developer has adapted DOOM, the iconic first-person shooter, to run inside a standalone Microsoft Word document with some help from VBA macros. Wojciech Graj, the brains behind this undertaking, shared the source code for his “doom generic” port on GitHub. He was inspired to create the project after seeingDOOM running inside a PDF document. The game comes as a single 6.6MB Word document. However, there’s no sound, and you must allow Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros....
Summary It wasn’t all that long ago that buying cheap wireless earbuds meant putting up with sub-par sound and connectivity issues. Fortunately, they’ve come a long way in a short time, as evidenced by theEarFun Air 2, a set of quality affordable earbuds with surprisingly few downsides for less than $50. EarFun Air 2 While the EarFun Air 2 may lack ANC, these affordable wireless earbuds sound great for the price, have excellent battery life, and even feature a case with wireless charging....
Summary Video game pre-orders have become one of the most controversial practices in modern gaming. While some see it as a risky gamble that encourages publishers to release unfinished games, I think that there are legitimate reasons to pre-order your favorite upcoming titles. Pre-order Bonuses Are Sometimes Worth It The main reason people pre-order games (especially in the digital era) is for all the exclusive stuff that often comes with them....
Toyota’sGazoo Racing performance division will now oversee the development of the automaker’s entire new internal combustion engine lineup. In an interview Bart Eelen, GR’s head and motorsports chief, confirmed that Toyota’s upcoming range of gas-powered four-cylinder engines will receive engineering expertise from its racing team. These new engines won’t be exclusive toToyota’s sports cars; they’ll also power the brand’s regular models. The Japanese brand seems determined to shake off its “most boring carmaker” label, and leveraging motorsports-inspired internal combustion engines is a great way to add excitement to its lineup....
Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and a few other web browsers still support Windows 7. Nearly three years afterofficial support ended for Windows 7, Chrome is preparing to say farewell, and other browsers are following suit. Google confirmed a while ago that Chrome 109, due to be released in January 2023, will be the last version to support Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. The next update after that, Chrome 110, will require Windows 10 or 11....
Summary I always felt uneasy when someone asked to see my phone, as all my private WhatsApp chats were there, wide open. Luckily, I explored a feature that allowed me to lock the entire WhatsApp app on my phone as well as on my desktop. Why I Decided to Lock My WhatsApp The reason I chose to lock WhatsApp on both my phone and my PC was obvious: I didn’t want people to see my chats....
There are lots of different ways you can play retro games these days, but my favorite (and most used) computing device has been the iPad since the launch of the second one. So, in general, I try to see if I can do something with my iPad first before moving on to other platforms—which includes getting my retro gaming fix. With Apple relaxing the limits on game emulation, and increasing support for a wider variety of peripherals, I’ve found my iPad has become the most flexible device I have to strike a balance between convenience and simplicity for retro gaming....
There are tiny computers all over the show these days, but despite doing remarkably well in the laptop market, there’s a distinct lack of ChromeOS mini PCs. That’s despite the fact that so-called “Chromeboxes” are a thing that exist, and that have been on the market for many years at this point. With the evolution of ChromeOS, why haven’t these little computers made a bigger impact yet? What Even Is a Chromebox?...
Quick Links Summary Sometimes an update breaks an app’s functionality or slows it down. Sometimes developers redesign the UI or leave out the features you like. But you can get your favorite interface and features back by downgrading the app to an older version. What You Need to Downgrade an App The Android UI lets you downgrade some apps with a single tap. Just go to Settings > Apps > Manage Apps....
Summary While iPhones excel at recording excellent quality video in glorious 4K HDR, they can also capture solid audio with their microphone array. If you’re experiencing audio quality issues, here are a few ways to improve it. Check if the Microphone Is Covered Your iPhone can pick updistorted or muffled audio for numerous reasons. Let’s start with the easiest problem and an instant solution: check if the protective case or your hand covers the microphone holes on the iPhone when you’re recording....
