Author: Press Room
Smartphones are the same everywhere, right? Wrong. While an iPhone 17 might look the same everywhere, there are some key differences between smartphones in the US and the UK. And because you’re a curious soul with an endless thirst for knowledge, you’re going to scroll down and learn a thing or two. Who knows, it might come in handy for a (very niche) pub quiz round. You’re welcome. With that said, here’s everything you need to know about the differences between smartphones in the US and the UK… SIMs and Cellular Networks Here’s a fun fact: buy an iPhone in…
Sometimes, I do find myself sitting around and being amazed by technology. Being able to download music to a phone or video call someone hundreds of miles away is still a pleasant surprise. This definitely shows my age, as I remember dial-up internet and loving my TalkBoy when I was a kid. But I’m constantly thinking about how lucky we are to live in the time we do. Arguably, the biggest technological advancements in recent memory fall under the constantly changing umbrella of AI. Generative AI has become one of the most used technologies today and corporations are banking on…
Smart TVs aren’t the most ideal devices to browse the web on, mainly because typing is slow and navigation feels awkward. The problem, though, is not just the TV remote but also the built-in browser. Most of them are clunky, difficult to navigate, and lack the features you’d want while browsing from the comfort of your couch. TV Bro is different. It’s a free, open-source browser that doesn’t force a desktop-style browsing on your TV. Instead, it’s built specifically for TVs and has every feature you might need, from voice search and bookmarks to built-in ad-blocking. After trying it, I’ve…
I have both a Fire TV Stick and a Roku, and one of the ways Fire is beaten by Roku is in its home screen customization. My Roku screen likely looks different from yours because I didn’t stick to the default look; I made real changes. If you are stuck on the out-of-the-box screen we’ve seen for years, you need to learn how to adjust it and make it your own. Otherwise, you’re just dealing with a slightly slower Fire TV Stick. You don’t need everything the default settings give you Jorge Aguilar / Make Use Of When you set…
To the obsessive holes in the middle of my skull — I hear some people refer to them as “eyes” — OLED is life to me. I can’t get enough of the best display tech in the world, even though I think OLED banding is worse than burn-in. I’ve owned my current LG model for three years, yet it was only months after purchasing my current flat screen that I realized I was ignoring a key settings tweak that could make my TV look so much brighter. Said tweak is known as Dynamic Tone Mapping. This feature is pretty common…
The Steam Deck is in a weird place at the moment. Despite the fact it beats every rival because of one thing no Windows handheld can match, this terrific little device is almost impossible to buy at its normal $549 MSRP due to RAMaggeddon. Valve hasn’t been able to restock Decks for months at the time of writing, which makes me feel really lucky to own this palm-friendly system that can also be turned into a decent mini PC. With the revamped Steam Machine delayed for the foreseeable due to RAM shortages, now is a great time to experiment with…
Like other streaming services, Roku has plenty of ways to adjust the settings and work on hidden menus through button combinations. You’ll want to learn these to keep your device running smoothly, troubleshoot issues, or customize your home screen. Luckily, it’s really easy to learn and use them, but make sure to keep the combinations nearby while you work. Clear your cache with the home button Even your streaming stick needs a cache deletion James Hirtz / MakeUseOf When you use your Roku daily, it stores temporary data like thumbnails and login credentials to load your favorite channels faster. That…
HBO has given us many iconic series over the years, from The Sopranos to The Wire to Sex and the City and beyond. An embarrassing number of HBO shows have become modern classics, but some have largely been forgotten despite being just as good, and maybe even more influential. Case in point: Rome, a two-season historical epic that aired between 2005 and 2007. This show has sky-high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, where audiences come close to giving it a near 100% fresh rating with critics not far behind. And yet, it’s been criminally forgotten when people discuss the HBO canon.…
I’m going to preface this column by noting something that’s really quite important, given the headline: I can be comically bad at making tech predictions. Some years ago, at the dawn of my tech-writing career, I was quoted in MacUser arguing that the iPod wouldn’t be a hit. In hindsight, I foreshadowed Steve Ballmer’s infamous iPhone take. “I said that is the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn’t appeal to business customers because it doesn’t have a keyboard,” he chortled. I was similarly all “this thing is very expensive and no one will want it”. Nope. Nope, nope, nope. What I’d…
Dolby Atmos is everywhere. I’ve seen wireless speakers and soundbars with Dolby Atmos support. I’ve used streaming services touting spatial audio powered by Atmos. Most recently, the new Motorola phone I’m reviewing has Dolby Atmos speakers. Frankly, I think Dolby is playing too loose with the Atmos brand. If the catchy name is on basically every audio product and streaming service, it’s hard to know what seeing the Dolby Atmos logo actually tells you. The one thing you should know about Dolby Atmos is that not all Atmos content is the same quality. There are many misconceptions about Dolby Atmos,…