Author: Press Room
The ports on the back of your TV probably don’t get much attention, including the familiar ones like the USB-A ports. But that simple-looking USB port can actually do a lot of things. And no, I’m not talking about charging your devices or updating the software. You can use that USB port to improve wired internet speeds with an adapter, power ambient LED backlighting, connect keyboards, mice, and game controllers, or play local movies and photos directly from a flash drive like the good old days. Related Did You Know You Can Plug These 10 Devices Into Your Smart TV’s…
I recently started experiencing streaming “burnout” where, despite subscribing to several services, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO, and Disney+, I felt like I had exhausted all my options. Sure, the odd series would appear from time to time that would hook me in, but for the most part, I would find myself blankly scrolling through libraries that offered little to no inspiration. Having subscribed to ExpressVPN for years, I was surprised to see its familiar icon appear in my available apps menu, so I installed it on my Fire TV Stick via the Amazon Appstore. Accessing a…
Summary Plex Lifetime Pass goes from $250 to $750 on July 1. Current subscribers are grandfathered in. Monthly ($6.99) and annual ($69.99) prices remain the same. Jellyfin offers similar features for free, but needs more setup and local hosting. Plex is once again raising the cost of its Lifetime Pass, this time tripling from $250 to a staggering $750, effective July 1, 2026. The company claims the massive increase reflects the “real, ongoing value” of the streaming media server software, despite already doubling its cost in 2025. For current Lifetime Pass holders, nothing changes. The monthly ($6.99) and annual ($69.99)…
Too many things in our daily life are meant to be disposable. Things like wireless headphones are difficult to tear apart to replace parts, seeing as most manufacturers would rather have you purchase their upgraded model instead of repairing the pair you already own. That was one of the first of many reasons why the Fender MIX caught my attention. Rather than soldering the battery in place, one of their major features is a removable and user-replaceable battery, alongside plenty of other modular design choices. They’re sleek, slick, and full of fun features, but are they more than a marketing…
Summary 1000X The Collexion prioritizes luxury design and comfort with a thicker headband and slimmer ear cups. Upgraded audio tech (thicker copper, V3 chip, spatial upmixing) aims for the best Sony sound yet. Trade-offs: crisper highs but weaker ANC and 6 hours less battery This year marks 10 years since the release of Sony’s flagship XM series headphones back in 2016. The new range, called 1000X The Collexion, promises Sony’s highest sound quality yet — but it might come at the cost of my personal favorite feature of the WH-1000XM6. Related Sony’s new WF-1000XM6 earbuds are exactly the upgrade I…
The Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop collection is one of the most unexpected watch collaborations in recent memory. Eight pocket watches, each built around a hand-wound SISTEM51 movement and dressed in Bioceramic. They take direct design cues from AP’s iconic Royal Oak, right down to the octagonal bezel and eight hexagonal screws. The result is playful, bold, and genuinely difficult to rank (that’s why this list is essentially my personal preference). Every model packs a tapisserie dial, sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating, and a swappable calfskin lanyard. There are two styles, Savonnette, with the crown at 3 o’clock, and Lépine,…
The Boys is a Prime Video show about a world where superheroes are real…and they’re awful. Most of them are just out to make a buck or become famous. And then there are real monsters like Homelander (Antony Starr), a sociopath with the powers of a god. Our heroes are a group of people called the Boys dedicated to bringing him down. The Boys was a hit when it premiered in 2019, but now that the series finale is almost here, there’s been a shift in chatter among fans online. I came into this fifth and final season hoping the…
Summary Amazon launches Alexa Podcasts with AI-curated episodes for Alexa Plus users. It pulls information from more than 200 trusted news and information sources. It’s available in the United States starting today. As hard as I try not to be a Luddite about the role artificial intelligence plays in our lives, Amazon’s latest development is another example of the occasional “jumped the shark” moment that makes me question everything. The online retailer has introduced Alexa Podcasts, which are informative AI-powered episodes curated for your personal interests. Available exclusively to Alexa Plus subscribers in the United States starting today, Alexa Podcasts…
Spotify and YouTube Music are convenient until you start noticing the cracks. Tracks disappear when licensing deals fall through, algorithms push convenience over your own preferences, and anything you download is just a temporary rental you don’t really own. If you’ve been frustrated by any of that, self-hosting your music library is worth looking into. There’s a great app that runs on surprisingly modest hardware while giving you full control over your collection, your metadata, and your listening habits. If you’re frustrated with Spotify, it’s time to switch. Related This Streaming Service Is the Best Way to Find Unique New…
Your TV can do much more than you think. This might be an oversimplification, because I’m assuming that you’re reading this and don’t have a TV that relies on rabbit ears. Even if it does, you might be able to rig up a VHS player or an older video game system and turn that TV into something more. Nowadays, there are TVs that have incredible abilities as the landscape has focused on future technology, incorporating AI to give you a better TV-going experience. If you aren’t interested in going that far, you can still get more out of your TV…