Author: Press Room

You’ve probably noticed the USB port on your smart TV, but have you ever actually used it? That little port can do a lot more than you might expect. Hannah Stryker/MakeUseOf There’s something satisfying about having your own collection of music, movies, and shows ready to play. No buffering, no internet problems—just instant access. Simply load up a USB flash drive or an external hard drive with your favorite content, plug it into the TV’s USB port, and you can use the built-in media player to navigate and play the files. Not all TVs support every file format, so you…

The people you spend the most time with will influence your thoughts and actions. However, your content consumption can do the same, which is why filtering out negative music has been one of the best things I’ve done for focus and overall well-being. 1 Listening to Relaxing Instrumental Songs My music consumption has reduced significantly since 2020, and the main reason why is that I previously felt like I had to listen to songs. This was particularly true while I was working, and often, I would just listen to tracks without thinking of how they impacted my work. Music with…

Want sweet beats throughout your house? Sonos is the original multi-room music maestro – and its wireless speaker and soundbar lineup has never looked more comprehensive. Here’s our guide to picking the best Sonos gear for your home. From soundbars to subwoofers to portable speakers, there’s now a Sonos for every space, indoors and out. Whether you sync a stereo pair or hook up a bunch via Wi-Fi, the Sonos system makes it a cinch to bring tunes to every room. Not sure where to start? Bedroom, living room, garden: we’ve tested the best Sonos speakers in every position –…

The Home button is dead. It arrived in a blaze of glory, back in 2007, as Steve Jobs showed off Apple’s shiny new phone. Other smartphones of the era invited you to file down your fingertips and peck away at microscopic keys. But Home was the original iPhone’s sole front-facing button. It stuck around for years, as a comforting circle beneath your thumb. Wherever you were within any iPhone (or, later, iPad) app, one click and you’d be back at the Home Screen. And now it’s finally gone. Good. But also… bad? Because there are things about the Home button…

YouTube is launching a more affordable subscription that lets you watch videos and podcasts without ads. However, this does not include music videos, but this likely won’t be a problem if you already have a different music subscription like Spotify. YouTube Will Launch a More Affordable Premium Lite Plan YouTube has been experimenting with a more affordable Premium Lite plan, and it seems that it’s finally ready to deploy it. According to a Bloomberg report, the video hosting platform will soon launch the cheaper plan in the U.S., Australia, Germany, and Thailand, and that it’s made for users who primarily…

Hoarding documents or rendering endless video: the best portable SSDs give your workflow some much-needed breathing space. And if you’re in the market for a storage expansion, this is the list you need. From pocket-friendly plug-ins to rugged drives that can withstand some serious fieldwork, the round-up below features our pick of the best portable SSDs for every user. Whether you need somewhere to stash gigabytes of game files or terabytes of 4K footage, we’ve picked out a cache of external drives for different needs and budgets. If you’re not sure where to begin, you’ll also find some useful tips…

If you’re struggling to retain what you studied, you’re not alone. I experimented with spaced repetition using ChatGPT Tasks to combat my unreliable memory. Rather than using a different app, I rely on ChatGPT to set reminders and generate quizzes—making learning easier. What Are ChatGPT Tasks? ChatGPT Tasks is an AI-driven productivity feature within the chatbot that integrates scheduling and reminders directly into your workflow. With it, you can turn prompts and conversations into actionable tasks without switching to another reminder app. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to remind you to review a chapter regularly. This makes it an…

We’ve all panicked over a missing TV remote, only to find it buried deep in the sofa minutes later. Losing a remote is easy, but it’s much harder to lose a phone. That’s why I turned my old phone into a remote control! Using Third-Party Apps to Control Basic Functions I’ve been using third-party apps to navigate my TV for so long that I can’t remember the last time I picked up the remote. Whether you have an Android phone or iPhone, there are plenty of apps available that let you control your smart TV—as long as both your device…

Amazon is discontinuing a feature that lets you download your purchased eBooks to your computer and transfer them to your Kindle via a USB connection. Although few people take advantage of this, it still awful that we’re losing one of the ways we can download our content. Amazon Will No Longer Let You Download Your eBooks to Your PC Amazon did not make any official announcement about this on its support pages, but if you try downloading your purchased books from Amazon using your PC’s browser, a warning says that the “Download & Transfer via USB” option will no longer…

Allured by the promise of lower monthly prices, I tried to buy a YouTube Premium membership using my VPN connection in 2024. However, this massively backfired. I could purchase a subscription in the end, but not for the lower initial cost. What Happened When I Tried Buying a Subscription for Cheaper? I tried using a VPN to buy a subscription in a different country since I live in Denmark, which has one of the world’s most expensive YouTube Premium membership prices. This is partially because of the high cost of living in general, but also due to a heavy 25%…