Author: Press Room
I own TCL Roku TVs in three different rooms, and I’m constantly purchasing replacement remotes because mine disappear constantly. Last month, something crazy happened—I found out my remote has secret button sequences that unlock hidden menus. These combinations open diagnostic screens, force restarts, and solve problems without navigating endless settings. The iPhone Roku app does its job for regular stuff, but when your device crashes or freezes, these shortcuts save your butt. There is a lot of information hidden from your view Credit: Jonathon Jachura / MUO Press Home five times, Fast Forward three times, Rewind twice. After inputting the sequence,…
Some horror movies hit you with jump scares and gore, but the ones that truly linger are the films that worm their way into your thoughts. They may not be the loudest or bloodiest, but hours—or even days—later, you’ll catch yourself replaying certain moments, and the dread only grows stronger. I don’t think there are many that truly fit this bill. And, of course, you can only be affected by what you’ve watched and how it lingers with you. Sometimes, what you find unsettling doesn’t even register with the person you’re watching with. But if you’re in the mood for…
You can tell tech hardware design teams are getting bored. With the entire smartphone industry having unanimously decided that every device should become a featureless rounded rectangle, designers must be going out of their minds. Which perhaps explains what’s going on over at Xiaomi, because its latest creation is unhinged. Much like Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro, Xiaomi’s latest blower, the suspiciously similarly named Xiaomi 17 Pro, has a camera bar (sorry, plateau). Very much unlike Apple, Xiaomi’s decided its equivalent should double as a Game Boy. Inexplicably, m’colleague Tom Morgan-Freelander neglected to mention this in his write-up. He sensibly focused on how the screen on…
Even if you don’t play video games, the world of video game music is worth exploring. Video game OSTs (original soundtracks) make excellent background music because the majority of them are instrumental, with no lyrics to distract you. Further, video game music is crafted to set the mood while allowing you to focus on playing. That makes these soundtracks perfect for studying, deeply working, or otherwise blocking out distractions. With focusing in mind, I’ve selected video game soundtracks that are not overly intense, and as consistent as possible from track to track. I’ll also provide a few recommended tracks from…
I’m not sure what “knowledge worker” really means, but if the job description is cramming new information into your brain and hoping it sticks, then I qualify. ChatGPT has become my right-hand tool for this: quizzes, cloze tests, and flashcards are my bread and butter. They help me remember not just university coursework but anything I actually want in long-term memory. One day, ChatGPT broke the script. Out of the blue, it started spinning whatever I said to it into interactive quizzes. I hadn’t asked for it — I wasn’t even studying. It was brilliant, but completely useless. Useless, until…
Even if I don’t watch anything new on Netflix, my subscription is still worth keeping because I know I at least get use out of rewatching my favorite movies and series. Heck, I’ve even rewatched KPop Demon Hunters multiple times with my kids now. It has some of my favorite classic movies, too, like Liar Liar and The Other Guys. However, Netflix is now adding more classic movies, and I couldn’t be more excited because they’re a mix of genres, with a strong emphasis on comedy. If you’re looking for a feel-good movie or something to laugh at, all of…
You’d be surprised at how many hidden features are available on the streaming services you use every day. Perhaps one of the biggest ones that Netflix has is hidden genre categories, which baffles me. Luckily, there’s a very handy site (Netflix-Codes) that gives you easy access to these categories, and the process is surprisingly easy. What you want to do is copy the desired code into the Netflix search bar or paste the code after the genre signifier in the URL (Example: https://netflix.com/browse/genre/xx), and you’re golden. If you’re not feeling either of those options, you can also just click on…
Not every studio can have its own Marvel Cinematic Universe. Warner Bros. learned that the hard way when it drafted director Zack Snyder to build out a billion-dollar movie franchise based on DC Comics, starting with Man of Steel in 2013. After 10 years of dramatically diminishing returns, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) finally guttered out with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023. But Warner Bros. wasn’t about to put a potential cash cow like that out to pasture. The studio has hired director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran to create a new DC Universe (DCU). It officially…
While I have had a Roku television for a little over three years now, it’s not something I have really properly utilized. I’m more likely to watch my streaming services on my Xbox Series X, as it’s a console I use constantly anyway. But recently, I’ve realized just how limited my Xbox can be when it comes to available applications. So, after years of being stuck in my ways, I have finally embraced my Roku television, as well as some tricks to make my Roku streaming experience more useful. The results have actually been far better than I could have…
Electric cars aren’t just for big budgets anymore. A few years back, most EVs sat firmly in the luxury camp, with hefty price tags and long waiting lists. Today, the picture looks very different. More manufacturers are offering models that don’t cost the earth (financially or environmentally), with better range, faster charging, and enough practicality for daily life. That means if you’ve been holding off on going electric because of cost, now’s a good time to take another look. “Affordable” is a moving target, of course. While EVs are still generally pricier than petrol cars up front, running costs tend…