matakeris.creative/Shutterstock It’s almost comical how Windows struggles with Bluetooth, even decades after its initial implementation on PCs. There are frequent disconnections, an unreliable status display, and sometimes the Bluetooth icon completely disappears from your computer, preventing you from turning it on in the first place. Even if everything seems to be working fine, a Windows 11 update can completely screw up Bluetooth, rendering you powerless until Microsoft provides a fix. Sometimes upgrading your PC’s Bluetooth can help resolve these issues. Other devices, like the latest Googlebook (formerly Chromebook) models, are…
Author: Amelia Scott
Gorgev/Shutterstock It is difficult to represent sound. Most apps display it as a wavelength, but in reality it is a more complex mesh of multiple wavelengths that cover different high and low frequencies. But the process of capturing that sound in a recording, and then sharing it on the Internet, often leads to sounds that are slightly different from what you would experience in the real, natural world around you. One reason is that the audio you are listening to has likely been compressed, which is an editing process to…
Architect Farknot/Shutterstock Although the MacBook Pro has changed over the past five years, one thing remains the same: No matter which model you own, you will at some point encounter what MacBook users less affectionately call the “wheel of death.” This rainbow circle, also called a spinning wait cursor, pinwheel, or beach ball (also of death), always seems to appear at the worst times, interrupting your flow. It’s a frustrating inconvenience, but what does it actually mean? The rainbow circle taking over your mouse cursor basically means the computer is…
Bobkov Evgeniy/Shutterstock Before the iPhone, Apple had a brand of wireless routers called AirPort. Launched in 2003, Apple abruptly disbanded its AirPort team in 2016, before completely killing the brand two years later. Since then, there’s been no indication that Apple wants to get back into the mesh router rodeo, and the real reason they did this? If you guessed “silver”, you get a gold star. Speaking to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman at the time, Apple confirmed that the company had decided to refocus on “the consumer products that generate the…
kungfu01/Shutterstock RAM is an often overlooked part of a computer, but it has more of an effect on performance than you might think. With RAM prices skyrocketing due to component shortages, many people are currently stuck with their existing RAM sticks. To improve performance and keep your RAM at its maximum potential, you can use features like AMD EXPO. AMD EXPO is a setting found in your computer’s BIOS. It will essentially overclock your RAM for you, allowing it to reach its highest advertised speeds to ensure smooth performance. It’s…
tinhkhuong/Shutterstock Bluetooth technology has come a long way since the days of single-ear headphones. By 2026, almost everyone owns at least one pair of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, and you can usually find several sales of high-end products from companies like Sony, Bose, and Apple. But what are some of the non-negotiable features to look for in modern Bluetooth headphones? It’s a good question, and after careful consideration, we found four legitimate answers: active noise cancellation (ANC), strong battery life, multi-touch capabilities, and a companion app. Our list is also…
Saklakova/Getty Images There are several smart thermostats available for your home, but two of the most well-known brands are Google and Ecobee. Google may be the more popular of the two with its Google Nest thermostat, but Ecobee has also made a name for itself, especially when it comes to controlling your air conditioning and heating. They both work the same way, but some differences may mean that one will serve you better overall. The Google Nest Smart Thermostat comes in two models, separated by premium features like advanced scheduling,…
You can plug recent Pixel phones into a monitor to get a desktop-style interface. Elvard/Shutterstock Project For years, the idea of ​​smartphones connected to a monitor providing a desktop experience has fascinated manufacturers, developers, and (to some extent) consumers. But hardware experiments like Asus’ PadFone and the Motorola Atrix Lapdock haven’t won over users the way vendors hoped. Businesses have relied on software experiences to attempt to deliver office-grade features. Microsoft’s short-lived Continuum feature for Windows 10 Mobile was discontinued in 2017. Samsung’s DeX allows its Galaxy phones to offer a PC-like workspace with a taskbar,…
Mobile gamers may find this particularly useful. Stanislas Mikulski/Shutterstock This summer, popular game studio Bungie ended development on the long-running live-action game. Destiny 2. As an avid gamer who has gone through all the content the game had to offer, I still wanted a Fate fix, so I turned to the next best thing: mobile gaming Destiny: Ascendantdeveloped by NetEase. But even though I could easily play the game on my phone or tablet, playing on a portable screen never appealed to me. So I installed the Android version of the game on my PC, then…
It’s actually too natural for some. Ascannio/Shutterstock When ChatGPT first launched in 2022, the only way to interact with it was through your keyboard. But it didn’t take long for another major breakthrough: real-time voice chat. ChatGPT’s voice mode was the first such feature, but we soon faced competition from Google in the form of Gemini Live as well. Unlike older voice assistants like the Google Assistant, these chatbots can have natural conversations about just about any topic and even search the internet for up-to-date information. Despite this, Google and OpenAI have taken significantly different approaches…