The right set of speakers can make a major difference in your experience listening to music, watching movies, gaming, and more. However, choosing quality speakers is not necessarily enough to optimize your home audio setup. In addition to familiarizing yourself with the various settings you can adjust to get the most out of your audiophile equipment, you should also consider how speaker placement can affect sound quality. Be aware in particular that placing your speakers too close to the nearest wall can prevent you from getting the most out of them. If your speakers are too close to a wall…
Author: Woozad
Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we feature the latest apps from the indie app world. If you are a developer and would like your app to be featured, contact us. In a world full of assistants and AI tools trying to make your life easier, Poppy takes a different approach. Rather than demanding your effort up front, Poppy does its best to be proactive, providing you with useful context before you even know you need it. Highlights Poppy is not a traditional chatbot interface. Instead, you link all the things you want it…
If updating your router seems like something that belongs at the bottom of your list, investing in a newer 5G portable router could take your browsing experience to a whole new level. A portable 5G router connects directly to 5G rather than relying on Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi routers often just broadcast your cable or DSL internet connection), making it a great choice if you live somewhere with a killer cellular signal. Do you really need a 5G router if your old router is still alive? The truth is, a “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke” attitude won’t get you far.…
Introduced in iOS 16, Focus filters are excellent in principle. If you’re, for example, focused on work, you can block distracting apps, websites, and notifications. This even works in Messages, where you’ll only see texts from people in your Work focus. There is a caveat to its implementation in Messages, however, and that makes it much less useful to me than it could be. Personally, I often find myself distracted from good conversations when working on my Mac. Initially, I simply tried closing the Messages app and deleting it from my dock, but then found myself constantly reaching for my…
Analyzing glossy and matte OLED TV panels is essential for choosing the right TV. These terms describe the coatings on the TV’s front surface: glossy (shiny) or flat (matte). Each type has its advantages and disadvantages, and more importantly, each works differently depending on the environment in which the TV is placed. Glossy TV panels feature a reflective, mirror-like finish. They can also achieve superior contrast, color vibrancy, and deep blacks, which is ideal in dark or dimly lit spaces, away from direct sunlight or bright light, where the panel might be overwhelmed by reflections. On the other hand, matte…
Frame rate and refresh rate, maximum resolution, panel size, technology type, and brand are all specifications that most people consider when shopping for a new monitor, and they are all important. However, there is one aspect of monitor placement that too many people overlook: the distance between the monitor and your eyes. Why is this important, some will say? It’s mainly about health and ergonomics, helping you maintain good posture while sitting at your desk. Keeping your monitor optimally positioned, regardless of its size, can reduce eye strain and promote a neutral posture, reducing strain on your neck and the…
If you’re looking for a lightweight fitness-tracking device you can wear on your wrist and forget about, the Google Fitbit Air could be a solid option. It’s a lightweight fitness tracker designed with simplicity and a distraction-free experience in mind, as it doesn’t include a built-in screen to display your data. All you get is what looks like a bracelet, but inside is a pebble that does all the heavy lifting, letting you track health and fitness metrics like heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and sleep. Of course, there are other things you need to know about the Google…
The legendary horror villain will rejoin the game amid its 10th anniversary celebrations. (edited)Dead by Daylight is about to reach its 10th anniversary, and developer Behavior Interactive is marking the occasion by adding a long-awaited character to the mix. Horror icon Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th series enters the fray as a playable killer, ready to take out some pesky survivors. In addition to its original killers and survivors, Behavior has incorporated numerous prominent horror characters over the past decade, including Vecna and the Demogorgon from Stranger Things, Chucky, Pyramid Head from Silent Hill, Ghostface, Freddy Krueger, and Leatherface. Jason…
In the age of streaming services, many still rely on Xfinity for entertainment and media. Offering a variety of services, including live TV, it’s just one of many brands you may not know that Comcast owns. Naturally, Xfinity provides users with a remote control to navigate devices, and in addition to the typical control buttons you’d expect, there are four additional buttons labeled ABCD. Available on select Xfinity remotes, ABCD buttons coordinate with specific quick settings and information access, and make small cleaning tasks easier. Although most of the buttons are relatively simple, two of them offer a bit more…
There’s something incredibly satisfying about finding a cool 3D printing project on sites like Thingiverse and turning digital 3D models into a physical object – but that satisfaction can come with a steep learning curve. Creators can spend hours and days on a single, complex design, only to see the result shatter under the slightest pressure or end up as a pile of PLA noodles on a build plate. It’s a frustrating experience for beginners and longtime printers alike, but print failures rarely happen by chance. They are usually the result of specific mechanical issues, incorrect software settings, and environmental…