Samsung SSD 980: A Stellar Mid-Tier Option

The new Samsung SSD 980 enters the field of internal solid-state drives with some pretty stiff goals to meet.

How to Spot and Avoid Credit Card Skimmers and Shimmers

The moment I realized how woefully insecure credit and debit cards are is still vividly clear.

TCL 43S435: As Affordable as a New TV Gets

TCL is no stranger to budget-friendly TVs, and the company has consistently impressed us with its 6-Series, which offers excellent performance for a reasonable price.

Disinfect Your Phone and Electronics

Once again, though, these aren’t normal times—so if you want to de-germify, grab the same solution you made for your phone, spray it on one of those disposable microfiber cloths, and wipe down the entire surface. The same goes for over-the-ear headphones.

HOW TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR DIGITAL LIFE

Spring’s a time of new beginnings, regrowth, and hope! So it’s a great time to give all your tech—both physical and virtual—a good, thorough scouring. Read on to find out how.

Break Away From Android and iOS: 7 Free Open-Source Mobile OSes

Silicon Valley has long preached that technology, not truth, will set you free. The jury is still out on that. For instance, although smartphones have dramatically changed our world, they come with some serious drawbacks. Centralized app stores mean that useful apps can vanish in a heartbeat, while apps themselves use the sensors on these devices to monitor much of our lives. Perhaps worst of all, most of these devices cost plenty, yet they aren’t expected to function for more than a few years.

Asus ZenWiFi AC (CT8): Reliable Home Network Protection

These days, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) mesh systems have taken a backseat to those that use the latest Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) technology.

Acer Aspire TC-895-UA91: Budget PC Editors' Choice

The Acer Aspire TC-895-UA91 is, in many ways, just what most budget desktop shoppers are looking for.

Plugging in

The contemporary home is already much different than what our grandparents were used to with the internet and smart devices laying around.

If You Can't Join ‘Em… Stream ‘Em

This fall, Ricky Gervais was living his best lockdown life. Hollywood was on pause, but the actor and comedian kept in full stride. Binging fans had made his Netflix series After Life the most watched British comedy for the second year in a row while he stayed home writing a third season.

Space Jam

NASA bands together with industry for a return to the moon

Nothing Goes Over His Head

Despite movie delays, Dave Bautista is bigger than ever.

Does This DOG Know Whether You Have CANCER?

The canine nose is a marvel of nature. Science believes that a computerized model will save millions of lives.

JUST IN TIME

Robots in a 5G World

Cool Technologies to Teach Kids About Medicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear; we need more good doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, and medical technology innovators.

THE TOP 50 MOST INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS

THE TOP 50 MOST INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS

Facebook Embarks on Another Epic Quest in VR

Oculus Quest 2 has improved drastically, while seeing a $100 price drop.

No Mercy

Ralph Macchio Talks Tech, the Switch to Netflix, and Season 3 of Cobra Kai

Escapism and Entertainment

How Video Games Are Getting Us Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

Microsoft's Viva Aims to Make Remote Work Easier

While many companies are still mastering the art of working from home, Microsoft recently introduced its virtual solution: The Viva employee experience platform helps folks learn, grow, and thrive, even from their kitchen tables. Powered by Microsoft 365 and Teams, Viva makes it easy for customers to merge existing systems and tools with fresh features for a more accessible, discoverable workplace.

What Is Clubhouse? The Invite-Only Chat App Explained

Wondering why you’re hearing a lot about Clubhouse lately? We can partially blame Elon Musk: By popping up in a Clubhouse room in February, the world’s richest man (for now) brought the service a lot of attention. Here’s what you need to know about the exclusive chat app.

How to Set Up and Optimize Your Wireless Router

Although manufacturers have been making installation utilities easier to use, getting the best out of your new wireless router usually means delving a little deeper than the standard installation routine will go. Just because you’ve plugged everything in and all the blinking lights have turned green doesn’t mean your network’s performance or its security are as strong as they could be. Follow these basic steps to properly configure your router and optimize your wireless network.

How to Troubleshoot Your Internet Connection

Do you have a full house of social distancers working, gaming, streaming, and news binging, all at the same time? Before you schedule a service call with your cable company, check out our tips for troubleshooting your internet connection.

What Is Wi-FI 6E?

If you’re in the market for a new router or any device that uses Wi-Fi, you should first understand the new Wi-Fi 6E standard and what it means for the future of wireless networks at home and in offices around the US. The Wi-Fi Alliance, a group of Wi-Fi platform vendors that work with the FCC and electronics manufacturers to set standards for Wi-Fi technology, announced the Wi-Fi 6E designation in 2020 for any IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) products that support 6GHz wireless spectrum. Essentially, this means Wi-Fi 6E enables faster speeds and lower latencies than Wi-Fi 6 and earlier iterations.

How to Make Your Android Phone Less Annoying

It’s hard to unplug these days. PCs, tablets, smartphones—even a large selection of home appliances—can wirelessly connect to the internet at the push of a button. Devices buzz with emails, notifications, and status updates at all hours of the day, making it hard to concentrate. Your Android phone is no exception—but there are ways to make it less annoying.

Lenovo Yoga 9i (15-Inch): A Competent Convertible

We recently reviewed the 14-inch Lenovo Yoga 9i, a compact convertible laptop with plenty of upside, but maybe you’re in the market for something a little larger. Its big brother, the 15.6-inch Lenovo Yoga 9i, brings the same high-quality hybrid form factor to a roomier display. Of course, the increased size makes the larger Yoga a little unwieldy as a tablet, but it also delivers more power. (The hybrid’s snappy Intel Core i7 H-Series CPU and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphics will impress.) Long battery life and an included stylus sweeten the pot for what is a good if not standout convertible. The premium HP Spectre x360 15 remains our favorite big-screen 2-in-1 machine.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: High-Quality Superzoom

It’s like an anime title: “Galaxy S: Redemption.” The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is, by and large, what the Galaxy S20 Ultra should have been. It’s a solid and premium-feeling phone with a unique (for the US) superzoom camera, a gorgeous screen, future-forward network chops, and it retails for $300 less than the S20 Ultra. Right now it’s almost too far ahead of its time, as some of the networks it supports aren’t widely available. But if you have cash to spare, it’s worth considering as an investment in the future.

Amazon Halo: Shines as Activity and Sleep Tracker

Lots of fitness trackers can measure your calories burned, heart rate, and steps. With the Halo, Amazon wants to give you greater visibility into your overall health, along with actionable insights to help improve it. The Halo does an excellent job of monitoring your activity and sleep, and its companion app gives you access to a wide range of workouts and wellness programs. In addition, the Halo can analyze the tone of your voice to tell you how you sound to other people and measure your body-fat percentage based on images taken with its app. These two features are a bit gimmicky, but the Halo band is otherwise useful when you’re looking to move more and improve your shut-eye.

The Nuclear Option

Biden has signaled support for a new generation of smaller nuclear reactors. Are they the path to a carbon-free economy—or just a bid to keep a troubled industry alive?

China Spacecraft Enters Mars Orbit, 2nd In 2 Days After Uae

A Chinese spacecraft entered Mars orbit on Wednesday on a mission to land a rover and collect data on underground water and possible signs of ancient life, state media said.