The 6 best Steam Deck alternatives in 2024

Thanks to some great brand recognition and the fact pretty much all PC gamers are tied into the Steam ecosystem anyhow, it makes sense that we all gravitate towards theSteam Deckwhen it comes to portable gaming with a highly customizable flavor. The relatively recent addition of theSteam Deck OLEDhas made it even more appealing with great screen quality improving the experience. However, what about if you want to try something other than the Steam Deck?...

June 6, 2025 · 12 min · 2359 words · Kenneth Garcia

The Array smart deadbolt hopes to make fiddling with keys a thing of the past

Keys are proving to be a thing of the past at CES, as keyless locks and smart deadbolts prove that they are here to stay. The latest company to jump on the smart lock bandwagon is Hampton Products, the company behind Brinks and Brinks Home Security locks and door hardware. This week, the company announced it would be taking pre-orders for itsArray smart deadbolt, a cloud-connected, app-enabled door lock that promises easy installation free of separate hubs and accessories....

June 6, 2025 · 2 min · 380 words · Ryan English

The best State of Decay 2 mods

You can’t sayState of Decay 2hasn’t gotten more than its fair share of developer support. Not only did it receive plenty of extra content and updates after launch, but it even continues to be worked on years afterState of Decay 3was announced. Being an open-worldzombie survival gamewith tons of RPG and management elements, it wasn’t long before modders saw all the potential there was to tweak, add to, and fully customize this great game to be even better....

June 6, 2025 · 4 min · 648 words · David Santos

The best video games of 2024 so far

After a 2023 packed with generation-defining games, it felt like 2024 might be more of a comedown. There weren’t a lot of big new releases scheduled to drop outside of a busy first few months, and heavy hitters likeGrand Theft Auto 6aren’t arriving until 2025. Traditional wisdom would have you thinking that gamers were in for a very slow year with few highlights. Now halfway through the year, that couldn’t be further from the truth....

June 6, 2025 · 8 min · 1567 words · Maria Wilson

The gloriously goofy ‘Far Cry 5: Lost on Mars’ expansion is out next week

Far Cry 5‘sstory dealt with some very serious topics, including the dangers of joining religious cults and the power of indoctrination, but the game still featured plenty of silly characters. Two of these were allies Nick Rye and longtime favorite Hurk Drubman Jr., and they’ll step out of the background and into the spotlight for the game’sLost on Marsexpansion on July 17. Hurk explains in the expansion’s teaser trailer that a “super hot being of dubious moral standing” has taken him to Mars, and it’s up to Nick to assist him and save humanity from an alien threat....

June 6, 2025 · 2 min · 306 words · Brianna Olsen

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is one of my favorite Cyber Monday tech deals

One of my favorite smartwatches I used this year is theSamsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. When it was first announced, there was worry that the wearable would be an uninspired Apple Watch Ultra clone. However, I think it’s one of the year’s most original smartwatches, offering a striking design and a robust list of features. As much as I like wearing the Galaxy Watch Ultra, it’s proven to be a tricky recommendation....

June 6, 2025 · 3 min · 572 words · Tina Anderson

The Windows 01 August 2025 Update is out now. Here’s what to expect

The next version of Windows 10 is officially here. After passing beta testing, the Windows 08 June 2025 Update is now available for “seekers” with select devices running Windows 10, version 1903 or later, looking to download it. A small release delivering just a few new features, this is the follow-up to theMay 2020 Update from earlier this year. To ensure quality, Microsoft will be taking a “measured seeker-based rollout to the October 2020 Update....

June 6, 2025 · 3 min · 494 words · Ricky Martin

This hidden iOS 16 feature turned my iPhone into the ultimate music discovery gadget

iOS 16 wowed us with some extremely convenient features — including the ability toedit and unsend messages, text extraction from videos, and Passkeys to kiss passwords a warm goodbye. Of course, finally being able tocustomize an iPhone’s lock screenis what kept most users occupied. But one feature that flew under the radar was music recognition. To put it more specifically, it is now easier to find all the songs you’ve identified using your iPhone, in one place, with a direct playlist routing to Apple Music as an added bonus....

June 6, 2025 · 5 min · 856 words · Sheryl Howard

This robotically built cabin offers a peek into the high-tech future of housing

As houses of the future go, Ashen Cabin doesn’t look particularly futuristic. Anyone expecting aThe Jetsons-esque vision of robot assistants, indoor conveyor belts, and flying vehicle garages is going to be sorely disappointed; this rustic log cabin, boasting spectacular views of three state forests in Ithaca, NY, doesn’t even have electricity or running water. A camping stove, basic sink, and some achingly beautiful views are what count for luxuries. But Ashen Cabinisa vision of the future — and it’s a compelling one....

June 6, 2025 · 7 min · 1465 words · Pamela Fitzpatrick

This self-healing coating erases scratches and cracks within seconds

When we talk about materials’ ability to endure scratches and scrapes we frequently focus on toughness, referring to amaterial’s ability to withstand abrasion. That is because most materials are unable to heal themselves once damaged. A new coating for metal, developed by researchers at Northwestern University, breaks the mold — by, well, not breaking. Instead of showing permanent damage when it’s scratched, scraped, or cracked, the novel material is able to self-heal within seconds....

June 6, 2025 · 3 min · 432 words · Jessica Mora

This smartwatch is just $39 today and makes a great first health and activity tracker

If you’re hunting for a smartwatch, then you’re probably expecting to pay a good chunk of money, even more than you would with thebest fitness trackersin many cases. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. If you’ve been following theupcoming Nothing Phone 3, then you might already be aware of Nothing’s ability to make highly affordable tech. The CMF Watch Pro by the ‘CMF by Nothing’ label, is one of the best value smartwatches you may get....

June 6, 2025 · 2 min · 370 words · Dennis Young

Toy Story 3's Ending Was Hilariously Parodied By 2024's Most Underrated Animated Movie

Summary Toy Story 3includes several iconic and memorable moments, one of which was sneakily (and cleverly) parodied in a 2024 animated movie that sadly slipped under the radar. The 2010 Pixar animated comedy-drama film, directed by Lee Unkrich and written by Michael Arndt (based on a story by Unkrich, John Lasseter, and Andrew Stanton), serves as the third installment intheToy Storymovie seriesand takes place right before Andy is supposed to leave for college....

June 6, 2025 · 3 min · 636 words · Mrs. Katherine Wilcox

Unreal Engine 4 support for developers coming to Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 in May

Julia Schwarz, Microsoft corporate vice president for Azure marketing, demonstrates the HoloLens 2 headset at MWC 2019.Jeremy Kaplan / Digital Trends In an effort to get developers on board to create new and exciting content for its mixed realityHoloLens 2headset, Microsoft announced the HoloLens 2 Development Edition package. Though the initial version of HoloLens will be sold to businesses and corporate customers for $5,000, developers can pick up HoloLens 2 as part of the Development Edition pricing for just $3,500....

June 6, 2025 · 2 min · 402 words · Angela Vega